Harry Potter

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Personally, I never felt any conflict at all. My dad read the books and took me to the library to check them out for myself because he really thought I would enjoy them.

Now kids reading against their parents wishes, that's wrong. People who would be drawn to the occult reading the books? Again, wrong. Christians who feel guilty for reading them? Wrong too. But for me, I found them enjoyable and had my parents' permission. I never considered Wicca and I found them to be useful to me in understanding some of the lessons in the Bible, actually. Like standing up for what is right and defending those who are ridiculed.

It bothers me that a series that actually helped me in my faith is being treated like it's the devil or something. These people have never read the books, obviously. I don't have a problem with someone reading the first book or watching a movie and disliking it. It's when they assume that the use of fairy-tale-like magic is real Wicca. Would you ban Narnia or even Snow White for using "magic"?

It's something to think about. Actually, funnily enough, my autistic brother is reading the books for the first time. He too is intelligent and mature enough to know it's all make believe. My youngest brother, who is 12, didn't like reading the books though he likes the movies.

And Mike, was the HP movie you saw the 4th, 5th, or 6th one? Because they felt like dream sequences to me too. Only the readers of the books would understand them. Goblet of Fire was one of the worst interpretations of a book I have ever seen on screen. I read the book and even I was completely confused!!! Want to see a great HP movie? The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 7th movies explain the story a lot better.
 
Mike said:
Yes, Nick, a dream sequence. A dream sequence. To me the movie was like a series of wild scenes that made no sense. Are you happy now? Finding humor in my oldness! :lol

Dora, I agree with everything you said. Though in my heart I'm concerned when I see some Christians faced with a choice to make sacrifices in their faith or their movie watching pleasures, and they choose to sacrifice their faith. I'm not talking about all Christians who chooses Potter. Just the ones who feel conflict and still choose it.
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Yes, yes I am. :lol

I agree with Dora too. I love the HP series, and have grown up with it. On average I am the same age as the main characters when each movie is released. I have never felt like it has been a problem for me. A couple of my friends decided not to go with it, but that's their choice and I admire their maturity if they feel so convicted and act on it.
 
They are not for me.

Fairytales were not read in our home. Us kids did not have The Little Golden Books.

We had Bible stories. Little Women, huck fin Fairytales were not BANNED they just wernt there.

I would not have the Potter books in my home. For me they make the 'other world' look enticing. I never did Bed knobs and broom sticks .... Was not comfortable watching Bewitched, so i didn't . etc

Could be my fears alone or maybe God kept me safe because He knows my heart.
 
reba said:
They are not for me.

Fairytales were not read in our home. Us kids did not have The Little Golden Books.

We had Bible stories. Little Women, huck fin Fairytales were not BANNED they just wernt there.

I would not have the Potter books in my home. For me they make the 'other world' look enticing. I never did Bed knobs and broom sticks .... Was not comfortable watching Bewitched, so i didn't . etc

Could be my fears alone or maybe God kept me safe because He knows my heart.
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I absolutely respect this, Reba. :yes
 
reba said:
We had Bible stories. Little Women, huck fin Fairytales were not BANNED they just wernt there.
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I can understand this. We don't have TV in our house for similar reasons. I include the classics as much as possible and try to pick books that can grown a person. The HP books were fun for us and suited us, but we make choices on what's available, too.

If people are looking for something interesting for kids, two authors I *LOVE* are Linda Sue Park and Lawrence Yep. I've read them aloud and the kids have read some on their own.

Both involve magic in some of their books, so use that filter, but they are written from the perspective or Korean and Chinese legend, and include all kinds of cultural mores that are nice for kids to hear in many contexts.

A great (non-magic) starter is "The Kite Fighter" (NOT the kite runners) by Linda Sue Park - it's about two boys in medieval Korea who fly kites and befriend the lonely king. Great chapter book.
 
