“The ‘Rings’ films are like promotional ads for those tired old race and gender paradigms that were all the rage back in author J.R.R. Tolkien’s day.
Almost all of the heroes of the series are manly men who are whiter than white. They are frequently framed in halos of blinding bright light and exude a heavenly aura of all that is Eurocentric and good. Who but these courageous Anglo-Saxon souls can save Middle Earth from the dark and evil forces of the world?
On the good side, even the mighty wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) is sanitized and transformed from the weed-smoking, rather dingy figure we first meet in the “The Fellowship of the Ring,” into Gandalf the White, who, by the time of ‘Return of the King,’ has become a powerful military leader complete with pure white hair and an Eisenhower attitude.” – Andrea Lewis, Tolerance.org.
NO SIMPLE ANSWER: I asked a couple of days ago how it was that conservative Protestants have little problem with civil and religious divorce, while Jesus explicitly condemns it. I raise this simply because they’re often defending their position on the basis of obeying the literal word of the Bible. I framed it in the context of the religious right’s bid to amend the constitution to bar gay citizens from civil marriage. I’ve had many responses, for which I am most grateful. But almost all simply argued that Jesus probably did disapprove of homosexuality, but the Gospel writers didn’t think it necessary to state the obvious. Without dealing with that (perfectly valid) point, I have to say: that wasn’t my question. Others said that divorce was Biblically permissible if adultery had taken place. So why no campaign against no-fault divorce? And how do Protestant churches allow for re-marriage? No one has answered this – at least so far. One reader – an evangelical Christian – agreed:
I love the people in my church like I love the president, but certain issues of illogic are driving me nuts. And the selectivity in obeying some parts of the Bible devotedly, while ignoring what seem to be major other ones, is deeply troubling.
Homosexuality is one of these issues (though not the most important of them to me).
As a member of a conservative church and a heterosexual man, I am well aware of the sins of heterosexuals (myself included). The church pretty much ignores these; few pastors have the guts to stand up and say “I struggle with the temptation to view pornography” or similar things. But we all do. When is the last time you heard a preacher expound on “but if any of you thinks lustfully about another woman, he has committed adultery in his heart”? (Me, in 34 years of going to church every week: never. Occasionally at a Christian conference or retreat for men, a gutsy speaker will address this.)
But on homosexuality, of course, the church is righteously indignant. I have come to believe that this is so because for the vast majority of heterosexual Christians, homosexuality is the one sin that they are certain they will never commit. Murderous thoughts, adulterous hearts, sure. But never homosexuality. And that is why they point fingers.
I think this guy is onto something. Beat up on the Samaritans; let the Pharisees off the hook. For some people, that’s a literal reading of the Gospels.
The Dish 