26 Jul 05
Originally posted by SratpamI've read Tolkien but not Rowling's books. The fantasy/magic genre, which Tolkien practically created singlehandedly, is an exploration of imagination. It can only influence people if they can't distinguish fantasy from reality.
People keep on telling me that the books Harry Potter is a bad influence on people.🙁
As for the "magic" angle, most of these condemnations come from religious people, and yet this is ironic because so much of religious myth and religious legend is clearly based on magic. In some Buddhist scriptures, Buddha is credited with the power to fly through the air. Jesus supposedly walked on water and cast out devils. On the surface this is not much different from Harry Potter flying on his broomstick or Scotty beaming someone aboard the Enterprise. It's all a form of bending the natural laws of the universe so that seemingly magical things occur. But as Arthur C. Clarke once said, "any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic."
Tibetan mystics and some Indian sadhus have long been credited with possessing certain powers, called "siddhis" in Sanskrit, that are essentially forms of magic. Jesus' brought Lazarus back from the dead, but Padmasambhava, the Tibetan Buddhist master of around 900 AD, brought NINE people back from the dead, according to Tibetan scriptures. So these kinds of feats are not unique to Christian tradition, even though most who condemn the Potter books seem to be Christian (such as the current Pope).
More important are, I think, the underlying values that are put forth in any given work of literature. I'm not real familiar with the Potter stories but I understand that they're based on positive values of comradery, courage, overcoming evil, loyalty, etc., which if so should outshine any concerns about so-called magic.
26 Jul 05
Originally posted by ivanhoeIvanhoe, you and I agree on this one. It's the same tactic lots of music groups have used. Especially back in the 70's and 80's. I remember all the hub-bub about devil worshipping and satanic rock that used to be brought up regarding certain groups. The publicity those musicians got out of that must have been enormous. And it was free! I'm not saying the bands started it, but they certainly let the publicity run as long as they could. No sense in squashing a rumor that's helping their careers.
It's part of the carefully thought out publicity circus around the books.
Clever people those PR boys & girls !
26 Jul 05
Originally posted by wib
Ivanhoe, you and I agree on this one. It's the same tactic lots of music groups have used. Especially back in the 70's and 80's. I remember all the hub-bub about devil worshipping and satanic rock that used to be brought up regarding certain groups. The publicity those musicians got out of that must have been enormous. And it was free! I'm not saying t ...[text shortened]... ty run as long as they could. No sense in squashing a rumor that's helping their careers.
😉
26 Jul 05
Originally posted by SratpamNo, Harry Potter is not bad for people. I for one was astounded when this magical figure came on the scene back in 2000/1. After hearing a lot about it I went out and bought a copy for myself. The childrens cover not the 'Grown Up's' version. I enjoyed the bok immensely and have now read them all. HOWEVER.....
People keep on telling me that the books Harry Potter is a bad influence on people.🙁
Joanne Kathleen Rowling suddenly made thousands, millions of children turn off the television, turn off their computer and turn off their PlayStation to sit and read. For that alone she deserves to be made a DAme. (She may well be, I don't keep up with such useless information...but that's another story and we can leave that for another time.)
Good luck J K Rowland, you have made children pick up books again, and not once , but 5 times now. Take a bow.
26 Jul 05
Originally posted by XanthosNZYeah, I enjoyed AD&D as a kid. My best friend and I played it quite a bit and made up our own RPG systems. Wonderful creative fun. Unfortunately, both of our parents viewed AD&D as it is presented in the Chic track you linked. We lost a few items to flames just like the girl in the story.
http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp
This was just one experience that opened my eyes to the sheep mentality of American Evangelicalism. How can you argue with people who have never seen, much less played the game, but are convinced that the game demands everything from ritual sacrifice of small animals to soul exchange with Beelzebub? It doesn't matter that you have first hand knowledge of the game system. You are deceived. That's how Satan gets kids to kill themselves.
Muffy, these people worship ignorance.