EDITORIAL – Penguins not marching for politics, religion

“March of the Penguins”, the second-highest grossing documentary of all time, is a simply… “March of the Penguins”, the second-highest grossing documentary of all time, is a simply told, feel-good tale about the lives of Antarctica’s Empire Penguins. It wasn’t constructed to impress upon people the seriousness of global warming. It doesn’t make any strong arguments for intelligent design or, on the contrary, for evolution.

It is not commentary on the evils of abortion or the emotional benefits of monogamy. Certainly, it is not a parable about Christians finding their way to the Holy Spirit – yet growing numbers of people are publicly making these claims.

“March of the Penguins” is about penguins. That’s it. And that’s OK.

The director of “March of the Penguins” purposely left the story open to multiple readings. There is nothing wrong with viewers taking specific messages away from the film. In fact, the greatest movies often do precisely that: reach out and touch the hearts of individuals, allowing everyone to attach their own significance to the storyline.

The current willingness – or perhaps, fervent desire – to attach religious and political significance to works that intrinsically have none is spreading like cholera. The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the “Harry Potter” novels, for example, have been vilified by some Christians and held up as perfect representatives of the faith by others.

“March of the Penguins” is this epidemic’s most recent victim – and everyone who enjoys a story for its own sake is suffering.

A book or movie does not need to preach against divorce to show the power of love. It does not need to reference Jesus to be touching. To many, the people drawing a parallel between this piece of pop culture and their own religious doctrine actually cheapen faith as a whole.

Of course, that’s not to mention those who find several of the arguments people are making simply laughable.

Yes, it is astounding that these creatures manage to survive in such adverse conditions. Is it proof of intelligent design, or could this be because Empire Penguins are masterpieces of evolution?

Plus, as New York Times columnist George F. Will asks, if there is indeed an Intelligent Designer, “why did it decide to make breeding so tedious for those penguins?”

Those who hold the movie up as a champion of monogamy would be wise to realize that these penguins are only loyal to their mates for a single mating season. Every year, the search begins again. Certainly, polygamists and opponents of marriage have an equally strong case.

This movie was not made to be a tool for any cause beyond entertainment. It backs none of the arguments attributed to it. More than simply not seeing the forest for the tree, groups who are busily bending “March of the Penguins” to their own beliefs are ruining the film’s innocence.

To tell stories is to take up a noble, respectable occupation. Shame on those who work to portray storytellers as propagandists.