Potter vs the Church

[Daltons Chin Dimple]

I have just stumbled across all this controversy where Christians are yapping on about Potter promoting Satanism etc. etc. and the rather wonderful parody on The Onion sending them into apoplexy. It's hilarious. Anyone else seen all this stuff ?

[DarkJedi]

I was listening to News Radio last year and they made mention of the new Pope and some church leaders denouncing Potter.....

I forgot the exact quotes but I had a good laugh while driving to the work site. :D


They should worry about more important internal issues...Not about Potter. Did they poo poo on LOTR? I don't remember it if they did.

[Daltons Chin Dimple]

Did you see that religious lunatic woman on Google video from the US version of Wife Swap ???? She was a fundi Christian sent to live with an earth mother, new age type person and she went mental !


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5464505634137914176


You have to watch it to the end to see how her attitude suddenly changed when money was involved.

[KingVoyeur]

Did you see that religious lunatic woman on Google video from the US version of Wife Swap ????

Wow....wow....that's all I can say....

[Vaya]

I was listening to News Radio last year and they made mention of the new Pope and some church leaders denouncing Potter.....

I forgot the exact quotes but I had a good laugh while driving to the work site. :D


They should worry about more important internal issues...Not about Potter. Did they poo poo on LOTR? I don't remember it if they did.

I think they did actually, or dress it up like a Christian Allagory...which it isn't.


As for the Harry Potter stuff, that never ceases to crack me up. Particularly when they claim it promotes witchcraft, because, speaking as a practicing Witch, I can safely say that Harry potter is nothing like real magic.

[Tricksterson]

It really is only a minority of Christians that freak out about this. The series has it's defenders even among the evangelical community. As far as I can figure what upsets the loonies is three things (one is intuitive on my part, I've never actually heard or read anyone state this).
One is "the W word" and the idea that by haviing witches (and believe me it's the word witches, not wizards that sets this type off) portrayed in a positive manner that Rowling is "promoting the tolerance of evil".
Two is that Harry and his friends are constantly bending and sometimes breaking the rules and being proven right. To this particular type of Christian independent thought is a no-no. One critic, when asked if he saw any positive role models in the series replied yes, Percy Weasely.
Three is the intuitive one. I'm betting that as soon as they hear that Harry has a scar on his forehead they think "Anti-Christ" since the Anti-Christ is supposed to suffer a near fatal blow to the head.

[Trazalca]

I have no problem with the Potter books. I take it as fiction. That's it.
However, what bothers me sometimes is that as a Christian,
the mania some others have over this is troubling,
and I have always failed to see the grace or wisdom
of Jesus in any and all of their responses.
This is bickering over the littlest of things in comparison to bigger issues
that concern God. And I promise you- Satan is in fits of laughter over this.

I've always said that when Christ returns, people will be shocked
as to who he will include in heaven to be alongside him,
and who he doesn't. I wouldn't be surprised if that lady in that
Wife Swap video was among the surprised to God's grace. :(

[Asonokirk V 2.0]

I have no problem with the Potter books. I take it as fiction. That's it.
However, what bothers me sometimes is that as a Christian,
the mania some others have over this is troubling,
and I have always failed to see the grace or wisdom
of Jesus in any and all of their responses.
This is bickering over the littlest of things in comparison to bigger issues
that concern God. And I promise you- Satan is in fits of laughter over this.

I've always said that when Christ returns, people will be shocked
as to who he will include in heaven to be alongside him,
and who he doesn't. I wouldn't be surprised if that lady in that
Wife Swap video was among the surprised to God's grace. :(

In the last two films, they were celebrating Christmas, and that means there is some acknowledgment of Christianity in the Potter stories. These books are no different than earlier children's literature, none of which focus on Christianity or mention it in any meaningful way.

God gave us our imaginations, after all.

[Trazalca]

God gave us our imaginations, after all.

Amen. :)

[Tricksterson]

Note, the opinions expressed are just my interpretations and not backed by anything Rowling has actually said.

As far as I can tell Rowling has a thoroughly mainstream Christian attitude towards religion. Facts follow: There are wizards and witchs but magic itself seems to be more of an alternate technology than anything related to gods/angels/demons/(fillintheblank). Yes there is what is clearly a Black Magic ceremony in GoF but it's done by the villains and in no way written in an appealing manner.
Christmas and Easter are mentioned throughout the books (although instead of "the Christmas Ball in GoF, it's the Yule Ball (Yule was a pre-Christian solstice celebration)). Halloween (or Samhain as we pagans call it) is also a major event at Hogwarts but is called the rather neutral Halloween rather than either Samhain or All Hallows Eve (the Christian designation which evolved into Halloween).
There is what is plainly a minister at Dumbledore's funeral but he's never referred to as a minister.
Rowling is herself a member of the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) but only an occasional attendant at church.

[mediagirl42]

I am a Christian and I love Harry as do several other folks at my church. I listen to some of what the people who are so against them and I do not think that they read the same books I have or they haven't read them at all. I tell them Hey it is Fantasy, lighten up.

[Rowanberry]

The person who introduced me to the Harry Potter books in the first place is a Christian, and has absolutely no problems with them.

The ones who are against HP are extremists, people who even object the classic Cinderella story because of the fairy godmother, because "only God can perform miracles" and all "magic" is evil... :rolleyes: The same people condemn the Lord of the Rings just because there are elves and wizards and magic rings, and probably find even the Narnia stories blasphemous. :ohwell:

[KingVoyeur]

Just to the side of the topic....

