# Star Wars / LOTR



## PointyHaired Calvinist (Nov 29, 2014)

I grew up with Star Wars, and later w/ LOTR. Now my kids are getting older, and I'm thinking about whether this is appropriate for them at all. SW might pass for 6+ yrs old, LOTR not until teenage yrs at the earliest. What do we do with objections on magic/Force/New Agey ideas? I'm trying to discern if stuff like this will ever be appropriate for the family.


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## joejohnston3 (Nov 29, 2014)

I have struggled with this at times as well and realized that children really cannot discern very well between reality and fiction. I have really enjoyed using the Corrie Ten Boom story about her father teaching her about waiting until later in life for certain issues:

“And so seated next to my father in the train compartment, I suddenly asked, "Father, what is sex sin?"
He turned to look at me, as he always did when answering a question, but to my surprise he said nothing. At last he stood up, lifted his traveling case off the floor and set it on the floor.
Will you carry it off the train, Corrie?" he said.
I stood up and tugged at it. It was crammed with the watches and spare parts he had purchased that morning.
It's too heavy," I said.
Yes," he said, "and it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It's the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger, you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you.”

I just wait for my children to reach an age I feel they can handle something before introducing it to them.


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## whirlingmerc (Nov 29, 2014)

Long ago in theaters far away, when the movies first came out, people tended to see their view in the original. Obi one gave himself, died and came back more powerful as if resurrected. They saw a Christ figure

Reality is, God is not a force to be manipulated for good or evil. The evangelistic outreach end of ISCON, the Hare Krishnas see Star Wars as a way of reaching the west with eastern ideas. The other thing is episode 3 was pretty violent and dark. Darth Vader was virgin born and meant to 'balance the force' which was a bit too much on the light side and clearly out of balance.... a darker deadlier universe was the remedy.... really?

So, I'm not sure to say don't watch it. But at least be prepared to discuss and point out the world views going on and maybe it's a teachable moment. Or maybe pass on it. 

Big Hero, Paddington Bear, Into the woods, Hobbit looks great
(assuming they are age appropriate for the kids)


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## py3ak (Nov 29, 2014)

Other issues aside, is it possible children could be scarred by pathetic acting and meretricious productions?


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## earl40 (Nov 29, 2014)

py3ak said:


> Other issues aside, is it possible children could be scarred by pathetic acting and meretricious productions?



Jake Lloyd, Mark Hamill, and most of all Hayden Christensen.


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## arapahoepark (Nov 29, 2014)

Perhaps we should all just take a step back and realize they are only movies. Even though LOTR and the Naria series have Christian elements and are Allegories to an extent if take to your logical conclusion its sending the message that we should all be killing Orks and Tamerlins.


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## VictorBravo (Nov 29, 2014)

arap said:


> if take to your logical conclusion its sending the message that we should all be killing Orks and Tamerlins.



Reminds me of when I was 4 years old. I watched "Popeye." One afternoon, I decided to eat a whole can of spinach. After that, I went out back and ran as hard as I could into a wooden gate, fully expecting to blast through it with all my spinach-strength.

It hurt, of course, and the black eye was humiliating, but I never trusted a cartoon again....


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