Harry Potter vs. Gandalf

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

[Revelation 911]

I was specifically addressing the foolishness of attributing any kind of power to witchcraft. I notice you were unable to address my points. Why is that?

Lets address a larger issue first - can we attribute any kind of power to Goodness/God the the actions of men - why certainly yes - the Apostles were clearly mortal men with supernatural gifts bestowed upon them by God and Christ. Why then is it then so difficult to beleive the same exists for evil?. Certainly the Apostles acts are not recreatable in your sterile lab.

And your take on the resurrection is ? - surely it is not to be repeated in the lab.

Unless a resurrection occurs in one's heart, the Resurrection is moot.

Am I hearing you right ? - You sound Annabaptist on one hand and scientific on the other -Several million Catholics might disagree.

[stuartcr]

Why then has there never been a visually recorded example of, say, levitation, or someone being turned into a newt, anything that could prove witchcraft? All your evidence is thousands of years old.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Harry Potter "The Fluffy Scene"

[Ward Smythe]

I think your point should be that your wife's niece shouldn't be pregnant or involved in witchcraft.

Well duh, that was pretty much a given if you'd read my entire post. Trust me, there's a lot of things beyond that that have disturbed us about that neice and how she was raised.

HAVE YOU NO SHAME.

Well apparently I have a little more than you do since you parsed my words in an attempt to change the subject.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Eowyn and The Lord of the Nazgul

[Celtjew Libertarian]

I agree to you to the extent of the importance of fiction and fable. But from what I've heard about HP (though I've not read it), the archtypical fable involved is that of the put-upon schoolboy finding his place. The magic is the background and a source of entertainment, but not the meaning of the story. It strikes me as more of a Tom Brown's Schooldays with magic, than anything meant to recruit to the occult.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

Without attributing validity one way or another, to Faith_J, those are proof.

[js1138]

I would like to see an example from the Bible of any human gaining power and authority through anything resembling the magic in Harry Potter. As an alterntive I would like to hear about any believable instance in which anything like the charms or potions or incantataions featured in Harry Potter actually worked.

Believing that witchcraft actually confers magic powers is beyond idiocy.

Not that peoply don't try, but bad people can twist any ideology into a justification of evil deeds. Bad people continue to do bad things.

Every argument you cite against Harry Potter cuold be used as an argument agains guns, except for the minor detail that no child has ever been harmed by accidently casting a spell.

[js1138]

I think your jpg wand needs repair.

[ctdonath2]

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.

Oh? "Jedi" is, practically speaking, "wizard" in SW vernacular. The protagonist desires to be a wizard (Jedi), attends a school (apprenticeship assigned by Jedi council) for wizards, has wizard friends (Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon), and engages in occult practices (uses supernatural powers to win gambling/races, with much more advanced use to come).

Words, terms & names may be different, as may be some of the trappings, but both involve a boy desiring to learn the ways of supernatural manipulation of his environment by training by masters of arcane arts - really not much difference.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Good questions to RMrattlesnake, but I don't think we will ever get an answer. Why?? Because it was only in his mind. I mean, why would he leave it? If you could conjur up money, or health and happiness. Why would he leave it? What spells did he accomplish that were NOT only in his mind, or a percieved feeling he got?

This is such paranoid bullpoop. I do believe he was into it.. but it WASN'T REAL!!! Only in their minds. Like hypnosis.. they put themselves into an altered state. Nothing more, nothing less.. NOTHING TANGIBLE!!

BTW, BeeKeeper.. we saw it and it was a ton of fun. Saw it with our 6 yr. old grandson and 5 yr. old grand-daughter. They laughed and had fun. The little guy told his dad when asked that it was about "justice and love". Thats an ok message in my book. They are active in our Church, and know the difference between cartoons, fiction and reality. I think that ability helps the kids and us have STRONGER FAITH in God!! We can seperate truth from fiction. Very important in life!!

:o)

Let me know what you thought of the movie after you see it Beekeeper!! Enjoy!

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Your post #52

Yet another good analogy!!! There are thousands like it,.. and we loved the movie. The grandkids who are 6 and 5, didn't get fidgety or budge (Grandma had to use the powder room, but not them!!) It was great magical fun. We love fiction in this house. We have extremely successful kids (sigh.. so hard to not keep calling them *kids*... they are grownups now!!) who read fiction with us. We shared books. It was great fun.. and we feel helped their reading comprehension.

It is just so refreshing to see these kinds of movies after all the crappola that Hollywood had been putting out for so many years. I know there were a few fun ones that fiction lovers could see. But NOT ENOUGH, NOT COMPARATIVELY IOHO!!

We are really excited to see this movie doing so well,..and hope the same thing happens to "Lord of The Rings"!!!! Then maybe Hollywood will get it.. will start making more movies like it, where kids and parents/grandparents can go laugh and have a good time together!!! ;o)

[Aquinasfan]

Oh? "Jedi" is, practically speaking, "wizard" in SW vernacular. The protagonist desires to be a wizard (Jedi), attends a school (apprenticeship assigned by Jedi council) for wizards, has wizard friends (Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon), and engages in occult practices (uses supernatural powers to win gambling/races, with much more advanced use to come).

Good points. There are some parallels. And to think I used to think it was just pointless "space nonsense."

I read an interview with George Lucas in which he described his philosophy as a syncretic blend of eastern monism and atheism, thus explaining the enigmatic "force."

I believe there is a vast difference in degree between Star Wars and Harry Potter if not in kind.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Thanks for the "headsup" :o) friend!!

[null and void]

Gandalf'd take the brat. No contest.

LOL!!!!!