Why LOTR is the work of the devil

[Christiana]

Originally posted by Entlover


True enough, which is why I have no problem reading it. But kids are another matter - they are very impressionable -- how many of us remember significant books of our childhood? And HP is aimed at kids.
I met a witch once - nasty character. I don't think kids should be taught that there can be "good" witches.

what a load of puke!kids arnt nessecerely any more impressionable than adults!(okay,well,mabye little kids are)

[Entlover]

Feel free to disagree.

[Arathorn]

I think that, in that case, parents should read to their kids. It'll help in the bonding and you can explain things in the book the best way you can.

[Starr Polish]

Kids are far more impressionable than adults, in general. Not all, but most. Why do you think peer pressure exists, and why kids give into it? Why do you think commercials aimed at kids and teens advertise things as 'cool'? To make an impression, and kids buy into it.

Why are crap music groups so popular among the teenyboppers? Their image left an impression on the kids. Adults don't buy into that crap nearly as much.

I'm not saying there aren't impressionable adults, but kids and teens are still forming who they are, and they are soaking up ideas and ideals, thus making them more impressionable.

[BeardofPants]

You never fully escape peer pressure, but as you get older, the warts on your hide toughen up.

[Sminty_Smeagol]

I couldn't agree with you more, Entlover! You took the words right out of my mouth. I was obsessed with Harry Potter ( ) for a year or two, until I discovered an entirely new level of depth, wisdom and imagination, which is Middle-Earth. Mind you I still find Harry Potter fun to read and ponder on, of course it's considerably more fun than Tolkien's books, but Middle-Earth and the characters therein are so much more fulfilling, and vast. When I finished Return of the King, I was weepy all day. All these characters I had been acquainted with for the past few months ended. It's like I used to know them but now they have moved away and I can't get in touch.

I feel so deprived having finished my first reading of Lord of the Rings! I didn't even realize how lucky I was to have been reading it the first time until I finished it.

I think I will change my name to excessive rambling speeker.

-~*Sminty*~-

[ladyisme]

I know what you mean freind. As I look back over the years I recall how depressed I was after I finished ROTK for the first time, but there is some comfort. After all you can't fully enjoy the depth of LOTR untill you've read through it a couple of times. In a way this isn't goodbye so much as getting to know a new freind better.

"The road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began."

[cassiopeia]

Kids are more impressionable than adults. When I was a kid, I believed in ghosts and things like that. What is the fundamental difference between Harry Potter and LOTR? Should we ban all books because they have witches in them? Because they might cause kids to think they are real? In those cases an adult should explain what is real and not. I might point out that in LOTR Saruman is an evil wizard.

[Sanna]

They're probably just jealous because they can't write a beautifully told epic adored by millions of fans for themselves!
That, or they're simply too dumb to understand anything in it, which would explain why they have so much trouble remembering the parts. Tolkien rules!

[BeardofPants]

Oh man, it's so true. I remember baby-sitting a kid once, and telling him ghosts did exist just to get a reaction. Poor little tyke.

[katya]

wow. that article is completely screwed up. some people are screwed up. reminds me of this girl i know. i hate it how some people give christians a bad name. i myself am a catholic, though i really consider myself a quaker (for real, look into it. its intersting) and i find nothing wrong with lotr or harry potter for that matter. i just dont like harry potter. i was offended (well not really. crazy people who dont know what they are talking about dont really offend me) when he dissed rock music. really, how ignorant can a person be? i wonder if he thinks the newsboys are evil... and well i guess thats it.

[webwizard333]

The problem with many fantasy books is that their definitions of things like magic, wizards, witches, etc. is completly different from their original definitions, which they are still sometime confused with. For example, Harry Potter's witches and wizards hardly correspond to the original meaning of those who use magic in the service of Satan, magic being the abuse of spiritual powers. I would like it if authors would make some mention that they are using different meanings for the words than the meanings used in real life.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by webwizard333
I would like it if authors would make some mention that they are using different meanings for the words than the meanings used in real life.

