I haven't read any of the Potter books. I want to, but everytime I go to the local library to give them a peek they're checked out.
I love childrens fantasy. I think it can be misused (any fantasy actually) but some of it is wonderful. The Neverending Story is my favorite. That's really not a childrens book though, though they made it into a very cultured Children's movie. (The first one that is)
Let me add here (and please don't hit me over the head) I absolutely HATE most Disney films. (Mary Poppins was wonderfull though) Theyre so..so..forumlated.
Yeah kids love books about magic, that's for sure. I know I did as a kid.
"The True GOD is soooooooooo much better...maybe if we had some really good movies..."
How about if parents train their children in the way that they should go?
Then not only would Potter movies be a lot of fun (especially in view of the fact that you seem to think that Christians have dropped the ball on producing good movies), but they could be very instructional - IF parents taught their children what was going on.
I think that the Harry Potter books and movies are great. They are pure fantasy and entertainment - no more.
I have a 5-year-old daughter who loves Harry Potter, we have seem both movies numerous times. Yet when asked, she will tell you right away - "It's not real Dad - that is only in the movies." But she will also tell you that God and Jesus are real.
Like Thomas said, we raise train our children in the way they should go. If we do this then fictional and fantasy stuff like Harry Potter can be enjoyed as the entertaiment it is intended to be.
Now, if you had read one of the books or seen a Harry Potter movie, then you would know that we are "muggles" (non-magical folks) and not capble of becoming wizzards or witches.
Goey
"Most of my fondest memories in TWI never really happened"
quote:I never have seen or read the stuff but have heard enought thru ads.
That's almost exactly what the limb leader of NC told us 30 years ago when we were warned not to see "The Exorcist" because it glorified the Catholic church.
I ignored that advice like pretty much everything else I was warned about in "the world."
pi, speaking of north carolina ;)-->, my son listens to a group called "good charlotte" and they have a song, "the happiest day of my life is the day that i die...."
anyhow, my sweet boy told me some parents won't let their kids listen to it (rc'ers, not wayfers) and i said "why"? and he said because the parents actually think it might make you want to die and it's just a song, mom
anyway, do i need to clarify and talk about if my son ever gets real depressed and listens to something over and over and over which would make him want to die. dah dah dah dah dah dah
As for Harry P. I don't know, just something about all the kids standing around bookstores with their pointy hats and wands in hand totally creeps me out. Christian bookstores have many, many kids and pre-teen alternatives.
QUIT BEING SOOOOO RELIGIOUS!!! HAVE YOU SEEN ANY DISNEY MOVIES WHERE THERE ARE 2 PARENTS???? tEACH YOUR KIDS TRUTH FROM ERROR AND ENJOYTHE INCREDIBLE WRITING OF THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS! I LOVE THEM!!!! (Oh- my kids love them too!!) Do your kids watch any shoot-em' up movies???? Do they watch start Treck? Let's get off teh legalism wall!!!
Actually, she is nearly as rich as the queen. The queen has many priceless assets therefore no one has a clear picture of her wealth. But JK is the second wealthiest women in England for sure...
I love that she bought a house with her initial earnings and then gave it to a single mom friend once she was rich enough to buy a mansion. or is it a castle? That sounds pretty "Christian" to me...
I was of a similar mindset regarding the HP books a couple of years ago, namely, I didn't want witchcraft being peddled to kids. Then, Hope, Chinny, and a few of the other chatroom regulars at the old GS browbeat me into reading the first one. If you don't give up on it in the first chapter, (which I had done, once before) you'll find that they're on the same level as any other children's fantasy book. Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Rabbit, for that matter...(talking bunnies? Devilish!)
The "witchcraft" in them consists mostly of mangled Latin and wand-waving. For example, Hermione fixes Harry's broken glasses by using the "Reparo" spell. The kids get their school assignments from a talking hat. -->
Basically, the books are so popular because they are just plain well-written. They don't talk down to kids, and they aren't so syrupy that adults will gag. For a quick overview, rent the first movie. It's nearly shot-for-shot right out of the book. (The second one is more abridged, simply because these movies push the three-hour mark already, and they're the two shortest books.)
I just finished reading the fifth one last night. Another of the reasons it just keeps growing in popularity is that each of the books is better than the last. No one really dies from the bad guys until the end of Book 4 (the only book that departs from the standard HP formula: Harry's miserable with his adoptive family, goes off to the new school year, gets framed for something he has nothing to do with (again), solves the mystery with the help of his two friends (and others), and gets the hurray at the end. Repeat until mind-bogglingly rich.)
