Is it ok for a Christian to be into fantasy?

[Cabal]

Boswd, don't even bother arguing. I've tried and failed. Not that it makes either viewpoint 100% right, mind.

 

[boswd]

LOL I know, it just get's frustrating especially when they haven't read the books.

If they read the books and came to that conclusion they hey, that is their opinion, what can you do other than just agree to disagree.

But to not have read the books and make claims and acusations well to me IMHO is just sooo frustrating.

 

[Cabal]

And once again we see this principle: If you don't personally participate in something, you can't know ANYTHING about it or form any opinion or judgment on it.

It's a fallacy - scripture doesn't support such a principle.

No-one ever said you can't know anything about it. Just don't then except people to take you too seriously when they have taken the time to investigate properly themselves.

It'd be like me trying to debate someone who has a PhD in a certain academic field (I'm an undergrad) - completely mismatched and generally not useful for either parties.

And from some of the links you've posted, which I'm assuming you have read, (and if reading this book isn't the right thing to do) there's so much detail there that you've practically been exposed to the book anyway, so why not just read it and form your own opinion on it?

This entire debate aside* - wouldn't you just feel a lot better forming your own opinion on it rather than using someone else's? I really wouldn't feel satisfied just using someone else's explanations and viewpoints, no matter how right it may be. I mean, like I said recently, if something causes a fuss, I have a tendency to go read it and see for myself what it's about, cf HP, God Delusion, the Koran, to name but a few.

*Given the previous debate we had, I'm really not trying to stir things up, this is just something about you I'm genuinely curious about.

 

[AgapeBible]

Let me say this, I HAVE read the HP books, at least that is, up to book 5. After I read Order of the Phoenix I decided not to read HP anymore. It got too dark and creepy for me. I was upset over the death of one of my favorite characters, and I saw how deep it went into the world of witchcraft and the occult, I mean the whole story is about a school teaching magic and witchcraft. No where is god ever mentioned in the books.


To compare Harry Potter with Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Rings has other characters besides wizards, the magic is not discussed in great detail, it is something that just happens, and Lord of the Rings is more of a fantasy epic, something like King Arthur or Beowulf.

As for Narnia, it is a children's story, and there is the evil white witch, who is evil and uses her magic for evil since she is bad, she is punished with death at the end of the story and the harm she did is undone by the good mighty lion Aslan, who represents Jesus, the 'lion of Judah.' In the magician's nephew, the supposed "magician" learns his lesson in dabbling with magic the occult and the arcane and he never tries it again after his adventure in Narnia. In the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I was disappointed with Lewis for putting a wizard/magician in it at the castle with the funny little people who have one large foot. Lucy is the only one who can cast the spell to make them visible, because she is a pure-hearted little girl. Now Lewis used a wizard, in his story, and he was a good wizard and there was a spell book and a spell was cast. I don't think I can judge him because I have written similar stories. I've never had anything published however, just written for fun, I've written fan fiction and put it on sites on the internet for friends to read.

In the silver chair there's and evil sorceress again, and again she is defeated by good. I've also read the Last battle, where there is something of and end to Narnia, but not quite, more like Judgment Day for the Narnians. I love the Chronicles of Narnia!

 

[AgapeBible]

As for Harry Potter, some of it is the author's imagination, some of it is from mythology and folklore that's been around for a while that is part of the occult. Like the thing about mandrakes, a lot of cultures have believed the man-shaped roots of this herb has great power, and that when you pull it up out of the ground the man-root will scream so loud that it will kill anyone nearby who hears it. Of course, mandrakes don't really scream when you pull them out of the ground. And brooms don't really fly. In the bible there is a passage about Leah's son Reuben finding mandrakes in the field, givingthem to his mother, and with these she 'purchased' a night with her husband Jacob away from her sister Rachel.

 

[IisJustMe]

Let me say this, I HAVE read the HP books, at least that is, up to book 5. After I read Order of the Phoenix I decided not to read HP anymore. It got too dark and creepy for me. I was upset over the death of one of my favorite characters, and I saw how deep it went into the world of witchcraft and the occult, I mean the whole story is about a school teaching magic and witchcraft. No where is god ever mentioned in the books.

No where in the Lord of the Rings triology is God mentioned either, but no one questions JRR Tolkien's message, despite unbelievable creatures like the Ents, the Fairies, the magic queen, not to mention the Hobbits, etc. There is magic and what could be seen as "occult" messages in that whole series. The same could be said for the Narnia trilogy. God and Jesus are not named, but no one questions CS Lewis' intent. But, interestingly enough, all were questioned by the Christian community when the works were fairly new. Harry Potter is fairly new. Perhaps in a generation (if the Lord tarries that long) Ms. Rowling's work will be recognized by all Christians for what it is.

 

[Nadiine]

Boswd, don't even bother arguing. I've tried and failed. Not that it makes either viewpoint 100% right, mind.

Well... that's what a debate forum is all about.

But I'm not really here to "change minds" as much I am here to drop viewpoints that people can maybe take something from or at least see things in another light; by seeing the opposing arguments and positions, sometimes we can understand why people think & believe the way they do & lose some of the hostility against them.

I've learned quite a bit here from people - people I agree with and don't agree with. I think it's a little more than beating heads together, no one changes their view, you don't "WIN", so you just trudge off in frustration.

 

[Nadiine]

As for Harry Potter, some of it is the author's imagination, some of it is from mythology and folklore that's been around for a while that is part of the occult. Like the thing about mandrakes, a lot of cultures have believed the man-shaped roots of this herb has great power, and that when you pull it up out of the ground the man-root will scream so loud that it will kill anyone nearby who hears it. Of course, mandrakes don't really scream when you pull them out of the ground. And brooms don't really fly. In the bible there is a passage about Leah's son Reuben finding mandrakes in the field, givingthem to his mother, and with these she 'purchased' a night with her husband Jacob away from her sister Rachel.

JK Rowling has already admitted that she did alot of deep research in the occult for some stuff in her books.
I had the quote on the other HP thread in the Theology section - it would take some time to find it.
But it's true & she does admit that.

This is partly why I make the claims I do about it not being good for children as they're semi indoctrinated into the folklore & principles.