preacher cuts up Harry Potter books

[Calliope]

I think it is wrong to burn books but.. Any kid with a decent imagination is more than likely going to fantasise about being Harry Potter from the book and having the magical powers alongside it. It doesn't matter if it is not real Witchcraft, far from it, but isn't it likely that it would encourage kids to get into the real thing as an extension of their fantasies? Imaginative and pretend play is critical in children learning and identifying with real life roles.

 

[coastie]

Pastor Freud..

I'm almost doen with the three Lord of the Rings books... and I gotta tell ya, Frodo wasn't tempted by evil until the third book, but throughout the series, he is constantly put to the test and under emmense pressure from the evil forces.

Just wanted to throw my two cents in, cuz I absolutely love Tolkien

 

[Sharky]

heh coastie

i don't read books.... naturally . I think them burning or whatever harry potter etc stuff really won't help much. I saw the movie, didn't really pay any attention to the acting, witchcraft or boring old spell classes. Just watched for the special effects .

I think the keyword here is influence and not book. Kids can read it and hate it or like it or even get totally into it. These days reality and fiction have a blurry line.

 

[coastie]

That's so true...

for example the "vampire" cults running around in Seattle are off the wall. These guys took something that Bram Stroker made up andmade it into a lifestyle, almost a whole religion, based on a stupid book. That's a good example of taking fiction too far.

 

[WoodChips]

I think that by causing a big fuss and cutting up the books you would be just as likely to increase curiosity amongst children.

Letting kids enjoy the books, while gently reminding them of the distinction between fantasy and reality would be a better approach, in my opinion.

 

[Lynn]

Of course these books are childish...they're children's books! and they're fun! they require imagination, a sense of the ridiculous, a sense of humor, and the ability to suspend belief.

I agree with Woodchips (and welcome, BTW! )----just as we should watch tv with our kids to help them differentiate between reality and fiction, we should read with them. reading is fun, books are fun, kids are fun. what a great combination!

and I think a preacher would have better things to do than spend money on books he's just going to destroy. how 'bout feeding the poor, clothing the naked?

lynn

 

[Johnny_Thor]

Originally posted by seebs
I wouldn't call Harry Christlike. I'd call him Christianlike. (His religion is never discussed; I suspect he's Christian, but don't know.)

There is no way he could be a christian, cause he is practising witchcraft. But if he would turn away from it, and repend...and follow Jesus, then you could call HP a christian.

Otherwise I would say that the preachers time would be better spent preaching the gospel, and not destroying books.

 

(sorry if about my spelling, english is my 3rd language)

 

[Lacmeh]

I personally don´t like stories, in which children are the main persons.
Jordan puts lot of fairy tales and religious concepts from our world into his books and nobody cares. From Arthur´s Saga passing to Rebirth concepts and Christianity. No explicit adult content so it is readable byyounger people, too. Not a single person cares about that.

Coastie you got that wrong. First of all, Vampire legends were told far longer than Bram Stoker´s Dracula exists.
second, those people runnig around are doing a live RPG. There are a lot of peopel actually doing this. The more conservative ones want to do this in a Middle Age setting, renting old castles and the like. Therfore the general population doesn´t notice it. Until those Vampire RPGlers come along.
You should inform yourself a bit more. In the WoD there are no "Gods" or "God" that is prayed to. In this setting no holy symbol harms the evil ones. Vampires in this setting don´t pray or go to a church or even have a set of beliefs. So I wonder where you get the notino, that there is soem sort of religious movement.

 

[Force]

Let me just start out by saying the second movie was WAY better than the first. 

But besides that I can see why some parents might be a tad bit concerned I mean children are already easily influenced by everything.  I myself after seeing it especially after this second one found myself saying WOW thats really cool I wish I could do that.  You know, and that could be dangerous to start dabbling into....But I mean if you explain to your kids ahead of time and afterwards what the problems might be than I dont see a problem with it. 

As for the preacher...making a big show out of anything cant be good.  It gives you a very prideful/silly image.  And looks more like a religious spirit controls you than anything.

