Harry Potter and God

[Carol]

Kemper asked:
> > > | I cut out Potioncat's excellent suggestion in order to ask  Christians other people of religion a question: what are your | thoughts regarding the circumstances of Dumbledore's death and how does that align with the tenets of your faith?  
> 
Carol responded:
> > ...big snip...
> > Is that what you mean by "the circumstances of Dumbledore's death," Kemper? Are you asking how a Christian or other religious person views Dumbledore's choice to die in that particular way rather than in the various other ways available to him (dying at the teeth of Fenrir Greyback being clearly the least desirable option)? He didn't have the choice of not dying--he was going to die no matter what--but he did choose the way in which he died. Are you asking whether that particular choice amounts to suicide in the eyes of a religious person? Or are you concerned about the implications for Snape, who's forced by his own word and by circumstances to kill a helpless old man because the consequences of not doing so would be worse? I think we all agree that Snape isn't a murderer, but he certainly performed a kind of assisted suicide. DD was going to die, anyway, but he chose the method and the man who killed him. And Snape, too, has a choice, but a terrible one. In terms of the story itself, setting aside religious implications, it was the right choice.
> 
Kemper again:
> Yes.  Snape's roll in a Christian/religous construct.
> DD's request in the Christian/religious construct.
> 
> I a God and Harry book group, how is this addressed to align within the tenets of Christianity (or any other faith of the big three) or religion (or any other institution of the big three).  
> (ei,Christianity is the faith in which Catholicism is the institution for this purpose).
> 
> Thanks for summing the scene up Carol!

Carol again:

You're welcome. Glad you liked my summary!

Carol, who really hasn't thought about it from a religious perspective but is interested in hearing others' views