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Harry Potter and the Dark Side
The American Thinker ^ | 7 18 05 | Elizabeth Bennett

Posted on 07/18/2005 6:36:15 AM PDT by Kitten Festival

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To: rrstar96
If kids read the Bible (or any other worthwhile religious literature), prayed, and attended church with the same enthusiasm and dedication they read these Harry Potter books

The things you do for fun are always going to be done more enthusiastically than what you do for duty, and one really should not read scripture, pray or go to church for entertainment.

21 posted on 07/18/2005 7:49:53 AM PDT by Tribune7
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To: Tax-chick

At least it wasn't spelled "winged boer"...


22 posted on 07/18/2005 7:50:45 AM PDT by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
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To: Frank_Discussion

That would probably be considered racist.


23 posted on 07/18/2005 7:51:06 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Democrats ... frolicking on the wilder shores of Planet Zongo.)
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To: Tribune7
and one really should not read scripture, pray or go to church for entertainment.

You seem to be suggesting that anything one enjoys is "entertainment." I enjoyed tax accounting when I was employed, but it wasn't entertainment. I enjoy cleaning the floors, if I can get all the kids out of the way for an hour, but it's not entertainment.

If you mean that Scripture, prayer, and worship aren't enjoyable, then that's pretty sad.

24 posted on 07/18/2005 7:53:41 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Democrats ... frolicking on the wilder shores of Planet Zongo.)
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To: TheBigB

LMAO!


25 posted on 07/18/2005 7:54:13 AM PDT by WV Mountain Mama (Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.)
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To: Tax-chick

This is probably true. I'm just saying that would be about the only way the writer's parenthetical "literary aid" worse. Seeing "(flying pigs)" was irritating to me, as well.


26 posted on 07/18/2005 7:56:01 AM PDT by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
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To: SouthernBoyupNorth

hummm....good point...let's see....a holy man parting the Red Sea.....turning a snake into a staff.....raining down loaves of bread and fish to feed the multitude....casting an evil angel out of heaven....turning water into wine.....a burning bush bursting into fire....hummmmmmmm


27 posted on 07/18/2005 7:57:14 AM PDT by smiley
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To: JackDanielsOldNo7

28 posted on 07/18/2005 7:57:57 AM PDT by evets (You're welcome.)
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To: Tribune7

I knew something bothered me about thar post. Your rebuttal said it beautifully.


29 posted on 07/18/2005 7:58:44 AM PDT by HungarianGypsy
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To: Frank_Discussion

It reminds me of an article in our state's tourist publication, about a slave who wrote poetry - specializing in love poems for college students to woo their girlfriends. The article's author kept providing definitions of words the slave used in his poems and letters, even though the man didn't even learn to write until he was in his 50's; someone had to copy down what he composed orally.

Education has really declined!


30 posted on 07/18/2005 8:00:38 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Democrats ... frolicking on the wilder shores of Planet Zongo.)
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To: Junior
Last time I saw a combination of words like that it was in the Welsh language
31 posted on 07/18/2005 8:00:51 AM PDT by mware ("God is dead" -- Nietzsch"....... "Nope, you are"-- GOD)
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To: Tax-chick

Enjoyable, yes. But, still a bit of work. Entertainment like Harry Potter is more of an escape. A relaxation. I can't explain exactly the difference, but there is.


32 posted on 07/18/2005 8:02:23 AM PDT by HungarianGypsy
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To: rrstar96
If kids read the Bible (or any other worthwhile religious literature), prayed, and attended church with the same enthusiasm and dedication they read these Harry Potter books, this would be a better world.

Are you saying that they don't read the Bible because they read Harry Potter? To the extent some kids don't read the Bible as much as they read Harry Potter, I don't see any reason to infer that the two are connected even remotely. It's not like they sit down and say "well, I could read either the Bible or Harry Potter. Gee, I think I'll go with Harry Potter today."

Kids just don't read as much, and that has nothing to do with HP.

33 posted on 07/18/2005 8:04:01 AM PDT by XJarhead
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To: mware

"In his house in R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming."


34 posted on 07/18/2005 8:05:24 AM PDT by Junior (Just because the voices in your head tell you to do things doesn't mean you have to listen to them)
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To: HungarianGypsy

I understand what you mean. There's a difference between picking up a mystery novel and a serious history book, even though I'm doing both for enjoyment, neither because I have to.

I was just taking issue with the apparent contention that we only read the Bible (pray, attend church) out of duty, not because we like doing it. We like going to church, and we have a great time with the Bible.


35 posted on 07/18/2005 8:05:33 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Democrats ... frolicking on the wilder shores of Planet Zongo.)
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To: Tax-chick
If you mean that Scripture, prayer, and worship aren't enjoyable, then that's pretty sad.>

What I mean is that you should do these things even if you don't particularly find them enjoyable, especially since the pleasure is, for most, an acquired taste rather than an instinctive one -- unlike fiction.

36 posted on 07/18/2005 8:09:37 AM PDT by Tribune7
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To: Illuminatas
"Yea, I said the words. OK. Well Most of them anyway. You've got the damn book, now send me home!"

I saw that stupid movie on the sci-fi channel recently. Unfortunately (?) I couldn't quite stay awake long enough to watch it all. What was the name of it, anyway?

37 posted on 07/18/2005 8:09:49 AM PDT by -YYZ-
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To: Pride in the USA
Actually, I have some Christian friends who refuse to allow Narnia or the Lord of the Rings trilogy in their homes because there are witches, wizards, etc. While I disagree with them, I respect that their own unique walk with the Lord would be compromised by such material.

I worked (and will be working again this fall) at Lucasfilm. Lucas has his share of critics on this forum because they believe the Force is an actual New Age-style religious belief. Some of the people who work for Lucas (one of whom is an Academy Award winner for sound design) are Christians and conservatives. We are surrounded by liberals, but somehow manage to get along.

If some Christians believe I am going to hell because I work for Lucas and enjoy science fiction/fantasy, so be it. It's not worth debating. I've read the Harry Potter series--as has my homeschooled son--and at no time did we forsake our religious beliefs and turn to witchcraft. Of course, both my son and I think that Rowlings' books are no where near the literary level of Narnia and the Ring trilogy.

I decided to read Harry to see what all the fuss was about and make a judgement for myself. I never was a fan of book burning or listening to others who refused to read the material, but somehow knew it would lead to the dark side. (Ooops, sorry, couldn't help myself with that last line--force of habit, you know.) I came to the opinion that Harry Potter is no worse or better than The Wizard of Oz. There is definitely good vs evil within its pages. And, yes, Harry is a good guy--about as good as Glinda, the Good Witch of Oz, if you're into that stuff.

38 posted on 07/18/2005 8:09:59 AM PDT by demnomo
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To: Kitten Festival

Just because a book is fiction doesn't mean it can't be harmful. Pullman's "Golden Compass" trilogy is positively diabolical, expressly designed to subtly undermine the faith of children and persuade them that God is evil.

Harry Potter is just fine. Rowling shows none of that evil intention in my view. In the war between good and evil, she clearly sides with good. Indeed, her theodicy, if that isn't too grand a term, is on much more solid ground than that silly and confused business about "the dark side of the Force" in "Star Wars."


39 posted on 07/18/2005 8:12:17 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: HungarianGypsy

Thank you.


40 posted on 07/18/2005 8:13:51 AM PDT by Tribune7
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