I believe Hillary is known as the "Wicked Witch of the Brush."
Posted on 06/03/2004 9:38:49 AM PDT by BobbyBeeper
FIRST-PERSON: Is Harry Potter merely entertainment? Jun 2, 2004 By Phil Boatwright
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" Photo courtesy of harrypotter.com
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (BP)--"I love Harry Potter. I think it would be so cool to be a witch," Sharon, age 11, says.
That's my answer to anyone who says J.K. Rowling's adventure series is harmless fantasy.
While the Harry Potter book and film series has held a hypnotic fascination for youngsters, its thematic foundation is troubling. Arguably, perceptive children can view such material without succumbing to the snare of the occult, but it would be naive to think that movies and TV programs containing witchcraft are not aiding the rise of Wicca in our culture.
In a television special titled "Hollywood Spirituality" which aired several years back on E! Entertainment, Raven Mounauni, a professing witch and owner of an occult paraphernalia store, credited the 1996 movie "The Craft" with inspiring young women to explore the world of witches. "I get a lot of teenage girls in here. You can always tell when 'The Craft' has been on TV, 'cause we get a big influx of girls looking for supplies."
Occult practices shouldn't be considered just diverting amusement. Ouija boards, psychic readers and other forms of misleading supernatural entertainment should not be taken lightly. In Leviticus 19:26 we are instructed, "Do not practice divination or sorcery." There are several warnings in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, making it clear that we are to avoid witchcraft or anything associated with the occult. So if God is instructing us to avoid occult practices, how can we justify using it to entertain ourselves?
This may not be a popular view right now. The first Harry Potter film installment earned $969 million worldwide. J.K. Rowlings' five books on the young wizard have become a phenomenon, allowing the author to become the richest woman in England, with assets beyond $1 billion. That would indicate that many parents find nothing wrong with these children's adventures.
There are even a couple of books out right now exclaiming parallels between the Potter books and the Gospel. One author suggests the books help relate Christian themes and truths, opening the door for talking about things such as right and wrong, the nature of faith, loyalty, bravery and trust. Honestly, I think that's a bit thin. Yes, Rowlings’ themes deal with honor, friendship and self-sacrifice, but the kids in Harry Potter gravitate to sorcery in order to accomplish these attributes. And even if there are positive elements associated with the series, you simply can't ignore the witchcraft equation.
Members of Wicca teach a philosophy that embraces no absolute truth or sin and replaces the patriarchal male creator God of the Bible with a belief in both male and female gods. Its credo instructs members to embrace spirits and conjure spells in order to control their lives and the lives of others. There are millions of practicing witches worldwide. Indeed, Wicca has become one of the fastest-growing religions in the world today.
OK, it's good that children are reading. But what is it they're reading? Shouldn't that be considered? When an author makes $1 billion on five books that have sorcery as a main theme, and renowned secular critics hail the films as incredible filmmaking without examining their occult roots, I question what's really behind this phenom.
Is it merely entertainment? Or is there a dark spiritual source feeding and supporting it? I realize that may sound like a stretch, but often Satan is most deceiving with a glossed-over package. Wouldn't it be a shame if kids got pulled into witchcraft, while their folks thought of the books and films as merely children's fantasy? --30-- Phil Boatwright is a film reviewer and editor of The Movie Reporter, on the Web at www.moviereporter.com. (BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKAB
Oh, she's far hotter than I am. :)
I know I know I know! Mombi, right?
Off topic... but doesn't Neville seem to exhibit the effects of someone hit with a memory charm? I wonder what someone is trying to hide...
Satanic killers tell of blood drinking rites
Teen Accused of 'Vampire' Killing
Vampires haven't really been introduced in the HP books, except for comparing Prof. Snape to one. Maybe you should blame this on the classic tale of Dracula instead of pointing fingers at something totally unrelated.
I don't object to fantasy or scifi. Grew up on it. But some is pretty juvenile in its treatment of human relationships, and that would include a lot of stories written by middle aged men who don't really like women. Whether they are gay or merely asexual, I don't know, but I can see why they would appeal to fifth grade boys.
There is certainly a place for such stories, but they aren't the end of the world.
I believe Hillary is known as the "Wicked Witch of the Brush."
"I love Harry Potter. I think it would be so cool to be a witch," Sharon, age 11, says.
A girl 11 years old is fantisizing and we make a news article out of it?
It *would* be cool, but only a moron thinks you can. If your child is a moron, don't let him read or see Harry Potter.
They are my favorite band, but then again, I'm an engineer with a love of precision. His lyrics are always inventive. The drummer, Neil Peart, is as precise as a machine gun, and twice as fast. He does musical tricks with a drumstick that boggle my mind. And once Geddy Lee quit screaming his lyrics, he developed a pretty good voice. Alex Lifeson is a good guitarist as well, when he's not beating up cops.
Genesis is a big fave, as well, though Phil Collins' left-ness has put me off them lately. Pink Floyd is quite talented, as well, especially when needing to get some sleep...
"To be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than in 1939 . . . by 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead."
So J.R.R. Tolkien responded to critics who saw The Lord of the Rings as a reaction to the Second World War. Tolkien and the Great War tells for the first time the full story of how he embarked on the creation of Middle-earth in his youth as the world around him was plunged into catastrophe. This biography reveals the horror and heroism that he experienced as a signals officer in the Battle of the Somme and introduces the circle of friends who spurred his mythology into life. It shows how, after two of these brilliant young men were killed, Tolkien pursued the dream they had all shared by launching his epic of good and evil.
This is the first substantially new biography of Tolkien since 1977, meticulously researched and distilled from his personal wartime papers and a multitude of other sources. John Garth argues that the foundation of tragic experience in the First World War is the key to Middle-earth's enduring power. Tolkien used his mythic imagination not to escape from reality but to reflect and transform the cataclysm of his generation. While his contemporaries surrendered to disillusionment, he kept enchantment alive, reshaping an entire literary tradition into a form that resonates to this day.
Very good book, recommended to anybody interested in Tolkien or even just World War I.
Eye of the beholder. I likes 'em in all shapes and sizes. Drives my wife nuts... ;-)
Xenalyte: Do you even know ANYTHING about C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkein? Apparently not. Your ignorance is really coming through loud and clear.
119 posted on 06/03/2004 1:12:25 PM CDT by Integrityrocks
Yeah, Xen-- whaddya think you are, some kind of English teacher??? (/sarcasm)
I just checked your profile page, and in all honesty, I find that difficult to believe.
Thanks much for the book info ... I'll definitely look that one up. It might fit into a nice niche between my WWI books and my Tolkien reference library ...
You best watch your back, or my ignorant self will BANISH you! :)
So Tolkien had children. That in itself proves very little. He lived in an era when British wives had little more status than today's Muslim wives. The books are devoid of adult relationships.
That's OK with me. They don't have to be all things to all people. But then I didn't start a thread with the childish assumption that witchcraft should be taken seriously.
So what? There is no "sovereign person or principle" governing the use of firearms -- they work just the same for cops and crooks. By what passes for you "logic", I don't see why you're here, instead of at the More Moms Than We Can Count On Our Fingers March.
Google "fairuza balk", go to Images, and you will find quite the eyeful. Yow!
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