A Different View about Harry Potter

[countrymousenc]

http://www.ev90481.dial.pipex.com/harry_potter_granger.htm


(Forgive me if this has been posted before now; I saw it for the first time today.)

 

[HiredGoon]

Shouldn't the title of this thread be "One person's opinion about Harry Potter," rather than "The Truth...."

 

[seebs]

Isn't everything we see people's opinions?

I thought it was well researched, and I do like the contrast with Pullman's work, which I do see as a lot more hostile to Christianity.

 

[countrymousenc]

Shouldn't the title of this thread be "One person's opinion about Harry Potter," rather than "The Truth...."

Yeah, you're right; but in this case, at least two people think it's the truth! My apology for being uppity. How about "A different view about Harry Potter?" Maybe an administrator would change it for me.

 

[msjones21]

I thought the article was well-written even if I disagree. I think Harry Potter is harmless and I think the Christian community has more important things to worry about than youth literature.

 

[countrymousenc]

Frankly, I've often wondered why "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" didn't get reams more nasty publicity than Potter did from the Christian community. Think about it; it didn't require any high-level mental activity (such as reading) and it was available for an hour every week, and now in syndication it's available every day, and it dabbles in real occult themes and political correctness.

As for the Potter books, and the Narnia and Ring books, perhaps one of the reasons we often miss the Christian connections is that they're mostly covert. It won't hit us over the head. Moreover, many of us Protestants have a tendency to think of the Faith as mainly a set of beliefs and not much as a way of life. It's the "way of life" stuff that's couched in these stories, as well as hints (ok, in Lewis they're loud hints) of why people should live that way.

Sometimes I wonder whether we very nearly create a race of Christians "without chests."

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

Poor Harry Potter

 

[seebs]

Moreover, many of us Protestants have a tendency to think of the Faith as mainly a set of beliefs and not much as a way of life.

What's this got to do with Protestants? Christians everywhere are vulnerable to that attitude.

It's the "way of life" stuff that's couched in these stories, as well as hints (ok, in Lewis they're loud hints) of why people should live that way.

Indeed.

One thing many Friends tend to do is deny the distinction between religious and secular aspects of life. There's a sign on the door into the meeting room where I worship that says "Please enter in a spirit of worship". The neat thing is that, when the door is closed, the sign ends up on the inside - so, when it's time to leave, there's a door leading to the entire world, with a sign on it saying "Please enter in a spirit of worship". Good advice.

Sometimes I wonder whether we very nearly create a race of Christians "without chests."

Indeed. Too much focus on adherance to claims, too little focus on being transformed by the reality about which the claims are made.

 

[countrymousenc]

What's this got to do with Protestants? Christians everywhere are vulnerable to that attitude.

I think that with Catholic or Orthodox Christians ritual is more likely to be the distraction.

One thing many Friends tend to do is deny the distinction between religious and secular aspects of life. There's a sign on the door into the meeting room where I worship that says "Please enter in a spirit of worship". The neat thing is that, when the door is closed, the sign ends up on the inside - so, when it's time to leave, there's a door leading to the entire world, with a sign on it saying "Please enter in a spirit of worship". Good advice.

That is neat!

Indeed. Too much focus on adherance to claims, too little focus on being transformed by the reality about which the claims are made.

Amen to that!

 

[dsdumpling]

I think the Christian community has more important things to worry about than youth literature.

What do we have more important to worry about than our youth?