They're not against Lord of the Rings but they're against Harry Potter. They both have magic in them. Shouldn't people just be happy that kids want to read? Surely God won't send them to hell for reading fantasy books.
2007-10-22 16:53:11 · 65 answers · asked by Helga G. Pataki 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Not all who claim to be Christians are against movies like that; however those who live according to what the bible says would be against ungodly things.
2007-10-22 17:04:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
CS Lewis's *The Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe* also have magic, but they are an allegory for Biblical events. It has been argued that Lord of the Rings has religious meanings, but Tolkien, (a devout Catholic) denied it.
Anyways, though, I agree. Kids may be impressionable, but I don't quite follow how they can get from Harry Potter books to Satanism. If there is a God, I'm sure she has better things to do than condemn people for reading books.
And of course, it's only a vocal minority of Christians who claim this - or so I hope.
2007-10-22 17:12:34 · answer #2 · answered by eV 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I'm a Christian and I have not read the Harry Potter books because I've been told they promote witchcraft all my life. I think the defining error in the book is that there are kids doing it and it's feared to be a bad influence. If the books are demonic or not, then so be it. I myself will probably never read them honestly, but mostly because I already know how the series ends.
2007-10-25 15:26:28 · answer #3 · answered by Icebox -0: Never Again 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Only those who think Harry Potter and his friends are real! They say because of the magic Harry leads kids astray. Get real! Harry Potter is not! The Lord of the rings was also written by a Christian so they think it isn't about magic! There is just as much magic and myth in LOTR as there is in HP and HP is not filled with as much killing!
No, the Catholics did not ban it either! The past pope did not condemn it, only the current one did. The past pope said that he applauded anything that got kids to read!
2007-10-22 17:05:09 · answer #4 · answered by Rev. Kaldea 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I believe not really against the the literature, but maybe with what it represents, I'm not talking for all Christians, but If you believe in certain values, you have the option to stick to them or not.
The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter have cannot be compared, one talks about justice and the fight between Good and Evil, the other one about evil, and how you can win against all odds using every possible evil you can find, so in many ways it is evil against good, were evil always win, we can make a case with different opinions, like the last book, were harry is a portrait of Jesus resurrecting his parents, but I believe at the end it is up to every person to decide if they want to read it or not, I choose not to see or read either one, am I weird for that? it was my way of thinking.
You want to read it and enjoy it, do it, sure enough many Christians have read the book, many others have not, but to generalize, ALL is like Saying: ALL LAWYERS are crooks..
Wait that maybe truth..
2007-10-22 17:09:28 · answer #5 · answered by JM 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No. Virtually everyone in my extended family is Christian. None of them are against Harry Potter, and many of them have even read through the books multiple times because they love them so much. I'm Christian but I love the books and the movies. There may be some Christians who are really against HP, but I honestly don't know anyone like that. The idea that a lot of people are against HP is really overblown. I think most people either don't care or are big fans.
BTW, JK Rowling is a Christian herself, and the books have Christian themes.
2007-10-22 16:59:01 · answer #6 · answered by Minnesota_Slinger 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I agree, I would think God will only be happy if the children read, especially books like Harry Potter which have such deep lessons in humility, understanding, tolerance and acceptance.
Those who oppose these books only exhibit their own narrow mindedness and ignorance. Any one who has read the series will know that the book only reinforces noble values(Christian or otherwise). And yes, it keeps things real so that children who read them can find a more direct application in their own lives. I think that is a great virtue.
2007-10-23 15:57:14 · answer #7 · answered by web_researcher 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is my own personal belief, I am not speaking for all Christians. I think that Harry Potter is good entertainment. You have to be able to separate entertainment from the real world. I have read all of the books, and seen every movie that is out so far. I think that it is a nice form of entertainment. As long as someone doesn't take it to be fact, then there is no harm in watching it, or reading the books. In my opinion.
2007-10-22 17:06:41 · answer #8 · answered by jenx 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Nope. Catholics believe that, since the stories are intended for younger audiences with an undiluted imagination, there is no harm intended to include fanciful themes, most of which they will outgrow. It is those Christians that see children as gullible kids for lies and will do anything to get attention by stating that Harry Potter teaches sorcery and encourages others to do so. What malarkey.
About The Lord of The Rings, there is a Christian, well, Catholic overtone throughout the story. Tolkien was a devout Catholic.
2007-10-22 17:02:38 · answer #9 · answered by elguapo_marco_2008@sbcglobal.net 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Here's the honest truth from the divinely inspired word of God, the Bible. The scriptures are very clear in the Old Testament and in the New that Harry Potter fits the category of the occult through spells, spirit guides, witches, magic, warlocks, etc. All of these things are obscene to the God of the Bible, and if you declare yourself a believer of the Bible and a follower of Christ, you CANNOT support Harry Potter. You don't have to like it, but that's the honest truth. I'm no "hater" or anything, I'm sure it is very entertaining, but that does not qualify in God's eyes. Many christians I know read all the books and see the films, but many christians today have sex outside of marriage, lie on a daily basis and/or covet what other people have and those are all detestable to God. Christianity is NOT only about what you can believe, it's about faith, Christ, and what you can obey. To be a christian you must be a follower of Christ, there is no other definition! If you don't obey Him, then he cannot possibly be your Lord, and that's the Bible truth. We don't judge by appearance or by personal opinion, christians judge through God's will. Reading fantasy books is not sin, but what is in those books is of the occult which is no less harmful than pornography or profanity in the eyes of God. Based on some previous responses to this question, I can see that some of you christians don't understand the difference between open-mindedness and compromise. We can have an open mind but we cannot compromise with the world. That is one of the most prominent messages of christianity! I'm no fanatic, I'm a follower of Christ, so if He/God said don't do it, I know not to do it. It's just that simple. This response can be checked against the will of God, not my personal opinion. There is nothing safe about compromise. I mean, if you can justify this by saying it's fantasy, then you could justify cartoon porn by saying it's not even real or realistic. Seriously, think about what your'e saying.
2007-10-22 17:06:35 · answer #10 · answered by John 2 · 2⤊ 3⤋
Of course not. I'm a Christian, and I'm also a science fiction and fantasy fan. I know plenty of Christian Harry Potter fans. It's mostly hardcore Fundamentalists who have a problem with Harry Potter. And by the way, many of the same people who complain about Harry Potter do, in fact, have problems with Lord of the Rings.
2007-10-22 17:06:05 · answer #11 · answered by solarius 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