Exposing Narnia

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

...Because you are committed to a high calling, I want to bring up a hard thing. Are the chronicles of Narnia series actually Christian literature, are they glorifying to Christ? This topic is highly controversial and I would love to hear your thoughts on it. Also I ask that you would commit the matter to prayer during and after reading, and before forming any conclusions. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit would be present during this time, and that He would illuminate our minds to truth.

...All this being said, take a look at the following questions. Try to answer them truthfully to yourself.

1. What does it mean to be holy?
2. What do you know about C.S Lewis’ personal life?
3. Have you ever felt uneasy about any of his writings?
4. Why did you first read the Chronicles of Narnia?
5. Did you come to them already assuming they were Christian literature?
7. Do you see Christ in Narnia?
8. Is it your normal practice to read other peoples works with your spiritual armor in place, and carefully searching out if what they say is in fact biblical and Christ glorifying?

...These questions will be brought up during the following paper I have written on this topic. It will be helpful to keep them in mind throughout.

Narnia; Offspring of God or Satan?

...About a year ago I was an avid reader of anything by C.S Lewis. My personal book collection was becoming well stocked with the titles we are all so familiar with; the Chronicles of Narnia, the Space Trilogy, Till We Have Faces, The Four Loves, and the list goes on. Everywhere I looked in C.S Lewis books I thought I saw Christ and a great Christian message, it seemed an undeniable fact and I would argue with anyone who said differently. My family had read the Chronicles of Narnia out loud together when I was young; so the characters were familiar and beloved to me.

...Then in one day God removed a thousand blinders and I saw C.S Lewis’s books for the first time as what they really are-and I was appalled. I sought Gods face, realizing that if I, a reader who adored C.S Lewis books, could in one moment of time become sickened at the sight of them; it must be nothing less than an act of God. My mother had been reading the Narnia series out loud to my younger siblings and was beginning to feel uncomfortable with several things. One, C.S Lewis frequently mentioned mythological creatures and gods in his children literature. Two, although the books seem to have many Christian morals and allegory’s there are major theological problems in several places. So in light of this she did an online search to see if there were others with the same questions. She came up with a website that literally blew her away!

...When I got up that morning and sat down to read what she was showing me, I found myself riveted within moments. I highly recommend this website, http://www.heavenisopen.com/narnia.html, by David Sorenson, you can read it here, or you can find a link to it on the side. This mans write up on Narnia is so convicting because it comes straight from Gods Word! I could feel the Holy Spirit moving with great power while reading; here is what I saw and what I am now convicted of.

...Is Scripture the final authority on everything? I believe it is not only the final authority but the only authority by which we are to live our lives. Despite this, I often find that I am not abiding by what it says. I don’t really search out the scriptures like the Bereans to see if a matter is true. And I see that often the church does the same thing, do we hold a belief because of someone else or because we ourselves have been convicted in Gods Word?

...The church today has almost unanimously accepted C.S Lewis as a brilliant Christian author; his books are being used as teaching material, book studies, group discussions, and more. But many have not tried Lewis’ books themselves by the infallible test of scripture. Instead they are merely accepting it because most Christians do. Why is it that the church at large can agree to accept this guy without close scrutiny in light of Gods Word, yet we often cannot agree on things which have been searched out? And even break fellowship over those things? My proposal is that we are blinded, by our own pride and Satan.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
“I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the LORD Almighty.”


...Read the above carefully. C.S Lewis books are full of pagan gods, idols. In Prince Caspian we see Aslan and the children being followed by many diverse creatures. Among the animals we find a startling entity; Bacchus, the roman god of wine, drunkenness, madness, immoral relationships and a score of other things. Not only is he here, but so are his followers the Maenads. For those who do not know what Maenads are, they are probably some of the most perverse figures in Greek mythology; wild seductive women, who dance in frenzied demonic dances upon the hillsides, no doubt possessed by evil spirits. They commit murder, sexual immorality, and other things I am not going into here. What are these demonic beings doing in a child’s book of “Christian literature”?

...This is a question we should all be asking ourselves at this point. And to make it worse, Aslan the Christ figure is friends with them! If you read on just a little further you come to a magic “dance” where food and drink appear. Aslan is right there eating and drinking with these pagan gods. Again I must emphasize 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God.”

