I find it interesting you have Lord Of The Rings listed as one of your favorites, and then post this.
Harry Potter, and the other characters, celebrate CHRISTmas. The overwhelming majority of the characters not only mean no harm toward muggles, but actually protect them. The main female character, a brilliant student who has a great heart and shows tremendous compassion, is in fact muggle-born.
The whole series is based on love triumphing over hatred, the love Harry's mother showed by sacrificing her life to save his. Didn't a guy named Jesus talk about love? His father died trying to protect both Harry and his mother.
Have you even read the books, or do you just post others' opinions?
Wow, it's amazing how much vitriol comes out in people when the anonymity of the internet is in place. I dare you to repost this using your real name.
Your last line implies that because I have posted someone else's opinion I must not have one of my own. As a matter of fact, yes, I have read the first few books in the Harry Potter series. Not that it should matter. I don't need to read the Satanic Bible to know that it's bad.
So, to get back to your original question: I actually believe that there is a vast difference between the two series.
1. I know the authors and their hearts and intents. The author of LOTR, JRR Tolkien was a professing Believer. The author of HP not only is not only NOT a Believer she claims that a she had visions and visitations where she was told the plot lines of the books.
2. The LOTR books are written for an adult audience who are old enough and have discernment enough to understand the under-currents and subtle nuances of the books. The HP books are written for kids specifically, which leads me to point three....
3. The magic in LOTR is practiced by only one group of people: the wizards and the wizards only. No where does it say that they had to learn this...they were born with it. No one else in the books is trying to gain a power they do were not born with. Not only that their power comes not from casting spells, but from something within them. There are no chants, no spells, no potions....just power. This is an allegory for spiritual gifting.
In HP the magic is taught. There are spells, potions and all sorts of things. The message is that magic can be taught, you can learn it too! Not only can you learn it, but those who do learn it are somehow better than those who don't. Kids who pick up HP books come to see magic and learning it as a good thing.
Finally, saying that a book has something good in it and that I should just ignore the parts of it that aren't good is like saying that if I had some toilet water in my V8 I should just ignore it because it also has vitamins that are healthy.
I just firmly believe that HP books, no matter the themes of good v. evil have too much in them that is bad to ignore.
"This is an allegory for spiritual gifting" - says you. Some argue HP is an allegory for Christ's sacrifices.
In HP the wizards and witches are born with magic - hence the "muggles" who are not. They are taught to control the magic - Rowling NEVER states someone can learn magic.
You have stated God talks to you/sends messages to you...so that is okay, but not that Rowling was inspired/imagined to write books that have prompted millions of children to read?
I never said to put up with the bad because of the good Re: HP. I think that wasting people's time trying to equate fictional children's books to true evil (of which there is plenty in this world) is negligent and distracts from God's work.
Toilet water and V8 - both liquids. HP and LOR - both magic.
LOR books have just as much magic in them as HP (if not more) and if magic is "bad" (not to mention FICTIONAL) - you are getting your knickers in a twist over a liquid - regardless if it is V8 or toilet water.
Dear Commenter Trythetruth, I again invite you to have a real dialogue regarding this issue by using your real name. Is there something you are ashamed of here that you cannot or will not use your actual name?
I am curious as to why this is such a big deal to you? Why does it seem to matter to you so much to prove me wrong? Really, do you care that much that I believe these things about Harry Potter vs. LOTR and does it really matter that much? Do you really accomplish something by knowing more or being right on this issue?
I would offer that perhaps harping on this one issue and working so hard at proving me wrong is just as negligent and distracting from God's true work than my thoughts on a book. I would ask if you are out there serving and doing the Lord's work as much time as you spend looking around for blogs to post anonymously on so that you can prove us all wrong? Seriously, do you really gain anything by this?
I posted the original link because I found it interesting. Did I make anyone click on it? If you don't like it, don't click on it and quit reading my blog!
This is a blog, for goodness sake. Sheesh, you'd think I was on national television preaching this by the amount of arguing you are doing over this.
Since you are a. not brave enough to use your real name and b. clearly desiring to disrespect me by saying my "knickers are in a twist" and that I "only post others' opinions" and c. deliberately bating me with obtuse questions I am choosing not to respond to you at this time.
I would love to have a nice, adult discussion about this as I have some great answers to the points you bring, but I am not going to get drug into an argument. There is a log to gain by discussing and talking about things respectfully and on equal footing. None of those things is happening here.
Should you ever decide to come out of the cyber closet, and should you ever decide to quit being disrespectful and actually thoughtfully listen, I'd be happy to begin this again. Otherwise, I'll nicely ask you to quit reading my blog and commenting.
I find it interesting you have Lord Of The Rings listed as one of your favorites, and then post this.
