Who Dies In Harry Potter?

Time is rather unfair. God doesn't so much appear to be "dead" as much as detached, which is well within the realm of fantasy to imagine.

 

I never got into the Harry Potter books, but I applaud J.K.Rowling for getting countless kids interested in the printed word. I think she will rank with L. Frank Baum when it is all said and done.

 

The big difference between Lewis and Tolkien was the books (Narnia) Lewis wrote were to BE alagorical in nature. However, Tolkien ardenantly denies he wanted that done with his books. You can find that in most of the older copies of book 1 (Fellowship of the Ring - not sure about the newer ones) in the preface. They were written to BE a type of mythology for Europe since it lost much of its original myths by the conquering and being conquered of Nations. You can find that as a documentry on the Discovery and another I beleive on the History channel.

So as I see it, Tolkien and Rowling are pretty much the same type of books. and Lewis (though I personally don't agree with it) it at least was written with the intent to be held up to scripture.

 

That's like saying you applaud Coke, Pepsi, Hersheys, and Frito-Lay for getting your children to eat.

 

There's no comparison. Kids will die if they don't eat. They won't die if they don't read.

 

...depends how nerdy they really are!

 

Literary rights

When has it become wrong to write FICTION. I grew up with Santa Claus in a Christian home. My parents made sure I knew what was real; I still left cookies out for my dad who was Santa and a wonderful memory.

How many people here believe that real witches fly on broomsticks and play Quidich and carry wands that can repair a pair of glasses using "reparious occulus"?

When were those of you made king that made the law that said if I don't mention God in my fiction book that I am breaking the law, or even sinning?

Have any of you read Grimm's fairy tales lately? All the better to eat you with my dear?

People complain about the level of text that the Bible has to be translated to for fifth graders to understand, not realizing that kids who can learn British English in Rowlings 7th book will have no problems with most good translations of the Bible.

I write fiction. Am I sinning when I decide to write a fiction story about a fighter pilot who gave it his all to keep America free by loosing his life in an F-16D? Does that pilot have to pray to meet your standards? Does he or she even have to mention God, even though it might be nice?

Do you believe in freedom of religion? If not then you must get rid of 99% of fiction being sold. I say that about half or more of the Christian books "so called" are published for the sole purpose of making money. Do you see them discounted 50% because the writer spent so much time to make such an exciting book that it breaks records?

J. K. Rowling grew up as a girl without money. She lived the "American" (British style) dream and became the first person to become a billionaire from selling fiction books. Should we now burn her books because she created a complete fantasy world? -----Ever read Tolkein and see how much violence occurs?

My guess is that J K Rowling's books will go down in history as great FICTION novels.

See if you can say that word ten times without changing a law that burns books: FICTION. It means that it is an imaginary story of some level of degree. When we start burning books because they are fiction and do not contain God, then we have just limited fiction to OUR denomination, pure and simple.

Just my humble opinion for someone who did a great job and a lot of people are now jealous.:type:

Oh, by the way, does ANYBODY who hasn't written fiction realize just how hard it is? It was once said (very well I might add) that to write good fiction you simply sit in front of your computer and open a vein. For those of you who have written fiction, you know exactly what I'm talking about and its one person in a million that have a best-seller. Fiction writing is NOT the way to plan on making lots of money.

 

Philip

It is good to know that I am not the only person on this board who really enjoyed the series. I saw it all along as good v evil, and the story of a boy who came from very difficult circumstances - and yet found himself thrust into difficult delimas that he navigated with the help of friends and mentors - and of course had to dodge the occasional dementor (dont we all). The magic that was used is really no different than the powers displayed by XMen - yet I have not seen any threads condeming the xMen comic books or movies.

The last book was a fitting end to the series, as I finished it, I was a bit sad that it ended.

There were parts of the books that I found overly wordy, but I agree that these books will go down as modern classics that will keep young people reading for years to come.

 

In the end, since Harry Potter is being fed to the young people instead of the Word of God, do you truly think God will be pleased when they stand before Him?

Maybe some of them are being given a Bible, taken to Church... But that is sending a double standard to these young people. Giving them a picture that God does not care if they fill their minds with stories of witchcraft, spells, and potions.

Very deceiving. Ye cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils.

 

I am not advocating young kids read nothing but HP, but I do know of kids that had no interest in reading at all until the HP books came out who now have come to enjoy reading.

Kids are filling their minds with video games, sports etc. They need to be well rounded - and yes bible reading needs to be an intregal part of thier lives - however I dont think you will find many kids reading nothing but scripture 24/7. At the end of the day the HP books are fantasy/adventure books, not much different than fairy tales that we heard as kids or xmen or JRR for that matter

 

Kids certainly are filling their minds with more and more of things that do not glorify God in the least. Does that make it right for us to give them more of that which ultimately could doom their souls?

 

phillip
Santa claus did not glorifly witchcraft, sorcercy or the appearance there of. Harry Potter glorifies sorcery and witch craft.
Fiathgirl

 

preach it:thumbs:

 

I read recently that Lewis denied he intended to write allegory in Narnia at all. It just came out that way as he wrote the series. He wrote what he knew.

