[HPFGU-OTChatter] Facing The Challenge Web Site

[John Walton]

lou_selastic wrote:

> I have only just joined this group and have no intention of mentioning or
> discussing the book by Richard Abane.

Thank [insert deity(ies)] for that.

> But for Christian parents who are interested in the debate about whether the
> HP books could lead to kids developing an interest in the occult there is a
> very good article at  www.facingthechallenge.org/potter.htm.

Hmm. 

> In my opinion, Christian parents seem to fall into two broad camps:
> those who can't see any harm in Harry Potter and who are probably
> taking their own kids to see it, and those who believe it encourages
> an interest in the occult and should be avoided as evil.

An excellent paraphrase from the site.

> I think the article at  www.facingthechallenge.org/potter.htm gives a
> balanced and objective analysis of Harry Potter and aims to help
> towards a more reasoned and thought-through response to the Harry
> Potter film and books, rather than just a knee-jerk reaction by those
> opposed to anything that might even allude to anything to do with the
> occult.

Except for the fact that it calls "anything to do with the occult"
dangerous. I find that offensive:

"some Harry Potter web sites contain links to genuine witchcraft and occult
sites, so we still need to exercise caution."

"We may just take it for granted that our kids are not in danger of being
attracted to occult experimentation by films and books like these - but this
isn't so"

"experimentation with the occult opens the door to a harmful world"

"Is the magic in Harry Potter's world likely to lead our children to
curiosity about the occult, or to dangerous experimentation?"

In answer -- No, it's not. What *will* drive Christian children to curiosity
about other religions is the intolerant attitude shown by many Christians
(this site included) towards other religions, gay people, and Harry Potter.

> I think the article is an excellent discourse

I disagree.

> and provides help for Christian parents who are not really sure what to make
> of Harry Potter. 

Who, of course, are going to be in *such* short supply in a community named
"Harry Potter for Grownups".

> Non-Christians would find it a good read too.

Really? As a non-Christian, I disagree. Much of what it uses for motivation
is based *only* and *solely* on the Bible. One example:

"The Bible is clear that experimentation with the occult opens the door to a
harmful world, and that as Christians we are to avoid it."

I won't go into the argument I've seen, from Christians and non-Christians,
about the varying translations of the word "witch" and "sorcerer" from the
original languages, through between six (OT) and two (NT) millennia of
translation with probably political and inter-denominational and sectarian
bias. 

Nor even whether one should allow two lines in the entire Bible (which is a
book with many inherent contradictions) to create an antipathy towards
multiple belief systems (Hinduism ["idolaters"], Paganism, neoPaganism,
Wicca and Witchcraft ["sorcerers"]), not to mention a series of *fictional
books*.

In conclusion, in my opinion, while Facing the Challenge is less rabidly
moralistic and polemical than Focus on the Family, FFLibraries, or even our
old pal Richard Abanes (*waves at the Christian Polemics experts on-list*),
it's still extremely limited in its knowledge and perception of
non-Christians, and its moralism is only slightly veiled.

Perhaps it should be called "Facing the Challenged" instead.

--John

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Ai! Lantar i Mindonu ilcalar, || Alas! The gleaming Twin Towers are falling,
     Helwa Menello, uryala || Out of the pale blue sky, blazing
     Mir mallennar analye. || Into the richest streets
  --from Quenya poem, Minquëa Yavannië, "September Eleventh", by Kai MacTane

John Walton || john at walton.vu
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