Posted on 11/09/2001 8:04:52 AM PST by jrherreid
It isn't real dude.
There are no spooks, goblins, spell-casting witches, magic potions, enchanted rings, ghosts, boogermen, flying brooms, shape-shifting monsters, or any other nonsense.
They're all make-believe dude.
Honest.
OHHHHNOOO I just used the word "magic".
On the one hand, since the mirror is being seen as a "neutral" thing, it could be considered as a "reality" of Tolkien's sub-creation; or even as a gift of prophecy. On the other hand, it smacks of divination. Sounds like a poorly chosen device to me. (Don't give any more away! ;-).
Also, I wish that Tolkien had given Gandalf a different title, other than "wizard," even though "guardian angel-like" is how I would have described Gandalf from reading the first 50 pages. It would certainly be misleading for children.
Anyhow, what is your (personal) response to my questions(without cutting and pasting big chunks of O'Brien)?
Dude, check out this cool Britney Spears site.
Anyway, shouldn't you be in bed?
Do you really think people can do magic spells?
Do you think they can make magic potions?
Do you think they can summon demons and ride on brooms?
"Put you in Gryffindor," said Dumbledore calmly, "Listen to me Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin Prized in his handpicked students. Resourcefulness … determination…a certain disregard for rules," he added, his moustache quivering again. "Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think."
When I rasied my kids I had a simple rule.."garbage in garbage out"..or "you can not make a silk purse out of a sows ear"
If you fill their little minds with witchcraft and spells and disregard for the rules..do not be surprised if you reap what you sow!
The stories are well written, the plot twist in the first book caught this old mystery read by surprize, and the pacing is wonderfull.
Suppose a novel was written for children which said there is 'good' fascism as well as 'bad' fascism, and that we must use 'good' fascism in order to battle bad fascism.
Or suppose there was children's book which talked of 'good' fornication or 'good' hallucinogenic drugs or 'good' torture.
Christians feel just as uncomfortable with a message that says that there is 'good' witchcraft. The Bible teaches that all witchcraft is inherently evil. There's no 'but' about it. That's what the Bible teaches.
If you don't believe in the Bible, that's fine. But articles like this are clearly not written to get secular humanists to let their children read Harry Potter. They're intended to get Bible-believing Christians to let down their guard and permit -- if not encourage -- their children to read Harry Potter.
One of the ways the devil disarms people is by having himself made into a charactor with horns and a tail..a joke.Who could take that seriously..it is the same with the broom..but can people do spells? Sure and there are shops that sell the stuff...a visit to Cuba or any of the Islands or Africa and you will see it in full swing..and guess what it works often enough to give it credibility.
But most important is that God believes it
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
And OWK..God does not lie!
Seriously?
You think these people can cobble together a bunch of ingredients, and mumble an incantation.... and "poof" magic happens?
Do you really believe that?
Honestly?
Do you think they can make magic potions?
Do you think they can summon demons and ride on brooms?
I believe everything Fr. James LeBar, the excorcist for the archdiocese of New York, says they can do.
Since I know you won't listen to the shows, I'll give you some highlights. He states that The Exorcist is accurate in its portrayal of possession, except that it shows all cases "rolled into one."
He also repeated a story told to him by a bishop who witnessed a person moving around his hospital room ceiling like a fly.
Regarding your tongue-in-cheek questions:
Do you really think people can do magic spells?
Yes. I think Fr. LeBar addresses that topic. (It's also Biblical)
Do you think they can make magic potions?
Yes. I think Fr. LeBar addresses that topic.
Since you're a materialist reductionist, you may ask, "how can this be possible?" It is possible not because of the ingredients in the potion, but because of the super or extra-natural power of the devil who cooperates with the person casting the spell for his own purposes, giving the appearance of the potion's efficaciousness.
Some Satanic curses, for example, require the sacrifice of infants. It should be obvious why the devil would cooperate with the person casting the spell in this case.
Do you think they can summon demons and ride on brooms?
Summon demons? Certainly. Listen to Fr. LeBar. It's also Biblical. See the account of the witch of Endor.
Flying on brooms? Never heard of it. But occultists can do "astral projection," as Fr. LeBar attests.
Novels? Plural? I didn't find the first Harry Potter book (and admittedly the only one I've ever read) to be dramatically excellent. I thought it was a third or fourth grade book with typically melodramatic characters. Maybe Rowling improved, but I only read the book to find out what all the fuss was about. I have no personal interest in reading more.
Shalom.
Perfect analogy. Another one. What if one day Harry found out that his father was a good Grand Dragon who defeated another bad Grand Dragon, and that he himself was a member of the KKK; who then went on many exciting misadventures with his KKK buddies.
I really don't see what the big deal is. I don't understand the huge Harry Potter attraction is, and I don't think it's going to warp kids.
I do think that Aquinasfan has made some excellent posts in response to clearly outlining his arguement. The excerpt from O'Brien being one, and his "Larry Potter" arguement being the other. Both do make two excellent points
One about the differences between LOTR and Harry Potter and and the second, if we can't have Christian reading materials in our public schools, why do we allow Harry Potter which is agnostic at best?
I have yet to see a decent rebuttal. Rather the Harry Potter fans would rather skewer A'fan's beliefs that rebut the arguements made.
That doesn't mean that I agree with the fevor of the anti-Potter crew either. I am a Christian, I've been a Christian since I was 10 years old. I grew up reading fantasy. Everything from Lewis and Tolkien to Hubert and Assimov, Borroughs, Zelazny, Bradbury, and Stephen King. I am not a warp individual. I've read some pretty wild stuff, some sick and violent stuff, and it has not changed me. I would go as far as to say it's made me better. I think that's what a love of reading does for you.
We Christians often over hype something and cause it be pursued out of curiosity. Many people will read Potter, or go to the movie, just to see what the big deal is and then they'll walk away going, "I don't get it. What's all the fuss about?"
Let the people who enjoy Harry Potter have their threads where they just gush and gush about how great it is. Let the anti-Potter's have their threads where it's evil incarnate. Same thing for LOTR.
My 2 cents...
I honestly didn't think there were adults who believed in that stuff literally.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.