> Steve,

> I agree with your religious aspect on life, I am also a christian.
> However, this forum is not the place to spread your zeal.

> Also, as far as your opinions go on the movie, that will probably put you
> at odds against those in this forum, and now they are less likely to take
> you seriously. You do know that the author was in deed a Christian, and
> that his book, the Hobbit, was a portrayal of the christian life from
> conversion to death?

> Even the movie had countless Biblical references. The battle of Dargolad
> (the opening battle in the movie) was symbolic of the great war in Heaven
> in which Satan was expelled. Satan of course being Sauron. The main
> wizard, Gandalf, is a representative of Jesus Christ, and they even made
> it more apparent in the movie than in the book. Jesus never sinned nor did
> he ever even entertain a thought of sin. The One Ring is a symbol of sin
> and pure evil, and Gandalf knew this and he never even as mouch as touched
> the Ring. Orcs were a fallen version of the Elves. Demons were a fallen
> version of angels. The Elves are said to live in the worlds both seen and
> unseen. Saruman is a representative of Satan when he was still Lucifer,
> the most powerful of angels who turned to the dark side.

> Even Gandalf's message to Frodo is inspirational.

> Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had ever
> happened.

> Gandalf: So do all who go through such times, but that is not for them to
> decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to
> us.

Tolkien was a professor of mythology and languages at Oxford, I believe, and he was the key believer who brought the famous Christian author C.S. Lewis (the Chronicles of Narnia, the Screwtape Letters) to faith in Jesus. To say that LOTR has no biblical connections is absurd and completely incorrect. I would encourage those who disagree with me to read the book "Finding God in the Lord of the Rings" by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware, published by Tyndale. Tolkien himself said, and I quote, "Legends and myths are largely made of 'truth'".

Dan