Some article concerning MLP

J

jw203

New Member
Hello CGA, I was reading some article that someone linked to me concerning my litte pony: fim which read:

"The depiction of ponies in this series is un-biblical. According to the Bible (Gen 1:26) man has been given dominion over all beasts (including ponies), and thus the portrayal of these worker-animals as talking intelligent creatures with their own will and personality is clearly in contradiction to God’s teaching. We would have preferred to see a more realistic portrayal of God’s creation, for example showing young men and women working the land with their ponies just as God intended. As everybody knows, Man (created in God’s image) is the only life on earth born with a soul, and capable of moral reasoning. To suggest that ponies might also have souls undermines the entire basis of the Christian Bible."

Do any other Christians have any comments on this?
 
They need to stop reading the Bible so intently (I feel that's a bad word, but I'm tired and it's the only one like it I could think of). Reality is reality and cartoons are not.

[I think] Galileo said something to the extent of "God have us brains, we should probably use them." I paraphrased a little, but the message is the same.

Edit: It's embarrassing that I forgot that the quote is in my signature... :P
 
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So, I would assume that the authors of that article are against the Chronicles of Narnia as well. There is nothing wrong with using our imaginations. Actually, God-gifted, human imagination is seen throughout the Bible. No, there are not fictional, talking horses, but what about all the figures of speech? Or the symbolic language? Read the Psalms, or Song of Solomon, or any of the Major and Minor Prophets. Or even better, read Jesus's parables. I suspect that the author comes from a worldview (not to mention interpretive point of view) of hyper-literalism. By that I mean that everything, particularly in the Bible, must mean exactly what it said. For example, people from that ideology often argue that the parable of the Good Samaritan was not a fictional story, but a particular event that really did happen. Ok, I think I will stop there before I ramble on any further. I just finished writing tomorrow's sermon and if I'm not careful it could end up here.....
 
I was trying to come up with a bullet list of theological and idealogical issues with that quote and ran out of room in this post. So I scrapped it.

More than that, I'd like to know the point of this thread. Is it 1) You're feeling convicted or worried about something you like and would like some advice, 2) You believe that MLP is wrong and would like to propose that anthropomorphism is a sin, or 3) You'd like to see a huge post because you're bored and so you're posting something so ridiculously inflammatory that everyone on the forums is going to jump on and get in a tizzy?

If 1), don't worry about it.

If 2), worry about it, and reply, and we'll talk. Because that would be bad.

If 3), please don't. But do refer to Patriot and I in the thread below on hymns ;)
 
Neirai the Forgiven said:
I was trying to come up with a bullet list of theological and idealogical issues with that quote and ran out of room in this post. So I scrapped it.

More than that, I'd like to know the point of this thread. Is it 1) You're feeling convicted or worried about something you like and would like some advice, 2) You believe that MLP is wrong and would like to propose that anthropomorphism is a sin, or 3) You'd like to see a huge post because you're bored and so you're posting something so ridiculously inflammatory that everyone on the forums is going to jump on and get in a tizzy?

If 1), don't worry about it.

If 2), worry about it, and reply, and we'll talk. Because that would be bad.

If 3), please don't. But do refer to Patriot and I in the thread below on hymns ;)
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Its option 1
 
Ewoks and Abba both covered the points I was going to. I always did like Balaams donkey.
 
I was going to add about Balaam's donkey and the rocks crying out, but it looks like Ewoks and Abba beat me to it, by many hours. Good job guys.
 
Of course, there is also the trees clapping their hands in Isaiah 55:12. When my most literal friends (those who don't understand the literary genres of hyperbole, parables or anthropomorphism) bring up this sort of thing, I think of these things and begin picturing an old Disney cartoon.

Likewise, when my KJV only friends get too literal and/or hot I just bring up the unicorns mentioned nine or ten times in the Old Testament.
 
Neirai the Forgiven said:
Are you implying that Unicorns never existed? :O
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Are you implying that unicorns are the greatest war steeds imaginable? D:

I had a big long post that I've spent far too long writing, but I'm scrapping it. It was going too far into rant territory as I started wanting to challenge just about everything in the original quote. The quote sounds a lot like hyper-literal alarmism to me, and it runs into all kinds of trouble in light of the examples given.