God&DogGirl said:
And Mike, was the HP movie you saw the 4th, 5th, or 6th one? Because they felt like dream sequences to me too. Only the readers of the books would understand them. Goblet of Fire was one of the worst interpretations of a book I have ever seen on screen. I read the book and even I was completely confused!!! Want to see a great HP movie? The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 7th movies explain the story a lot better.
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This was the the last movie that came out. It had huge spiders in some cave?? Do they all have huge spiders? :lol I don't know much more to tell you, because I was thoroughly lost. I felt like my dog must feel when he sees people come in and out of the room. Just like, "Oh, okay. Now there are some big spiders. I wonder if I have to use the restroom. That would be nice." :lol

If you never felt conflicted over them, then I say watch Harry and those huge spiders!
 
When were there huge spiders in a cave? I don't remember that. I mean... there were spiders in Chamber of Secrets but that was in 2002...

Darn, now I have to watch the whole movie all over again. :D
 
God&DogGirl said:
When were there huge spiders in a cave? I don't remember that. I mean... there were spiders in Chamber of Secrets but that was in 2002...

Darn, now I have to watch the whole movie all over again. :D
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Yeah, I'm not sure about these spiders either.
 
handy said:
Wasn't there a scene in which Ron faces his fear of the spiders...it was a sort of dream sequence...is that in the film or in the book?
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Ron faces his fear of spiders in no2 - Chamber of Secrets, and with the Boggart scene is no3 - Prisinor of Azkaban. I can't remember any other time that spider's crop up, except the enormous dead one in no6 - Half-Blood Prince.

In the lastest movie, no7 - Deathly Hallows part 1, there may be what you call a "dream sequence" when Harry and Ron try and destroy the lockart Horcrux with the Sword of Gryffindor, but that has no spiders.
 
Sorry this spider thing is causing such confusion, but that's one of the few things I remember from the movie! Come on!! The red-haired kid was in a sort of cave or tunnel, and there were giant spiders chasing him. Maybe it was a dream thing to get over his fears, now that I think of it. Ironic. The whole movie made about as much sense as a dream. :)
 
Okay, you all made me go do a search on youtube. This is what I'm talking about. This is an evil looking promo, though! (shudder)

[video=youtube;p4lP-T602kA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4lP-T602kA&feature=related[/video]
 
God&DogGirl said:
Umm... that movie came out in 2002. The most recent one came out in 2010. :lol
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:oops

Harry did look awfully young in that clip. :lol Ya know, time has a way of moving pretty fast when you get old! I swear I was just there with my son. Are you sure about that?? Good grief!! Did I take my son to see Harry Potter when he was 7??? What kind of father am I?? :(
 
My brother saw his first HP at age 5 so apparently you're a better father than mine. Though to be fair, I doubt my parents would have let him see some of the later and slightly darker ones at that age. It depends on the kid. My brother is 12 now and is not a Wiccan so it seems it didn't have a damaging effect.
 
Mike said:
Okay, you all made me go do a search on youtube. This is what I'm talking about. This is an evil looking promo, though! (shudder)

[video=youtube;p4lP-T602kA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4lP-T602kA&feature=related[/video]
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Oh, so you mean book 2? Well you should have said so! You said recent, and there have been five books and six movies since that one.

Ok, so we're on level with the spiders. I'm still curious about this dream sequence.

Mike, you need some HP education! :lol
 
Yeah there aren't any dream sequences in the movies unless you count Harry's visions into Voldemort's mind. You do need HP education, we fans can't even figure out what you're talking about.
 
God&DogGirl said:
My brother saw his first HP at age 5 so apparently you're a better father than mine. Though to be fair, I doubt my parents would have let him see some of the later and slightly darker ones at that age. It depends on the kid. My brother is 12 now and is not a Wiccan so it seems it didn't have a damaging effect.
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My son read the books when he was five, and I read them aloud to my daughter at a slightly older age. Neither wanted to see the movies until they were 10 - too scary, they said. And neither of my kids is wiccan, either, they think the spells are obvious literary fabrication. So I guess that turned out fine without damage, too. Kids 3, HP 0 - so far on this thread!!
 
Yep, my kids has been reading/watching Harry Potter for a number of years now too. Both are strong in their Christian faith...neither have been drawn into witchcraft or satanism.

I'm not discounting that some parents should be vigilent about these kinds of things with their kids...if one's child seems drawn towards darkness...then pass on Harry Potter.

But, for most kids, it's a well written fairy tale that has some solid values to impart.
 
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