I had a run-in the other day with an ultra-conservative Christian - someone who is so deep in his faith, that he can't even make room in his mind for fantasy characters. He felt that I was sending the wrong message by basing my lead character on the legends of an ancient spiritual servant of a Pagan deity. To him, it didn't matter what modifications were made to the legend, or what virtues this character may attempt to display.
To that end, I was inspired to write the following sarcastic satire - written as if spoken by the forementioned fundamentalist - because fantasy is not a sin.
Fenris presents, "How Dare You!:"
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How Dare You!
By Fenris F. (Jeff R.)
Written 9/26/2006 (early morning); Original Web Release, First Edition, 9/26/2006 (late morning).
I.:
How dare that furwriter use a kitsune as a lead in a fantasy story! After all, Fenris, a kitsune, must be a Pagan servant. It doesn't matter that he could be divorced from his legend, or that he's turned to the Lord, or that he's risked his very existence countless times in the pursuit of justice and protecting the meek.
It certainly doesn't matter that in taking a great risk by oftentimes sparing his foes' lives - and giving them a second chance - that he displays a strong message of the Christian virtue of mercy, tempering his want for justice. No, he's a Pagan demon - his trickery must be a sign he's a devil. Tricks and magic are evil. We need to ban magic shows. No one should see Lance Burton, or read about Houdini.
And certainly, a creature that uses his magic to make his body into a soft blanket to keep a child warm on a chilly mid-autumn night, surely must be a soulless, heartless agent of the Devil!
II.:
How dare Dan Brown write such a blasphemous work as The Da Vinci Code! It may have turned thousands of people away from their faith! This is way more important than that it may have caused thousands more to look into true Christianity out of logical curiosity, or that it may have caused many inactive believers to take a second look at their faith.
No, this book - which even the author openly declares is a work of fiction - is pure evil.
III.:
Oh, don't even get me started about Harry Potter. That wand-wielding devil-child is the biggest poisoner of our youngsters' minds in a hundred years.
How dare he use his devil-wand in magical fantasy adventures that open kids' minds to reading? I only want them to read dry crud that turns them off to reading. Heck, I'd rather see them illiterate than poisoned by Pagan gobbledegook. And Heaven forbid if a kid were ever having fun reading a book!
Fenny's Afterword:
I am a Christian fox - the Lord is my moral compass. But sometimes, religion can be taken too far. Fantasy characters are just that - fantasy. Most people know that. Bottom line, I think neither fans will go to Hell for reading fantasy works, nor will their authors go to Hell for writing them.
Frankly, if things like this were a problem, Hell would be pretty damn full!
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DISTRIBUTION AND ATTRIBUTION INFORMATION: If you wish to distribute this work, it is sufficient to copy it, in its entirety, when redistributing it (including the title, by-line, and version information at the beginning of the work; as well as this footer). This will include the by-line, which will suffice as the form of attribution to the author required by the Creative Commons Share-Alike Attribution 2.5 license. I, the author, do not care whether redistribution is done in electronic or printed form. And, if you're still reading this footer, thank you for caring about my wishes, and reading my work. =:o)
¶ 9/26/2006 10:52:00 AM
