Harry Potter vs. Gandalf

The Decent Films Guide ^ | 11/01 | Steven Greydanus

[Ward Smythe]

I'm 39, attended a high school with 1,250 students, and don't recall a single self-described witch.

Don't remember any from my high school, well maybe a few rhyming words. But when I was in 10th grade (I'm older than you BTW) a group of us got into ESP, and did some exploring into the occult. We went along with a lot of curiosity until one Halloween night when we held a seance. Coincidence or not (and I think not) some spooky things happened. It scared us silly. That spring several local churches experienced simultaneosly (and independently) a revival among the youth.

I worked with a summer youth program about five years ago. One of the students in the program said she was a "witch" - and had some pretty strange practices that disturbed her roommates. The next year my wife's then 16-year-old neice, pregnant at the time relates to my sister-in-law that she is a "wiccan." Both of these were pre Harry Potter.

My point is that kids are curious and they're seeking the meaning of life. I will grant you that a diet of Harry Potter along with the occult, goth, etc., etc. and nothing else to balance that is unhealthy and even dangerous.

But a major key is parental involvement. My son is well aware of our beliefs and is well aware that the Potter books are fantasy. Because he's read them now and clearly views them as what they are - make believe, I really believe there is a good chance he'll be less curious about the "real" occult later on.

[Aquinasfan]

¸?)Dion: why is the Harry Potter movie considered evil, yet Star Wars is not?

Because the protagonist doesn't describe himself as a wizard, attend a school for witches and wizards, have witch and wizard friends, and engage in occult practices.

[discostu]

My family left the Catholic Church after Vatican II (they felt the Church had lost its way) but still raised me in a very Catholic world until around age 10 then we started going to 4 Square Gospel during which time I was saved, but the faith never really fit comfortably within my framework (I don't think the frankness of that crowd mixed well with the attitude of internalization that Catholicism instilled in me early in life, it still bugs me when people are very vocal with their faith in public, the Catholic in me says that faith, like sex, should be private, so people like Dieon Sanders rub me very much the wrong way).

Eventually the constant haranguing from the anti-D&D/ heavy metal sections of Christiandom actually caused me to actually investigate the occult (I really felt like I must be missing something that they were getting, so I went looking). The first thing I found was that they were pretty solidly wrong, you weren't going to learn anything "useful" in the occult from D&D or heavy metal (or by that point Doom). Next I found the whole occultist world to be pretty bogus. At that point it became rather difficult to believe in any form of spirituality and I was pretty solidly on the path to total disbelief, which is where I am today. I still study and enjoy religion both for the socialogical understanding and as a tool to transmit good moral instruction through the generations (oh, and I really dig Aquinas myself actually, a lot of great analysis and interesting monologues). I'm still very sympathic to Christiandom and get very angry when the ACLU starts on their shinanigans.

So in the end one would have to color me as a very sympathetic atheist.

[Aquinasfan]

What, exactly then, is the truth about Harry Potter?

That's for you to find out.

If you want my opinion, do a search on "Potter." Then read my 100 or so replies over the last couple of days.

We've been around the mulberry bush before, and once was enough for me.

[Sabertooth]

Call me when Harry Potter can take on a Balrog.

[stuartcr]

Makes sense, thanx.

[Revelation 911]

I'm afraid such hocus pocus remains just that.

said the spider

That statement completely denies the influence of evil in the lives of mortal humans. And your take on the resurrection is ? - surely it is not to be repeated in the lab.

[Aquinasfan]

But a major key is parental involvement.

I have no doubt about that. But I don't believe that most parents are able to "discern spirits" much less know what their children are getting into. So many children are "latch key" children and children of divorce.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

I think the witches stayed behind the scenes. I've been on a fantasy fiction list, where a number of the other members described themselves as Pagan or Wiccan. Many of them were in their mid-30s to even the 60s and said they had had their beliefs for most of their adult lives.

I suspect that what we have with Harry Potter, as well as Buffy, Charmed, etc. (and actually, I find Harry Potter to be somewhat goth incarnation) is a fad. A few years from now, I suspect Anime (Japanese animation), which has a fan-cult status now, will become the latest fad.[1] Also, Tolkien will almost definitely have a rebirth of fad-dom over the next few years. A few years after that, who knows?

As parents, we will always have to be on our guard against children getting too involved in fads, to the neglect of more important matters. But that's the problem -- over-immersion -- rather than any inherent evil. At least, that's my opinion.

[1] Maybe even sooner; my daughter dyed her hair blue-green for a Halloween costume as an anime character and has kept that way, as her popularity skyrocketed without her having to change her personality or values. (For the record, I don't disapprove.)

I'll check back later. I gotta get my work done.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

But when I was in 10th grade (I'm older than you BTW) a group of us got into ESP

6th grade for me. A friend and I made our own pack of Rhine cards and started testing our classmates.

[Aquinasfan]

So in the end one would have to color me as a very sympathetic atheist.

And likeable too, brother. Don't settle for anything less than the whole truth.

From one Aquinas fan to another, you might like this link

[stuartcr]

It would seem to me that if our children are exposed more and more to the occult, then they would realize that there is no such thing as being able to cast spells and conjure demons or levitate.

[Ward Smythe]

But I don't believe that most parents are able to "discern spirits" much less know what their children are getting into.

I would agree with that. But that's not caused by Harry Potter or even by wicca anymore than it's caused by drugs, alcohol, tobacco and sex.

If all of those who believe Potter is so dangerous would be shouting "Parents you need to pay attention to what your children are reading" as opposed to "Harry is Satan" then I'd be right there on that bandwagon.

[steve-b]

He's not one to make an enemy -- though, should someone make an enemy of him, Harry will make war on that person with every weapon at his disposal.

Sounds like a sensible person to me. For instance, Osama & Co. have learned to their dismay that Dubya (unlike clintoon) fits this description.

[Woodkirk]

Those who say that HP is just fantasy are either lying or do not understand fiction and fables which have been used by writers and storytellers for thousands of years to teach truths or things that they think are true without objections from those affected by those truths. Sorcery is real and demonically inspired as Moses found out in the court of Pharoah, but God's Word is more powerful as Pharoah found out. JKRowling is preaching her theology and philosophy within the pages of this book whose hero is a rebellious namesnake for Satan who rises to take over a domain once managed by the rulemaking headmaster. Every time people buy her stuff they tithe to her theology and defend it with mindless mantras like "it is only fantasy".

[Woodkirk]

Those who say that HP is just fantasy are either lying or do not understand fiction and fables which have been used by writers and storytellers for thousands of years to teach truths or things that they think are true without objections from those affected by those truths. Sorcery is real and demonically inspired as Moses found out in the court of Pharoah, but God's Word is more powerful as Pharoah found out. JKRowling is preaching her theology and philosophy within the pages of this book whose hero is a rebellious namesnake for Satan who rises to take over a domain once managed by the rulemaking headmaster. Every time people buy her stuff they tithe to her theology and defend it with mindless mantras like "it is only fantasy".