I DID say anti-religion, not anti-heresey or anti-debased-mockery-of-religion.

It's kind of weird how so much current commentary on various fantasy properties makes a big deal about women getting quests or heroic roles, when it always seemed to me that they had that and then some. That women always got the last word and there were always shoe-horned-in female warriors even when it didn't really make sense, and women were always the sensible ones. Narnia, the Prydain Chronicles, Dragonlance, and the Belgariad were the main fantasy I read before Wheel of Time, and I just didn't see how strong female characters, badass female warriors or women having major roles was such a big deal or welcome novelty. I liked Middle-Earth and Earthsea, because it was a relief to just read about guys being able to get their adventure on in peace. My earliest sci-fi influences were Pern & Dune, which were more of the same.

I go with the Narnia animals' outlook wrt armor, which is that if their own physical abilities can't keep them alive, they don't deserve to live.