We've heard of Harry Potter dissenters, but here's some religious support for the Harry Potter series, as a Benedictine monk is publishing "Baptising Harry Potter: A Christian Reading of Harry Potter."
"I do not think there is any intelligent view out there that says these books are evil. They are the sort of objections that come from people who have not read them.
"What are they suggesting we do, ban everyone who turns up at a children's party to do a few tricks," said Fr Luke.
"I don't feel at all that the books were leading children away from Christian spirituality.
"They are full of Christian themes of love and sacrifice," he said.
Check out the full article here.
Thoughts?
Posted by
11-03-2009
at 1:01 PM
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Fan Comments |
Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 13:04:20
1st!
THANK YOU. I totally agree with this guy. Im a Christian, and this is what Ive been telling people ever since I first read the books. :-D
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 13:11:26
Its about time someone in a religious organization realized and publicized the very things that everyone who has read the books has known for years:
Harry Potter is packed with Christian themes, and rather than inspiring the occult, does quite the opposite: It teaches people the values of love, and sacrifice, and friendship. Upon careful inspection (which naysayers always neglect to do), the series cannot possibly be deemed as a negative influence.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 13:34:41
finally! im not a christian but hes so right- the books are full of christian themes, so there are no reasons for people to hate it. especially when they havent even read it.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 13:37:24
I was having this very discussion with my next door neighbor last night. I look forward to reading the book mentioned in the article...
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 13:38:33
I was having this very discussion with my next door neighbor last night. I look forward to reading the book mentioned in the article...
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 13:43:35
FINALLY. We are finally hearing from someone who has actually read the books, i fully agree with his comments and am overjoyed that the books are being defended against the Laura Mallory types!
x
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 13:45:25
The Harry Potter books have absolutely NOTHING to do with religion. I do not understand why people are still linking it with Satanism or Christianity or any man-made belief system. Get out of Salem, Massachusetts, 1692 please!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 13:51:46
I agree that it does present Christian themes and doesnt push the "occult." However, the thing to remember, I think, is that Rowling also draws from themes and myth from various aspects of old religions (Greek, Roman, etc.) and other myth-- this is emphasized by her frequent use of Latin. So, I think what the books really do is highlight the similar themes among many (perhaps all) religions/belief systems. I mean, themes of "love and sacrifice" are far from exclusively Christian. The good point that he makes is that Christians should be accepting of the books because their morality in fact meshes with that of Christianity.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 13:54:16
"I do not think there is any intelligent view out there that says these books are evil. They are the sort of objections that come from people who have not read them." That reminds me of a certain someone..
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 14:08:06
I personally have to deal with the, "Harry Potter is wicked" crap an I dont believe it is wicked. Yes, Harry Potter is witch craft but thats not what the overall story is about. I have never understood the whole thing about the objection of Harry Potter. Yes, i am a christian but I watch it and read it regardless of what my Bishop might tell me. Harry POtter has a message way past just wizards and witch craft. Its about love and sacrifice and trying to be the best person you can be. But the Christians took that and made it seem like something evil. Whatever!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 14:14:56
Keep your Jesus out of my Harry Potter. He has no place there and to push him in is disgusting and insulting to the sanctity of Harry Potter.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 14:23:14
Yes! Harry is a GOOD character and even if he makes magic (which some people condemn), some people make much worse without magic, like killing or raping!
Honestly, whats wrong with witchcraft??? In the HP books, it is used as both darkness and light, it is but a fight like so many others after all!
LONG LIVE HARRY POTTER AND J.K.ROWLING!!!!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 14:27:31
im doing my senior project on finding God in harry potter. its a really interesting subject. i dont think theres anything bad or wrong about harry. there are alot of religious views and underlying theories. this guy is absolutaly right :]
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 14:37:23
Finaly! Ive been reading the books since i was about 6 and im not practing spells at midnight in fact, i got to church alomst every sunday
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 14:39:26
When will people realize that the themes of love, sacrifice, and friendship are UNIVERSAL? That they apply to everyone, not strictly Chritians, or Jews, or Muslims, Atheists, or Pastafarians, or any other religion...
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 14:46:02
To NoMoreJesusPlease Im not putting Harry Potter into the Christian religion. What Im saying is that Harry Potter has a good message, and the Christian religion has taken that and twisted it around to make bad. Thats all Im saying.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 15:14:31
I completely agree! My school hated them and i would always defend it saying that love and sacrifice are themes! Heck Harry "dies" to save all his friends and everyone he loved! Sound Familiar????
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 15:20:41
For those of you who insist that Harry Potter has nothing to do with religion, you need to reconsider that point, as the author, a certain Jo Rowling, is a religious woman, and has stated that her beliefs have inspired certain aspects of the series. (This, from a seventeen-year-old atheist.)
