Harry Potter

[tefor]

I've always enjoyed Harry Potter, but I gained a new appreciation and increased respect for them when I read "Looking for God in Harry Potter" by John Granger (no relation to Hermione), which discusses the various philosophical and religious themes in the books. He concludes that the books are actually very Christian through and through; the magic is merely a backdrop for the important ideas of the books.

[richlittell]

Hey Funkytown,

The next time you comment on a book, could you please issue a *spoiler alert* before you go giving the conclusion to the final outcome?
Forgive me if I'm a bit un-tempered right now, but I prefer to read things for myself and make my own decisions. I have read plenty of reviews that refer to the anti-religious stance that Pullman takes and non of them were so rude as to spoil it for those who may still opt to read it. Nothing personal, but even if you were my best friend I'd be slugging you in the shoulder right now for being so insensitive.
thanks!

(I don't think the bookstore will take back the last two volumes of a three volume box set!)

p.s. I wasn't real keen on book one, thought the daemons were stupid, but I still prefer to read the others for myself!!

[Elphaba]

Originally Posted by FunkyTown

Loudmouth? Harry Potter has NOTHING to do with the Golden Compass. Nothing. At all. Phillip Pullman wrote The Golden Compass.

J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling and not Phillip Pullman.

I have to be very careful in saying this because you said something as fact that is not. At all. And it's libellous: J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and Phillip Pullman wrote the Golden Compass. The Golden Compass is trash, but it's not trash because it's fantasy. It's trash because it's trash.

Hey Funky, I think you're misunderstanding LM, though he can say whether I am correct or not.

He's not saying Rowling did not write HP, or that Pullman, an avowed atheist, did not write Golden Compass.

I think his point is that if we accept the themes in the HP books, with magic, evil, a devil-figure (Voldemort), etc., then we should also accept the atheist themes, which are basically the same, in the Golden Compass series.

In other words, and again this is my guess, the characters in both books are similar, and are somewhat similarly received; however HP is not written by an atheist, but GC is.

Obviously I could be completely wrong, but I'm fairly certain LM understands they are two different series with two different authors.

Oh heck! Ask him!
Elphaba

LM, Please correct me if I am wrong.

Elphaba

[Elphaba]

Originally Posted by Misshalfway

Personally, I would rather have my kids read Harry Potter in school than those awful books my nineth grade teacher made us read! Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies! Horrible!

I loved Lord of the Flies in around ninth, maybe tenth grade.

However, if they had given us Heart of Darkness in ninth grade, it would have gone completely and totally and appallalling over my head. Frankly, I was in English Lit in college before I finally got it.

Elphaba

[RachelleDrew]

Originally Posted by Elphaba

I loved Lord of the Flies in around ninth, maybe tenth grade.

However, if they had given us Heart of Darkness in ninth grade, it would have gone completely and totally and appallalling over my head. Frankly, I was in English Lit in college before I finally got it.

Elphaba

Both books are amazing pieces of literature, she should be thankful that her teachers were allowed to teach them in the first place. Some of the less cultured parents in our area had both books removed from the school library, along with other books like "The Giver" and "Oliver Twist".

I was the last class to have studied any of these books in school no thanks to some parents.

[Loudmouth_Mormon]

Originally Posted by FunkyTown

Loudmouth? Harry Potter has NOTHING to do with the Golden Compass. Nothing. At all. Phillip Pullman wrote The Golden Compass.

J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling and not Phillip Pullman.

I have to be very careful in saying this because you said something as fact that is not. At all. And it's libellous: J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and Phillip Pullman wrote the Golden Compass. The Golden Compass is trash, but it's not trash because it's fantasy. It's trash because it's trash.

Hi Funky,

Not sure what you think I said, but I never said they were the same thing. Here's what I said:

If there's nothing with Harry Potter books, that means there should also be nothing wrong with The Golden Compass movie, the trilogy it's based on, or the author's athiest agenda.

And I stand by it. From a Christian's point of view, if you find nothing wrong with the HP books, you should also find nothing wrong with the HDM books. They both operate in a universe completely devoid of any sort of ultimate deific power. They both have a total void of ultimate source of morality. They both share the same ethical foundation of a non-believer (basically, it's nicer to be good, so ya oughta be good).

People forget this when they read Pullman's books, but in his universe, god is not the supreme being. He's just some guy who seized power. There is no God in Pullman's books, and there is no God in Rowling's either.

If you disagree, please cite chapter and page in any HP book where the existence of God is shown.

LM

[checkerboy]

Originally Posted by Loudmouth_Mormon

If you disagree, please cite chapter and page in any HP book where the existence of God is shown.

LM

I could be wrong but I am pretty sure that in every book of the HP series the students celebrated Christmas, which of course you know is a Christian holiday, which by inclusion must mean that in the wizarding world they believe in Christ or is it just that Christmas has lost all religious meaning whatsoever?

[skalenfehl]

There are different ways that movies can be considered. First and foremost, they are simply forms of entertainment; means of diversion. This aside, we can pretty much find anything about most movies that have objectionable content. For the more sensitive movie goers, you can ask yourself if the movie you are about to watch will bring you closer to Christ or take you further away. Some movies are a direct mockery of Christian values, but many are simple entertainment. Besides, Harry Potter is a Star Wars copy cat...

He is taken to live with his aunt and uncle as an infant, he is kept ignorant about who he really is and what his destiny is, has the ability to defeat the dark antagonistic overlord(s), he wants to learn the ways of the force/magic that is his lineage and become a Jedi like his father or magicians at Hogwart like his mother and father, both have a token heirloom from their parents (father's invisibility cloak/lightsaber), both have a wise old mentor, both have a guy and a girl for friends who may have a thing for each other (Ron/Hermione and Han/Leia), both have large, hairy protectors (Hagrid/Chewbacca), and the list goes on.

[Elphaba]

Originally Posted by RachelleDrew

. . . . the first place. Some of the less cultured parents in our area had both books removed from the school library, along with other books like "The Giver" . . .

. The Giver? Why in the world would they ban that?

I couldn't agree with you more. For once, I think being older than you worked in my favor, as I don't ever remember any books being banned. And English Lit was the ONLY class I really paid any attention to. I'll never forget reading East of Eden, Tess of the d'urbervilles (sp?), LOTF, and Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Actually, I'm surprised I remember them so well given that was thirty-plus years ago.

We also got to watch "classic" movies, one of which was The Time Machine. I was riveted!

Elphaba

[dazed-and-confused]

wow...when i was in high school we also read lord of thr flies, as well as animal farm, 1984, i never promised you a rose garden, the catcher in the rye....etc...etc....but how i would've loved to do reports on harry potter...i love these books....and i agree with skalenfehl.....its entertainment....not scripture.