Posted on 11/19/2001 3:13:11 PM PST by PJ-Comix
"Harry Potter," like "Star Wars," ISN'T Subtle! The "essence" of both stories is a CLEAR, uncluttered, examination of our Traditional Western concepts of "Good vs. Evil!"
Neither story promotes "Evil,"--BOTH stories show that EVIL (Traditional, Biblical, Western concepts of Evil) is destructive & a concept to be avoided!
THAT is the "Philosophical Point" of BOTH Stories!
ANY attempt to find "deeper meanings" in these "fairytails" is Pure Sophistry!
"Harry Potter" & "Star Wars" are--as ALL literature of their "ilk,"--"Morality Plays,"---No more or less!!
Doc
Even Elmer Fudd?
Even Elmer Fudd?
Especially Elmer Fudd.
"I have a vewwy gweat fwiend in Wome." / "You wascally wabbit!"
COINCIDENCE ????!!!!!!!
Uhhhhh, I don't have the long or short of that one.
Probably he wasn't in the study.
Perhaps you are closer to him than I am. You could ask him!
. . . sometimes I shouldn't even think these things, much less write them and push the reply button. . .
In Taiwan 30 years ago--before our grand U.S. cultural "nonsensibilities" had smothered some of their sensibilities, very heterosexual men would walk down the street hand in hand, maybe arm in arm.
At least 14 years ago, even more of the same was standard in Mainland China. It was common for men of all ages to be affectionate. . . whether on the street, at a concert, sports meet, wherever. . . and they were NOT gay.
I was told such was especially more common after the Cultural Revolution.
I was brave enough to "do as the Chinese in China" and found relationships could be much more quickly closer, more authentic, more communicative, caring etc.
I've always had a curiosity that I've never seen any research on and suspect if there is any that it's highly classified in such countries. We know that fathers (contrary to conventional assumptions) who are NOT affectionate produce more homosexual sons and those who ARE AFFECTIONATE produce, as a group, far fewer homosexual sons.
So I've always wondered, if homosexuality went up when U.S. cultural "nonsensitivities" flooded such a country. If anyone has any data on such, I'd be interested.
It has also often amused me that Christian men are often supposedly eager to obey the Bible except when it comes to "greet the brethren with a HOLY kiss."
I always thought that was the coolest thing. They should bring back those commercials! Manly, yes, but I like it too!
Ashly Montagu (sp?) in his massive TOUCHING treatise notes that most western men are rather desperately starving in a skin hunger sort of way for lack of touching. Many postulate that a lot of men's sexual acting out is their intense isolation in our culture and their trained equating of sex as the only sanctioned way to decrease the deep angst from that isolation. I think there's a lot to that idea.
That would also partially explain why sex is so conflicted for so many men--desperate need on many levels of at least a few origins--yet little to no robust training in minimizing emotional distance and using fluently emotional languages. . . so what they have or have access to they still mangle to destruction too often. And, sadly, many are genuinely often mystified about how and why they destroyed what they most loved and most needed.
Heart to heart emotional intimacy can be greater than that of most sexual partners. And when combined with the physical in a long term sensitive marriage--who can top that? But too few know anything about that.
I think this touches also on the fact that people who have 3-4 close same sex friends for several years before marriage, as a group, have far fewer divorces than those that didn't have such close same sex friends. Evidently they learned SOMETHING ABOUT EMOTIONAL INTIMACY that was priceless apart from the sexual component complicating it.
Like you, I can't wait for The Lord of the Rings to come out. Reading The Fellowship of The Ring to my seven year old now (read the Trilogy to his older brothers and sister). I've seen some trailers and it looks like they got it right.
I suspect there are a lot of parents who will, out of fear, end up banning the books when, in their particular case, they'd have been wiser to have read at least portions of the books WITH their kids and discussing why they are destructive. Blanket, mindless, rigid "write-offs" seldom work in our era with kids more than ever willing, eager and able to think and act for themselves.
Of course, the best strategy is to teach and train kids BY EXAMPLE step by step from the earliest age. Kids will always learn most by what parents DO instead of what parents say. And when what parents DO is authentic, Loving, responsible, kind, spiritually wise, then the kids will learn those qualities and traits and not depart from them. Not only is it good psychology and spirituality, God backs it up with His Spirit wholesale.
Now regarding media and children-- my kids know they don't watch television or go to movies until they're eleven or older. I don't care whether it's Disney, Sesame Street, Ninja Turtles, or Harry Potter. The last thing developing brains need is to be set in front of an object that alters their brain waves.
Personally, I believe we'd have a lot fewer Ritalin kids if our children were disconnected from the single greatest drug in this culture (television).
I have 2 teenage sons who are articulate straight A students. The oldest has lettered in 3 sports, is co-captain of his football team, won the league championship in wrestling the past two years, and was the Homecoming King at this year's Homecoming Game.
My fifteen year old is the president of his class, is the quarterback on the freshman team, was 17-2 in wrestling last year, plays in a garage band, and is one of the best young baseball players in the area.
Neither of these terrific kids grew up with movies or television. 'Nuff said.
My Univ Library job boss didn't have a TV all his kids' growing up. They are bilingual in German and English and certainly well read.
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