A writer should go to the writing table with no other agenda than to tell a good story. If you do, the quality of your writing (and your audience's interest in it) will suffer tremendously. However, if you do a good job telling your story, your worldview, your values, and your hopes and dreams will weave themselves onto the pages: influencing, inspiring and confronting your audience.

 

Satan Claus is a tool of the devil.

I don't know about all of that but I do believe witchcraft is real and I do believe there is a strong agenda to promote it right now.

I don't know about that either but if you write a book that promotes witchcraft, then you are working against God.

The Bible is written so that a fifth grader can understand it.

I don't know about all that but if God was first in your life why would you desire to right about something and not glorify Him in it?

I agree. Most of the Christian books today are published to make money. Since I believe in freedom of religion and freedom to associate and engage in commerce, they are welcome to do these things. Contrarily, since I believe in freedom of religion and since I'm a Christian, I'm free to preach against these works.

I'm not advocating that we burn her books but if I did, it wouldn't be because she created a fantasy world but because she promotes witchcraft. Tolkien's stuff could burn for the same reasons.

They just might and she and all the souls she seduced will still be in Hell or on the way.

You are the first in this thread to use the word "burn". Who do you believe is advocating that JK Rowlings books be burned? You seem to be hung up on this "fiction" thing. Most romance/erotica novels are based on fictitious plots as well, should we condone these books as being acceptable because they are "fiction".

Who is jealous of what?

However, hard it is to write fiction it must be even harder to write works that glorify God.

 

I don't know or care.
Faithgirl

 

I came late to the Harry Potter party.

I simply have not had the time or interest to read them. However, my wife was telling me that they were pretty good stories, so I reluctantly watched a movie or two, then I reluctantly said it would be ok to listen to some audio books on some long road trips. Then when I saw her plow through The Deathly Hollows in less than three days, I decided to read it.

And I have to admit, its really good.

As for the concerns about witchcraft, I'll say that I know people who practice wicca and believe in witchcraft. Based on my conversations with them and my reading of their literature (I traded with them :jesus: ) I can see major differences between what they believe and the purely imaginitve world of Harry Potter.

I really don't know of any agenda Rowling may have had, but I am facsinated with the way the book parallels some historical movements like the Nazis and the Stalinists. I also think that churches now have a wonderful opportunity. The themes of this book are good vs evil. The damage of evil on a soul. The reason sacrifice is required, and laying ones own life down. If you think about how many people are engrossed in a book about these things, you realize what an open door we have to share Christ. Its very exciting.

 

I just finished the book myself
(I had to wait for my youngest daughter to read it first).
Not a bad yarn.
The last book certainly wrapped up the whole series well.

Good summary, I agree but using over a million words, the author didn't develop the characters enough for me to really care that they lived or died.
IMO it isn't worth a second reading.

I'd be very careful to whom I'd recommend it.

Rob

 

Two issues here

I think we have two issues that are conflicting somewhat, but let me explain my point of not having a problem with J. K. Rowlings seven HP books.

First, I want to mention that you are ABSOLUTELY correct if you are guilty of giving secular fiction (of any kind) and not feeding your child the Word of God. This is more of a family problem and I think it would be wrong for us to plane Ms. Rowling for the fact that her books were just simply excellent stories, she is an excellent story teller, etc.

I believe that if you train your child in the Bible and keep them in church there is little chance the child will have a problem with fiction. Unless the child has a learning disability in determining fiction from non-fiction then you should not have a problem. We always had an Easter Bunny and a Santa Claus, but I cannot rememmber a time when I believed in either and I cannot remember a time when I didn't believe that there was a God.

Now, I'm also a writer (more of an amateur, but I do write a lot.) Quickly I'll talk about J K Rowling. Her world of wizards and witches is make-believe. How many witches fly on brooms? How many witches repair glasses with occulus repairous? Where is there an entire world including schools with hexes on them so muggles (non-magical folks like me) see a one room shack while the magical folks see a HUGE castle where the kids are trained in using their wands correctly and unicorns frolock in the woods with silver blood.

When I write fiction, I try to make it as true as possible and HONEST as possible. In other words, I write fiction for ONE reason only, because I like to write. So, I realize that nobody is perfect. My heros have flaws and my bad guys actually will have moments of either heroism or they show they have a "heart" (in the sense of helping somebody, blah, blah.)

Some people don't like us fiction writers because we do not make everything in the world perfect. We have an imperfect world just like the world we are writing about. If we are writing fantasy (which I often do--more along the lines of science fiction and high-tech modern warfare) then I have made up a world that does not exist and I expect my reader to understand that although I may be employing new advances in technology that have not yet been made to work in the real world, but may in the next twenty years.

Anyway, that's just my opinion of fiction. As a parent I am VERY careful what my children did read. I think parents should read the books their kids read (put a little time into your child's life.) Read HP and you may see things that you don't think your child is ready for; but, if you teach you child right, some day that child will have to make their OWN decision whether or not they should be able to read a particular book. If you do this right, then you have been successful and even a book that has a few words that are not exactly words I would use, I feel that I can read that book without being corrupted because I put my life on the Lord not on entertainment that I read.