Often actors can do a brilliant job at a role and yet not understand the role at all. The latest example is Liam Neeson who does the voice of Aslan in the Narnia films.
Neeson said: “Aslan symbolises a Christlike figure, but he also symbolises for me Mohammed, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries. [Source]
Wow what an insightful comment in the all religions are alike mode. For example:
Both Mohammed and Buddha laid down their life for others like Jesus. Oh wait.
Both Mohammed and Buddh a claimed to be God sent by the Father to redeem the sins of the world, just like Buddha except he didn’t believe in sin and just like Mohammed. Oh wait.
Jesus invaded towns and had child brides just like Mohammed. Plus Jesus taught you could lie to an enemy and break a treaty with an unbeliever just like Mohammed. Oh wait.
Jesus taught how man could escape suffering through loss of desire and personality. He held that every person must find his own path to nirvana, or the extinction of self. He also preached the untenable nature of existence and the means to escape suffering. Buddhism denies the ultimate existence of sin and the necessity of grace just like Buddha. Oh wait. But Aslan shows that the world is just CGI, kinda like Buddha.
Plus C.S. Lewis was an apologist for all paths lead to Heaven and talked equally about Christ/Buddha/Mohammed. In fact C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien use to have arguments about the use of allegory and did not like the obvious allegory of Christ/Buddah/Mohammed to Jesus. Oh wait.
Christ/Buddah/Mohammed all have names which start with a letter of the alphabet – hey maybe Liam Neeson is on to something.
18 comments
In the same vein:
Peter Jackson donated a substantial chunk of change out of his LORD OF THE RINGS profits to embryonic stem cell research.
Talk about totally missing the point. Could there be anything more antithetical to Tolkien’s message than promoting the enslavement of a class of people to life-destroying technology?
Who would have guessed Peter Jackson was sad to see the Ring destroyed and Sauron defeated?
This is sad to hear! I seem to recall that Leeson narrated the Stations of the Cross a short time ago just before his wife passed away. I was impressed that he did that and have always liked him as an actor. I believe the Stations tape did pretty well…
This is the most illogical nonsense I have ever heard regarding Aslan. Aslan gave his life that the others might have life. Only Jesus did the same.
I had read on another blog a while ago that Liam, after filming The Mission, it had so affected him that he had considered entering Seminary.
Maybe it was just heartburn ??
We need to realize that our society is utterly confused about religion. Even people who claim to be Catholic or who claim to be Christian are sometimes confused about divinely revealed religion. They believe that religion is just some mumbo-jumbo that somehow helps you “get in touch” with “whatever is out there” or “whatever is inside you.” Although it doesn’t really matter because we all go to heaven or whatever it is in the end anyway. Religion as divinely revealed truth about God and our proper relationship to him is as foreign a concept to many people as is hieroglyphics.
Jesus taught that if anyone left Him and became a disciple of another, that person should be beheaded. Oh, wait!
This is wonderful! Thank you!!
Unfortunately, Mr. J, I am forced to disagree with you. Having seen The Voyage of the Dawn Treader twice already, I can’t say I would call Mr. Neeson’s voice performance brilliant. Not that it was bad or anything either.
Respect for Liam
|
|
|
|
v
I can read and enjoy a story based on another religion, past or present. I can enjoy it as a story, without being a member of said religion. But I’m not going to insult that religion by saying their characters are the same as persons from my religion.
I blame the bishops… again, wishy washy theology and catechesis makes this happen
Brilliant! If only everyone had such common sense. To imply that Jesus is anything at all like the abominable mohamed.. such ignorance is a tragedy.
Jeff, perhaps Mr. Neeson got his inspiration from reading the Last Battle where CS Lewis has many of the characters declare that Tash and Aslan are one. Perhaps he is just building on this analogy to conclude that Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed are basically the same.
Well you have to make allowances – he spent a few years at Sacred Heart Teacher Training College -enough to dim the faith in anyone
Burnt Marshwiggle,
Perhaps he should RE-read The Last Battle before making a Tashlan out of Lewis’ Christ-Lion. This reminds me of a comment Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian) made after the last movie came out that he had taken a literature course and didn’t think that the Narnia books were as Christian as they were made out to be. I sort of feel embarrassed for these actors who are mouthing off when a simple Lewis for Dummies course could prove just how theologically rich Lewis made his children’s books.
Jeff, I am disappointed that you took the quote out of context. Mr. Neeson said “For me, Aslan symbolizes…etc”. Read charitably, Mr. Neeson sees characteristics of Mohammed and Buddha in the character of Aslan. He is not proclaiming that this is a universal interpretation, as your partial quote would lead people to believe.
It seems like people who are making statements to the effect of “its not really Christian” are just doing some cya because that doesn’t fly in Hollywood. They can’t be making a “Christian” movie…its uhhh, spiritual and nondenominational, yah, that’s it!
This is on par with Nicole Kidman’s silly comment that Golden Compass isn’t anti-Catholic.