Harry Potter

Boring. My daughter likes the books, though.

........

 

Rowling knows how to tell a good story.

 

Harry Potter?
Wasn't he the Colonel on M.A.S.H.?

 

I think it is no different than porn in the sense that if we aren't to be doing it, we also aught not be watching it, allowing it to fill our minds with godlessness and wickedness.

But hey, we call it "entertainment" so it's alright, right?

I mean who said our minds are to think on things that are pure, lovely, of good report, Holy, Just, and that we are to be seperate from the world by the transforming of our minds. And Witchcraft fits right into the bibilcal perspective doesn't it?

 

Yeah, I don't participate in witchcraft or let my children. Those books and movies are not harmless fun.

 

My kids read and like the books. I haven't caught them casting any spells. My kids have a fairly firm grip on reality, though.

 

So do mine. But I know how God feels about withcraft. I don't know how we can take that lightly either and treat it like it is no big deal. I have read and heard several stories also of kids getting into wicca and other things because of those books.

There are plenty other decent books out there for children to read. Christians have no business delving into darkness because it's packaged in a "fun" way.

Those are my thoughts, take it or leave it. :wavey:

 

Why yes, and a whole series of novels and movies was made about him. :BangHead:

Come to think of it, you probably have a better handle on that than Scripture.

 

Each to his/her own. My kids understand why it's okay to read Harry Potter, but it's not okay to practice witchcraft. They understand that reading a fantasy book - fiction - that involves witchcraft is not the same thing as engaging in the practice of witchcraft.

I'm glad, because I intend to write a Christian fiction novel that involves shamanism. If I can get it published, I hope people won't burn it for that reason. They might miss out on the Christian message.

Speaking of which, do you have any idea how many Biblical themes there are in Lord of the Rings? Lots. Tolkein was a Christian. Yet the books have lots of evil and magic in them.

 

Well, actually, it was HENRY Potter. :wavey:

 

Colonel Sherman T Potter

 

The Lord of the Rings series always comes to mind in these kinds of discussions. The whole concept of a world where the kind of "magic" involved there is considered evil by some people I know--and they DO miss the Biblical themes as a result. And what of C.S. Lewis' kids' series that recently had "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" made into a movie. The lion in the series actually REPRESENTS Christ's sacrificial atonement for sins. It is certainly possible, IMO, to include these concepts in a fictional story and STILL depict a story that is appropriate reading.

My problem with the Harry Potter series, in particular though, is not the witchcraft angle. It's the almost insanely worshipful way it is being sought after by the kids (and their parents) in many ways. As if the child cannot live without being one of the first to have the next book! This falls under the category of materialism and placing too much emphasis on "what I want", as opposed to "what God wants for me". I think anything that plays into the "more, more, more" attitude that so many kids are inundated with anyway is a "bad thing".

Of course, THAT--like dealing with the witchcraft angle of the stories--can and SHOULD be counteracted by INVOLVED PARENTS. One set of parents (Rachel, for example) may see it as absolutely wrong to allow their kids to have anything to do with the books. Another set of parents (npetreley, for example), may feel more liberty in this area---but BOTH sets sound like they're involved in their kids' lives, training them in the way they should go, and that's, of course, a very "good thing".

 

My bad!!!

It was Henry BLAKE! The first guy!
Wow, I'm old! :laugh:

 

Well, I have to agree with you there. I try very hard to nip attitudes like that in the bud. In fact, when my kids get all hyper about something they want "RIGHT NOW" I either say "NO FOREVER" if it's something I do not intend to get, or deliberately put it off if I am considering it. I think I've been fairly good about refusing to reward the "RIGHT NOW" impulse, but they haven't quite learned that it is not appropriate. That's a kid thing, I guess. Also, I'm doing this entirely alone, so I don't have the benefit of another parent helping out with the attitudes.

 

I believe this is why Christianity has effectively lost this debate. Harry Potter defenders see the hypocrisy of Christians saying "witchcraft is bad" but apologize for Tolkien and CS Lewis. Compromise starts with a little "innocent" Disney Magic and ends up with Harry Potter. Witchcraft is bad, all of it. I agree with Allan...just as we ought not be partakers of pornography in watching the sins of adultery and fornication, we ought not be partakers of watching or reading about witches for the sake of being entertained and, I would add, it shouldn't matter if the witch is a white witch (Gandalf), a cute little animated mouse (Fantasia), or a bratty English lad (Harry Potter).

 

Not just that, either. If it were only the witchcraft angle, that would be simple to deal with in many cases.

But, it's also full of necromancy, charms, etc., which are all part of witchcraft, but specific baddies.

Then, there's the more subtle moral relevance and moral ambiguity that's presented that imbeds itself into people's minds that is much more difficult to deal with than the blatantly obvious witchcraft angle.

 

There is a big difference between "magick", and "magic" (sleight of hand stuff), and items possessing powers that seem to be magic.

Do you think a laser gun would be magic to an Aborigone?

 

Yes, but that stuff (like necromancy and curses) are all treated as bad. Granted, there's no such thing as "good" witchcraft, but this is not real witchcraft. This is fantasy stuff.

I'm fine with any fiction that treats evil as evil, and good as good. It's when they swap them, or make evil win that I get upset.

 

That's where the moral relevancy comes into play with HP. Now, I'm only familiar with number 1. I think it's important to know that of which you speak if you're going to attack it, but I did not see the necessity of continuing with the rest of them.

But, in the HP books, it's presented as being quite OK to do evil, "If it's for a good cause". I'm not talking about situations in which a person is presented with a choice of choosing the lesser of two evils; I'm talking about where bad behavior is encouraged "for a good cause".

Also, part of the problem with this being "not real witchcraft", there are realistic elements thrown in, and many of the seemingly good results make kids hungry for more. Witchcraft groups quadrupled in membership in only two or three months in many cases, and that has not only not declined, but has continued to grow, but not at the same astronomical rate.

But, I do agree with your statement (although others will not) that fiction that portrays evil as evil, etc., are fine.