Harry Potter: for those of you who are interested...

[olde_fashioned]

For the record, I am utterly opposed to Harry Potter and other books involving and glorifying witchcraft. THIS is a link to Doug Phillips' blog, that explains the dangers of Harry Potter much better than I ever could.

Comments

And witchcraft is exactly where in these books?

[musesong.livejournal.com]

Witchcraft in The Chronicles of Narnia? Have you actually read these. The White Witch was the baddie and in opposition to Aslan and his forces. Yes there were talking animals in Narnia because that was part of the natural order.

In Tolkien the magic was mainly confined to the wizards who were angelic beings who chose to live within the confines of Middle Earth.

Re: And witchcraft is exactly where in these books?

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Have you read them? Are you telling me there isn't any witchcraft in Narnia? No, I have not read them. But I don't see why I should be "forbidden" to oppose something just because I've never tasted it. I've never been a Muslim, but I am against Islam.

To make a wizard an angelic being does not mean that being is Christian. Satan himself was an angel (Lucifer means "morning star" and he was head of the angles before his fall) so technically even demons were originally "angelic beings."

I'm a little more familiar with Tolkien than Lewis. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but doesn't Arwen possess eternal life? But she gives it up for love, right?

Re: And witchcraft is exactly where in these books?

[musesong.livejournal.com]

I wasn't forbidding you to oppose the books, merely making the point that there is no witchcraft as such in Lewis & Tolkien's books.

However, opposing something in literature based on heresay isn't something that I could do.

As for Islam, my aunt is a member of a born-again Christian church and recently let me know she was reading The Koran. I was somewhat surprised but she said she was doing so because she was against Islam but wanted to 'know her enemy'. Another friend who opposes Islam for other reasons also studied the Koran again so he could argue against Islam from knowledge. In the end he found there was much beauty in the book itself and that it was more those who used it as a justification. For myself I have never read it.

Regarding angels, yes of course in The Book of Revelations the war in heaven is mentioned though this book was highly contested fro inclusion. Still where would horror films like The Omen and other be without 666 and all that. :)

Tolkien did take into account the 'Luciferian' element in his world. This was in the form of Morgoth, an archangel who rebelled, and with his followers became the opposition forces in Middle Earth. Wizards such as Gandalf were lesser angelic beings but were on the side of Light and the Valar (Tolkien's name for these archangelic beings).

Regarding Tolkien's elves, yes they were immortal though could be killed and when the world ended they too would end. Arwen was Half-Elven but she would have lived longer but gave up her elven heritage to embrace mortality and death.

Interestingly in some lore about the origins of faeries and elves is that they were the angels that remained neutral during the war in heaven but because of this had to leave and take up residence on earth until Judgement Day.

Re: And witchcraft is exactly where in these books?

[olde-fashioned.livejournal.com]

Then what do you call Gandalf? Is he or is he not presented as using supernatural powers that are not of Christ? He is called a wizard. And I'm not judging from heresay, both my brother and my father have read the books.

IMVHO, reading for "opponent research" and reading for personal enjoyment are two different things. Many Christians read the Book of Mormon, the Koran, and Buddhist literature for the sake of better understanding false religions. If Harry Potter is not "real witchcraft and sorcery" then there can be no reason to read it for "knowing one's enemy".

But Christ is not presented as the Giver of Eternal Life as He is in scripture. Everlasting life is not an "object" that we can keep or relenquish like some sort of amulet, it is a gift of grace that cannot be earned or inherited by parentage.

That is interesting, and I've never heard it before. However as the Bible states you are either for God or against Him -- there can be no middle or neutral ground, so I think it's just a legend. ;-)

Re: And witchcraft is exactly where in these books?

[musesong.livejournal.com]

Then what do you call Gandalf? Is he or is he not presented as using supernatural powers that are not of Christ? He is called a wizard. And I'm not judging from heresay, both my brother and my father have read the books.

Gandalf is a wizard but is also a Maiar, one of those spirits I wrote of earlier. Tolkien was very clear to explain that his Arda (Earth) in which was placed Middle Earth was pre-history. That is, before the incarnation of Christ.

IMVHO, reading for "opponent research" and reading for personal enjoyment are two different things.

Reading for 'opponent research' is not something I could do. I was actually quite shocked my Aunt considered Islam 'the enemy'. My friend I could understand a bit more because he was very opposed to political happenings in the Middle East.

Re: And witchcraft is exactly where in these books?

[musesong.livejournal.com]

That is interesting, and I've never heard it before. However as the Bible states you are either for God or against Him -- there can be no middle or neutral ground, so I think it's just a legend.

I'd put it down to a legend too as I feel the faerie folk are beings in their own right and not cast out angels.

Still those kind of you're either for me or against me is why I can't in good conscience be a Christian.