Thanks for your wonderful blog. You manage to handle tough
questions and present an intelligent Christian view to the world.

I do have an issue with your latest column. Characterizing Drudge
Report as profiteering off of bad news does a disservice to a better
than average news site. In a recent survey, Drudge was characterized
as being one of the most politically balanced news sites on the web.

This is in contrast to almost every other major news site that only
runs the stories that support their political agenda. The lack
of coverage of all of the good things that have happened in Iraq is
just one case in point.

Your characterization of their support of Obama is just wrong. It
is apparent that you do not read the site regularly (if at all) and are
not familiar with their history or style.

Sorry Fr, but you just got this one wrong. I’ll still be reading
(and forwarding) your blogs anyway.

Keep up the good work,

pneil

America has produced millions of men and women like this: they serve in the US Armed Services. If we as a country ever realize that we are responsible for our own destinies, and tap into that potential, then we would shake he pillars of the world.

Danny Harbison

Fearlessness is better than a faint-heart for any man who puts his nose out of doors. The length of my life and the day of my death were fated long ago.
Skirnir on his journey to win Gerd for his friend, Freyr Lord of the Earth

Father Jonathan

What a fun article. I believe you are correct to some degree on the success of the film. People like to root for the good guys. They like positive films even disturbing ones. It is also successful because Batman is accessible. We can stretch to believe it is possible. If one had the time, money and will, it could be done by ordinary people. And ordinary people aspire to be extraordinary.

It makes one wonder to what degree that fiction, myth, legend and history intertwine to inspire ordinary people to do that extra something that makes a difference. George from GA is quite right. This is nothing new. It has been going on since prehistory. We take what has happened in the past and instruct our children with it. In many instances the stories lose some of the details but keep the salient point. It is amazing how history becomes legend. People want to believe their heroes are even more trancendant. Who is King Arthur? How about Sir Roland (come on you history buffs)? Audie Murphy, anyone? What about King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans (plus several thousand other Greeks from other city states). Without Leonidas and an admiral holding off the Persian fleet, democracy as we know it may never have occured (It was the first time the Greek city-states worked together). What about Robin Hood, John Henry, David Crockett. How about religious heroes? King David, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Pope John Paul II, just to name a few. All of these heroes have or will, in the future, gain attributes that may be fictious. Just take Robin Hood for example. Was he really that good with a longbow? Was he a nobleman? In the Brittish records there are 8 people with the name Robin Hood all during the same time period. All outlaws. But Robin Hood was loved by the people in song and poetry. He was doing what they feared to do. He fought against the oppression and corruption of the time. And was also looking for pocket change.

So I guess people find their heroes in history, make them up in fiction or become heroes themselves.

Bill

And by the way. Adrianna you might like to know that your hero “Zorro” was inspired by Robin Hood and real hispanic banditos living in California and New Mexico. And to add the whip cream and cherry, Zorro was a major inspiration for character created by a poor Jewish kid in Brooklyn. The kid’s name was Bob Kane, the character….(have you guessed yet?)…..The Batman!

Even in the Halloween movies, Jason loses. It’s grusome and gratuitous, but the underlying principle is the same. (then Hollywood says “or does he?”).

I wonder how good the gate would be if Batman lost?

We watch a Batman because we enjoy knowing that in the end, good WILL overcome evil. But then again, my generation grew up on Bugs Bunny and look at us now….(that last comment was meant as humor - readers should find humor and nothing but humor in that last comment. If you think anything else, you need to be at http://www.cnn.com)