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 15:31:05
Ha! Hes going to get his wrist slapped - Ratzinger had already condemned the HP books before he became pope.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 15:36:22
My very Christian friend doesnt like HP one bit, and I asked if it was because of her beliefs (I knew she didnt celebrate Halloween) and she said yes. I told her there are a lot of really good morals that would support her beliefs, and she gave me this look, like, what planet are you from?, and then said, "Well, some things that SEEM innocent..." and then I stopped listening because I was so disgusted. She has not read them. She should not judge them based on the false things her parents or church director tell her. Some people are just no fun at all. Thank goodness someone is letting the scardy-cat goodie-good people in his religion know that HP is okay. I hope my friend reads his book.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 15:40:43
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 15:45:54
Oh please! I love how theyre all jumping on the bandwagon now. First the Popes and now the Monks. But I completely agree, all the people I encountered who said Harry Potter was evil or whatever else never actually read the books themselves. They just made assumptions because it involved witchcraft. But we fans have KNOWN for quite a while (10 years in fact) that Harry Potter is AMAZING on so many different levels. We dont need them to tell us that.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 16:14:58
im a christian my father has been a pastor for over 25 years and is now the pricipal of a babtist seminary in toronto and my mother has been a christian since she was in her teens my reletives are christians and my granparents are christians and i have lots of christian friends and we have absolutely no problem with harry potter which i think you can tell since im on mugglenet my brothers and reletives make fun of me for liking it cause they think its dumb ha ha but me and my sis love harry potter and my like to watch the movies and my mom has read a few so NOT ALL christians are against harry potter and Gryffindor_seaker you should try to get your friend to just read half of the 1st book and see how it goes
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 16:18:17
NoMoreJesusPlease, Im not a big fan of your comment. The way youre being so overprotective of our series as though someone is trying to contaminate is just weird. I am not a Christian, but I am not offended when someone says that the books contain Christian values. After all, all religions are basically about positive values and ideals and decency, and Harry Potter is full of those. But what I dont get is why people contrive to dismiss all evidence of any Christianity in the books, and criticize anyone who cites Christianty as the criterion by which the books are judged (for example, when discussing Dumbledores sexuality and how it does not conform with Christian rules.) Isnt Britain - were the books are set - a majorly Christian country? Doesnt Hogwarts celebrate Christmas and Easter? Last time I checked, those were Christian holidays (at least originally.) Again I am not a Christian, and Im not defending Christianty or anything. Now the writer wasnt actually trying to force "Jesus" into the series anyway. He was just saying that those Christian condemners of the Harry Potter books need to look more closely into them to realize that they actually teach values that do agree with values preached for in Christianity, not necessarily drawn form them, but at least not contradicting them. wow that was the longest comment ive ever writtten :O
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 16:28:24
jkwellum -- I have tried to get SO many people to read HP, but a lot of them just WONT. It drives me crazy! The only person Ive gotten to read the books is my mom, LOL. It just makes me so happy when she makes HP references in regular conversation like my dad and me. :) But I think my friend is a lost cause. Were not like best friends, and I dont want to offend her or anything. Youre right though, any sensible person would be hooked after reading half of the first book. The problem is getting them to pick up the book. *Sigh...*
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 16:31:21
FINALLY! someone whos christain and actually likes the books, iam so happy that their praising the book and not just yelling stuff like "send it to hell" and stuff like that
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 16:33:49
While I do not believe these are religious books, I do beleive that if you look closely enough, you can find symbolism from many religions, not just Christianity. There is also an abundance of Pagan/Wiccan symbolism as well. As a High Priest of Witchcraft, I can appreciate the fact that the stories appeal to folks of many religions. I also do not believe that the Harry Potter books lure people to Witchcraft, unless they already had a pre-existing interesting in the subject. Witchcraft is not "evil" or "Satanic". In fact, real Witches do not believe in the Devil or Hell. These are Christian concepts and have no place in Witchcraft. True Witchcraft (or Wicca) is about healing and transformation. The word "Occult" simply means "hidden", or knowledge that is hidden from those whose minds are not open to comprehend it. Many arguments that people have against Harry Potter are based on fear and ignorance. All of this being said, I do not beleive the Harry Potter books are based on ANY religion, and they should not be used for religious purposes, even though symbolism from many religions can be found within the pages of these wonderful books.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 17:00:47
I love that finally one religious person doesnt think Harry Potter is satanic!!!! I totally agree with him (and practically everyone who commented here) and I think Harry Potter really has themes that are meaningful not in just the christian way! Im reading a book called how harry cast his spell and its all about the religious aspects of harry potter which I think is a great book for christian harry potter fans to read because it dives deeper into how harry potter can be interpreted. Its a great book to understand more about the imagery/symbolism displayed in the books.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 17:57:08
WOW! I didnt know the DIVERSITY of religions here.. not only do we have Christians but also Jesus-haters (Atheists) and Wiccans... You know im happy that you came out RikPotterButler. May People link Wicca to SATANISM, when both religions are quite different BOTH are PAGAN, but one glorifies EVIL, while the Other glorifies NATURE.. Someone told me that Wicca originated from Europe of course, but the modern day religion has elements of Native American nature spirituality in it too, is that true?
