2007-01-31 06:31:59 · 33 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Prof..once again, you are lumping and stereotyping Christians...we are NOT all alike nor do we BELIEVE the same things...anymore than the atheists do. There are not set rules that govern all "Christians" to believe exactly the same.
Some fundamentalist, right wing chruches banned Harry Potter...but by far more endorsed the Harry Potter books.
Book banning/burning, is an abomination to ME...a Christian.
LEFTY
2007-01-31 06:37:17 · answer #1 · answered by Left Libby 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
That's quite a generalization. I go to a Southern Baptist church, and when I was in a couples' study group, the parents in the group were constantly trading Harry Potter books and dvds for their kids. So the fact is that this is a stereotype of Christians based on a cross-section of Christians that do not represent the religion as a whole.
That said, C.S. Lewis was and Anglican who wrote the Narnia books in part as a fantasy, but also in part as a Christian allegory. Meanwhile, Tolkien was a devout Catholic, and the Lord of the Rings is seen as being symbolic of the battle between good and evil. Ultimately, I think you are right that their stories are not any different than the Harry Potter series in any practical sense. Because Rowling is not an overtly religious person like Tolkien and Lewis were, I think some Christians are quicker to look for excuses to dislike the Potter books. They see it as an "occult" book, and it really is. Nevermind the fact that it is pure FICTION. It's not like Rowling is trying to pass it off as a biography or something. So I am not sure what the fuss if all about.
Apparently neither do the parents in my bible study class.
2007-01-31 06:43:13 · answer #2 · answered by Mr. Taco 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My husband and I are agnostics but we don't teach our kids to be like us. It's our own personal choice, we allow them to develop their own when it comes to religion and faith. They go to schools with Christian Living as one of the subjects, their teachers are Christian. They also love Harry Potter. I make it a point to play up the values the story contains like unconditional love, friendship, tolerance, respect, sacrifice and generally being good. I believe that it really doesn't matter if God or the church is being glossed over in the books as some of the fundamentalists claim. What matters is the series has morals and positive values the kids can learn. The fact that it is about witches and wizards does not make it different from Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, The Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland. The Harry Potter series teach more values and Christian insights than all these classics put together. I believe the current ban on Harry Potter would eventually be lifted once the hoopla and the hype surrounding it would have died down. And all the readers (young and old alike) do not turn into devil worshipping, witchcraft fanatics. Your daughter could still share Harry Potter with her friend even if the latter is not allowed to read the books or watch the movies. You didn't say if telling her friend about the books would make her parents angry. I hope it doesn't because that would indeed be sad.
2016-05-23 23:19:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a Christian, and I am "allowed" to read ANYTHING I want! God gave me free will!
I have read (and own) ALL of the Harry Potter books AND movies, AND I own all three Lord of the Rings movies, AS WELL AS Narnia.
Bottom line: The premise of all three selections listed is BASICALLY good vs evil. Good wins out in all three.
Harry Potter is quite a bit more light-hearted than the other two. It is also based on the universal milestones of childhood. I don't think Rowling's intention was to draw people to the occult. If you feel yourself drawn that way after reading the Harry Potter books, You should examine YOURSELF! What would make you so weak-minded?!
My children and I were drawn closer together as a result of reading the Harry Potter series. We had a standing appointment to read until we couldn't keep our eyes open before bed EVERY night until we finished. They are 13 & 14 now, and we CAN'T WAIT for the next installment! Even thought they are the ages they are, I have NO DOUBT that we will continue our tradition. I happen to think getting closer to your kids, and teaching them a love of reading is PLEASING to God. Closer relationships with our kids is KNOWN to keep them off the streets and out of trouble.
Some people just can't see the Forbidden Forrest for the trees!
2007-01-31 06:59:22 · answer #4 · answered by Renee D 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Pope said that Harry Potter glorifies witchcraft & wizzardry and that's a no no in the catholic church. They'll burn ya you know! But I had to laugh when I read about him saying that. I thought it was pretty rich coming from a guy who believes the planet was created in 7 days and that you can feed thousands with a couple of fish and a loaf of bread. As for Narnia, it contains many allusions to traditional Christian ideas so I suppose that is why it's ok in the eyes of those who are against HP. Same with Lord of the Rings. In a letter to a friend, Tolkien wrote that the creation of Lord of the Rings was a "fundamentally religious and Christian work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision." Personally I think they're all great books and if I had kids I would definitely let them read them. In fact I would be extatic to have a child who reads!
