Monday, 25 June 2007

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is one of the most controversial stories around. Many christians don't like him because he lives in a world that is filled with all sorts of magic. And magic isn't kosha with the Bible. A lot of these same people have no problem with Lord of the Rings or C. S. Lewis' world of Narnia. Why is it that they have so muc problems with Harry Potter? For kids they are inappropriate. But for adults who know the dangers of what they are reading is it such a bad thing? We can read Lord of the Rings and get good christian stories out of them. Why is Harry Potter so different? I kind of understand the reasoning behind not letting kids read the books but does it really need to fuel such debate between christians? Why are we caring more about the nooks that are being read when we could be trying to work together to get people the things that they need most. Are we concentrating too much on things that arent, well not un-important, but less important than other things that we could be concentrating on. If we concentrated on reaching out to those around us rather than alienating them because they read books that 'we' don't agree with then we would be able to help them a whole lot more.

I was talking with one of my mates today about the things that we read and we got talking about how we can read things without being contaminated by them. In fact sometimes it is good to read things that everyone else is reading because if we know what has happened in whatever it is that we are reading then we can use that (whether it be a book [like Harry Potter] or a magazine [like Cosmopolitain]) to help relate to them on another level. It helps us to be able to talk about every day things that the people we are trying to reach out to, it makes us seem less 'above them' as such. It means that we can help them realise that we don't think ourselves better than them. But if we are argueing within our 'circles' about whether or not Harry Potter is good or bad, how is that going to help us reach out to non-christians? We don't need to agree with it, but we do need to let them know that there are more important things out there and that we do care about them.

So first of all what are your opinions on Harry Potter? Is it good or bad? Next, why do some people make such a big deal out of books like Harry Potter and not others like Lord of the Rings? Is using mainstream books a good way to be able to relate to those we are trying to reach out to? If not, then what are other ways that we can try and connect with them?
On an entirely different note... Is anyone out there going to go and watch the new Harry Potter movie at the midnight showing when it comes out around or on the 11th/12th of July. How good do you think the movie is going to be compared to the books? Can you wait for the last book to be released? I already have mine pre-ordered through Whitcholls. And I have people who have asked me if they are able to read it after me. I think my list is up to 6 reserves on the book. I'm almost like a library in and of myself with the amount of people that are borrowing my boks and movies.
Anyway, post your opinions in the comments section so that I can 'hear' your opinion on the topic at hand...

3 comments:

Clive Smit said...

I like your thinking!
Christians can really be dumb as... just plain stupid... (but you are not allowed to quote me on this!)

I feel that there is a world of difference between magic of the story books and occultic magic.

And yes you are right, instead of protesting when these books and films come out, we should use it as a springboard to get conversations going and meet seekers where they are at... and then they'll ask you to tell them the truth!

Ellen Rose said...

I totally agree with you on that point Clive. If the authors were writing stories that had occultic magic in it then I would be recommending that people don't read them because of that, but the magic in Harry Potter is nothing like the magic of the occult. To me I can not see how that magic is real, therefore is there any real danger? I'm not saying that there isn't danger there, but if we are aware of it then how is it going to snare us and do us damage?

Jeremy Sargent said...

How about you ask someone who has experienced the occult ?

They know the facts