Re-Reading the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Monday December 31, 2007
C.S. Lewis' book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has been enjoyed by millions of children all around the world, but how many people go back and re-read the books as adults? How many approach the books with a skeptical perspective, questioning whether all the messages and passages are really appropriate?
The Evangelical Atheist re-read C.S. Lewis' popular book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe recently and was surprised at what he discovered, quoting:
“Logic!” said the Professor half to himself. “Why don’t they teach logic at these schools? There are only three possibilities. Either your sister is telling lies, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth. You know she doesn’t tell lies, and it is obvious that she is not mad. For the moment then and unless any further evidence turns up, we must assume that she is telling the truth.”
Gee, does this sound a bit like Lewis’ own argument for the truth of Christianity, currently dubbed the “Lord, Liar, or Lunatic Trilemma”? The Evangelical Atheist comments:
What I found was a book chock full of heavy-handed theology and blatant misogyny. I was also horrified by some of the imagery and would no sooner allow a small child to read this book than the Old Testament. Oh, did I mention that it’s also a terribly unsatisfying story? ...
Because of the White Witch’s magic, it is always winter and never Christmas in Narnia. As Aslan (the lion symbolizing Jesus) comes nearer, things start to change. This leads to a fascinating scene in which Father Christmas (Santa) arrives in his reindeer-drawn sleigh and gives the children weapons instead of toys. Even in a fairy tale, Christians are expected to slaughter unbelievers in the name of Christ.
EA will be reading and commenting on the other books in the series, but first needs a break to eliminate the taste of this one. I can’t find any blame with that — and I wonder how such things will be represented in the upcoming film. C.S. Lewis’ apologetics in these books is very heavy-handed and almost completely devoid of subtlety or nuance.
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