2007-01-31 06:54:33 · answer #5 · answered by ♪ ♫Jin_Jur♫ ♥ 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I know quite a few devout christians who hold Lord of the Rings with the same disdain as Harry Potter. However, the fact that its a modern classic tends to give it a bit more leeway in their eyes.
The entire Narnia series is loaded with biblical allegory, which makes it fine.
Harry Potter is very harmless really. Yes it talks about spells, potions, and the like; but it doesn't go into anything concerning the wiccan religion (or any other religion that deals in magic). If reading something like this is enough to lessen or weaken your faith in your god, what does that really say about your faith?
It's sad really. All three series are ultimately about a battle between good and evil. The most ironic part is that the fundamentalists who want HP banned, base their entire belief system on a man who performed magic...
2007-01-31 06:49:55 · answer #6 · answered by Bill K Atheist Goodfella 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Greetings. I, personally, LOVE the Harry Potter books, and I am Christian. Now, as to why some parents do not allow their children to read them, it is because they have not read them themselves and they are only going by what other people tell them. They are afraid and ignorant. As to why they allow their children to read Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia - they have been told that these books represent Christianity, and therefore are acceptable to read. Harry Potter is to the new generation what Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia were to generations of the past. They are marvelous books, and they should be enjoyed, and read aloud often.
2007-01-31 06:46:27 · answer #7 · answered by The Pope 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you break down Narnia into the utter finemost pieces, you will find that the entire story has Christian overtones. Just about every piece of the Narnia story (all 7 books) relate to parts of the Christian life and walk.
Similarly, Lord of the Rings also has Christian overtones, however, these are much more difficult to find. One of the easiest ones if Gandalf's fall into darkness, his rebirth, and his coming as the sun rises in the east.
As for Harry Potter, as a Christian, I have had some long talks regarding Harry Potter with some parents who say they would never let their children read it and others who would. I am of the mind that if the child is old enough to understand the difference between what is real and what is phantasmagorical, then they would be ok to read it. However, the primary difference between the three books is that Harry Potter delves into the realm of the occult in witchcraft and sorcery. As you read further into the series of books, the theme becomes darker and more sinister.
The former two series show a salvation message while the latter has yet to provide anything of the sort.
2007-01-31 06:39:08 · answer #8 · answered by westdyk1 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
SOME Christian kids are not allowed to read HP. Their parents are misinformed. It is good that they are against it, because this way the people who need the message are getting it. Look really, really close. Especially book 6, the last page in the chapter "the lightening stuck tower". What do you see? The image she paints in your mind. DD is Jesus. Read it very carefully. .... the skull part. She does not say the dark mark this time she says Skull.. as in Golgotha. The HP books are full of Christian Symbolism, but not meant for you to see it plainly. It is very subliminal. She has done a great job. Any hypnotherapist would be proud of her, and I am.
There is so much I would like to say to the fundamentalist, but they would probably not understand anyway. Pity. Let me just say this. Rowling is a Christian and she can not talk about her beliefs until after the last book is published. Those of us who 'see' beneath the surface know what is coming. There is going to be a Resurrection. Then the whole world will know that this story is based on Christian ideas, but written so that everyone the world over will find something that they can follow. And to those who say that HP teaches the children bad things. You are very, very wrong. Read the teachings of Dumbledore. I dare you. Look on the internet for them.
2007-01-31 06:40:54 · answer #9 · answered by tonks_op 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because J. K Rowling was on food stamps when she wrote harry potter and J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis were best buddies. Not to mention the undertones of Christianity all throughout Narnia, etc. Besides, anything that would encourage children to read would be like the educational system doing its job and we cant have that.
2007-01-31 07:34:59 · answer #10 · answered by lllll 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The fact that some Christians see the Harry Potter books as "manuals on the occult" for young impressionable kids sickens me. Mainly because they're shamelessly and flamboyantly flaunting their abject, paranoid, and pitiful ignorance of the occult and the spiritual world in general.The spells in Harry Potter do not and CAN NOT produce any effect whatsoever, because 1. magick doesn't work that way and 2. they are laughably incoherent garbled admixtures of Latin and English that don't actually mean anything.
2007-01-31 07:20:24 · answer #11 · answered by Prophet ENSLAVEMENTALITY (pbuh) 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