Oh ok I think I get it.... So if a book (the bible in this case) says it's true- then it is. Is that why??

Question

Christian fundies are so against these harry potter books? They think if it's written in a big book it must be true?

Answer 1

You have hit the nail on the head ... the paradox of literalism.

It is the amazing notion that the Bible is a higher authority than faith. Why? Because only then can you make the following argument and not see the blatant circularity:

1. The Bible is true because it is the Word of God.
2. How do I know it is the Word of God? It says right here in the Bible.

In other words, literalism comes from the notion that the Bible is, and must be, its own verification.

You can tell someone is caught in this trap because they defend indefensible positions. They get caught up in mundane details such as how many cubits of gopherwood Noah used to build the Ark, or whether there were two or seven of each clean animal. And this leads to literalist interpretations such as what the punishment should be if a you disobey your parents or work on the sabbath (or sleep with the wrong sex), rather than on the core of what it is to be a good person.

When read *literally*, the Bible contradicts itself. When read as guiding metaphor, the Bible never contradicts itself. When read *literally*, the Bible defies reason. When read as guiding metaphor, the Bible describes mysteries that are beyond understanding with reason alone, not mundane events. When read *literally*, God is a petulant, genocidal child. When read as guiding metaphor, God is a patient, loving tutor.

If you start from faith first, you are not doomed to the same trap. The Bible supports faith, not the other way around. The Bible can lead you astray just as easily as it can strengthen what you believe ... the only difference being a core belief in what is good, rather than a superficial belief that the *events* in the Bible are literally true are more important than how it speaks to us spiritually.

Answer 2

Hey - Fundies - what I now call pseudo Christians - put all their belief in a book - the Bible and say that, that proves Christianity and everything it stands for is true.

Christopher Dawkins wrote a very good book called The God Delusion. If you apply the pseudo Christians logic then that shows that everything that Dawkins says is true!!!!

Good Christians make no such claims. The believe in the Bible but have enough brain power and FAITH to believe without turning Christianity from a faith to an ideology. Sadly pseudo Christians would not recognise the difference and if they did would probably prefer ideology to religion anyway.

As with so many things there are good people and bad, sensible and misguided. The bad and misguided are just the most voluble!!!

Answer 3

by Jove, I think you've got it! I want to know why Harry Potter which DOES teach good values, and is a POSITIVE role model for children growing up incurred the wrath of the church, but LOTR, and others such as this didnt. Is it becuase of the use of the word witchcraft? Should the wiccans among us get ready to sue for defamation of character, profiling, and religious discrimination? LOL

Also, i want to take a moment to commend secretsauce on his extremely well thought out answer. If you are a Christian, you are a benefit to your people. There are too few Christians such as this.

Answer 4

I think some Christians are upset and what Harry baned is to do more with a competing myth. The same group of Christians also want those other myths baned - Islam, Judaism, Hindu, Mormon and the like.

Answer 5

That's an interesting theorem. They can't see the difference between fiction and non-fiction in books because they have always been taught that their religious book is 100% real, despite the magical and supernatural elements, making it difficult to see those elements as fiction in other works.

You might be on to something.

Answer 6

i attempted to respond to each question yet for sure the respond became into too long. email me Answering a number of your questions a million. Paul became into not speaking approximately eating coffee, he became into speaking approximately eating "kosher". distinctive the apostles of Christ have been insisting that gentile converts to Christ would desire to first grow to be Jews, and shop on with the regulation of Moses, purely like Jews. We believe that God informed us that we would desire to continuously stay clear of coffee and tea, that it is stable for our bodies. And we would desire to continuously take stable care of our bodies. some issues are addicting, or could be. The Bible additionally says that one can not serve 2 masters. 2. We DO settle for what Paul reported, yet not unavoidably the style you interpret what paul reported. devil can hide himself, sure, yet Paul reported "whether an angel FROM HEAVEN", angels from heaven are from GOD and GOD basically brings the certainty. Paul became into telling the Galatians approximately what I reported in the past, appropriate to the apostles asserting that Gentiles would desire to grow to be Jews. study the 2d financial disaster of Galatians. The Bible isn't the terrific know God. Why would God shrink Himself like that? 3. The Bible is barely as suitable, comprehensive and infallible because of the fact the adult males who wrote it, the adult males who positioned it at the same time, the adult males who translated it into different languages, etc. 4. no person is going to hell, basically for not being a Mormon. a minimum of, it is not comparable to what non-LDS Christians believe. we do not believe that there are 2 places; an eternal heaven for believers, and an eternal bar-be-que pit for each guy or woman else.

Answer 7

how old are you 12? Ther bible is true because its the word of God. I love to read...there are p;enty of good books out there but only one bible. The harry potter thing is just out of control...too many christians spend all their time looking for where satan is and forget to look for god

Answer 8

Would you quit thinking for yourself and just follow the book!??!!

Answer 9

Of all the things you DON'T get, this would be high on that list.