I would think more kids get hurt mimicking swordfights from Lord of the Rings or He-Man than fall off their Quidditch brooms. Your kids are smarter than you give them credit for.
The fool hath said in his heart, "PFAL is the Word of God..."
Anger, rage, rudeness and swearing worked well for LCM and politicians, why not train our kids in this?
I don't tell Andrew what he can read and not read. I homeschool him and teach him the absolute truths of Gods Word as well as the art of critical thinking. For this reason I have little fear of what he reads.
He read this and found it disgusting as did I...
"Harry longed to bite the man. . . but he must master the impulse. He had more important work to do. But the man was stirring. . . Harry saw his vibrant, blurred outline towering above him, saw a wand withdrawn from a belt. . . . He had no choice. . . . He reared high from the floor and struck once, twice, three times, plunging his fangs deeply into the man?s flesh, feeling his ribs splinter beneath his jaws, feeling the warm gush of blood. . . The man was yelling in pain. . . then he fell silent. . . . He slumped backward against the wall... . Blood was splattering onto the floor.... His forehead hurt terribly." (p. 463)
******************************
First the ballot box...
then the soap box...
then the jury box...
last, the cartridge box.
DEO VINDICE!!
Ron G.
[This message was edited by Ron G. on June 27, 2003 at 13:14.]
The passage quoted is taken out of context. In it, Harry is having a nightmare that his best friend's father is being attacked by the evil wizard Voldemort. He wakes up in time to warn the adults to hurry to save him. -->
The fool hath said in his heart, "PFAL is the Word of God..."
ah come on Ron-- was that the ONLY passage your son read?!! As zix said--- VERY MUCH taken out of context!!
ah-- the bible says I can move mountains--- walk on water--- turn water into wine-- (lets talking about the communion thing--- drinking the blood of Jesus-- partaking of the the flesh!!)
havent seen a lot of THAT happening either...!!
What would happen if that was the ONLY part of the bible your son read........
Folks will think what they want to think and read what they will and will not read.
When my daughter came home from school upset that some of the kids were calling her devilish for liking Harry Potter, here is what I said to her and what I'd say to pretty much anyone...
"If Harry Potter is devilish, then so is every fairy tale we've ever told kids, every Disney story or film, every Magic Schoolbus episode, and many, many classic tales in literature.
I wouldn't worry if I were you. Most folk who say that about Harry Potter have not read the book(s) or seen the movie(s)...how can you make a valid statement without any fact? You are basing your opinion on heresay, and how do you know the heresay is true?
It's not what you read, see, or listen to that determines your relationship with God...it is what you do with it once you've read, seen, or listened to it. People have used the bible to kill thousands of people...was that the intent of the author?
Ya know, if God were so weak and fearful as to be afraid of a book or a movie, we'd all be in big trouble. Only fear causes people to condemn something before they know it.
If someone reads it and does not like it, that's another story. That's a matter of personal taste and their opinion should be honored.
But to judge out of ignorance....that is evil."
She never has had a moments worry about being "devilish" again.
(I've read each book at least twice, seen each movie at least twice, and buy em as soon as they come out. And the voices in my head all say it's ok.)
[This message was edited by chinson on July 01, 2003 at 10:03.]
[This message was edited by chinson on July 01, 2003 at 16:48.]
quote: It's not what you read, see, or listen to that determines your relationship with God...it is what you do with it once you've read, seen, or listened to it. People have used the bible to kill thousands of people...was that the intent of the author?
Let's please remember where this quote is, and get it out every time someone says "that picture (or book, or movie, or song, or whathaveyou) has devil spirits in it."
I can imagine that a few people might go chasing after witchcraft after having read HP. I can imagine that. But I KNOW people that justify their evil based on what they read in the Bible. Do devil spirits jump out of the pages of the NT and bite people?
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RottieGrrrl
I haven't read any of the Potter books. I want to, but everytime I go to the local library to give them a peek they're checked out.
I love childrens fantasy. I think it can be misused (any fantasy actually) but some of it is wonderful. The Neverending Story is my favorite. That's really not a childrens book though, though they made it into a very cultured Children's movie. (The first one that is)
Let me add here (and please don't hit me over the head) I absolutely HATE most Disney films. (Mary Poppins was wonderfull though) Theyre so..so..forumlated.
Yeah kids love books about magic, that's for sure. I know I did as a kid.
On the eighth day, God created...Rottweilers...
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Tom
I think the stories are great in a lot of ways.
"The True GOD is soooooooooo much better...maybe if we had some really good movies..."
How about if parents train their children in the way that they should go?