 

 

[No gods]

Originally posted by coastie
That's so true...

for example the "vampire" cults running around in Seattle are off the wall. These guys took something that Bram Stroker made up andmade it into a lifestyle, almost a whole religion, based on a stupid book. That's a good example of taking fiction too far.

LOL. Does anyone else find this statement rather funny?

 

[No gods]

Originally posted by Johnny_Thor
There is no way he could be a christian,

Well, they do celebrate christmas at this school and at Harry's home. I know this doesn't "make" him a christian, but it does show at least a bit of christianity in the book... in other words, the good guys celebrate a christian holiday!

Originally posted by Johnny_Thor
cause he is practising witchcraft. But if he would turn away from it, and repend...and follow Jesus, then you could call HP a christian.

Originally posted by Force
But besides that I can see why some parents might be a tad bit concerned I mean children are already easily influenced by everything. I myself after seeing it especially after this second one found myself saying WOW thats really cool I wish I could do that. You know, and that could be dangerous to start dabbling into....

I am absolutely astounded when I find adults that actually believe in witchcraft. There is NO danger. There is no witchcraft. Though I do agree, kids and adults are apparently very easily influenced and will believe almost anything...

 

[EliasEmmanuel]

Originally posted by coastie
That's so true...

for example the "vampire" cults running around in Seattle are off the wall. These guys took something that Bram Stroker made up andmade it into a lifestyle, almost a whole religion, based on a stupid book. That's a good example of taking fiction too far.

On the one hand, Lacmeh's right: most of the "vampires" one sees running around are probably LARPers....

On the other, yes, there have been a couple of "vampire cults" that have popped up (or people who claim to be "real vampyres" or leading a "vampyre lifestyle"), but they're far from common.

And anyway, we can't base what we do on the lunatic fringe. If some kid decided to try swinging between buildings, you couldn't blame Spider Man for that....

-Elias

 

[Force]

Originally posted by No gods
I am absolutely astounded when I find adults that actually believe in witchcraft. There is NO danger. There is no witchcraft. Though I do agree, kids and adults are apparently very easily influenced and will believe almost anything...

Your funny ....you obviously havent been to many places...some towns have very little if any of this....other towns like take for instance Tallahassee FL, have predominately
large numbers of people who practice witchcraft.  On Halloween and other holidays they gather on the steps of the capital and do spells and leave behind pentagrams and remnants of animal sacrifice.......witches etc go into local churches and try to stir up trouble there as well. 

Look at New Orleans, a lot of Voodoo and black magic etc. is practiced there and you are just turning a blind eye if you deny that witchcraft etc. is not real in even the slightest of forms.....

Granted the cast of Harry Potter are not at all into it I'm sure, its just a movie but there is such a thing.

 

[MyJhongFist]

Originally posted by Calliope
I think it is wrong to burn books but.. Any kid with a decent imagination is more than likely going to fantasise about being Harry Potter from the book and having the magical powers alongside it. It doesn't matter if it is not real Witchcraft, far from it, but isn't it likely that it would encourage kids to get into the real thing as an extension of their fantasies? Imaginative and pretend play is critical in children learning and identifying with real life roles.

Kids spend alot of time pretending and playing, but that's just what it is.  Pretending.  People give children way too little credit when it comes to distinguishing fantasy from reality.  Children are not miniature adults.  They are children.

When kids play with plastic army men, it will not make them grow up to become soldiers. 

I used to play Cops and Robbers alot as a kid.  Guess what?  I didn't grow up to become either a Cop or a Robber.

When kids play Harry Potter, it does not make them want to become a witch!! 

If it does, then it should work in reverse right?  I mean if Harry Potter is evil, then kids watch it or read it, they are drawn to Satan's power and poof they are witches, right? 

So then by that logic, it should be easy to convert Pagans to Christianity.  I mean all we would have to do is have them listen to a TV evangelist or radio sermon and poof they want to be Christians all of a sudden.  yeah right.