And i dont wanna get started with all this religious aruguments.. but its NOT the FIRST time that a Religious Christian Figure admitted the truth that Harry Potter is NOT EVIL.. Look, Ive been reading these books and everything for 10 YEARS! From October 1999 up till now, November 2009 and NOTHING has shaken my Christian faith... in fact, Harry Potter has rather STRENGTHENED my faith in God. Undoubtedly, Harry Potter has Christian themes in it just like Narnia, though not as DIRECT, which I like. Look at Deathly Hallows.. the Fate and brief Passion Harry had to go through was similar to Jesus Christ. JK Rowling said that she was gonna do something like that too, but she didnt want to speak too much about her faith before some might have guessed it. So its obvious that thats what she was going for.. theres also 2 quotes DIRECTLY from the Bible New Testament. Harry Potter books dont have to call upon the name of GOD just to prove to some people that its a book about wisdom and love. I think 10 YEARS is MORE than enough to totally become evil and Satanic.. I mean it took Harry less than 7 YEARS to master Magic and become the Master of Death.. so if the books were truly evil.. Sheeyit, we should ALL be Devil worshippers by now, LMAO!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 17:57:08
WOW! I didnt know the DIVERSITY of religions here.. not only do we have Christians but also Jesus-haters (Atheists) and Wiccans... You know im happy that you came out RikPotterButler. May People link Wicca to SATANISM, when both religions are quite different BOTH are PAGAN, but one glorifies EVIL, while the Other glorifies NATURE.. Someone told me that Wicca originated from Europe of course, but the modern day religion has elements of Native American nature spirituality in it too, is that true?
And i dont wanna get started with all this religious aruguments.. but its NOT the FIRST time that a Religious Christian Figure admitted the truth that Harry Potter is NOT EVIL.. Look, Ive been reading these books and everything for 10 YEARS! From October 1999 up till now, November 2009 and NOTHING has shaken my Christian faith... in fact, Harry Potter has rather STRENGTHENED my faith in God. Undoubtedly, Harry Potter has Christian themes in it just like Narnia, though not as DIRECT, which I like. Look at Deathly Hallows.. the Fate and brief Passion Harry had to go through was similar to Jesus Christ. JK Rowling said that she was gonna do something like that too, but she didnt want to speak too much about her faith before some might have guessed it. So its obvious that thats what she was going for.. theres also 2 quotes DIRECTLY from the Bible New Testament. Harry Potter books dont have to call upon the name of GOD just to prove to some people that its a book about wisdom and love. I think 10 YEARS is MORE than enough to totally become evil and Satanic.. I mean it took Harry less than 7 YEARS to master Magic and become the Master of Death.. so if the books were truly evil.. Sheeyit, we should ALL be Devil worshippers by now, LMAO!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 17:57:26
i agree with him 100000007%!!! finally someone christian doesnt think harry potter is demonic. GMH!!!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 18:04:34
I have this super religious friend who refuses to read the Harry Potter series because they are not (and these are his exact words) "healty for your walk with god." We argue about this sort of thing constantly, so Im emailing him this article :)
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 18:28:46
Thank you Firestorm for your comment. Just because you don;t like Jesus NoMoreJesusPlease thats fine, but dont criticize me because Im a Christian.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 18:29:49
Im glad theres a Christian out there who didnt put the book down and mark it as evil as soon as they read the word "Wizard". Some people dont seem to want anyone to have an imagination. Its really sad. You could re-write this whole series (not that youd want to), to have almost the exact same lessons and principals as the originals and the people who banned the book would probably love it. They just hang themselves on the magic instead of taking the time to read between the witches and wizards. Its so sad that people deny themselves such simple pleasures. Yay for this guy!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 18:40:54
As a Christian and a parent I agree that HP books actually have spurred me on to look more deeply into Scripture. This helps me answer my 11 year olds questions about the book and reinforce the Christian themeology with actual Scriptural references. I have to admit I didnt always feel this way about the books; initially I too was a blind condemner!! Then my son started reading the books last year and I paid more attention and watched my first movie (books are MUCH better!!). Finally I was hooked and I went to see HBP and had to buy DH to find out how it all ended. These books are really great and , yes, Christian themes arent the only ones but as others have stated they cant be denied. Yes, love and forgiveness arent solely Christian themes yet when Scripture is appropriately examined they are cornerstones of our faith (greatest Commandment is love others above yourself)
A little side note - as a late comer to HP "mania" I really feel like Ive missed out on so much (waiting eagerly for each new text, movie premiers, etc!!) Just glad there are 2 more movies to come. Thanks to all you wonderful and varied fans. COOL :)
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 19:04:20
1st of all, if anyones wondering, I DO NOT believe in the whole "2012 end of the world theory". Whenever I made my email however many years ago 2012 came to mind so thats why I used it. For some reason it really annoys me when people ask why I have 2012 in my username for anything. Anyways, now back on topic...
I am very glad to see a religious figure admiring the Harry Potter series for what it really is, instead of automatically demonizing it like SO many other religious figures/people have done. Although Ive never had anybody criticize me for reading Harry Potter books, I know how many of you feel. I am a huge metal fan (and a Christian) and I cant tell you how many people think that listening to metal automatically makes you evil or Satanic or whatever. Of course, whenever I tell them that there are many Christian metal bands out there, they look at me like Im an alien. All I can say is that I hope all of us Harry Potter fans will respond sensibly and maturely to anyone who questions our "evilness" for liking (and respecting) the entire Harry Potter series, regardless of religion or opinions.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 19:05:35
I do like the way this man is expressing the fact that Harry Potter isnt a threat to Judeo-Christain beliefs.