...This is dangerous ground my friends, what is C.S Lewis trying to imply? No one can deny that his books have many Christian elements in them, though he himself said he was not trying to make an allegory; but why have we missed the pagan elements? And the mixing of our pure faith with idolatry? It is dangerous to blur the lines, especially for children. I think C.S Lewis will have much to answer for on judgment day.

...But let’s take this even further. Have you ever wandered about Mr. Beaver’s statement to the children in “the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”; the one about Jadis being descended from Adams first wife Lilith? The very fact that this is contrary to scripture should have us wandering, and looking for answers as Christians who know the Genesis account. The “legend” or “tradition” that Adam had a wife before Eve is Satanic and occultic. (Many believe Lilith is the wife or consort of Lucifer) “Lilith” is a demon, the mother of hordes of demons in mythology. Modern day witches invoke her presence today; in history she is a seductress and cannibal, who takes men in their sleep and eats newborn children. Can you believe that we find a mention of her in this book? And coming as authoritative from Mr. Beaver, who is teaching the children Narnia’s history.

...Also in the “Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” we find Tumnus. This likable, friendly character is symbolic of more sickening depravity. “Pan” is a Greek idol, still important in modern witch craft, half man- half goat. Basically we are talking about fauns. Pan represents extreme forms of sexual perversity, including immoral relations with goats; he is also a source of divine inspiration for his followers. I am sorry to be so specific, but sometimes we need to be shocked out of our comfort zone. God calls sexual relations between animals and humans an abomination, read Exodus 22:19, Deuteronomy 27:21 and Leviticus 18:23. Just the fact that we as humans have created such a thing as “fauns” is wrong; God does not want humans mixed with animals in this world, why do we think we have the right to “invent” other worlds which break Gods law?

2 Corinthians 10: 4-6

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.


...We must seek to tear down strongholds that exalt themselves against Christ and the revealed knowledge of God. C. S Lewis obviously was not trying to do this; he was trying to mix the pure revealed truth of God with the world, and his own vain imagination. What does it mean to be holy? 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 says, “Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s Table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?” We cannot partake of both tables, the table of the world’s myths and the table of the Gospel, the table of Satan’s lies and the table of Truth. I think C.S Lewis did this; he was a seriously troubled man who should not have been writing books for Christians to read, especially children.

... But what about the Christian allegory’s? The Christ figure Aslan? I ask, do you find Christ in Narnia? If you do then he is not the Jesus Christ of the pure gospel we know. Aslan is a friend and companion of demons, a deceiver and a fake. The Jesus Christ we know has no communion with darkness, why aren’t Christians enflamed over the comparison of Christ to Aslan? And if you do not see Christ in Narnia then why call it Christian literature? I am not saying that we should never read anything we do not agree with, there are times when it is appropriate for study. Even Paul went around and looked at all the Greek idols before discussing the Gospel with the people of Athens. What I am trying to point out is the grave error of the church in calling these books Christian literature, and in encouraging many naive people to read them as such.

... Now let me clarify something, I do not judge whether or not C.S Lewis is saved-God knows, it is not for me to decide. But his books are decidedly against what I believe, they mix the pure word of God, that which we have seen and heard from the beginning, with the world and demonic idols. It is a fact that C.S Lewis was exposed to the occult in his youth and it had an attraction for him his whole life. He himself admitted this in some of his books. I am not saying that we must be sinless or never have been tempted to be qualified to write Christian literature! Far from it, for then no one could write. What I am saying is that we must look at C. S Lewis writings and test them by Scripture.

...There is so, so much more that I could go into. Each of CS. Lewis books affords examples of what I have been talking about. But this paper is long enough already. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, are you convicted as I am? If you are then what are we going to do about it? The Lord has made a covenant with His people and calls us to be holy, set apart for Him. We are His Bride, how can we cleanse the church?

...I would love to hear your thoughts on this, whether you agree with me or not. David Sorensons website does a much better job laying this all out than I do. I earnestly encourage you to take a look at it before replying, he addresses many other questions and concerns which I do not have the room to here. Brothers and Sisters raise the cry for holiness! Let us glory in Christ alone! If you feel led by the Holy Spirit, please pass this on to everyone you know. Maybe if enough people are reached we will see the Body changed, with a greater awareness of our Enemy's tactics. You can contact me at exposingnarnia@gmail.com if you would like me to send you the email version of this post, so you can pass it on! (An email chain has been started)

Your sister in Christ,
Lauren Ashley