[dark_lord]

It would be interesting to see if there is a difference in perspective between pentacostalist/charismatics versus fundamentalist on this issue (because the former accept figures of speech and symbolism in the Bible, the latter do not.) The argument made here is based on using symbolism, allegory, metaphor and so on in the Harry Potter books to "prove" they are not anti-Christian. Since fundamentalists tend to reject those conceptual mechanisms (in the Bible) I wonder if they would buy them here. My guess is -- NOT!

[Houmatt]

My guess is -- NOT!

My response is -- who cares?

It is a pretty safe bet none of the Potter critics have read even a single word of the novels.

Those who have, however, have visited a world where sorcerers exist, for sure, but also more traditional themes, such as good versus evil, power over powerlessness, friendship, loyalty, responsibility and, above all, love.

Anyone who reads these books and doesn't see these things are more than a little myopic.

[js1138]

(because the former accept figures of speech and symbolism in the Bible, the latter do not.)

I don't know. I was discussing the argument in the Bible for a flat earth (Jesus is lead to a mountaintop from which he can see all the kingdoms of the earth), and was told that this was a metaphor. There have been times in history when the church took this literally and argued the earth is flat.