Firestorm, thank you for the comment. Contrary to belief, no one has "dibs" on Harry Potter, and if people see parallels to their particular beliefs its ridiculous to slam them for pointing it out.
I do wish that people wouldnt act like this is the first time a Christian has supported Harry Potter. Harry Potter has had a huge Christian fan-base from the beginning, but unfortunately people only like to remember the negative comments. The ironic thing is, Im a Christian with a diverse group of friends, and many of my friends of different beliefs plain wont read Harry Potter because its "kids stuff". Plenty have had tart things to say about the devoted fans, likening them to cults (again, not coming from my Christian friends).
Its not the Christian "religion" (and I hesitate to use that word, because it should be faith, not fanatacism) that contradicts or condemns Harry Potter. Its narrow-minded people who see demons around every corner who use christianity as a club against anything different (or in their mind, threatening). In those cases, the Christian religion is their excuse, but not the driving force in their blindness.
I think that no matter what our beliefs are, everyone can find something good in Harry Potter, and we can all be encouraged to see the best in human nature. Lets hear it for a fantastic and diverse tale of magic!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 19:22:14
Thank You! I am Catholic and HP has definitely not changed my views in any way. Plus, like he said, the books are full of good messages. Love is the main theme and its all about defeating evil and living after death.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 19:27:23
Oh and like somebody above mentioned, Harry somewhat does what Jesus did. He walks to his own death as to sacrafice himself for the ones he loved. And then he kind of rises from the "dead". I included that comparison in the English project that i did about HP.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 19:35:46
yeah BellatrixCrucioYou I mentioned that earlier in my post here.. It was in response to that "JesusHater" guy who said that we should keep Jesus OUT of Harry Potter.. Its the people like him that give Harry Potter a bad name.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 19:45:53
I mean... they celebrate Christmas in the books...
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 19:52:03
@NoMoreJesusPlease: JK Rowling is a pretty faithful person, so whatever religious themes appear in Harry Potter were put there on purpose. But anyways, thats one thing I love about Harry Potter...there are so many different themes and connections in the stories. I know college classes that are based entirely on the HP books and all the different topics and themes that are present in the stories. You can evaluate those books for hours, days, and years and find something new every time. I love it. Different people notice different aspects of the story so it makes sense for a Monk or a priest to notice the religious themes.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 20:16:38
Im so happy that there is a positive religious view on Harry Potter, and the best part is that these monks are not the only Christians for Harry Potter. A teacher of mine wrote a book about movies and their religious connections, and one of the chapters was on Harry Potter. Heres the link to his highly praising review: http://books.google.com/b ooks?q=james+hogan+reel+p arables+harry+potter&btnG =Search+Books
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 20:52:57
iwantorlando05-off topic a bit but do you think you can tell me any of of the colleges you have heard of that offer those classes?? haha I was just wondering...because I never knew they had such classes.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 20:59:37
HOORAY!! This is good news to me. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (Biblical reference)
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 21:06:15
I rather Christianity hate Harry Potter than try to infuse their religion into Harry Potter. Keep your religion out of my Potter, thanks.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 21:34:02
And another Bible quote- "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also". The priest at my church used that in one of his homalies and I was like omg HP quote haha
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 22:10:19
@BellatrixCrucio: My school (The University of Alabama) offered a summer course all about Harry Potter. They read and discussed all the books and then went to see the movie (Prisoner of Azkaban at the time) as the final exam. Other colleges that offer courses about Harry Potter include: Yale Divinity School, Georgetown, Pepperdine, Stanford, Lawrence, Frostburg State, University of Washington, Ohio State, and many others. I havent gotten a chance to take one unfortunately, but HP was on the required reading list for a couple of my Literature classes. :P
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 22:42:24
I always thought the entire HP series seemed to convey the ideology dont follow anything blindly without feeling it in your heart and knowing some fundamental truths. Sure, that goes with regards to religious themes, but also with politics and mass media. Anyway, I think this monk is a voice of reason.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 23:40:34
I love how religious refrences can be found almost anywhere if one would open their eyes and hearts! :) I do not think harry potter books were strictly intended to be like christain fiction books , however, religion can definately apply to these books. For example, Harry "dying" for everyone he loves. Im glad though that these messages were in the books and not in the slightest do I think the harry potter series are wicked or turn people away from religion. Also, im sorry for the people who wrote offending comments above and hope that someday they will want to experience religion. :)
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-03 23:50:14
I would definitely like to read this book. It wont be the first book by a Catholic author on the HP series. "The Lord of the Hallows: Christian Symbolism and Themes in J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter" by Denise Roper is a good book to read. You can read more about it at www.outskirtspress.com/th elordofthehallows or at the authors blog: phoenixweasley.wordpress. com. Ms. Roper was a presenter at Portus 2008 and at Azkatraz 2009.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 04:06:02
Wow, I think this is really ridiculous. A lot of you are right in saying that the Harry Potter series encompasses christian beliefs and values. I really think that there is no point in creating new Harry Potter books with christian values. There are parts of the books with different religions and most that most religions believe. Really, I dont like religion, as a subject, as a debate, as a reason for war/fighting/prejudice. Everyone believes what they want to believe, no one really knows who created this earth. The books do not have no christian values, and they are not full of them. Really, what difference does it make except changing the events of the books, or in other words, ruin them.
