I heard the news on local radio's morning-show a few days ago and almost snorted my coffee from my nose as I thought that was a nice joke. But it seemed to be true. Vatican really thought it was a matter of such importance that they felt they should make their point known. Oh my... I could come up with a thousand of more pressing problems with the church than one out of hundred non-christian piece of fiction...
But the problem here I think resides in the fact that to us non-believers (or educated people in general) fiction is fiction and to the Vatican (and the newly born Christians & fanatic Moslem alike) it's a battleground of truth.
Or there can be a thing called fiction if it's aligned with the message of the church - as most of the fiction is made looking at the religiously conservative U.S. markets that are the prime targets of international entertainment conglomerates. But even here it's not the faith that counts but the money that can be raised with the help of the faith (or which is lost if the faithful will not accept the product).
I mean no one here in the west complains when Narnia or LotR or HP or Matrix or what have you invoke Christian imagery and teaching; that they blend easily to our Christian culture and in some cases openly call for Christian solutions to life's persistent problems. But when one movie (a book in the first place but it becomes widely known only when a movie has been made) goes to present a slightly different stance everyone's up their toes. And the studios / publishers take a step backwards.
Once again I think you have put your finger into a painful spot
davem, and thank you for that.
It comes as no surprise if I say that of course fantasy should probe anything.
If litterature tries to tell things of this world and what goes on in it as such it's called realism.
If litterature tries to make people think in a predetermined way or to cling to already existing ways of thought that please some parts of society it's called propaganda.
If litterature first and foremost tries to sell it's called commercial... or entertainment... or whatever you wish to call it.
A lot of things given to us today are sadly a combination of the two last ones... the second point being in most cases a tool to obtain the last one.
But couldn't fantasy be one of the media where we could actually look at different ways of seeing the world?
I know the mainstream fantasy isn't up to the task as it's too occupied with making money and/or fame and thence trying to find the lowest common denominator.
But "real" fiction / fantasy could do a lot in here.
