Well, we listened to the book by audio while on a road trip last week. It was delightful!!!
We read all the Dragonquest series,.. Terry Brooks books,..etc. When our kids were growing up, we shared a lot of our Science Fiction books. Actually we shared them all. We had a great time reading them, then discussing the funny and very exciting aspects of them.
I can't remember us ever believing that an Otter could talk, or that there were really dragons, or druids, or wizards.
None of our kids grew up to be wizards. Sigh.... (There goes that mansion, and all that money, youth, health, etc. Dang!!) They did grow up to be decent God loving Christians. Because their FAITH is strong. Because they know the difference between Fiction and NON-Fiction.
We just saw the movie this weekend with our 6 year old grandson and 5 year old grand-daughter. We loved it!! The Troll looked like an onry "Shrek"...and the only part that I think could be scary would be the double face (two sided head) at the end. We laughed so the kids didn't get scared. The movie theatre was FULL of little kids. Parents and Grandparents like us, all enjoying the movie!! We just had so much fun sharing the MAGIC of a movie like that. No less than our parents did for years when watching the yearly Re-runs of "The Wizard of Oz". Those who fear "Harry Potter" would think that "yearly tradition" was rather cultish. But I remember Mom getting the Popcorn ready and it being something we really looked forward to. I don't remember thinking witches were real. I wonder if those protesting the loudest ever watched "The Wizard of Oz",.. or if they truly live in "fear" all the time. I know they haven't read the Harry Potter books, nor have they seen the movie. I'm telling you that a female teacher cannot turn into a cat. Its make believe. K?? Sheesh!!!
I'm just amazed that so many feel so weak in their belief systems that something akin to the "Wizard of Oz" could threaten their faith. It could NEVER waiver our belief in God and Jesus!!
Those who are threatened by this movie or Indianna Jones, or anything FICTION.. are suffering from a few loose screws. Sorry to be so harsh... but thats REALITY.
If I believed that Alchemy was real.. don't you think that a lot of us would be changing dirt into Gold?? If there was a way to have an elixer of youth.. don't you think that many of us would have used it by now?? That there would be people "NOT" growing old? I haven't seen a REAL LIVE Troll yet in my life. I haven't seen an Otter talk (The Otter was from another book). We haven't seen a really cute dragon like the one in the "Never Ending Story",.. heck, haven't EVER seen one. But then.. thats FICTION. It isn't REAL!!!
It was a blast. Our grandkids didn't have nightmares. Our Grandson loves to sing at Church. And I really doubt he is trying to do any spells. But even if he did.. I remember as a little girl, getting some red glittery shoes as a gift. I did try to click my heels three times, and found I didn't go anywhere. Gee, guess I figured it out!!
Using our imagination is a wonderful way to excercise our brains. The use of our imagination can only enhance our abilities to be creative. I hasten to wonder what would have happened had the "Bill Gates" of the World not had the "opportunity and freedom" to "imagine" things. Without an imagination there would be no "Dr. Sauls" in this world. I shudder to think how ignorant we would be,.. how backwards medicine would be.. so many things that we are blessed with, came from an active, HEALTHY, imagination!! I think the kind of people who fear something so inate as "Harry Potter" would ban any kind of thinking that THEY didn't promote. Thankfully, we live in a Country more enlightened than that!! If you don't like what is being shown in your public schools, take your child to a private school. But NO!! You cannot take Huck Finn, and other tales of the imagination out of public schools. I think we need to teach reading, math, science and history to our kids. But we also need to teach them how to be creative. And that requires an imagination. We feel it is a gift from God. We enjoy that gift, and are thankful for it!!
People really need to get over this ridiculous notion that this movie or the MILLIONS of stories like it, are a threat. They are NOT. They are FICTION.. AND THATS A FACT!!
Our Grandson said it best, he described the movie this way to his Daddy when we got home. "It was so neat Daddy, it was about Love and Justice".
We didn't tell him that. He came to that conclusion on his own. When we discussed his assessment after we left their house,..we could see where he would draw that conclusion.
I guess we would add that it was also about Loyalty, Friendship, and yup.. LOVE!!! It was about liking people who have less than you, appreciating what you do have, and being nice even to not so nice people (Malfoy) :o)
Nevell got points for trying to stop his friends from doing something he thought might be dangerous to them.
Boy,.. I/we could go on and on about the fun of this movie, and all the good messages we saw in it.
It didn't follow the book to a "T".. but they never do. It did a pretty good job of it all in all.
We laughed a lot, we were thrilled and entertained. They did a pretty good job! I didn't see any of the wee ones get fidgety or want to leave..and it was a 2 and 1/2 hour movie!! Not bad, not bad at all. Can't wait to see "Lord of the Rings"!!!
Now to see some of Terry Brooks books made into movies!!!! (Harry Potter and some of the new movies coming out sure beat the heck out of all the filth on tv the past few years). FICTION IS FUN,... Good clean fun!! Bring it on!!! ;o)
God Bless!!!
Read your Bible. It is a sin to have ANYTHING to do with witchcraft.
What does the Bible say about witchcraft? By Mike Scott, Minister
THE OCCULT - What does the Bible say about it?
Harry Potter promoted by the Government Schools in Wisconsin
It was just too boring.
Yesterday, I went to see the movie. I had high hopes, because it was highly recommended to me and I thought that perhaps the novel transferred well to the screen.
I was stunned by what a bore it was. I mean really stunned. I was constantly thinking "Won't this movie ever end?". It looked to me like many of the children in the theatre were restless, too.
I tried to understand what its appeal might be.
Here is my hypothesis: A lot of people see themselves as losers and outcasts (like Harry Potter) and fantasize that they will someday, somehow, have something happen that will confer on them great power without the trouble of having to do anything to achieve it. (scholarship to Hogwarts). They demonize those who work for a living (the muggles), while believing themselves to be spiritually greatly superior but with their unique gifts unrecognized. Harry Potter taps into this "I'm a loser feeling" that many people have and, hence, the popularity of the books and film. Think about movies that have most inspired you. Wasn't it because they said something that closely touched on your own life and aspirations?
Personally, I am a lot more worried about what this says about the state of the US and the UK spiritually and intellectually then the possibility that people are going to take up witchcraft. Why do so many see themselves as losers even though by ordinary standards they are not?
Harry Potter is like all the other children's books, from C.S. Lewis to George D. MacDonald to J.R.R. Tolkein. This is exactly the kind of stuff that keeps people away from church, as we all get lumped in the "fundie" bin. It makes me nuts.
just read the first volume and look what happened arrrrggghhhh
Then why bother about Harry Potter.