Man and woman marriage, and the head/leader

[General Trelane (Retired)]

The man is an obvious moron - I really wouldn't waste my time on his books.

That depends on how one defines wasting time. No, I wouldn't read his books hoping to find some great insight by which to live my life. But I would read his books (or try to. . .for some reason, I keep starting but never finishing any of them) in order to better understand (and hence counter) why so many Christian friends hold him in such esteem.

With such friends, it doesn't work to simply dismiss the man. Instead, one needs to show why his arguments are fallacious. One of those, from Mere Christianity, is the 'Lord, Liar, or Lunatic' trilemma, which seems to be getting more widespread partly because the very popular (and equally moronic) Alpha Course uses it.

So kudos to Haruko for wading through that kind of sludge.

He was an incoherent pseudo-intellectual, and one of Christianity's foremost apologists. His books are fluffy evangelical tripe. At least writings by someone like Augustine went pretty deep into Christian theology and appeared to be well thought out (if still bogus). Lewis was more like the traveling evangelist; his writings were dumbed down so that even the average fundie could comprehend them.

GK Chesterton was even worse! Fortunately, he's not quoted as often as Lewis.

[Broomstick]

Cs Lewis Writings seem almost incoherent. I cannot understand his points at all, Has anyone else had that problem?

His points? Hell, all his writing. Prior to narnia being made a movie I thought "Okay, let me read the book and then I'll see the movie and I'll be able to put faces to characters." His writing style pissed me off so much that I still haven't seen the movie. It's basically one long Deus Ex Machina with main characters stumbling around talking like they wish they were in a better written story while waiting for the lion to do something.

The movie is totally retarded as well. I can't fucking believe that at the end of the movie, when all is lost, the lion comes back to life because the evil witch queen didn't read the fine print in the rulebook. The good guys won by a fucking legal technicality in the magic scrolls.

This would be like "Return of the Jedi" ending by Luke discovering that there's a fucking addendum to some ancient Jedi scroll which says that Palpatine can't win.

It's been my observation that most "Christian" story-telling relies on such technicalities, when they aren't using deus ex machina

[Starglider]

t's been my observation that most "Christian" story-telling relies on such technicalities, when they aren't using deus ex machina

It certainly plays to the fundie mentality of 'you must obsessively read the scriptures and obey every detail', because they are god's law and any deviation from or ignorance of them will send you to hell.

[Darth Wong]

It's been my observation that most "Christian" story-telling relies on such technicalities, when they aren't using deus ex machina

It reminds me of the situation with gospel music, where real creativity and talent is pretty rare and someone who's a very mediocre performer in the secular world (see Amy Grant) can be a superstar. It begs the question: why is Christian-themed art, music, and literature so uncreative?

[rhoenix]

It begs the question: why is Christian-themed art, music, and literature so uncreative?

Your question was likely rhetorical, but I'll answer anyway: because being creative requires that one think.

[Superman]

The material is sort of limited too; everything has to be about Jebus.

[Patrick Degan]

It's been my observation that most "Christian" story-telling relies on such technicalities, when they aren't using deus ex machina

It reminds me of the situation with gospel music, where real creativity and talent is pretty rare and someone who's a very mediocre performer in the secular world (see Amy Grant) can be a superstar. It begs the question: why is Christian-themed art, music, and literature so uncreative?

Aside from the aforementioned ability to think (and be willing to challenge perceptions), there is also the fact that the bar for satisfaction is set pretty damn low. The only real requirement is that it is "moral" and praises Jesus to the sky. The audience is already pre-sold since they've cut themselves off from all "Satanic" art and music and literature. Past that, you really don't have to try too hard.

[rhoenix]

...(and be willing to challenge perceptions)...

Good point - I'd forgotten to include that.