Kat Koster
Mr. Hoskins
Apologetics
12-9-12
The Philosophy of The Lion King
The Lion King is a classic movie, beloved by many. On the surface, this movie seems to be a light-hearted, carefree tale of a lion cub’s journey to justice. However, on taking a deeper look, one finds that the tale consists of conflicting worldviews and philosophies, while presenting the idea of destiny. But which religions and philosophies is it portraying? Let us take a closer look.
Some would argue that Christianity is the mainly presented religion in the Lion King. After studying many different religious and worldviews, one can see that there a many different religious overtones. All these religions seem to collide in a sort of New Age impression. It
If we consider Mufasa as God, and, consequently, Simba as the Son of God, we are able to see interaction of the divine and the mortal on a personal level. Nala calls on Simba for help, which causes Simba to call on Mufasa for help. However, because there is not just a single defined divine ruler for everyone, we can simply answer that yes, God is depicted a personal. God is, in fact, presented as personal, impersonal, and living throughout everything resulting in the lack of the need of a personal God.
So what is a person’s obligation if God could be all three of the above? At first it seems as though the movie might take a mildly appalling moral turn in Timon and Pumba’s suggestion that a person should live by the motto of “Hakuna Matata,” roughly translated as “no worries.” This would mean that a person should not take into account others, the future, or, really, anything. How could this be right? It cannot be. That motto is almost reprimanded when we see that Simba does have a purpose to fulfill: to restore the morally corrupt kingdom now overrun with Scars loyal followers, the hyenas. Simba does need to worry about the state of the lions that were left under his responsibility. It the end, we see the absolute need for each character, and ourselves, to meet our obligations.
In conclusion, It is evident that religious ideas are a central theme in the Lion King. The concepts offered in this movie will keep people thinking for years to come. Such a