Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by James Handscombe

Susan Whitehouse @susanwhitehouse.bsky.social · 2d

Maybe, but Susan is in the company of other people who also experienced it and are telling her it's real. I think TLTWATW is a great children's book, however you read it. You can be a Christian or not, you can understand the allegory or not, it's a cracking story. All that TLB has is the allegory.

1 1 2

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 2d

Randall has this to say, but I think that Susan may have got there first;
xkcd.com/693/

Children's Fantasy

xkcd.com

1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 2d

I think he’d very much dispute that, and I think it’s even more likely that if you had a weird experience as a child that seemed unbelievable to an objective outsider you might come to disbelieve it (or claim to) as you grew up - both from memory fade and strategic fitting in.

2 1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 2d

I don’t think it is implausible - the parable of the sower talks about the things of this world strangling a response to the good seed. I think 3 out of 4 is probably a higher than expected ratio rather than lower.
We might not like it because we’re team Pevensey, but it’s not so unlikely.

1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 2d

You really should - it makes you appreciate Lewis even more.

1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 2d

Maybe we’re not old enough - maybe death is like that - maybe Lewis couldn’t be miserable without being hectoring.

1

Reposted by James Handscombe

Ben Newmark @bennewmark.bsky.social · 3d

Silver Chair sticks with me because of what aslan teaches Jill and all of us about why it's unwise to snoop on our friends.

1 1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 3d

Ben, who is right about so many things, seems to have forgotten the theology of the night time walk with Aslan as Shasta sets out alone to find help and the crucial insight that Bree could have continued for another hour with a Calormenese warrior on his back.

Ben Newmark @bennewmark.bsky.social · 3d

The correct order in quality for the Narnia series is:
The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Prince Caspian.
(Slight drop in quality here)
The Magician's Nephew.
The Silver Chair.
(Considerable drop in quality here)
The Horse and His Boy.
The Last Battle.

1 1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 3d

Caspian above the Dawn Treader?
No
No no no no
No.

1 1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 3d

Caspian has the very interesting conversation between Lucy and Aslan where she gets told off for not believing in herself.

1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 3d

Yes - but I think that’s deliberate.
The Narnia Code is very good on this and if it’s right then it’s meant to be dark and heavy - how God is a god of old age and death as well as all the joyous bits of life.
I’m wondering if it will grow on me as I grow up.

2 1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 3d

Canonically wrong
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe are joint first (I prefer the ship, but I think that’s willful orneriness).
Then The Horse and his Boy
The Magician’s Nephew
I’ll give you The Silver Chair and Prince Caspian joint (my view swapped with age)

1 1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 11d

It took them a long time to put together the groups that selected the appointing panel - it’s poorly oiled bureaucracy, you don’t need to add shadowy forces to light incompetence.

1

Reposted by James Handscombe

Alastair Gittner @agittner.bsky.social · 11d

...slightly worried now, as that was very similar to my thought process whilst reading the story in the morning press.....

1 1 1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 11d

Just putting it out here - perhaps Sarah Mullally could agree to delegate all those aspects of archbishoping that actively require a penis to someone else and we could see how inconvenient that actually turns out to be?
We might find that it doesn’t come up as often as you’d think day to day.

1 2

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 11d

I just don’t think it helps to attack people rather than ideas - I don’t think it helps to imagine shadowy groups working against us - I don’t think it helps to imagine there are easy answers to wickedly difficult problems.
I don’t actually think @victoriapeckham.bsky.social does either.

1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 11d

But we’re talking about kids who are not easily persuaded by the heady joys of hard work and agreeableness. Internet sensations offer the hope of quick and easy wealth, gangs provide friendship without emotional labour, populism encourages us to find someone else to blame (maybe ”the left”).

1 1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 11d

My solution (always) is education - and it would definitely be good if we invested more in the youth, if we had more people in schools with time to listen to these voices (when cuts mean larger classes and less spare time what do you think happens to conversations with troubled kids?)

1 1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 11d

@victoriapeckham.bsky.social says that Labour is clueless (or at least her headline writer does), but all she offers is maybe a boxing gym. the truth is that we’re all a bit clueless - it’s a really hard problem.

1 1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 11d

Positive changes in society are not universally beneficial - greater equality means the erosion of opportunities for some - yes.
It’s really hard being poor, feeling nobody cares about you, not seeing hope for your future - yes.
There’s a lot of agreement on the issues here and few solutions.

1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 11d

Politics (and social journalism) needs more honesty - more debating of ideas rather than creating shadowy opponents to be afraid of.
Fathers are important - yes.
If you make a baby then your responsibility to that young person until they are grown is huge - yes.

1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 11d

This article seems to be a straw man - “the left” refuse to acknowledge the importance of fathers. Who are the shadowy left? Because it’s not specified, a host of beliefs and assertions can be credited to them whilst portraying them as an organized group working against right-thinking people.

1 2

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 12d

Thank you!

1

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 14d

What an excellent contribution.
I hope you have a great rest of the day.

James Handscombe @jameshandscombe.bsky.social · 14d

You seem like a lovely person.
What a delight to have you in the conversation.

1