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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: Junior

What can I say? The stars were right.


121 posted on 07/18/2005 11:56:35 AM PDT by Cyclopean Squid (Time is a wonderful teacher; unfortunately, it kills all its pupils. --Hector Berlioz)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Does it endorse mistreatment of little people and house violence?


122 posted on 07/18/2005 12:06:07 PM PDT by nickcarraway (I'm Only Alive, Because a Judge Hasn't Ruled I Should Die...)
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To: Cyclopean Squid
What can I say? The stars were right.

And no Elder Sign in sight ...

123 posted on 07/18/2005 12:34:39 PM 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: Tax-chick
Yes, I believe my husband and his networking group spend time in their lab cutting the heads off chickens.

Maybe not chickens, but they are probably trimming the ends of Cat5e cable and then using the cuttings to tell fortunes (similar to reading entrails).

:^)

124 posted on 07/18/2005 12:48:07 PM PDT by Disambiguator (Making accusations of racism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.)
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To: Chief_Joe

Agree to disagree, I suppose.


125 posted on 07/18/2005 1:23:07 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Democrats ... frolicking on the wilder shores of Planet Zongo.)
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To: Disambiguator
and then using the cuttings to tell fortunes (similar to reading entrails).

They might as well disembowel goats. When they use digital diagnostic equipment to evaluate network issues, the CIO says, "Yeah, well that doesn't prove anything!"

126 posted on 07/18/2005 1:24:42 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Democrats ... frolicking on the wilder shores of Planet Zongo.)
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To: Raycpa

Your son seems quite insightful. My oldest boy, 11, just read the first Harry Potter book, and said it was reasonably interesting; maybe he'll check out another from the library. My 14-year-old daughter said it was boring.


127 posted on 07/18/2005 1:30:46 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Democrats ... frolicking on the wilder shores of Planet Zongo.)
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To: kellynch
Sexual innuendo? I've read every single book at least twice

Her post was in reply to a previous post asking what was wrong with the movie, Fantastic 4. It had nothing to do with HP.
128 posted on 07/18/2005 2:41:21 PM PDT by Texas2step (<><)
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To: TheBigB
HOW ARE YOU GENTLEMEN!!

YOU HAVE NO CHANCE TO SURVIVE MAKE YOUR TIME

129 posted on 07/18/2005 2:50:40 PM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: pa mom
Well reasoned. Potter books are not universally bad for kids, but in the wrong hands, heck, manure can be deadly!

In the wrong hands, the Bible is dangerous. Anything string enough to build on is strong enough to beat someone with.

130 posted on 07/18/2005 2:52:35 PM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: Kitten Festival

I've read all of the books except the new one and as a Christian, am not bothered at all by the series. It's more about good -vs- evil than anything else.
I can't wait to start on the new oen.


131 posted on 07/18/2005 2:57:46 PM PDT by Lx (Do you like it, do you like it. Scott? I call it Mr. and Mrs. Tennerman chili.)
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To: Cicero
I think C. S. Lewis says something like that in his essay on Fairy Tales. For most people, fairy stories are less dangerous than stories about becoming rich and famous, because they don't feed into the vein of self-absorbed wish-fullfillment (Lewis was writing at a time when Freud's take on literature was dominant). But I agree, if a kid seems to be taking the idea of magic seriously, then he needs to be educated or diverted to something else.

The story -- and it might be an urban legend -- is that Lewis and Tolkein were sitting together, lamenting the fact that the youth of (their) today had no myths. And out of that conversation came the two great epics of the 20th century.

Lewis' epic adhered more closely to the Bible. Tolkein's reached back more into ancient tradition and sheer invention. But they both served the function of ancient myths, to teach moral lessons and illustrate virtue: Courage, wisdom, loyalty, determination, compassion. Those are eternal, no matter what the external trappings of the story. And the Harry Potter books depict all of them well. As well as some others I probably forgot to mention.

(As an aside, I will not be moved from my position that Samwise Ganjee is the real hero of the LotR trilogy. He had no special skill, no great strength, no supernatural powers, no preordained destiny. He Just. Would. Not. Give. Up. We can't decide to have the skill of Legolas or the power of Gandalf. We can decide to be Sam.)

132 posted on 07/18/2005 3:22:58 PM PDT by ReignOfError
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To: Junior
I found the prose to be stultifyingly thick.

I've struggled through two books of the Ring trilogy. I haven't had the energy to start the third.

133 posted on 07/18/2005 5:05:56 PM PDT by js1138 (e unum pluribus)
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To: SouthernBoyupNorth

There are people who fervently believe all fiction should be banned(burned) because fiction is by definition, untrue! Don't let anyone read lies!!!! Especially bad are political campaign flyers and recent supreme court decisions;obvious works of fiction.


134 posted on 07/18/2005 5:23:54 PM PDT by hoosierham
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To: Raycpa; BibChr
to assume their is no danger is itself absurd.

To fear literature is to be doubtful of the rock upon which you stand.

I've read the books so that I can discuss them with my oldest son, who is also reading them. Guess what? We still believe that Christ died for our sins, and that our redemption is through Him only.

Plus, we got to read some pretty good books. Tolkien they're not. But they're pretty good.

135 posted on 07/18/2005 7:25:35 PM PDT by grellis (Ravenclaw, class of '87)
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To: ReignOfError
We can't decide to have the skill of Legolas or the power of Gandalf. We can decide to be Sam.

Love it, love it, love it! Too bad it's too long for my tagline or I'd steal it!

136 posted on 07/18/2005 7:34:35 PM PDT by grellis (Ravenclaw, class of '87)
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To: js1138
I've struggled through two books of the Ring trilogy. I haven't had the energy to start the third.

I'll warn you in advance--if you ever decide to tackle The Silmarillion, start taking vitamins a month or two ahead of time.

137 posted on 07/18/2005 7:36:51 PM PDT by grellis (Ravenclaw, class of '87)
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To: grellis

LOL, that's no lie!

I love LOTR, have read them many, many times -- but I would say that I ENDURED the Silmarillion, or SURVIVED it.

My punk teenager ate it up, though, and my wife thought it was fun. Humph.

Dan


138 posted on 07/18/2005 7:48:12 PM PDT by BibChr ("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
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To: BibChr
FUN??? Egad. I guess Beowulf was a squeal, too, wasn't it?!
139 posted on 07/18/2005 7:52:37 PM PDT by grellis (Ravenclaw, class of '87)
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To: -YYZ-

Oh good lord! - Said in my best kelsey grammer impersonation.

You mean to tell me you have never seen Army of Darkness. Only one of the best cult films of all time. Bruce "The Bruce" Campbell is one of the most underrated actors of all time in a comedy-action sense. Ok.... First skip the censored crap on tv and go rent Evil Dead 1 & 2, and Army of Darkness.

Personally, I have my limited edition of Evil Dead 2 with the fake skin (Necronomicon) case.

Plus, the Bruce was the only reason to watch Xena (other than that totally hot lesbian thing).

That's me - putting the "Fun" back into "Fundamentalist".


140 posted on 07/18/2005 8:37:26 PM PDT by Illuminatas (Being conservative means never having to say; "Dont you dare question my patriotism")
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