Posted on 06/06/2014 5:49:10 PM PDT by windcliff
As sparring partners go, a Hollywood actress and an evolutionary biologist would not appear to be a natural fit.
However, Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie, 39, and controversial scientist Professor Richard Dawkins, 73, have found themselves inadvertently at loggerheads over whether children should be allowed to read fairytales.
Miss Jolie, who plays an evil fairy godmother in her latest film Maleficent – a spin on the classic story of Sleeping Beauty – said fairytales play an important role in how she raises her six children, using ‘a little magic’ to impart important moral lessons.
The other day, one of the kids lost a tooth and I talked about the tooth fairy. Half of them are old enough to think: “What are you talking about,” yet they’re still not sure there isn’t something.
‘And I’m not lying to them. I say, “I really can’t tell you. I don’t really know. Mothers are sworn to secrecy.”
‘Kids grow up fast enough these days, so let’s allow them to have a little bit of childhood for as long as they can.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I bet there are a lot of Christians who agree with him on that.
I saw her film “Maleficent”. Beautiful film, nice story. As I watched, I found myself literally praying for her. She is wise and talented and needs to know God.
She’s right.
Most people, especially kids, learn important life lessons better through story telling than the Encyclopedia Britannica.
It’s why cultures around the world, for thousands of years, have employed this particular method to transmit culture through the generations.
Dawkins is one of the scarier examples of thought police stasi troopers, however I do think Christians have a responsibility to tell their kids the origins of Santa Claus, since there is a very noble and model Christian saint behind the legend, St. Nikolaos, Bishop of Myra, who attended the Council of Nicea. He felt a special duty to the poor children in Anatolia and would leave gold coins in their shoes, seeking no credit or thanks for his generosity and kindness.
Even though I am not a Catholic, I would do a disservice not to tell my children about the wonderful life’s work of Mother Teresa. There are some really wonderful historical Christians, and it would greatly help children keep the faith into adulthood if we actively recognized their achievements and commitment to Christ.
The thing I’ve never figured out is why anyone cares what Richard Dawkins thinks about anything.
Absolutely a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, guess they'll have to remove her from the Disney Villains, and bummer for Prince Charming too!
Hopefully you prayed that she take acting lessons. Very few atoms are all that sets her and Brad Pitt (I’d like to say her husband, but I honestly don’t know in this warped age) apart from ordinary cardboard.
I don’t like Dawkins or celebutards and I don’t care if people tell their kids about Santa or not.
You should have seen her in “Gia”, you would really really want to pray she finds God then.
lol
through the years i have read and reread three books on the importance of reading out loud to children, and reading fairy tales... one is The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease... it is a wonderful book... i cannot think of the other two at the moment...
anyway, yesterday my sons (13 and 18 years) and i were discussing the story of Aeneas and Dido of The Aeneid... they can easily follow the story, follow what is happening... my older son has read it before... he is rereading it with us so we can have better discussion... they can easily take what is happening in the story and relate it to biblical principles... or come up with biblical analogies... my boys never confused fairy tales and fiction with real life...
one son is very literary-minded, the other more science-minded... but both are very comfortable with literature and science :)
Saint Nicholas may have been a bishop, but the legend of Santa Claus is pagan. It tells children to be good so they will get presents.
There’s also the problem that their parents have lied to them.
Considering all the things that children should be learning, I think of Santa as junk food that is taking the place of the good stuff at best, and as pagan brainwashing at worst.
geez you must have had a pussy childhood.
Some of the best memories I have from childhood are from Christmas- I can barely remember any presents but the season, the happiness, the songs, the visits to friends and family, the movies on TV, the sleigh rides, the horses, the tree, the decorations, etc etc...
And when I found out there was no Santa I certainly did not think my parents lied, I instinctively knew they loved playing that role because they loved their children, loved making us happy, and we loved it too- win-win.
Parents lied to them???
Santa was Pagan so it’s EEEEVillll~!!
gimme a break- I betcha God even loves Christmas like any parent loves making his children happy....
Nicholas of Myra never was at Nicea. He is more imaginary than Godric Gryffindor.
1000%.....
i have an 11YO daughter who still believes in Santa while many of her friends do not...as far as I’m concerned I hope she believes until she’s 35...
saw it last weekend with my daughter...i only go to Disney movies and only go because of my daughter as i do whatever i can not to support hollywood...
had never seen her before in a movie but she is terrific...
“The Eastern bishops formed the great majority. Of these, the first rank was held by the three patriarchs: Alexander of Alexandria, Eustathius of Antioch, and Macarius of Jerusalem. Many of the assembled fathers—for instance, Paphnutius of Thebes, Potamon of Heraclea and Paul of Neocaesarea—had stood forth as confessors of the faith and came to the council with the marks of persecution on their faces. This position is supported by patristic scholar Timothy Barnes in his book Constantine and Eusebius.[27] Historically, the influence of these marred confessors has been seen as substantial, but recent scholarship has called this into question.[25]
Other remarkable attendees were Eusebius of Nicomedia; Eusebius of Caesarea, the purported first church historian; circumstances suggest that Nicholas of Myra attended (his life was the seed of the Santa Claus legends); Aristakes of Armenia (son of Saint Gregory the Illuminator); Leontius of Caesarea; Jacob of Nisibis, a former hermit; Hypatius of Gangra; Protogenes of Sardica; Melitius of Sebastopolis; Achilleus of Larissa (considered the Athanasius of Thessaly)[28] and Spyridion of Trimythous, who even while a bishop made his living as a shepherd[29] From foreign places came John, bishop of Persia and India, Theophilus, a Gothic bishop and Stratophilus, bishop of Pitiunt of Georgia.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea#CITEREFAtiya1991
Doubting his existence requires you doubt the existence of a lot of historical figures, including many of those listed above.
Rather well put, eh what?, and by a Labour MP no less.
Too bad I had such a lousy childhood. I never felt appreciated until the nuns got ahold of me. They taught me to love God, not to be good for Santa Claus.
No it doesn't. They are on the attendence lists. Nicholas isn't
Any factiod we know about the alleged Nicholas comes from a hagiography written 500 years after his supposed life.
OTOH there was a Godric of Finchale, and his life was written by a contemporary
The Gripping hand. Wikipedia may be wrong. (wikipedi is wrong. who knew)
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