RANT Re: Christians and Magic. Read at your own peril!

[derannimer <susannahlm@yahoo.com>]

Amy wrote: 

"I just thought of this and I realized I didn't know. I was chatting 
with someone online who is 17 and their parents won't let them read 
HP but she reads Lord of the Rings, Narnia etc. She said her parents 
said she could read them because Tolkein and Lewis are Christians. 
Isn't JKR one too? I don't want to start a debate but I just never 
remember hearing about if she practices anything."

I'm sorry, this isn't really pertinent to the question, but:

I have heard this argument before from some Christians; you know, 
the: "Well, magic's okay when *Christians* do it," and I must confess 
that I absolutely cannot fathom it. 

If there is something *inherently wrong* with depicting magic in a 
story, then the fact that a Christian is depicting it could in no way 
make it "okay." If anything, it would make it worse. I mean, let's 
look at some other sin.

Take adultery. If you're a Christian, and you believe adultery is 
wrong, then if a Christian practices adultery, would that make it 
*right?* Or would that instead make it doubly shameful?

And if depicting magic in a story *is* okay for Christians, then 
there's nothing inherently wrong with it, for *anyone.* In which 
case, what would be the problem with reading the books in the first 
place? 

I'm sorry if I've offended anyone in any way--it certainly was not my 
intent--but I've heard this argument *a lot* and it makes absolutely 
no sense to me. 



Derannimer (who is a Christian, and who knows other Christians who 
have made this argument, and who gets really mad about this. In case 
you couldn't tell. ; ))