To me it doesnt entirely matter who made the Earth. I am fine with how life is (although less violence and destruction of the Earth would be better). I also really dont think that we will even find out who it was. Anyway, I just wanted to give my input.
I hope I wasnt to mean to the christians/very religious people/the person who is making this book/fans of him ect. ect.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 05:05:49
HP is not really Christian, or even religious at all. It is filled with Christian themes, like love etc (which are not at all unique to Christianity, since they also appear in most religions, like Islam and Judaism), but it is actually remarkably free from religion.
While Christianity is much about obeying Gods rules to get into heaven, Dumbledore always speaks about how you should never fear death and sort of take it with a grain of salt.
The only part that could really be considered religious is the end where Harry finds himself in between the world of the living and the dead. Yet, this doesnt seem to resemble any major religions views of the matter, more like JKRs own personal view.
While HP is not an enemy of religion, it certainly doesnt promote it either. As a wise man once said: "To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 05:28:50
Wed all do better to ignore what these witch doctors and shakedown artists have to say about Harry Potter in the first place. Why is it in America that anyone who can claim to be a "man of faith" (they are usually men) seem to bequeath upon themselves the moral authority to decide what everyone else should and should not be allowed to do?
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 06:11:58
Thats a very good point. i mean, if the books were really devil worship why would they celebrate christmas and easter?
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 07:22:29
The story is good versus evil, love versus hate. Only those would havent read it or seen a movie dont know that. But book burners just want to preach without taking time to check out the truth. Thank you.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 08:25:28
Marauders_weasleygirl02 and MissImpertinence thank you! KristiofSlytherin, my reply to you is the same I replied to NoMoreJesusPlease, check it out please. I completely disagree with you. Why is it so painful if they draw parallels to Christiany from the series? It doesnt desecrate the story in any way. Unlike you, I would RATHER them do that, so that more and more people would become agreeable to Harry Potter. Wouldnt it be great if a Buddist priest discovered something in the books that seems to be taken right out of Buddhism? Then an extra million or too Asian readers will join our fandom! And it is not YOUR Harry Potter. It is YOUR Harry Potter, MY Harry Potter (Im not a Christian), and it is Christians Harry Potter as well, more so for them, for the reasons I mentioned in my first comment and for another reason that should put an end to all further discussion: J. K. Rowling is a Christian, and she once said, I believe in God, not magic. And on a totally different subject, MINERVAMOM. welcome to the fandom! Good you hopped onto our train before the movies were over. You did miss a LOT, but I have a feeling pottermania wont be over any time soon!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 08:30:03
pure_blood_princess - youve got it right. Some people hear a word (like witch or wizard) and theyve been trained to say "oh, thats bad!" even tho theyve never learnd wht the word means. Its like being told "dont cross the street" so they never learn how to cross the street because they are afraid a train or some other evil beast will eat them. They trust the instructions they were given to get to the corner, but dont know why they got there nor how to proceed. Its a sign not only of ignorance, but immaturity - and a flat refusal to grow up.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 08:40:52
iwantorlando05 -Thanks and that is really cool! I want HP to be required reading at my school haha
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 08:54:09
To KristiofSlytherin and NoMoreJesusPlease, if you dont want to hear about Christ in the Potter books, then dont bother reading these posts. end of.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 08:59:14
BellatrixCrucio: I know right...it seems like a guaranteed A. I know I had to read them in high school too and the quizzes were so easy. But in college we got into some pretty in-depth discussions in class about the HP books. I felt like I was in an episode of mugglecast. lol.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 09:03:06
Finally, someone has the right idea!!! Way to go!!!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 09:03:17
TAKE THAT, LAURA MALLORY!!!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 09:56:05
HAHA Hey Kettleburn, about Laura Mallory, she said a couple of years ago that shes finally STOPPED trying to ban Harry Potter and feels that the LORD has called her to do something else... IDIOT! One thing my pastor always told us is that DONT EVER ASSUME that God has told you something, when he HASNT! I hate that self-righteous behavior crap! "God has called me to do something for him.." BULLSHITE! Anyway to BellatrixCrucioYou and iwantorlando05.. Im in Ohio State, and they have a class here.. Im in the Quidditch Club and the Harry Potter Book Club, but is the HP Class a SECOND ENGLISH COURSE??? Im just wondering, because Im thinking about taking it next year when Im a junior
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 11:21:27
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 13:01:11
Im a young director of a Christian school here in Mexico City, Mexico. I absolutely LOVE Harry Potter and find it to be not only a great tool for teaching English but also the closest thing to Christianity. Jo probably did not mean this to be but I even consider it to be a clearer example (only example) of salvation than any other CHRISTIAN book. Its makes it sooooo easy and simple to understand. In Mexico Christianity is far diferent than other parts of the world. Catholic folk are basically only Christian by tradition and Prostestan Christians believe that to be a Christian means to be 100% God and 0% world. So you can imagine how a young wizard with witches would be received. I went to a youth group the other day and when the leader, in casual conversation, started beating up on HP I completely came out and "confronted" him. He had no idea that the examples I gave of how HP is quite Christian actually existed and is actually reading them now. I guess I converted a convert. All this to say, be strong in what you believe (including faith) and be open to simply listen. Conversations can acomplish much more than a raving fanatic, in any way or situation.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 13:17:13
im so going to one of those colleges
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 13:25:00
Couldnt agree more Firestorm. How can people criticize others who see something different than they see? Isnt that what any art (literature, music, etc.) is all about? People having different ideas and perspectives?
