Harry Potter and the Bible

[naama_gat at hotmail.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 17563


>Regarding Harry letting Peter go -- 
>TRUE, this is an act of mercy. HOWEVER, how does Rowling 
>handle this rare good deed??? She ends up having the good 
>deed turn out to be the WORST thing Harry could have ever 
>done!!! Because Peter was allwed to live, Cedric dies in book 4 
>and Voldemort rises. So, here we have a truly good deed 
>causing evil, but in other place many times we have bad deeds 
>(lying, cheating, stealing, breaking wizard laaws) bringing about 
>fun and goodness. If that isn't cockeyed for a fairy tale/ fantasy, 
I 
>don't know what is.

And when truly good deeds in real life beget very evil consequences 
(as they often do) – are you consistent enough to denounce the 
Author? And if you let that pass - why should it bother you that JKR 
refelcts that in a fictional story (where, let me remind you, nobody 
actually gets hurt). 


--- In HPforGrownups at y..., rabanesss at y... wrote:
> ANSWER: <snip> Let me just say that if you carefully go through 
each 
> book, you will see a consistent presentation of "good" characters 
> doing bad things when ENTIRELY unnecessary (thus preventing 
> any argument of "well-they-had-to-lie-in-order-to-etc.-etc." A few 
> examples for those who know the Potter series:
> 
> 1. Harry and indeed all the so-called good characters CHEAT 
> throughout the Tri-Wizard tournament. Interestingly, if Harry 
> would have had some integrity, and not cheated like everyone 
> else, he probably would have lost and Cedric would still be alive.
> 2. Harry not only helps Hagrid break the restrictions he is under 
> per Dumbledore, but also helps Hagrid break Wizard Laws 
> against illegal pets.
> 3. Harry consistently breaks school rules and lies to, well, just 
> about everyone whnever it is convenient. As Dumbledore so 
> beautifully articulates, "[T]he truth is GENERALLY preferrable to 
> lies (4:722). Generally???? Now that's a good lesson for my kid.
> 4. Hagrid, as lovable as he may appear to be, actually is one of 
> the biggest rule-breaking, misbehaving, self-centered, 
> law-breaking criminal of the series. Oh, and if you notice, he is 
> regularly drunk!! Again, what a great role-model.
> 5. Another excellent role model is Mr. Weasley (sarcasm). This 
> guy is nothing but a weak-willed hypocrite who lies to his wife. 
> His two boys run ruffshod oer him. he is SUPPOSED to keep 
> wizards from bewitching muggle artifacts (even having them 
> arrested), while he himself does exactly what he is supposed to 
> be standing against (like cops who take cocaine from busts and 
> sell it). And he lies to his wife -- great.
>     Just a few of MANY examples. My book lists hundreds.
> 


(The following point has been made ad nauseum, but..)

A few examples of good characters doing bad things (not from HP):

Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and tempted Adam to do the same.

Adam ate of the forbidden fruit.

Abraham exiled Hagar and his son, Ishmael.

Levi and Zebulun slaughtered all the residents of Shechem.

Moses broke the Covenant stones in rage; smote the rock.

David sent Uriah to be killed in battle to free Uriah's wife for 
seduction. (David has a long list of sins, I just settled for the 
worst.)

Solomon established pagan temples.

Peter denied knowing Jesus.


Hmmm.. think that's a suitable book for innocent little Chirstian 
kiddies to read? Tsk, tsk, might give them ideas
 Might even promote 
teenage violence?

And regarding current day teenage violence being connected to 
occultic practices, I personally do not know whether this postulated 
connection is well-established. 
I would however like to point that there is a VERY well-established 
connection between teenage violence and child abuse. 
If you are so troubled by teenage violence, why are you off on a 
crusade against a fantasy book and not against abusive parents or the 
lack of funds for social services or the lack of funds for education? 
How about a crusade agains social indifference and collective 
cruelty? Why not put that world-changing passion of yours where it 
would actually help?


Naama