Christianity and The Lord of the Rings
Is it totally inappropriate for a Christian to watch Lord of the Rings?
Well, I don't think so.
I recently encountered the following argument. (I'm sure there are others out there.)
LOTR received huge popular acclaim. The Bible, however, says that friendship with the world is enmity towards God. Christians must not rebel against God by agreeing with the world.
I don't find this argument compelling, for the following reasons.
(a) Merely to like something that people who aren't (yet) Christians also like is not automatically wrong.
You must show that there is a link between the attraction and their unChristian mindset. I like a lot of things that receive popular acclaim: Mexican food, (some of) Pat Metheny's music, my Ford Freestar. These things aren't, for that reason, innately wrong.
(b) There may be multiple reasons for the popular acclaim.
It's categorically wrong for a Christian to watch MTV: to subscribe to Playboy, or to comparable publications; to pick up satellite TV signals in areas where it's illegal to do so. All of these things are praised by "the world," and for reasons that reflect the unregenerate nature's approval of what is wrong. In the case of the LOTR movies, though, I believe that the attraction is for reasons that reflect the unregenerate nature's approval of what is good: heroism (Aragorn and Boromir pledging their lives to protect Frodo); self-sacrifice (Gandalf sacrificing himself for his friends); unfailing devotion to a friend (Sam); romantic and honorable love that is platonic prior to marriage (Arwen and Aragorn); an unambiguous distinction between good and evil; an acknowledgement that evil is to be resisted, sometimes to the point of death.
When non-Christians approve of these things, they're approving of what is good. I see this as the incoherent longing of the unregenerate person for the God in whose image he or she was made. Christians, who by the grace of God are regenerate, are free to agree with them.
Now two important caveats.
One, if you don't agree with me and you don't think it's appropriate for you to watch LOTR, then don't watch it. Inform your conscience with what you believe is truth from the Bible, and follow it where it leads you.
Two, it's true that there are "magical" elements in LOTR. Now I don't think that they automatically fall under the condemnation that the Bible applies to what we call magic, which is the attempt to achieve power through communication with evil spirits. I.e., I don't see LOTR's "magic" as being in that category. But this subject will take longer to develop and explain, and I'm going to need more time to work up a good comment on the subject. Stay tuned. :-)
Well, I don't think so.
I recently encountered the following argument. (I'm sure there are others out there.)
LOTR received huge popular acclaim. The Bible, however, says that friendship with the world is enmity towards God. Christians must not rebel against God by agreeing with the world.
I don't find this argument compelling, for the following reasons.
(a) Merely to like something that people who aren't (yet) Christians also like is not automatically wrong.
You must show that there is a link between the attraction and their unChristian mindset. I like a lot of things that receive popular acclaim: Mexican food, (some of) Pat Metheny's music, my Ford Freestar. These things aren't, for that reason, innately wrong.
(b) There may be multiple reasons for the popular acclaim.
It's categorically wrong for a Christian to watch MTV: to subscribe to Playboy, or to comparable publications; to pick up satellite TV signals in areas where it's illegal to do so. All of these things are praised by "the world," and for reasons that reflect the unregenerate nature's approval of what is wrong. In the case of the LOTR movies, though, I believe that the attraction is for reasons that reflect the unregenerate nature's approval of what is good: heroism (Aragorn and Boromir pledging their lives to protect Frodo); self-sacrifice (Gandalf sacrificing himself for his friends); unfailing devotion to a friend (Sam); romantic and honorable love that is platonic prior to marriage (Arwen and Aragorn); an unambiguous distinction between good and evil; an acknowledgement that evil is to be resisted, sometimes to the point of death.
When non-Christians approve of these things, they're approving of what is good. I see this as the incoherent longing of the unregenerate person for the God in whose image he or she was made. Christians, who by the grace of God are regenerate, are free to agree with them.
Now two important caveats.
One, if you don't agree with me and you don't think it's appropriate for you to watch LOTR, then don't watch it. Inform your conscience with what you believe is truth from the Bible, and follow it where it leads you.
Two, it's true that there are "magical" elements in LOTR. Now I don't think that they automatically fall under the condemnation that the Bible applies to what we call magic, which is the attempt to achieve power through communication with evil spirits. I.e., I don't see LOTR's "magic" as being in that category. But this subject will take longer to develop and explain, and I'm going to need more time to work up a good comment on the subject. Stay tuned. :-)
posted by DunedainRanger at 4:07 a.m.
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