Why are Harry Potter books attacked for their "non-christian" content? Like they are so influential. Yet non christian parents don't make a big deal about schools having a Narnia book on the curriculum? Which is written by a christian with purposefully christian influences.
2007-05-14 17:12:44 · 8 answers · asked by Cerrah 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Many Christians like Harry Potter books, I think you are treating the extremists like they are the general Christian population, they aren't. I think that non Christians can enjoy Narnia because you could read it completely as just a fantasy without thinking about the Christian themes. I love Harry Potter books and I am a huge fan of sci - fi and fantasy and dungeons and dragons etc but I am Catholic.
Lewis and Tolkien were both Catholic by the way.
I think that those who don't like Potter think it glorifies witchcraft and sorcery, seeing all of that as evil, instead of seeing that in all fantasy you have your "good witch" and your "bad witch" or magician, elf, sorceror what have you and the theme is almost always the light vs the dark, so actually fantasy is in many ways highly moral.
2007-05-14 18:20:49 · answer #1 · answered by inzaratha 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like they're unknowledgable about the subject so they're resorting to (in their mind's view) an authority figure. Who, unfortunately, has focused on the witchcraft part instead of the morals it teaches, and has persuaded many Christians to boycott it. I guess the only thing you could do is try and get an educated, adult family friend to persuade them otherwise. BTW, FYI, there other good morals it teaches like being friends with someone who has a good heart despite their wealth (or lack of) or social status, that women/females can be smart (Hermione), that people are not always what they seem (Lupus & Sirius). That wealth or social status does not always reflect whether someone is good or not (Malthoy) and that your actions can come back to haunt you in unforeseeable ways (Prof Snape giving Harry a hard time, in movie 5 (?) Harry somehow catches a past vision of his (Harry's) father bullying Snape). I'm sure there are others but I can't think of them right now. I am not a Christian so I have no problem wih my son reading the books or watching the movies. (Well, these last few I would prefer him to watch on 'the small screen' since they are a little intense) but I find it assuring that they teach how to act in society/about relationships and provide an entertaining background. It sounds as if your parents are having a knee-jerk reaction to something they don't know. Unfortunately, it's human behavior and the only way to change that is to get someone they consider knowledgable (an educated adult that shares their philosophy) to show them otherwise.
2016-05-18 04:30:49 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Really good question!
I'm whats known as a fundamental Christian, which means that I basically believe exactly what the bible says. But i have never read in the bible "don't read books about witches and wizards". i love harry potter, and i actually can't wait for the 7th book to come out. I disagree when christians say that the Harry Potter books are evil because, when just read as novels (and not as some antichristal book), they have as little impact in your life as meeting joe bloggs.
However i also love the narnia books, and they are constantly being slated for being in the curriculum, which i actually believe to be justified, because they aren't particularly well written, they only have a lot of symolism.
Once again, really great question
2007-05-15 02:15:48 · answer #3 · answered by Matt M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I love Harry Potter and I love the Chronicles of Narnia. I don't have a problem with either. To me literature is just literature. I can't base my life on it. C.S lewis is wonderful. His screwtape letters are awesome. But to focus on one author and one set of books just diverts us from the real reason we are here is to help one another instead of attacking. So if the Christians can say "those books are evil" They have lost their focus of what is important according to their religion. Worrying about every single thing in this world that matters nothing at the end is really silly.
Great Question
2007-05-14 17:25:36 · answer #4 · answered by Milmom 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because "Satanism and Witchcraft" are huge concerns of certain portions of the Christian population, while non-Christian parents generally look at Narnia as a set of fantasy books and miss the Christian Allegorical elements.
2007-05-14 17:37:56 · answer #5 · answered by WolverLini 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
1. Non christians aren't that into religious censorship
2. Anyone who has read the Narnia books knows they're not really "christian" despite the hype. They represent one particular form of Christianity, that quite frankly will still make some bible bangers twitch.
2007-05-14 19:34:25 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
People are weird. Many good books aren't written by Christians, but some parents believe that "Christian" books will influence their kids to do "Christian" things. Dream on...
2007-05-14 19:06:24 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I wish readers would stop mixing religion and fiction. Let the flight of fancy of an author remain just that.... a flight of fancy...
A book is an expression of a person's thoughts...if you don't like it ..don't read it! What is the meaning of 'attacking' /'not attacking' for religious content!! If it is taught in schools it is done so for the improvement of your child's language...not for teaching religion!!
Religion is and will be responsible for destroying the world and the freedom of people in it.Don't be part of that exercise.
2007-05-14 17:39:02 · answer #8 · answered by Fiza 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