Then not only would Potter movies be a lot of fun (especially in view of the fact that you seem to think that Christians have dropped the ball on producing good movies), but they could be very instructional - IF parents taught their children what was going on.
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Goey
Ariel,
I think that the Harry Potter books and movies are great. They are pure fantasy and entertainment - no more.
I have a 5-year-old daughter who loves Harry Potter, we have seem both movies numerous times. Yet when asked, she will tell you right away - "It's not real Dad - that is only in the movies." But she will also tell you that God and Jesus are real.
Like Thomas said, we raise train our children in the way they should go. If we do this then fictional and fantasy stuff like Harry Potter can be enjoyed as the entertaiment it is intended to be.
Now, if you had read one of the books or seen a Harry Potter movie, then you would know that we are "muggles" (non-magical folks) and not capble of becoming wizzards or witches.
Goey
"Most of my fondest memories in TWI never really happened"
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Hope R.
Ms. Betty Bowers has her opinions of Harry... check out Betty Bowers site! (hee hee)
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Pirate1974
That's almost exactly what the limb leader of NC told us 30 years ago when we were warned not to see "The Exorcist" because it glorified the Catholic church.
I ignored that advice like pretty much everything else I was warned about in "the world."
It's just a story.
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excathedra
gosh hope, i thought you said betty bowen
pi, speaking of north carolina
;)-->, my son listens to a group called "good charlotte" and they have a song, "the happiest day of my life is the day that i die...."
anyhow, my sweet boy told me some parents won't let their kids listen to it (rc'ers, not wayfers) and i said "why"? and he said because the parents actually think it might make you want to die and it's just a song, mom
anyway, do i need to clarify and talk about if my son ever gets real depressed and listens to something over and over and over which would make him want to die. dah dah dah dah dah dah
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RottieGrrrl
Rent the NEVERENDING STORY DAMNIT! And read the book. Greatest kids movie/book ever written
Better than Mrs. Piggle Wiggle even. Well....almost.
On the eighth day, God created...Rottweilers...
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RottieGrrrl
Yeah, this is the one I was following. Continue the original before starting a new one. It makes it easier to follow.
On the eighth day, God created...Rottweilers...
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corrydj
Ex...I hear it all the time from my sons:
"It's just a (song/game/movie/book) mommmm!"
corrydj
As for Harry P. I don't know, just something about all the kids standing around bookstores with their pointy hats and wands in hand totally creeps me out. Christian bookstores have many, many kids and pre-teen alternatives.
NEVER KICK A COW CHIP ON A HOT DAY!!
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sis
QUIT BEING SOOOOO RELIGIOUS!!! HAVE YOU SEEN ANY DISNEY MOVIES WHERE THERE ARE 2 PARENTS???? tEACH YOUR KIDS TRUTH FROM ERROR AND ENJOYTHE INCREDIBLE WRITING OF THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS! I LOVE THEM!!!! (Oh- my kids love them too!!) Do your kids watch any shoot-em' up movies???? Do they watch start Treck? Let's get off teh legalism wall!!!
(ehemmmm..... just my 2 cents worth!)
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What The Hay
A welfare mom writes a book, and now she's richer than the Queen of England. Go figure.
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excathedra
i'm jealous
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karmicdebt
Actually, she is nearly as rich as the queen. The queen has many priceless assets therefore no one has a clear picture of her wealth. But JK is the second wealthiest women in England for sure...
I love that she bought a house with her initial earnings and then gave it to a single mom friend once she was rich enough to buy a mansion. or is it a castle? That sounds pretty "Christian" to me...
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excathedra
she does sound like a sweetheart when she talks about her "guilt" feelings for being so wealthy
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rascal
Amen Ginger...great thoughts.
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Zixar
I was of a similar mindset regarding the HP books a couple of years ago, namely, I didn't want witchcraft being peddled to kids. Then, Hope, Chinny, and a few of the other chatroom regulars at the old GS browbeat me into reading the first one. If you don't give up on it in the first chapter, (which I had done, once before) you'll find that they're on the same level as any other children's fantasy book. Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Rabbit, for that matter...(talking bunnies? Devilish!)
The "witchcraft" in them consists mostly of mangled Latin and wand-waving. For example, Hermione fixes Harry's broken glasses by using the "Reparo" spell. The kids get their school assignments from a talking hat.
-->
Basically, the books are so popular because they are just plain well-written. They don't talk down to kids, and they aren't so syrupy that adults will gag. For a quick overview, rent the first movie. It's nearly shot-for-shot right out of the book. (The second one is more abridged, simply because these movies push the three-hour mark already, and they're the two shortest books.)