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 13:29:22
Ive been a Harry Potter fan since the word go. Its good to know that there are some open-minded religious people out there. Alot just deem books as "evil" or "satanic" as soon as they find out the story was related to witchcraft. What annoys me is that there is SO much ignorance as to what witchcraft and satanism is actually all about. If people bothered to look beyond the judgemental views and did some research, theyd probably be surprised. Harry Potter is a worldwide phenomena, so if it was so "evil" then why isnt the world full of anti-Christians by now? Because: true Potter fans know the real meaning of the books!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 14:12:18
pantera2012: yes it is totally so! But some people, in their desperate quest to prove that the Harry Potter books have nothing to do with religion, are inadvertently saying that Harry Potter is a book for atheists. They never stop to think that atheists, non-believers, non-religious people are themselves a "group", a "category", and by attributing Harry Potter to themselves, they are being discriminate against people who do follow a belief system. Its just that the trend nowadays is to be disrespectful towards faith, and some consider it "cool" or whatever to say, Oh, I dont practice organized religion, and they are thinking of themselves as the strong majority in todays society, and that they are somehow superior to others for their "liberal" way of thinking. I am not saying that Harry Potter IS a religious book, and I am not attributing it to any "group" or "category" of people, but heres the beauty of it: it doesnt belong to any! It can work for everyone. (Although Christianity does have a little dibs on it, given that Jo is a Christian.) But Im not a Christian, and still the biggest Harry Potter fan in the world!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 15:51:49
Ive worked for the Episcopal church for a long time, and many of those congregations use a Vacation Bible School program called "Wizards and Wonders" from a company called leader resources. Its very well done, and super popular - activities, games, potions, etc. But it bugs me because I LOVES ME SOME HP and I get tired of the church trying to jump on every good thing that comes along. My sister was accosted in a bookstore buying her kids HP by some zealot - and I asked her "where is the church even IN the series?" Theres only one - next to the graveyard on Xmas eve. The funeral and wedding were primo chances to "have church" and they absolutely did not. So I dont see any crossover AT ALL between the fighting "organized" religions of our day and HP. Certainly I agree that the depths to which JKR explores our darker impulses, and our capacity to make good choices, are rich and profound. But I have to agree with the earlier poster who asks Christians, in general, to leave Jesus out of it. Seriously. Its almost as bad as when they try to say that Darth Vader is a christ figure or something. Its powerful enough without their meddling. Who cares if they approve or not?
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 16:49:40
Notice we havent heard from Laura Mallory in awhile...maybe she finally came to her senses and actually READ the books!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 17:06:10
@Griyfindoor_ seaker it is to bad if your friend truly is a lost cause, but out of despiration you might want to tell them about the quote frome the bible "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." all well.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 17:19:15
I am SICK of people trashing on Jesus like this. Will you leave the guy alone! Let the Christians draw whatever similarities they want! If it helps them relate to the books and start to read them and accept them, then where the HELL is the problem?!?! No one is trying to force there ideas on YOU. You can interpret the books the way you want, too! I have no idea how I ended up defending Jesus when I am not christian, but some comments are just annoying... darn!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 18:26:04
Once again Firestorm, I totally agree with you. It does seem likes its "cool" to say that "Im not a part of an organized religion" nowadays. I mean, Im Christian, but it doesnt bother me from the religious aspect, its the way in which they say it/feel it that gets me. Like I stated on an earlier comment, I am a HUGE metal fan and Ive had countless people make fun of me and look down on me because of it. I dont really care if most people dont like the same type of music that I do, its the way in which they express their feelings about it that pisses me off. All this stuff about me being a "devil worshiper" and an "evil" person for listening to heavy music. Yes, one reason I like metal is that it is different than the everyday chart topping songs and bands. BUT, I dont listen to metal for that reason alone. Im sure youll understand what Im trying to say.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 18:53:59
well-put and 77777777777% agreed! being a devout Christian as well as devout Harry Potter fan, I have always thought that HP teaches love and sacrifice and friendship, all teachings of Christ. I am glad there are many out there that agree Potter does not promote Satanice messages-- good triumphs over evil in the end.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 19:01:50
To FIRESTORM , Thanks first for the welcome into the HP family -ALL of us. Second- thanks for standing up for free speech even though that speech may not match yours. As for those (JesusHater,etc) who experience Swine flu symptoms at the thought of ANY possible Judeo-Christian idea within the novels - well cool!!! This free speech applies to you too thanks to our Constitution and Gods word. He forces no one to believe or accept (ie free will). There have been some really great discussions thus far. I presume Laura Mallory is a HP hater because once you read HP the next thing youll be doing is burnin yer Bibles and worshipping the Enemy??!! My-my-my. Some arguments with some people are unwinable (is that a word?)