But bringing my post back to something useful: If you're uncomfortable with My Little Pony, then don't watch it. (Edit: Don't mean that in a snippy way; just sayin' not to go against your conscience.) Just make sure you know why you're uncomfortable with it. Is it because there is something in the content that you find abhorrent? Is it because the candy coating involves anthropomorphic animals? Is it something else? In any case, is it because something about the show is in conflict with your understanding of Scripture, or is it because something about the show is opposed by someone else who claims a biblical stance? Claiming a biblical stance and being correct in that stance are not the same thing, of course. Everyone who has posted here has challenged (often with explicit biblical reference) the original quote's claimed biblical stance, so that also requires consideration.

Now, in defense of the show, or at least my understanding of it, here's something to consider: From what little I've seen of MLP, it's an imaginative and entertaining series meant to promote friendship and virtue, not unlike a modern Aesop's Fables. Philippians 4 tells us to think about/dwell on all that is good, true, pure, noble, praiseworthy, and so on. I don't see a need to apply that only to Scripture proper; instead, it seems best to enjoy and promote the good wherever it's found, especially if it's a moral light in a mainstream culture that loves its shadows. I don't have a ton of first-hand experience with MLP, but I've never heard a negative report of its content, and I have heard a lot of good things are presented in it (including a father pony who's on top of his game and portrayed positively, unlike the vast majority of baka-otousans I see on TV). This is the first time I've heard anything negative about its presentation. I find the claim altogether silly for the reasons already posted by others (as well as objections of my own, like the notion that animals having souls undermines the whole of the Christian Bible and even the matter of whether or not animals having souls--though perhaps different from humanity--in the first place not being one in which the Bible is explicit).

Still, it's ultimately a matter of conscience for whether or not you watch it at this point, and nobody would want you to go against your conscience. It's just important to know what the Bible has to say on the matter when applicable and why you feel the way you do.
 
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Neirai the Forgiven said:
These are, by the by, likely the same people who will tell you that fiction is evil because it is lying.
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I laughed really hard at this.... good one!

After I read Abba's reply with the rocks crying out should the need arise, I was going to bring up metaphors and such... but that's been covered.
 
I first saw this thread and thought that it was going to be about magic.

Then I read the first post with an arched eyebrow and wondered if the author of the quoted material was trollin'. Because I suspect that they were.

Then I got all excited because I finally had an excuse to talk about My Little Pony. (I've watched all 3 seasons with my daughter--who I claim as my reason for exemption from "brony" status--and enjoyed the show thoroughly.) I was mentally drafting a long post about how the show's characters exemplified strength of character, often in the face of social pressure and adversity, and planned to wonder aloud why Christians couldn't do the same (though I also enjoy Veggie Tales for many of the same reasons).

Then I thought I should probably hush because I'd take 3 hours to write the post.

Then I read Kendrik's reply.

Kendrik said:
Now, in defense of the show, or at least my understanding of it, here's something to consider: From what little I've seen of MLP, it's an imaginative and entertaining series meant to promote friendship and virtue, not unlike a modern Aesop's Fables. Philippians 4 tells us to think about/dwell on all that is good, true, pure, noble, praiseworthy, and so on. I don't see a need to apply that only to Scripture proper; instead, it seems best to enjoy and promote the good wherever it's found, especially if it's a moral light in a mainstream culture that loves its shadows.
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And that's when I realized that Kendrik already addressed my main reason to recommend MLP, at least to parents of young girls.

Kendrik said:
I don't have a ton of first-hand experience with MLP, but I've never heard a negative report of its content, and I have heard a lot of good things are presented in it (including a father pony who's on top of his game and portrayed positively, unlike the vast majority of baka-otousans I see on TV).
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So you saw my Facebook post, eh?

It's true. Mr. Cake is a boss. Which, as a father, I really appreciate.

Kendrik said:
Still, it's ultimately a matter of conscience for whether or not you watch it at this point, and nobody would want you to go against your conscience. It's just important to know what the Bible has to say on the matter when applicable and why you feel the way you do.
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Agreed once again.
 
I'm sorry, but there is no defense for My Little Pony. Now GI JOE, on the other hand, is a true work of art.
 
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