Is Harry Potter and Narnia good for the church?

[TexasSky]

And you think that not allowing your child to read Harry Potter is going to prevent them from taking illegal drug, prevent them from running into people who want to seduce them to witchcaft, prevent them from encountering tempation and evil in its purest form?

 

[TexasSky]

BTW, I understand very much.
I spent many years of my life wittnessing to people in the 1970's when the occult and the drug craze were very popular, out in the open, and in many cases not even illegal.

The pushers are NOT handing out copies of Harry Potter at the local school.

AND if your child is doing illegal drugs, you've got a lot more serious problem on your hands than what book he is reading.

 

[Johnv]

Originally posted by Eric Rolen:
My point is that if a film maker will make a christian and a secular movie. What are their goal? money.

So what? Any and all products are created to make money. That money is made by producing a product that the consumer approves of. You make that sound bad. If it's bad, then, since you are the consumer, the blame lies with you.

 

[TexasSky]

My point is that if a film maker will make a christian and a secular movie. What are their goal? money.
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That's also the goal of every publisher publishing the bible today.

 

[Eric Rolen]

Where does God's will settle into this? Quote that next time and reply.

Justification for what people do satisfies conviction to allow acceptance--Secular Liberal viewpoint

 

[Johnv]

Originally posted by Eric Rolen:
Where does God's will settle into this?

I believe it is settled with the phrase "Let each be convinced in his own mind".

 

[Eric Rolen]

Originally posted by TexasSky:
My point is that if a film maker will make a christian and a secular movie. What are their goal? money.
--------

That's also the goal of every publisher publishing the bible today.

Is that what every Bible publisher's goal is?
that is sterotyping.

 

[TexasSky]

I'll make it easy for you.
Name one bible publisher who has priced their bible stock at a price equal to or lower than their production costs.

 

[Eric Rolen]

Justification for what people do satisfies conviction to allow acceptance--Secular Liberal viewpoint [/QB][/QUOTE]

 

[Johnv]

Originally posted by Eric Rolen:
Is that what every Bible publisher's goal is?

The goal of any for-profit company is to make money via the production of a product (in this case, a religious publication). The exception to this is a not-for-profit organization (credit unions are a good example). But even there, if income is less than expenses, then the organization ceases to exist.

 

[Eric Rolen]

This has been completly been ran off the path of God's will and turned into a justification for why people take part in secular immoral activity

 

[Johnv]

Originally posted by Eric Rolen:
This has been completly been ran off the path of God's will and turned into a justification for why people take part in secular immoral activity

More to the point, this has been completely run off the path of invdividual discernment and turned into a justification for broadbrushed legalism.

 

[TexasSky]

I agree with Johnv. It is legalism.

If you do not want your child to read Harry Potter, then don't buy the book. It isn't cheap.
Its a right you, as a parent have.

But do NOT imply that every Christian who buys the book is setting their child on a path for hell.

And don't imply that those of us who are not thrilled with Narnia have to rush out and buy a copy of that for our children or we are bad parents.

I tend to keep my scripture and my fiction far apart from one another. I do this with a very definite intent. If I tell my child, "This is real," and "this is not real," I don't have to explain, "Well, this isn't real, but it is about God." I point to God's word as, "This is history. This is real." I point to ALL fiction and say, "And this is nonsense for your imagination."

 

[TexasSky]

Eric,

Do you actually believe that nonsense? That reading Harry Potter is immoral?

Thank you for your judgement. I guess, "Judge not lest ye be judged," doesn't apply to you.

I guess I was not in Sunday School when they covered "The Book of Eric," "Thou shalt not buy fiction for thy children if it contains any reference to anything that might someday lead to temptation."

(Let's see:

Ban List Based on the Book of Eric:

Harry Potter (all 5 books) - Witchcraft!
Forest Gump - Fornication
Snow White - Single girl, seven men - SINFUL!
Goldilocks - Shameful! Theft!
The Patriot - Rebellion against authority!
Shrek and Shrek 2 - Witchcraft again.
Romeo and Juliet - Dishonoring parents, iimplications of fornication, suicide.
Hamlet - Murder, adultry
The Odyssy - False Gods
The Lord of the Rings - Magic!
A Christmas Carole - Ghosts! Time Travel! Fortune Telling!
Titanic - Dishonoring parents, sex.
Wizard of Oz - Witches! Wizards!
Jurassic Park - Theft!
Aladin - Magic again! Theft!
Little Mermaid - Magic, witches, dishonoring parents!
The Empreror's New Groove - Witchcraft AGAIN!
Beauty and the Beast - Magic! Curses! Violence! Sexual innuendo!
Huck Finn - Possible homosexuality with Huck and Jim (better reactionary and safe after all).
The Scarlet Letter - Sex
The Parent Trap - Remarriage, probable sex.

[ November 30, 2005, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: TexasSky ]

 

[Eric Rolen]

I dont believe that merely reading it is immoral but sat in the right circumstances it could lead to immorality and so could anything else. I just dont have a fond appreciation for these secular film makers trying to straddle the fence with christianity.

No i do not judge people, like i said earlier christians can discern to their children what real and make believe.

 

[TexasSky]

Thank you!

 

[Johnv]

Eric says

No i do not judge people...

but also says

I just dont have a fond appreciation for these secular film makers trying to straddle the fence with christianity.

Seems a bit hypocritical, especially since you previously said the producer and directors of Narnia also make "vile and perverse" films..But when asked, you are unable to name the producer or directors, and unable to provide the "vile and perverse" films you claim they made.

I do, however, give you credit for acknowleging that merely reading it is not immoral, but could lead to immorality when set in the necessary circumstances. That's true of anything, and on that point, there is no disagreement. This is why individual discernment and liberty is necessary.

 

[Filmproducer]

Is that what every Bible publisher's goal is?
that is sterotyping.

You are stereotyping filmmakers. How much do you really know about filmmaking. Outside of the big production companies there are thousands of indie filmmakers who make films, good films, and never reap millions of dollars. They continue to make films knowing full well that they will never make millions of dollars. They are artists, just like painters or sculptors. Many artists continue with their craft for their own fulfillment, not notoriety.

I agree with Johnv. It is legalism.

I also agree, not to mention some of the arguments posted above are ludicrous. I'm sorry but fiction reading is not the same as experimenting with drugs or sex. As Texas previously mentioned if you shield your child from everything in the world they are more likely than not to rebel. I have seen instances of this many times over. I for one, believe it is irresponsible of parents to overprotect their children then turn them out into the world unprepared for the reality of the world. Besides, as Texas also mentioned, HP is not as likely as astrology or horoscopes in enticing young adults into the occult.

I am curious, those of you who claim that HP is dangerous because it is set in the "real world", do you also forbid your child from reading Shakespeare or Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment?

 

[chipsgirl]

How many people on here bashing the books have actually read them???? I really don't think that stuff is as serious as some of you make it out to be. Children's fantasy stories have been around for a long time. The HP story just happens to be a best seller so more attention is drawn to it. It really isn't any different than Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, Bewitched, etc.. If you can teach your kids yourself that this stuff is just fantasy and what real sprituality is then don't let them watch or read any of it. I loved witch stories when I was little but knew it was just play. As I got older and heard about witchcraft I learned the stuff I liked really was just for fun and real witchcraft was dull in comparison. There isn't a real witch out there that can fly on a broom or have a talking cat or wiggle her nose to make something happen.

 

[Filmproducer]

I just dont have a fond appreciation for these secular film makers trying to straddle the fence with christianity.

This a very hypocritical statement. Besides how do you know that the actual filmmaker is not a Christian? It sounds as if you are judging to me.