What I just saw on TV...

[bluesqueak]

Lee wrote:
> I know that one of the things that separate the Narnia and Hobbit 
> books from the Potter books for many extremists is that the first 
> two are taking place in a world other than our own present-
> day...which is okay.  Rather silly, I think, but that's one of the 
big dividing lines.
> 

Pip!Squeak:
It is silly, because the Narnia books don't take place in another 
world for all the books. The children often travel back and forth 
between Narnia and 1950's England (1900's England for The Magician's 
Nephew), and the magic that works in Narnia also works in England 
(just not as strongly).

Lee:
> Add to that, occult symbolism, etc., and the lore from which some 
> of it is taken...well, more fuel to the fire.

Pip!Squeak:
HP is a modern fairy tale (with fairies, and goblins, and all the 
stuff that has been a staple of children's stories for many, many 
centuries). Early Christian practice in England and Europe was 
(generally) not to try and stop such things, but instead to provide 
Christian interpretations. Hence Christmas - it was impossible to 
ban the mid-winter festival; instead a commemoration of Christ's 
birth was deliberately introduced so that the old festival could 
develop a new meaning.

So the anti-HP mob are ignoring that JKR is actually working in an 
incredibly old tradition (which Tolkien and Lewis were also both 
working in) of taking old myths, and reworking them so that they 
stand for new things.  They're looking at the mythic trappings, and 
not seeing the values being introduced.

I honestly think it's a 'power' thing rather than a 'Christianity' 
thing - having also been introduced to HP by my vicar, who likes 
them very much. Banning books, telling kids they can't read certain 
books (even if their parents *don't* disapprove) - to me that all 
smells more of 'who holds the power in this community?'. 

Lee:
> <Sigh> It takes all kinds to make a world, huh?

Pip!Squeak:
<equally deep sigh> That it does.

Pip!Squeak