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter, and the other characters, celebrate CHRISTmas. The overwhelming majority of the characters not only mean no harm toward muggles, but actually protect them. The main female character, a brilliant student who has a great heart and shows tremendous compassion, is in fact muggle-born.
The whole series is based on love triumphing over hatred, the love Harry's mother showed by sacrificing her life to save his. Didn't a guy named Jesus talk about love? His father died trying to protect both Harry and his mother.
Have you even read the books, or do you just post others' opinions?
Wow, it's amazing how much vitriol comes out in people when the anonymity of the internet is in place. I dare you to repost this using your real name.
ReplyDeleteYour last line implies that because I have posted someone else's opinion I must not have one of my own. As a matter of fact, yes, I have read the first few books in the Harry Potter series. Not that it should matter. I don't need to read the Satanic Bible to know that it's bad.
So, to get back to your original question: I actually believe that there is a vast difference between the two series.
1. I know the authors and their hearts and intents. The author of LOTR, JRR Tolkien was a professing Believer. The author of HP not only is not only NOT a Believer she claims that a she had visions and visitations where she was told the plot lines of the books.
2. The LOTR books are written for an adult audience who are old enough and have discernment enough to understand the under-currents and subtle nuances of the books. The HP books are written for kids specifically, which leads me to point three....
3. The magic in LOTR is practiced by only one group of people: the wizards and the wizards only. No where does it say that they had to learn this...they were born with it. No one else in the books is trying to gain a power they do were not born with. Not only that their power comes not from casting spells, but from something within them. There are no chants, no spells, no potions....just power. This is an allegory for spiritual gifting.
In HP the magic is taught. There are spells, potions and all sorts of things. The message is that magic can be taught, you can learn it too! Not only can you learn it, but those who do learn it are somehow better than those who don't. Kids who pick up HP books come to see magic and learning it as a good thing.
Finally, saying that a book has something good in it and that I should just ignore the parts of it that aren't good is like saying that if I had some toilet water in my V8 I should just ignore it because it also has vitamins that are healthy.
I just firmly believe that HP books, no matter the themes of good v. evil have too much in them that is bad to ignore.
So, there is MY opinion on the matter.
You personally know both authors?
ReplyDelete"This is an allegory for spiritual gifting" - says you. Some argue HP is an allegory for Christ's sacrifices.
In HP the wizards and witches are born with magic - hence the "muggles" who are not. They are taught to control the magic - Rowling NEVER states someone can learn magic.
You have stated God talks to you/sends messages to you...so that is okay, but not that Rowling was inspired/imagined to write books that have prompted millions of children to read?
I never said to put up with the bad because of the good Re: HP. I think that wasting people's time trying to equate fictional children's books to true evil (of which there is plenty in this world) is negligent and distracts from God's work.
Toilet water and V8 - both liquids. HP and LOR - both magic.
LOR books have just as much magic in them as HP (if not more) and if magic is "bad" (not to mention FICTIONAL) - you are getting your knickers in a twist over a liquid - regardless if it is V8 or toilet water.
Dear Commenter Trythetruth,
ReplyDeleteI again invite you to have a real dialogue regarding this issue by using your real name. Is there something you are ashamed of here that you cannot or will not use your actual name?
I am curious as to why this is such a big deal to you? Why does it seem to matter to you so much to prove me wrong? Really, do you care that much that I believe these things about Harry Potter vs. LOTR and does it really matter that much? Do you really accomplish something by knowing more or being right on this issue?
I would offer that perhaps harping on this one issue and working so hard at proving me wrong is just as negligent and distracting from God's true work than my thoughts on a book. I would ask if you are out there serving and doing the Lord's work as much time as you spend looking around for blogs to post anonymously on so that you can prove us all wrong? Seriously, do you really gain anything by this?
I posted the original link because I found it interesting. Did I make anyone click on it? If you don't like it, don't click on it and quit reading my blog!
This is a blog, for goodness sake. Sheesh, you'd think I was on national television preaching this by the amount of arguing you are doing over this.
Since you are a. not brave enough to use your real name and b. clearly desiring to disrespect me by saying my "knickers are in a twist" and that I "only post others' opinions" and c. deliberately bating me with obtuse questions I am choosing not to respond to you at this time.
I would love to have a nice, adult discussion about this as I have some great answers to the points you bring, but I am not going to get drug into an argument. There is a log to gain by discussing and talking about things respectfully and on equal footing. None of those things is happening here.
Should you ever decide to come out of the cyber closet, and should you ever decide to quit being disrespectful and actually thoughtfully listen, I'd be happy to begin this again. Otherwise, I'll nicely ask you to quit reading my blog and commenting.
Erin