I worked in a little bookstore in my hometown during high school, and one day this grandfather came in with his grandson looking for a book. We had a large children's section, so I thought I'd recommend some books. Mistake! The very first book I recommended was from the Animorphs series (kids who could change into animals) that was popular among kids at the time. The grandfather proceeded to go off on how those kinds of books were "blasphemous" and he didn't want his grandson reading that filth. My next recommendation was going to have been the first Harry Potter, but I opted to recommend some "safe" Hardy Boy books instead (which he ended up buying). Just for a laugh, I almost recommended one of the Buffy the Vampire novelizations, but he probably would've ripped me a new one! People really need to realize that it's just fiction and not freak out!

[Tricksterson]

Why did he consider Animorphs blasphemous? Never saw or read the series but AFAIK there's nothing supernatural about it.
The best example to me of how to handle whether or not to let your kids see/read HP movies/books was given to me by an acquaintance who's deacon of his church. His kids wanted to see the Sorceror's Stone movie on DVD. Before letting them see it he rented it and he watched it himself, concluded there was nothing wrong in it and has had no problems with the series since.

[Queen Mae]

wait wait wait, Tricks - you actually want people to think for themselves?

[kawaiidragonfoe821]

Well, being someone who has lost faith in the church a loooong time ago (the CHURCH... not my personal faith, i still worship & love god, just not through a corupt establishment) I dont think that any religious orginization (especially the catholic est, who can't seem to get its preists to keep their hands off the alter boys & such has a right to lable something as good or bad per say.

Besides, if they knew ANYTHING about HP, that would know that some of JK's themes & characters are stemed from the bible (snakes being the symbol of great evil, etc). I have heard that the church doesn't like Narnia either, which CS Lewis' entire series has christian undertones.

I dont believe that ANYONE church leaders or otherwise has the right to 'lable' any one thing, being or person as 'evil' or 'bad', that is for god & god alone to do.

[2koolk4u]

all of it sucks it stinkks

[Tricksterson]

wait wait wait, Tricks - you actually want people to think for themselves?

My religion has only two Commandments:

1: Think for yourself shmuck!

2: Thou shalt not eat hotdogs in a bun on Thursdays.

There was a third: Thou shalt not stuff 42 golf balls into thine toilet bowl, but it was tabled in commitee

Recently another was suggested and is up for consideration:

Thou shalt have as many gods, saints and spritual masters as you want before me, just don't let them block the exits. Oh and don't let them have the last beer, that's mine. Seriously.

[kawaiidragonfoe821]

The church needs to get over itself, there are more corupt people in the church then there are in their members! I for one dont like being told by some fruit with a bible what is 'holy' & what is not because in my mind, only the lord can do that. I believe the 'original' practice was Judism (spelling) & that Christianity was adapted & brought over by the settlers that left England.

[TrixieB]

At my office most of the people are Christians and are not afraid to talk about their religion, almost to the point of proselytizing. Most of the time it doesn't bother me. However, when they start talking about Halloween and Harry Potter, they just kill me. Halloween and Harry Potter are evil. When pressed as to why they are evil, the answer is that they church told them so. None of them have read or seen Harry Potter, but their church told them it was bad, so it is.


And of course, Halloween is the Devil's holiday.... :dunno::ohwell:

[madi]

And now for the counter point.

I am a Christian, even one of those hated Baptists. I LOVE Harry Potter, and I wouldn't have even read the first one if another woman in my Bible Study (yep, do that, too) hadn't recommended it. It wasn't that I thought the books were evil, it's just that I didn't think I'd enjoy a "children's book". I was wrong. For the record, I also celebrate Halloween, watch horror movies, write fanasy, enjoy sex, gamble and drink. I do not support Bush, I am a pacisfist. I've been called a tree hugging liberal, and loved it.

Be careful about painting all Christians with the same brush. We are as different from one another as the general populace.

[TrixieB]

I was referring to the people in my office, not all Christians. And not all the self-professed Christians in my office are against Harry Potter and Halloween. There are many Christians who actually think for themselves instead of letting the church do it for them. They examine their beliefs and decide for themselves what to believe. Madi is one such Christian. I wouldn't call her sister if she wasn't.

[kawaiidragonfoe821]

I tell those foolish people that we are mare in god's IMAGE... meaning we are not perfect (we'd have to be photocopies to be considered perfect, like our Lord). I'm Christian, i believe in heaven & god & i love god. But no where in the bible (that i remember, it has been a while sence i've read it in detail) does it say to ban this & that.

[Tricksterson]

And now for the counter point.

I am a Christian, even one of those hated Baptists. I LOVE Harry Potter, and I wouldn't have even read the first one if another woman in my Bible Study (yep, do that, too) hadn't recommended it. It wasn't that I thought the books were evil, it's just that I didn't think I'd enjoy a "children's book". I was wrong. For the record, I also celebrate Halloween, watch horror movies, write fanasy, enjoy sex, gamble and drink. I do not support Bush, I am a pacisfist. I've been called a tree hugging liberal, and loved it.

Be careful about painting all Christians with the same brush. We are as different from one another as the general populace.

Am a pagan myself but am well aware that there are many cool Christians, even Born Agains. Suspect that the more fanatical of your religion would be more rejectionist than I would.