Paper I wrote for my Religion, Imagination, & Fantasy course (RELI330 with Dr. John Burns). We read the Chronicles of Narnia, just completed The Lord of the Rings, and cracking open the Harry Potter series. Best of all? THE PROFESSOR IS SCOTTISH!!!! He has the coolest accent ever, and it is especially awesome when he is talking about hobbits. I WILL obtain that accent. I WILL!!!
Anyway here is the paper. He provided six different prompts to choose from, and I went with supporting Tolkien’s assertion that The Lord of the Rings is “fundamentally a religious and Catholic work”. This is technically first draft (who actually revises papers in correge lawl.. :/) but hope you enjoy!
Read more| me during shower time: | what is my mission here on earth? what would have happened if hitler got killed before he started the war? what if there's a bigger force controlling us right now? |
| me almost falling asleep: | i think i've solved the mystery of atlantis and the cure for cancer and starving in africa and the problems for all bad things in the universe |
| me during the day: | how do i spell house? |
(Source: daisiesandsunflowers)
davidmhur asked: God Bless and Be with you.
thank you! :)
(Source: amazing-animal-fp)
But the most common of all the enthusiasts of this kind are those who imagine themselves Christians, and are not. These abound, not only in all parts of our land, but in most parts of the habitable earth. That they are not Christians, is clear and undeniable, if we believe the oracles of God.
For Christians are holy; these are unholy: Christians love God; these love the world: Christians are humble; these are proud: Christians are gentle; these are passionate; Christians have the mind which was in Christ; these are at the utmost distance from it.
Consequently, they are no more Christians, than they are archangels. Yet they imagine themselves so to be; and they can give several reasons for it: for they have been called so ever since they can remember; they were christened many years ago; they embrace the Christian opinions, vulgarly termed the Christian or catholic faith; they use the Christian modes of worship, as their fathers did before them; they live what is called a good Christian life, as the rest of their neighbours do.
And who shall presume to think or say that these men are not Christians? — though without one grain of true faith in Christ, or of real, inward holiness; without ever having tasted the love of God, or been “made partakers of the Holy Ghost!”
Ah poor self-deceivers! Christians ye are not. But you are enthusiasts in a high degree. Physicians, heal yourselves! But first know your disease: your whole life is enthusiasm; as being all suitable to the imagination, that you have received that grace of God which you have not. In consequence of this grand mistake, you blunder on, day by day, speaking and acting under a character which does in no wise belong to you.
Hence arises that palpable, glaring inconsistency that runs through your whole behaviour; which is an awkward mixture of real Heathenism and imaginary Christianity. Yet still, as you have so vast a majority on your side, you will always carry it by mere dint of numbers, “that you are the only men in your senses, and all are lunatics who are not as you are.”
But this alters not the nature of things. In the sight of God, and His holy angels, yea, and all the children of God upon earth, you are mere madmen, mere enthusiasts all!
Are you not? Are you not “walking in a vain shadow, a shadow of religion, a shadow of happiness? Are you not still “disquieting yourselves in vain” with misfortunes as imaginary as your happiness or religion? Do you not fancy yourselves great or good — very knowing and very wise? How long? Perhaps till death brings you back to your senses, to bewail your folly for ever and ever!
(Source: new.gbgm-umc.org)
