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Goodbye Jesus

Christians Are Feeble Minded


SerenelyBlue

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Feeble minded? Not so sure. More like they haven't done their homework.

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And I agree with you that “fundies” deride people like Tolkien. I’ve encountered that kind of warped thinking many times. It’s not only wrong, it keeps people enslaved and ignorant.

 

Tolkien being Catholic has never bothered me. From his life and what I have read about him there is no doubt to me that he was Christian.  I have three friends who are Catholic.

 

I also don’t have any problem concerning Tolkien’s use of myths.  He wrote a lot about myth and its value. The power of storytelling is a major part of who we are as humans. 

 

 

“We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Indeed only by myth-making, only by becoming 'sub-creator' and inventing stories, can Man aspire to the state of perfection that he knew before the Fall. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbour, while materialistic 'progress' leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil.”

 

~ J.R.R. Tolkien

 

 

 

Tolkien believed in much of the common Christian myth and dogma, and he considered that part "true myth".

 

So what?

 

He spent his life learning about and writing about human myths, legends and linguistics.  He chose to write new myth based on his literary invention of Middle Earth.  Of course, he did not believe the myths he wrote were historically true.  He knew it was fiction.  He called it 'feigned history'.

 

Fortunately, he created and wrote entirely by himself (except what was written by Christopher Tolkien after JRR's death).  He placed common human themes and social experiences into his fictional writings, such as friendship, good v. evil, freedom of choice, totalitarianism, hope, miscommunication, love, empathy, humor, fear, uncertainty, among many many others.  He did so masterfully, all with eloquent use of his primary language - English.

 

He disliked allegory, and I strongly suspect he considered the Bible poorly written, particularly as modified over the centuries.  He stated:

 

 

 

“I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history – true or feigned– with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.”

 

Note the distinction regarding who is in control of the consumption and interpretation of the text, the author or the reader.  He wrote to allow the reader freedom to apply the words to their own lives, whereas with allegory, the command of the author is to be obeyed.

 

The Bible is at best allegory, at worst mere literary claims and commands.  Of course, religions generally follow these same patterns, linguistic or otherwise.

 

Tolkien, in his fictional writing, chose feigned history over allegory.  Of course, with his highly acedemic non-fictional writing (which is extensive), he used rational thinking common to scholarly disciplines.

 

I don't know what you are trying to put forth by referencing Tolkien, other than the silly argument that because Tolkien was a Christian therefore everything he wrote or did was because he was a Christian.  You've made that infantile argument before, many times on this forum,  That argument is fallacious.

 

I do suggest you read as much Tolkien as you can get your hands on.  He is one of the finest writers in the English language.  You may find his single-minded source of myth will outperform the multi-sourced myths of Christianity.  That, and he doesn't require you to kiss anyone's ass.

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