[HPFGU-OTChatter] Christians and LOTR

[Terry James]

>From: "Amy Z" <lupinesque at yahoo.com>
>>
>Can someone articulate why some Christians approve of (or encourage,
>in Holly's ex-mother-in-law-in-law's case) LOTR who condemn HP?  Is
>it because Tolkien was a devout Catholic?

>Can anyone point us to an explanatory article, or explain it
>themselves?
>
>Amy Z
>

Very sorry--I can't find that article I referenced earlier.  Will keep 
looking, though, because I found it very interesting.  The writer gave I 
think seven differences in writing style and themes between LOTR and HP 
which led him to conclude, as I said earlier, that both are harmless for 
appropriate age kids, but slightly more parental guidance might be necessary 
for HP.

One of his points was that in LOTR, magic is not something common and 
ordinary, as it is in HP.  In HP, it is not only OK, it is expected and 
celebrated, and in fact non-magic people are looked down upon.  The "proper" 
attitude is "Oh, we shouldn't feel superior to the Muggles, but we should 
feel sorry for them."

In LOTR only the wizards and Tom Bombadil do what we would call magic, and 
Tom Bombadil is clearly not human.  He doesn't seem to have a Biblical 
parallel, either--I've never figured out exactly what his function is.  But 
Gandalf and Saruman are "wizards"--really Istari, sort of guardian angels.  
They are not human, either, and the powers they have are not "magic powers", 
but abilities that Eru created them with.  The hobbits and humans are even 
sometimes uneasy about the "magic" that Gandalf does.

The point being that (according to this author) Tolkien clearly intended to 
convey that magic is something humans should not have anything to do with 
personally, because it was not intended for us.  While HP clearly intends to 
convey (again, according to this author) that magic is definitely for 
humans, and if you don't have it then you're somehow defective.

Another one of his points was that in HP, Harry does all kinds of stuff he 
shouldn't--lies, runs around after hours, goes where he shouldn't--and never 
really gets in trouble for it.  Oh, he gets points taken away, but then DD 
gives them all back at the end of the year and everything's OK.  There is no 
lasting harm to Harry as a result of his disobedience and thoughtless 
actions.  (Obviously this article was written before OOP.)  The author is 
concerned that this might lead kids to think that it's OK to break rules if 
you have a "good reason".

Whereas in LOTR, everybody does the right thing all the time, and when they 
don't, bad things happen to them.  Actions have very clear-cut consequences.

IMO a lot of people are nervous about HP because it's not over yet.  You 
don't really know where it's going or how it will end, and without a 
resolution people are hesitant to say "well, this is what she really meant." 
  LOTR and Narnia are through, and you can look at the works as a whole.

Possibly when Book 7 is out, a lot of this criticism will fade out.  Maybe.

And wizards are
>angelic beings?  JRRT seems to be risking his immortal soul with that
>idea.

Oh, I dunno..."Wizard" = "wise man"--the wise men who travelled to see Jesus 
are sometimes translated as "magicians" or "mages"--same root word, isn't 
it?  And doesn't "mage" mean "teacher" or "authority figure" as in 
"magistrate"?  If you saw an angelic being who clearly had great knowledge, 
mightn't you call him a wise man, or in vernacular, a wizard?


And, speaking of churches and re the spam someone got from tommyriddle, I 
actually go to church with Tom Riddle.  Yes, one of my good friends started 
dating this guy she just always called Tommy, and he started coming to 
church with her, and eventually they wound up engaged.  We just called him 
by his first name and when I got the wedding invitation I couldn't believe 
it.  "His name is Tom Riddle?  You're joking!"  But they are happily married 
now...she evidently did not believe me when I warned her that she was 
marrying the incarnation of evil...she claimed that that was not possible, 
as she'd just divorced the incarnation of evil. :)

Terry LJ (Christian, Pentecostal, obsessed, enjoying non-flaming religious 
HP discussion and Dave's analysis)

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