There are far worse things in the world than the Christian idea of redemption

Its been a long time since I have read such a venomous screed at traditional Christian philosophy that my back was up and I made the decision to send the Tribe to see the Chronicles of Narnia. Who knows, maybe I’ll talk the Last Amazon herself into posting a review - offers of money are usually an effective inducement.

They were literally rendered speechless when I came home from work and advised them they now how to go see a movie – right then. I make no bones about the fact that I am a collapsed catholic and though I may have my qualms over the church’s teaching, I have an enormous respect from those who are religious among us. I think of the religious as a light onto us all. In this day and age it is by easier to be secular than to keep faith.

I have mixed feelings with the Chronicles of Narnia. I never read the books as either a child or an adult. I tried reading the first book to my two oldest children and the story was a complete washout for them. After a week of bedtime reading Montana declared that the story was so utterly boring that he would prefer that I never read him another bedtime story again rather than continue on with the book. The Last Amazon concurred and the Dreadie was so young at that time that he literally had no opinion on the matter.

But a strange thing happened in school a few weeks ago. The Dreadie picked up the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in class during silent reading and loved the story so well that he asked for the complete Chronicles for Christmas. Now the Dreadie has an aversion to reading anything and the sad part is that he is an exceptionally good reader, but completely indifferent to the written word. I suspect the reason lies because reading is an act that is solitary in nature and the Dread literally loathes anything that is not social. It’s a wonder that at 11 years of age I can now finally send him off to bed by himself and just this time last year I had visions of him graduating from High School still needing the monster bed check before being tucked in at night.

The Last Amazon likes to think that she is a complete sophisticate and Disney stories are somewhat beneath her now but she gave in with good grace because she does have a great passion for movies, and besides, I told her I wouldn’t let her see Memoirs of a Geisha unless she went with the boys. Montana is up for anything and Isaiah was literally jumping around with excitement.

I didn’t tell the children that the story was based on Christian allegory but they came through the door arguing about which of the sisters represented Mary, the Mother. They got it, and not only did they get it, but they got it in a big way and they loved it. Everyone one wants to see it again. I expect that I will have to add this movie to the DVD collection when it is released. And the Dread, he will get the entire Chronicles of Narnia under the tree from Rudolph who always gives the special presents in my house.