Commandments; Christianity of HP

[davewitley]

No: HPFGUIDX 30972

Elizabeth Dalton wrote:
> 
> Ok, here we go with the commandments themselves, in order:

I have added some thoughts of my own on most of the commandments - 
mostly just directions for thinking that require further filling out.
> 
> 1 - You shall have no other gods before me
> 
One might argue that Dumbledore's statement that people have a knack 
of choosing what is bad for them implicitly accepts a Christian view 
of sin, and that choosing wealth and (this-worldly) longevity is an 
empty (read 'idolatry': 'idol' = 'nothing') choice.
> 
> 2 - You shall not make for yourself a graven image...
> 
The mirror of Erised surely figures under this rubric. "Don't waste 
your time on dreams".
I think too, though it would take too long here, that 'Death 
Eaterism' is underpinned by a false image of what it means to be 
human (e.g. the desire to reclassify Muggles as Beasts).  The non-
graven image of God is man in the Judeo-Christian worldview, of 
course.
> 
> 3 - You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
> 
> Nobody does this in the books, that I can see. 

Not true: Voldemort's religious language is surely outrageously 
blasphemous to any believer: 'my faithful servant' (see Isaiah 53); 
the demand for the use of symbols like the Dark Mark whatever the 
risk; death for the apostates Snape and Karkaroff.  Note too how 
Barty Crouch worships Voldemort - the most frightening thing about 
him is that he is motivated by love, not fear, of V.

> 4 - Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
> 
> Again, perhaps they do, and Rowling simply doesn't mention it. 

True - but the themes of slavery and freedom, intimately related to 
the concept of Sabbath rest are there in force.  Does Dobby get days 
off from Malfoy?  Dumbledore explicitly recognises the importance of 
holiday for him.  Dumbledore's own desire for socks suggests that he 
is not driven by his life's work - he drives it.
> 
> 5 - Honor your father and your mother...
> 
> I think it's clear that Harry honors the memory of his parents. 

Yes, and the rightness of this in the Potterverse is reinforced by 
the whole Patronus sequence.  Also, Voldemort and Crouch Jr. despise 
their parents.  I would say too that the series as a whole lays 
considerable emphasis on the *origins* of things - to understand the 
situation of today, we need to go back 50 years to Riddle, and 15 
years to MWPP.  That implies respect for the past, and your own 
antecedents.  Of course, the Dursleys show no respect for that.
> 
> 6 - You shall not kill.
> 
> Not only doesn't Harry kill anyone, but he stops Black and Lupin 
from killing
> someone whom he has every reason to despise.

and Dumbledore endorses the value of Pettigrew's life.  Dumbledore 
and Lupin's respect for people such as Neville is contrasted with 
Snape's destructive attitude.  IRL, people commit suicide from 
treatment of that sort.

> 7 - You shall not commit adultery.
> 
> Well, all the kids are a bit young for this, I guess (and we don't 
know if any
> of the staff are married). Certainly nothing is mentioned in the 
texts.

True - but the whole Yule Ball sequence does hint at the pain and 
disorder caused by being careless of the affections of others - think 
how Parvati and Padma react, for example.  Parvati's later boasting 
in a CoMC class suggests she is upset for more than one evening.
> 
> 8 - You shall not steal.

No comment here
> 
> 9 - You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
> 
Uncovering the truth about slandered characters (Hagrid, Sirius) is a 
major theme for two of the books.  It applies to a lesser extent to 
Bertha Jorkins, Snape, Lupin, Harry's parents (remember that car 
crash?) and, I'm sure, others. Uncovering villainy is important too - 
Quirrell, Pettigrew, Bagman, Crouch, Skeeter, Lockhart, Riddle are 
all initially concealed.
> 
> 10 - You shall not covet [other people's stuff]
> 
> I think the only thing Harry has seriously coveted was the 
Firebolt, and he
> seemed to get over it (even before Sirius sent him one).  Arguably, 
he covets Ron's family-- but he doesn't want
> to take anything away from Ron, either, so I'm not sure that counts.
> 
It does count if it destroys Harry - as the mirror would have done, 
or if Harry tries to take more affection from the Weasleys than they 
are prepared to give.  Dudley is an example of covetousness run 
riot.  So, too, really, is Voldemort in his all-consuming quest for 
immortality.  Amos Diggory is an intriguing lesser example.  
Trelawney, Lockhart, Skeeter, and Snape all covet recognition - only 
Snape resists the temptation, just.  Notice that although they don't 
want to take anything material from others, their covetousness has 
stolen a sense of reality from Parvati and Lavender, memories from 
innocent Armenian warlocks, DADA knowledge from 2nd year Gryffindors, 
Harry's, Hermione's, and Hagrid's reputation, and a whole load of 
peace of mind from all sorts of people.

I would say that HP is suffused with Judeo-Christian morality - as is 
much British culture.  However, distinctively Christian messages are 
not there, in my opinion.  In particular, the ultimate good is 
not 'love God' but 'to thine own self be true', and no outside source 
('salvation') is required to live up to that good - I call that 
humanism, FWIW.

David