[Lush]

Well, Lush, what can I say? I didn’t expect any sort of agreement with you. Ha ha, just a mere blank post from you would have been indication enough for me to know what you think.

Oh, let's not make this about me. Despite the fact that you know me so well and everything.

You have to understand that Lord of the Rings has remarkable appeal for people of different faiths, whether it be Christianity, or secularism. I’d certainly think the mass populace has the right to know how our favorite actors respond to questions regarding such issues, especially when the author himself was undeniably Christian. (Catholic)

Um, not really. Just because we are, say, fans of Viggo Mortensen's portrayal of Aragorn shouldn't make us privy to his spiritual life. This sort of ideology would leads us straight down the primrose path and into the Parisian tunnel where Diana lay bleeding as photographers clicked away. Simply put, there are aspects of people's lives that should remain private property.

She went to a press screening, and asked questions, and then wrote based on the answers she got. Isn’t that kind of what everyone else does? Ms. Basham is just the first one to do it from a Judeo-Christian perspective.

And she could have done much better.

Besides an immoral, omniscient Creator creating the world, sending his angels to sustain it, having one powerful angel fall away and despoil creation, and the hearts of his creations. And undeveloped legends tell of a time when Illúvatar would one day enter Arda in mortal form. Besides that...

I assume you meant immortal? Plus, have I entirely missed the part where the Valar were referred to as "angels"? And the Norse Mythologies were what, exactly? An accidental footnote in Tolkien's creative process?

I'm not disagreeing with you that Christianity is a big part of Tolkien's influence; what I am saying is that the articles you provided seem to present that influence in a way that obsucres all others. And does so in a snippety, clumsy manner; entirely unworthy, in my opinion, of the complex beauty of Christian theology and its influence on Tolkien's work.

Try telling that to Lush. She doesn't even seem to agree that her own personal viewpoint influences her opinion that Ms. Basham is a babbling kook.

Knight, since you obviously seem to know me better than I know myself: what is this "viewpoint" of mine you are referring? And where did the implication of "babbling kook" pop up in my responses? I certainly said she's low-brow and whiny; well-meaning, yes, but not a good writer nonetheless. Perhaps all bad journalism is written in earnest?