Lord of the Rings

Yay or nay?

Greetings giggles

Where you wondering about the book or the movie?

God Bless
maryjane

Greetings MaryJane

Movie. Sorry for not being specific. God bless.

Greetings giggles

No worries:) I think you will get differing answers here but for me I really found many analogies in the movie to my walk with the Lord and with other believers. One part in particular was at the end of the first movie when Frodo tries to leave the others by getting into a boat because he does not want any harm to come to his friends and Sam comes out into the water after him. Frodo tells him to go back but even though Sam can not swim he keeps walking further and further out into the water after Frodo because he will not leave his friend to carry his burden alone. That really spoke to me, the love and the fellowship there. I cried so hard. They cared so much for each other that they were willing to lay down their life for the other one. I think of how we are told in the Word to love one another and to carry each others burdens. I think of how the Lord Jesus carries my burdens and died for me.

What were your thoughts on the movie? Is it a Yay or Nay for you:)

God Bless
maryjane

hi, loved the books and the movies...last time i went to a movie...loved c s lewis trilogy[out of the silent planet, perelandra,that hideous strenth]even more.jimp

Hi Giggles - A definate 'yay'! from us, all our family love the trilogy,although some Christians may not agree - I have heard the criticisms but I feel a lot of things get overly 'spiritualised' and then as a result criticised, instead of just enjoying a fantastic story and amazing acting and special effects - you would never believe that scene's were shot in warehouses and on a carpark!! it is amazing!

We watched a film about Tolkien, apparently he was a Christian and based Lord of the Rings on places he saw in Britain while growing up and also the war years. Although Christians do spiritualise the films, Tolkein did not write them as a spiritual story, it is all about the politics of world war 2. My hubby could tell you more about it, he is an avid fan!

The part that reduces me to tears is the scene where Pippin is forced to sing to the heartless king Denethor who is sitting at his table, gorging on all the food while a raging battle is ongoing. You can really feel Pippin's pain at that moment.

love Ceri

yay....TO ME, the ring represents sin. thats all i want to say on that. much much love in Christ, neil

I agree completely on that. Seeing the grip the ring has on gollum is frightening. The ring at first has such a wondrous appeal but then it consumes him completely, he becomes a slave to the ring. We to can become slaves to the sin in our life if we do not have Christ as our Lord. Jesus alone can break the bondage of sin and free us from its grasp. I really thought that the movie portrayed well the madness of sin as well as the consequence of it. In the end gollum died because of his desire for the ring. Sin will bring death to those who refuse to repent and reject Jesus.

God Bless Neil(glad to see you posting. I have been missing some of the older posters around here:)

Maryjane

What were your thoughts on the movie? Is it a Yay or Nay for you:)

Well for the longest time, they've been my favorite movies. I've seen them through many times, but the violence has lately been bothering my spirit. I was wondering if anyone ese has sensed this?

Greetings Giggles

I've seen them through many times, but the violence has lately been bothering my spirit. I was wondering if anyone ese has sensed this?

I always have a very difficult time with watching any kind of battle scene, so I tend to self edit the movies I watch. If others are watching I leave the room until the battle has ended, if I am alone I scene select to bypass the violent battle scenes. I really have a hard time with war movies, my dh really loves Band of Brothers and I can not watch that movie at all, it just is to much for me.

God Bless
maryjane

i watched the very first part.didn't watch any more after that.it's my personal opinion-as a Christian i didn't want to watch some of those scenes and all sorts of mythical creatures in the movie.so it's NAY.

Nay. I read the books before I was saved. I was into Dungeons and Dragons and to me these books fit right into the plot of witchcraft. I am not saying that that was the intent of Tolkien writing them but that was how they were applied with D&D. I destroyed them after I was saved. Looking back, I guess there may be some Christian parallels but I did not see it then. C.S. Lewis' books were more overtly Christian. I do not want to be a stumbling block to those into witchcraft and D&D. This is just my opinion.

Hi,

I would like to point out that there are many scriptures that talk about having nothing to do with wizards and sorcery. There are many scriptures that we should be ‘doing’ and if we are doing the will of God (like living Holy with His life flooding ours) then how can we even stand to watch or read anything that has zero to do with Him.

You can draw parallels to Christianity from anything. We are, as sinners, prone to justify anything as right but there in itself is the problem. If I in my flesh think something is OK I get rid of it because right away there is noway God can love sin.

I would rather read the word and serve God and would encourage you to ask God for conviction over this issue of any film or book. Most people will spend hours reading these books but can’t even find the time to read just as much or if not more of the bible. If you are desperate for Him then you will seek Him and His will. If you are not then there is much to deceive even the elect in this day and age.