That would only help the people that are too brainless to see the difference between real life and fanasy. And anyway - that wouldn't make a difference to the people that are so blinded in their faith that they hate things that they have no idea what they're about. Half the people that burn books - haven't read them - so I doubt they'd really reconsider their feelings if on the inside jacket there is a warning "This book is entirely FICTIONAL. Any similarities between religions, real life, people's beliefs, satan, etc are purely coincidental and have no bearing on real life."

[Sicirus]

I agree. Kids are quite ignorent when it comes to true or false stories. They believe in what they hear or read which causes problems.

After reading lotr I cried to, but only because i knew it never happend and i wished it did. I wished Middle Earth existed. But then i found the closest thing to it. Entmoot.

[entss89]

could someone please help MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! i dont understand. ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. never mind.oh and could someone please send me a pm?later aligator.

[cassiopeia]

The problem with many fantasy books is that their definitions of things like magic, wizards, witches, etc. is completly different from their original definitions, which they are still sometime confused with. For example, Harry Potter's witches and wizards hardly correspond to the original meaning of those who use magic in the service of Satan, magic being the abuse of spiritual powers. I would like it if authors would make some mention that they are using different meanings for the words than the meanings used in real life.

I think it would be fairly obvious to an intelligent person the meanings of words like wizards and witches. Every kid knows the witches in The Wizard of Oz are good and bad. Should Tolkien mention that dwarves in his books are not the same as human dwarves? I wish that Tolkiens books were real, but they are not. Magic is not real, so what is there to be confused about?

[barrelrider110]

I read every post on this thread, so curiosity got the better of me and I read the article.

I thought the author's name (Cloud) to be quite appropriate. Consider Merriam-Webster's definitions:

Definitions for Cloud:
1 : a visible mass of particles of condensed vapor
2 : a light filmy, puffy, or billowy mass seeming to float in the air 3 : something that has a dark, lowering, or threatening aspect
4 : something that obscures or blemishes
5 : a dark or opaque vein or spot

He stated that LoTR is evil because Rock-n-roll is evil and Led Zepplin (a particularly evil rock band) wrote a song inspired by it?

I think this guy's mind has left the building.

[samwiselvr2008]

I have never herd of the rock- in-roll band that he mentiond, but maybe that is a good thing! I still think that ther is good rock- in- roll, so even if a bad band sung a song that Tolkien inspired, so what? Can an evil group (indavigual?) not enjoy a book?

[barrelrider110]

Love from Jesus to you, too, samwiselvr2008.

I have never herd of the rock- in-roll band that he mentiond

Led Zeppelin, late 60's/early 70's, "Stairway to Heaven"? Ring a bell? No? I feel old. Never mind.

Mr. Cloud labeled these groups evil because of their notoriously salacious lifestyles. Certainly rock stars of that era (as well as the present) enjoyed success, fame, and the abject devotion of their fans in such excess to the point of absurdity. Money, drugs, and sex were so readily available and these people from humble backrounds had not the strength to resist (like Gollum?). Rock and roll became their own "ring" of power, some that lead to their demise (Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison).

The purpose of the article, I think, was to counterpoint some Christian Scholars that stated that the book and the movie were fine examples of Christian values. I don't think he intended to label LoTR as an evil work. Mr. Cloud is entitled to his opinion. Someone suggested he be invited to join the discussion on Entmoot, which I would welcome, but I think he's not likely to win many converts over here.

[webwizard333]

That would only help the people that are too brainless to see the difference between real life and fanasy. And anyway - that wouldn't make a difference to the people that are so blinded in their faith that they hate things that they have no idea what they're about.

True JD, but I was reffering to the children. Anyways, I thought about it and realized the Fiction label should be enough of a mention of differences from real life.

Magic is not real, so what is there to be confused about?

Many people believe in magic. To this day, people still do blood sacrifices and try to channel spirits. I think its rediculous, but many people do believe in magic and such. If you want examples go to Salem, MA or watch John Edwards.