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 19:03:00
jkwellum -- I cant believe I never thought of that! Its not like she can say, "Well, sometimes quotes from the Bible SEEM innocent, but really, they supports devil worship!" I mean, that would be completely hypocritical! I never knew JKR was a Christian, but I always figured she was some sort of agnostic/semi-religious person, I think I should probably let her know that she IS a Christian. (Of course my friend could deny that anyone writing about such things could be a true Christian, but that is out of my control.) Anyways, thanks for the idea, the Bible quotes are pretty much a sure way to let anyone know that HP is NOT evil. I can definitely try.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 19:27:25
I am very happy that the Harry Potter stories are being acknowledged by a strong follower of the Christian church. Although I do agree with many of you that Harry Potters themes are not limited to the moral teachings of the Christian/Catholic church alone, but to most religions. I feel that a lot of people like to find fault with things for the sake of its content without looking at the bigger picture. Yes, Harry Potter is a wizard and goes to a wizarding school where he and his classmates practice magic and witchcraft, but that does not make a book a bad influence: its fiction. If Bible-thumpers and obsessed religious individuals want to ban Harry Potter due to its content, then there will be some very unworthy childrens literature out there, since most childrens literature has to deal with fantasy and magic. I am very happy Fr. Luke has come out and realized the universal appeal Harry Potter has on its reading and viewing audience. Its themes are strong, heroic, and very relatable. If some people cannot understand that, then too bad, because they are truly missing out on some wonderful stories. I feel that anyone who has not read the books is really missing out.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 19:34:18
Alright, so to be honest I hadnt thought of the Christian thing of all the books. Im a jewish girl, so I read all the series in a different point of view than the one thats being mentioned.
First of all, the values mentioned in the books are not only Christian but universal. For example, the truth over white lies (Dumbledore seemed much more amazing and real to me after I read about his past in DH), being good people over having money (Weasleys > Malfoys), Love being the most important thing in the world (Snapes love for Lily made Voldemort let Lily decide, and Lilys love for Harry made her die and let him live), our choices being what make us what we are, saying thank you, sacrificing ourselves for the people we love, fighting for what we believe in, etc.
But I think that the biggest analogy (sp?) I found in the books is to the 2nd World War. I mean, the war even ended in 1945, when Dumbledore defeated Grinderwald! Plus: Purebloods=Aryan Race, Mudbloods/Muggles=Jews,Gy psies,Black People. And you may even see Blood traitors=people who helped "Mudbloods".
So yes, I believe that its a valuable point to relate everything to Christianism, but I think that the way you read HP has everything to do with what you believe in.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 20:33:49
YEAH of course you would link the Books to WWII emmetee, since youre Jewish.. so did I! The books have SEVERAL themes.. thats what makes Harry Potter so FRIKKEN AWESOM! Its soo MULTI-LAYERED To break it down bit by bit.. from the Politics of Harry Potter, to the themes, to the Sexual Orientation, to the Folklore, the Activism, the Prejudice, and etc. you can write a BIBLE on it.. i knew some Graduate students who wrote Dissertations on this stuff, thats like over 50 pages. oh you ALSO forgot about the Analogy of the Squibs in WWII.. they were like the Handicaps, Mentally Retarded and Old, so they were Euthanized.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 22:12:21
I agree that its good to get religious peoples support. I myself am religious, a Catholic. Benedictine Monks are Catholics. I just wanted to put in that Catholics/Benedictine, in general, are not against Harry Potter. :)
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 22:56:57
Im glad that this article came out. Not because theres never been a Christian who supported Harry Potter, but because people are at least to some degree realizing that not all Christians are close minded and ignorant.
A MESSAGE TO ALL WHO HATE CHRISTIANS
TO STEREOTYPE CHRISTIANS AS HATEFUL AND IGNORANT IS TO REFLECT THOSE QUALITIES UPON YOURSELF.
No one group is characterized by ignorant people or hateful people. I am a Christian, and I am a conservative, but I have friends of all shapes, colors and dispositions. From Wiccans, Atheists, Buddhists and Agnostics religiously to Liberals, Anarchists and Neo-Marxists politically. Although I believe that I have found the true path and that my God is the one true God, many of my friends believe the same of their Gods. HOWEVER, we dont hate each other, quite the opposite actually, we love each other more for it. We seek each others advice and help and we try our hardest to love each other into conversion(although it never works).
"DO NOT JUDGE LEST YE BE JUDGED BY THE MEASURE THAT YOU USE"
That my friends is a quote from scripture and it is a pearl of wisdom no matter who you are or what you believe.
IF YOU JUDGE SOMEONE BY THE MOST HATEFUL AND LOATHSOME EXAMPLE OF THEIR KIND, THEN STOP AND TURN YOUR GAZE UPON THE MOST HATEFUL AND LOATHSOME OF YOUR KIND.