Stephen

JB1968 and Stephenmac, I agree 100% with you both. I can't stress how concerned I am for those that find no harm in these movies or books.

I was saved from many terrible things including witchcraft dabblings and interest in "curious" arts. Our carnal man loves fantasy and the seduction of darker things. These are seducing spirits. I was specifically delivered from these interests and told by the Lord to stay away from them or it would open doors.

I go by the truth of His Word which is all authoritive. May the Lord open our eyes to deliver us from this American Christianity.

Please don't get the final word on this subject from someone that would support your beliefs. It is the word of God that will show us to have nothing to do with the unfruitful works of darkness.

Frightening images that you cannot have children around would be my first warning sign.

As the last two posters stated, you could point out types and comparisons in anything if you try hard enough. Do we really want to see though? Are we so addicted to the entertainment world that we simply don't want to turn our backs on it? God forbid that the evil creatures we view on the screen become our eternal tormenters.

Please pray and ask the Lord for His mind. It is no wonder our little ones often have nightmares and have mental "issues". Have we allowed the enemy place in our lives?

Selah.

I agree with Stephenmac and KathleenP. The Bible says that we are to "Come out and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing". It also says to "avoid the very appearance of evil". May God give us discernment in this evil day that we live in.

Greetings giggles

I just wanted to say I agree with some others that have said you should pray about whether God has for you to watch these movies or not. I have only watched them once, as I said the Lord opened my eyes to see some wonderful truths of what its like to walk with Him and with others in the Body. I have not watched these movies since then and I have no need to. If you are troubled in the spirit about watching because of the violent content then do not watch them, walk in what the Lord is showing you. As I said before you will get many different opinions here on the matter so seek the Lord and pray about it.

God Bless you
mj

I wasn't going to comment on this thread, but feel to now. I felt a real check in my spirit when I saw the previews to these movies. I have a problem with witchcraft and sorcery being entertaining. It would say that there is good white witchcraft and dark witchcraft, but as others have said in the bible we are told to have nothing to do with it. Even the cronicles of narnia bothered me and George Mcdonalds books as well. But I would say that we have to go with what the Holy Spirit says to us individually. For young believers I would shun anything but what feeds your spirit with light. After 33 years of walking with the Lord this stuff just feels yicky to me. I feel slimed after watching it.

Personally enjoyed Lord of the Rings as well as the Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. I have become quite a fan of the writings of C.S. Lewis. Jimp, I also enjoyed reading the trilogy you mentioned. C.S. Lewis was really a master of allegory and I see more of his understanding of where this world was headed all the time. I was very satisfied that for once Hollywood did not include profanity, scantily clad bodies, and suggestive elements in any of these movies. I don't watch TV, and these movies comprise almost everything I have seen in the last five years. I guess I average about one per year.

I know that many are offended at the sorcery element in these films primarily. The seven parts of the Narnia series were intended to be an allegory of Christ, and if you read them with that in mind the intent of C.S. Lewis in these books comes across very strongly. The Last Battle, the last of the series, shadows the return of Christ and the end of the age and I wept my way through the ending as what I have studied from scripture about that glorious day of the Lord (for me anyhow, terrible for the lost)flooded my mind. I do not think the fact that magic or sorcery are an element in the story is really an issue. Scripture is clear about us not taking part in or having anything to do with sorcery or witchcraft. Scripture is full of accounts of people who engaged in this behavior, but I do not black those passages from my Bible so as not to be exposed to the concepts. These elements in these two author's books, I believe, are there as part of a story that brings about lessons and points that have nothing to do with witchcraft.

I believe, from what I have read, that Tolkein and Lewis were born again. But, both of them lived in a very institutionalized system and both surely had some issues. But have you every really studied Martin Luther. Powerfully used of God and we have him to thank that we hold our own copy of the Bible and understand justification by grace. But Luther was really pretty messed up. He loved God and walked in all he knew, but he was VERY imperfect.

Anyway, I give these films a thumbs up.

Travis

I've never known the Scripture to speak of witchcraft in a positive light. As far as I can tell it always speaks of it in a horrible way. God's ways are not like a "force" that can be used for good or evil. Lewis' works were obviously Christian in nature in contrast to Tolkein.
I'm an avid studier of history and I would not say that Luther was pretty messed up. He understood far more what righteousness consisted of than what most "modern" Christians do. He had great courage to stand for the authority of Scripture.

I agree with your statement on righteousness by grace through faith. I did not mean messed up in that sense. If you were to look at his personal life, you will find that there were several inconsistencies like, for example, his antisemitic leanings. I think it would be safe to say that we might have questioned many things in his life and said, "should I really trust this guy to minister to me?" I guess my point was that what many might say about C.S. Lewis could also have been said about Luther.