Christians & HP (side order of LOTR)

[alora]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Terry James" 
<terryljames at h...> wrote:
  Some who do
> like to read are convinced, based on what they've "heard", that 
the books 
> are Satanic, and if you try to defend them, obviously you are 
possessed 
> also.  

I'm a Christian, too, and I am SO sick of defending myself on this 
issue!  

 
> If anybody starts with me, I ask them if they've read any of the 
books.  The 
> answer is always "No."  Then, if I'm feeling kind, I advise them 
to do so 
> before they start criticizing. 

That's what I do, but they don't read them and they just wait and 
bring it up again later.  My mother-in-law is the worst one!  I love 
her very much and she's a very smart woman.  The problem is, 
anything (and I mean anything)  out of the ordinary is "dangerous"  
in her eyes.  I have four kids and we have survived many fads, 
including Pokemon.  Oh my God, I never heard the end of  that one.  
All she said was, "They keep talking about evolving!  That's against 
the Bible!!"  and "Did you know that Pokemon means pocket 
monsters?!  You can't let them watch that!"  My boys only watched 
the cartoon, they didn't even want the cards or toys, for crying out 
loud.  Now that I am a huge HP fan, it isn't any better.  For now, 
there's been a truce called, but she gets that tight-lipped AUnt 
Petunia look when it's brought up - and believe me, I don't bring it 
up. THis is the same woman that wouldn't let her kids see ET:  The 
Extra Terrestrial in 1981.  Please. 



> If I'm feeling particularly un-Christian, I 
> hold them down forcibly and give them all the main themes of all 
the books, 
> with quotes and chapter summaries, until they agree with me just 
to get me 
> to shut up.

Hehehe, oh I love it!! :D  Go get 'em!


> What do you do with people who have never and will never read the 
books?  
> Especially if you live with them.  :)  How do those of you who 
live with 
> non-HPers cope?


I don't know that I cope very well.  After two years of being a big 
fan, I'm really tired of defending myself and the books.  I keep my 
mouth shut to keep the peace, which probably isn't that great.  My 
husband thinks I am amusing and tolerates me ;).  Bottom line is, if 
they don't read and study the books with an open mind, I don't think 
they will ever agree with it.  According to my mother-in-law, the 
Bible says ALL witchcraft is evil, be it good or bad.  I try to tell 
her that in Harry's world (hello!  it's a book for goodness' sake!), 
there is good and evil and it has biblical themes, but NO. It's all 
bad.  Period.   To ease her mind, I've told her that I read the 
books with my children, I watch the movies with them and we discuss 
it all.  I do that with anything in regards to my children.  To be 
fair, I'm the parent that likes kids' movies (I adored Finding 
Nemo!!) and kids' books.  My own mother never read anything I picked 
up, and I read things that would curl her hair! I grew up on reruns 
of "Bewitched"  and "I Dream of Jeannie"  and no one was worried 
about me.  I feel as though I am doing the best I can with my 
children.  I just really hate that superior look that mothers-in-law 
give you sometimes, as though they just KNOW you are doing something 
harmful, and you are going to come back to them in  ten years and 
tell them they were right.  Ugh.  All right, sorry for the rant, but 
I've kept it bottled up too long.  Cheers!!

Alora