Posted on 07/18/2005 6:36:15 AM PDT by Kitten Festival
Thanks for the explanation - that's much clearer.
You posted while I was mulling my post. Yes, I'm bothered by "the dark side of the Force." It's more Manichean or Gnostic than Christian. Fortunately, it's vague enough to slip by most people without much effect. I don't think the intent is malign, as with Pullman.
Perfect! Sadly, for most people in our current society the world of Harry Potter, and it's ongoing struggle of good against evil is a major step up.
It will be a few steps along that walk for not a few...
I had to chuckle when I read your post. No, the Force was never meant to be malign, but I will admit, the STAR WARS universe has changed a bit over the years. Die-hard fans (Force Freaks) know all the discrepencies, confusions, and ins and outs of the series' evolution--oft times better than most of the employees at Lucasfilm.
your comment makes no sense to me other than it references the bible... which I didn't make comment on...
In high school I asked one of my teachers who didn't approve of Harry Potter what he thought of The Lord of the Rings. He said it was ok because it was a classic. I asked him if that meant in 50 years Harry Potter would be ok. He said no, but couldn't tell me what the difference was between the two books and the magic in them.
Heh heh. I shudder to think the questions and demands-for-explanations that get thrown your way at Lucasfilm...
My kids think the whole Force thing is silly.
I see it as drawing more from the Oriental philosophies and their condept of balance in the universe (yin and yang and that sort of thing).
It's so cute when they try to think...
So I take it the next movie shall feature ...
??
I tend to agree with Tax-chick. If you took that "dark side of the force" business seriously, it would undermine basic Christian ideas about the nature of God and of good and evil. But I believe most people laugh at it.
The same with Harry Potter. People dress up as witches and wizards to go to the opening, but they do it in the spirit of fun and games, not some dark yearning to practice witchcraft. Kids wield light sabers in the same spirit of fun.
Pope Opposes Harry Potter Novels - Signed Letters from Cardinal Ratzinger Now Online
If I remember correctly, the evil witches die and the good prevails.
And, Dorothy does not use any evil and/or witchcraft.
True?
Again, in the Chonicles of Narnia, good prevails and the children do not ever use evil to prevail.
Potter Ping!! This article (and so far the thread) is FREE OF SPOILERS! So click away....
I think parents have to be discerning. Some children and teens are spiritually unstable, and reading Harry Potter books may lead them into investigating ritual magic seriously. (Someone pointed out on another thread that bookstores are marketing books on witchcraft and even Satanism in conjunction with the H.P. blitz. I noticed some of this myself when the new editions of LOTR were issued, in conjunction with the films.) In my opinion, a young person in this situation should be distracted from any fantasy or magic-related literature, not just Harry Potter.
For me, the point where any fiction becomes a spiritual danger is when the reader wants it to be non-fiction.
The end does not always justify the means.
Thanks for the heads up!
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