I just finished reading the fifth one last night. Another of the reasons it just keeps growing in popularity is that each of the books is better than the last. No one really dies from the bad guys until the end of Book 4 (the only book that departs from the standard HP formula: Harry's miserable with his adoptive family, goes off to the new school year, gets framed for something he has nothing to do with (again), solves the mystery with the help of his two friends (and others), and gets the hurray at the end. Repeat until mind-bogglingly rich.)
I would think more kids get hurt mimicking swordfights from Lord of the Rings or He-Man than fall off their Quidditch brooms. Your kids are smarter than you give them credit for.
The fool hath said in his heart, "PFAL is the Word of God..."
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Ron G.
Anger, rage, rudeness and swearing worked well for LCM and politicians, why not train our kids in this?
I don't tell Andrew what he can read and not read. I homeschool him and teach him the absolute truths of Gods Word as well as the art of critical thinking. For this reason I have little fear of what he reads.
He read this and found it disgusting as did I...
"Harry longed to bite the man. . . but he must master the impulse. He had more important work to do. But the man was stirring. . . Harry saw his vibrant, blurred outline towering above him, saw a wand withdrawn from a belt. . . . He had no choice. . . . He reared high from the floor and struck once, twice, three times, plunging his fangs deeply into the man?s flesh, feeling his ribs splinter beneath his jaws, feeling the warm gush of blood. . . The man was yelling in pain. . . then he fell silent. . . . He slumped backward against the wall... . Blood was splattering onto the floor.... His forehead hurt terribly." (p. 463)
******************************
First the ballot box...
then the soap box...
then the jury box...
last, the cartridge box.
DEO VINDICE!!
Ron G.
[This message was edited by Ron G. on June 27, 2003 at 13:14.]
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Zixar
The passage quoted is taken out of context. In it, Harry is having a nightmare that his best friend's father is being attacked by the evil wizard Voldemort. He wakes up in time to warn the adults to hurry to save him.
-->
The fool hath said in his heart, "PFAL is the Word of God..."
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2life
ah come on Ron-- was that the ONLY passage your son read?!! As zix said--- VERY MUCH taken out of context!!
ah-- the bible says I can move mountains--- walk on water--- turn water into wine-- (lets talking about the communion thing--- drinking the blood of Jesus-- partaking of the the flesh!!)
havent seen a lot of THAT happening either...!!
What would happen if that was the ONLY part of the bible your son read........
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Cindy!
Folks will think what they want to think and read what they will and will not read.
When my daughter came home from school upset that some of the kids were calling her devilish for liking Harry Potter, here is what I said to her and what I'd say to pretty much anyone...
"If Harry Potter is devilish, then so is every fairy tale we've ever told kids, every Disney story or film, every Magic Schoolbus episode, and many, many classic tales in literature.
I wouldn't worry if I were you. Most folk who say that about Harry Potter have not read the book(s) or seen the movie(s)...how can you make a valid statement without any fact? You are basing your opinion on heresay, and how do you know the heresay is true?
It's not what you read, see, or listen to that determines your relationship with God...it is what you do with it once you've read, seen, or listened to it. People have used the bible to kill thousands of people...was that the intent of the author?
Ya know, if God were so weak and fearful as to be afraid of a book or a movie, we'd all be in big trouble. Only fear causes people to condemn something before they know it.
If someone reads it and does not like it, that's another story. That's a matter of personal taste and their opinion should be honored.
But to judge out of ignorance....that is evil."
She never has had a moments worry about being "devilish" again.
(I've read each book at least twice, seen each movie at least twice, and buy em as soon as they come out. And the voices in my head all say it's ok.)
[This message was edited by chinson on July 01, 2003 at 10:03.]
[This message was edited by chinson on July 01, 2003 at 16:48.]
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shazdancer
Dear chinny,
You said:
Let's please remember where this quote is, and get it out every time someone says "that picture (or book, or movie, or song, or whathaveyou) has devil spirits in it."
I can imagine that a few people might go chasing after witchcraft after having read HP. I can imagine that. But I KNOW people that justify their evil based on what they read in the Bible. Do devil spirits jump out of the pages of the NT and bite people?
Thanks, chinny.
Shaz
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Zixar
It's also odd that Harry's school breaks for Christmas and Easter...
;)--> Hem hem...
The fool hath said in his heart, "PFAL is the Word of God..."
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chwester
Two of the biggest selling books are the new Harry Potter book and Hillary Clinton's book.
They have something else in common.
They both contain witchcraft.
:D-->
www.pullingdownstrongholds.com
www.bluestarbase.org
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Cindy!
chwester....
I think you meant to say that one has witchcraft and the other has bitchcraft
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