 

 

[No gods]

Originally posted by Force
Your funny ....you obviously havent been to many places...some towns have very little if any of this....other towns like take for instance Tallahassee FL, have predominately
large numbers of people who practice witchcraft.  On Halloween and other holidays they gather on the steps of the capital and do spells and leave behind pentagrams and remnants of animal sacrifice.......witches etc go into local churches and try to stir up trouble there as well. 

Look at New Orleans, a lot of Voodoo and black magic etc. is practiced there and you are just turning a blind eye if you deny that witchcraft etc. is not real in even the slightest of forms.....

Granted the cast of Harry Potter are not at all into it I'm sure, its just a movie but there is such a thing.

Like I said, some people will believe almost anything. Regardless of the number of practitioners, I am astounded that anyone would believe in the practice. Especially someone outside of the practice. Doesn't it diminish your faith in your religion and add credence to theirs when you believe and fear the mystic powers of a completely different religion? The practice of witchcraft is real in the sense that real people really do things thinking they can actually "make" things happen. Witchcraft is not real in the sense that no matter what these practitioners do, they don't do witchcraft because it doesn't really exist.

 

[EliasEmmanuel]

Originally posted by Force
Your funny ....you obviously havent been to many places...some towns have very little if any of this....other towns like take for instance Tallahassee FL, have predominately
large numbers of people who practice witchcraft.  On Halloween and other holidays they gather on the steps of the capital and do spells and leave behind pentagrams and remnants of animal sacrifice.......witches etc go into local churches and try to stir up trouble there as well. 

Do what?

Yes, witchcraft does exist in the form of Wicca, but Wiccans don't do "animal sacrifice" or "go into churches and stir up trouble"........ nor, to my knowledge, do they "do spells" on the steps of the capitol...

I'd be interested to know where you got this.......

-Elias

 

[Force]

Originally posted by No gods
Like I said, some people will believe almost anything. Regardless of the number of practitioners, I am astounded that anyone would believe in the practice. Especially someone outside of the practice. Doesn't it diminish your faith in your religion and add credence to theirs when you believe and fear the mystic powers of a completely different religion? The practice of witchcraft is real in the sense that real people really do things thinking they can actually "make" things happen. Witchcraft is not real in the sense that no matter what these practitioners do, they don't do witchcraft because it doesn't really exist.

your an athiest I wouldnt expect you to understand it...but yes I do believe that witchcraft is real and yes I do believe it has power.  I have seen and many of my friends have seen a lot of things that couldnt have been any other way.  The fact is I believe it is not of God.  I believe very much in the spiritual realm.  I believe in good and evil.  And oh no I believe there is a devil and demons too Are you shocked yet?!  So why would it diminish my faith at all, it only reinforces the idea actually.

Of course I am sure Havoc would disagree with me on the good and evil portions of it.    

 

[Force]

Originally posted by EliasEmmanuel
Do what?

Yes, witchcraft does exist in the form of Wicca, but Wiccans don't do "animal sacrifice" or "go into churches and stir up trouble"........ nor, to my knowledge, do they "do spells" on the steps of the capitol...

I'd be interested to know where you got this.......

-Elias

Experience......and not all witchcraft deals with Wicca. 

 

[EliasEmmanuel]

Originally posted by Johnny_Thor
There is no way he could be a christian, cause he is practising witchcraft. But if he would turn away from it, and repend...and follow Jesus, then you could call HP a christian.

Well, they did call Harry "Christianlike", not Christian.

And I think the overall point is that the world of Harry Potter embraces a Christian worldview far more than a Pagan one.

-Elias

 

[MyJhongFist]

Originally posted by EliasEmmanuel
Well, they did call Harry "Christianlike", not Christian.

And I think the overall point is that the world of Harry Potter embraces a Christian worldview far more than a Pagan one.

-Elias

That's true.  For the most part, the Pagan worldview does not acknowledge that evil exists. 

In the HP world, both exist and one must choose which they are going to follow.  Though it is fictional, it sounds more similar to a Christian worldview than a Pagan one.