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To: discostu
Apparently it the source of their power is Almighty God, He's the one that grants them the genetic gift necessary to do magic even if they've learned nothing about it, even if they don't know that wizards exist.

Absolutely not, which is exactly why the Harry Potter books do not adhere to the biblical/Christian worldview. Which is why parents should be careful to make sure their children understand that.

Any powers God gives are to be used for HIS PURPOSES ONLY, and any powers we use that aren't for the purposes of advancing His kingdom interests and bringing glory to his sovereignty come from the Devil. The children in Harry Potter bring glory to themselves through their use of magic.

POWER IS NOT NEUTRAL. One must understand the source of power to understand its purpose.

The Bible doesn't speak of "pacts with the devil" being the sources of evil power in the Bible. Nor are all of the practicers of witchcraft in the Bible trying to harm others. It is very sad that people like you believe that it would be so obvious. The Devil is not obvious in his methods. This is exactly why Cardinal Ratzinger said children could be "subtly influenced". It's never so apparent as some nasty looking witch with a big nose trying to boil little children. If that were all the occult was about, then it would be easily avoided.

No, it's about trying to take for yourself that which rightfully belongs to God only (the power to get others to do things, and to get what YOU want, not what God wants).

746 posted on 07/14/2005 4:10:46 PM PDT by DameAutour
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To: DameAutour

Well where else do people get their genetic gifts from? Now I will admit HP doesn't adhere to a Biblical worldview, it really doesn't deal with the whole God issue at all, but in so doing it also doesn't contradict the Biblical worldview. It's off in it's own world, like most fantasy fiction, and doesn't worry about it one way or the other. But it's clearly demonstrated in the early chapters that wizarding power, in the imaginary world of HP, does not come from the dark sources the Bible warns about. It's genetic, pure and simple. Wizards are wizards at birth, not by training. A wizard that receives no training will still be a wizard, but probably not very good at it. A wizard that never gets any kind of explanation for the wierd events in there life, will still be a wizard.

The kids on the good guy side don't bring glory unto themselves. Harry hates all the fame that surrounds him, he has two goals in life: avenge his parents, fade into anonymity. Glory is a big irritant to him.

No power is neutral. The source of their power is the genes, the same source for power that Michael Jordan, Stephen Hawkings and Beethoven have. Most of the time in this world we ascribe that kind of genetic gift as coming from God.

Actually that is the source for the power in the Bible. That's why it's bad. In HP, being as it's not the real world, it's a different story.

They aren't trying to take power, once again the objections of the anti-HP crowd have zero support in the books, they're trying to control their own power. The power is there, they have it whether they want it or not, the big question is what do they do with it.


747 posted on 07/14/2005 4:19:05 PM PDT by discostu (The dude abides)
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To: DameAutour
The Devil is not obvious in his methods. This is exactly why Cardinal Ratzinger said children could be "subtly influenced". It's never so apparent as some nasty looking witch with a big nose trying to boil little children. If that were all the occult was about, then it would be easily avoided.

Excellent point. It put me in mind of this picture:

Note that the creature Mike has his foot on was once an angel too. And, as Milton showed us, the can be very, very persuasive.

772 posted on 07/14/2005 6:12:19 PM PDT by GipperGal
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To: DameAutour; discostu
Dale Carnegie was a wizard Servant of Satan!
786 posted on 07/14/2005 7:00:38 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy (The first divine was the first rogue who met the first fool - Voltaire)
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