No matter who you are or what you believe someone somewhere has misrepresented your views and made you look ignorant, so be careful how you judge others.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-04 23:11:34
I agree. Im a Christian...sort of...and I support Harry Potter. Plus I live in the DEEP south with plenty of southern baptists and I know lots of people who love Harry Potter almost as much as I do. So I think theres a kind of misconception that just because some religious groups are outrageous and feel the need to denounce books or films that are the least bit creative, then that means theyre all that way. And thats not the case. But on another note...it REALLY annoys me when some people feel the need to put religion into EVERYTHING! There are books that have been written and films that have been made that have NOTHING to do with religion, but some people will find it. They have that right...especially if it helps them connect to the story, but its Annoying!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-05 11:58:53
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-05 15:36:18
i agree with SlytherinBabe.how is harry potter about religion at all?i dont think it was mentioned in the books.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-05 15:41:43
Thank god someone is standing up for these books that is christian. I hate how people think that just because they have witch craft in them that are considered evil and against the church. They fail to see the message behind the books. They are judging the book by its cover.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-05 16:43:37
:-) yeahh benedictine monks!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-05 18:26:09
Add me to the interested side of the fence with regards to this subject. Im a Christian myself, and although I havent ever stopped to consider the novels as being an allegory, or partial allegory, for Christian beliefs, I do recognize that there are quite a few things in them which do correspond to the things that I personally believe and the values that I personally ascribe to, and am interested in seeing how this man presents his argument and analysis of the books and the way in which they correlate to his faith and beliefs.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-05 19:02:42
yayyy!! take that laura mallory!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-05 20:57:00
Id like to see Laura Mallory try to argue with a MONK. xD
Its just another gratifying validation of how wonderful the series is.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-05 23:20:03
hurray for the benedictines. this is exactly what ive been saying for a decade. any christian person, with any intelligence, reading these books cannot help but see the Christian themes throughout them. i felt so vindicated when i read the final book because the Christian themes in it were so strong. this is a series of books that anyone - religious or not - can benefit from. when the church community reacts to it as it has, without any intelligent comment, it just makes us all look bad. thank goodness for sensitive, logical, thinkers like this monk!
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-06 00:39:00
This is fantastic. I go to a Benedictine College and thats what made me click on the article in the first place. Ive always thought people who honestly believed Harry Potter was evil were people who hadnt read the books and people who were too closed minded for their opinions to be considered valid. I remember I was 13 and brought POA to church once and my parents were so angry because that was around the time that the religious/HP debate was really big. Its not that my parents believed that HP was evil, but they were worried that a religious figure might see me with the book and call out our family. Its good to know, 8 years later, that I probably wouldnt have been yelled at at all. Hahahah.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-06 09:21:52
Hey katiekatiekatie3 I know people who HAVE read the books and still think its Evil.. anyway I wouldntve brought it to Church if I were you. lol. I dont bring anything but the Bible in church since everything else is secular...
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-06 13:38:21
wow Felix_Lestrange that is a great story to hear, I am glad you got someone to realize that saying HP is evil is wrong! Because I totally agree with all of you... it is so uplifting and christians (I am one myself), should not feel the need to be against it. I think since it is (sort of at least early on) directed at kids, parents should always read and research before they let their children read them... but parents should do that same thing with ANYTHING their child comes in contact with. So its not the fact that its evil, but a parent should always know whats going on with such a young child... and I think thats half the argument that christians always have about this, that it would corrupt their children. Bull I say, because parents should just talk to their kids so they know and understand what is right or wrong, you know? bleh, the solution is really so simple to me.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-06 13:48:12
Also, The_Auror I agree with you. Too often we are hated because of the fanatics of our religion. This is true with any religion or group I think... people should still love and not hate the entire religion because of one fanatics mistakes. Its sad when people are sheep and just hate because 1) its popular or 2) they have seen what one fanatic did and take it to mean we are all like that
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-07 09:09:49
Smart guy!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean, seriously!!!!!! The people who say the HP books are against them really havent read them. TOO TRUE!!!!!! :-)
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2009-11-08 06:47:58
It is a fantasy series! Love, sacrifice, family and friends: These are the themes in the books and they can be contributed to universal beliefs.
Personally, my parents are Christian, my siblings ranging from religions to Catholic to none at all. Im Wiccan, and there is a very clear difference between fantasy and reality, even in magic; they are not related in my mind. It has not influenced my reading and I dont connect it to my religion. I think the themes that follow can be followed for anyone. It can be taken from a general theological view. We should look at these books with childrens eyes of wonder, to feed us spiritually - if it is so our desire.
Regardless of religious feelings Harry Potter is here to stay, to join the classics of Robin Hood and Oliver Twist. We must learn to make our peace or our joy with that.
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Posted by: - Posted on: 2010-06-14 14:56:55
I cannot say enough how much I agree with this guy. I'm a very strong Christian and I found NOTHING wrong with these books at all but my parents are some of the close minded people who object to them. I'm 18 and I wasn't allowed to read the books until two weeks ago and even then, my mom wouldn't let me read them in the house, I had to read them outside lest I bring the "evil" in her house. It's ridiculous, I feel sure if my parents gave them a chance they would love them as much as I do.
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