Harry and Christ (Was Re: veil/Ddore's cowardice? (longish)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 78099

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "arrowsmithbt" 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:
> 
> > --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "urghiggi" <urghiggi at y...> 
> > wrote:
> > >And yet the LOTR books -- taken strictly on 
> > > their own terms, without the whole "first age" theological back 
> > story -- are 
> > > pretty much universally acknowledged to be profoundly religious 
in 
> > terms of 
> > > their prescriptions for right actions, and especially in their 
> > exploration of the 
> > > theme of sacrificial love that benefits others. 
> > > urghiggi, Chgo
> > 
> 
> 

Kneasy:
> I think it more accurate to say that they have been *interpreted* as
> profoundly religious.
> 
> It's quite possible to do the same to The Epic of Gilgamesh (written
> about 3000BC) and Beowolf (pagan and from the Dark Ages).
> 
> Anyone with a personal philosphy to expound can offer examples
> supporting that philosophy from just about anything. What does 
bother
> me is when claims are made that their accepted beliefs of what is 
moral
> behaviour is only valid when practiced by the adherents to their 
code.
> 
> This is plainly rubbish. Self sacrifice for the benefit of others, 
defence 
> of the weak, resisting evil, etc. has a history going back as far as
> historians can dig.
> 
> I hope that Harry does have a moral code, but that could be very
> different to submission to a religious orthodoxy.
> 

First, may I remind folk who have commented on LOTR that JRR Tolkien 
was a deeply committed Christian. His mythology reflects Christianity 
although the time scale of the books is set in an ancient pre-
Christian age. He, along with Hugo Dyson, had a profound influence on 
CS Lewis, although Lewis was a Potestant and Tolkien a Catholic.

I, as an evangelical Christian, was rather cautious about HP to begin 
with (mainly because I allowed myself to be influenced by other's 
opinions without investigating for myself) but have now taken the 
books and films on board and enjoy them and discussion thereof with 
great delight.

I have sometimes used references from HP when discussing matters with 
my church Youth Group to underline certain aspects of belief and 
action and I become increasingly of the opinion that Harry is very 
much more like a Christian believer than a Christ figure.

For example, in PS, Dumbledore tells him that his mother's sacrifice 
left it's own mark – "Not as a scar, no visible sign
.to have been 
loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will 
give us some protection for ever." This is some ways the Christian 
experience. Of course, you have to decide what you mean by Christian. 
George Carey, while still Archbishop of Canterbury, chided a TV 
announcer gently on one occasion by saying that he was 
confusing "Churchianity" with "Christianity" which is what a huge 
number of people do. If people say to me "You're religious aren't 
you?" my reply is "No, I'm a Christian". True Christianity is 
believing that Jesus was God taking on human form and sacrificing 
himself to save us to give us "protection for ever." It is more than 
rituals and rules, it is more that a set of rules for life or a 
religious orthodoxy, it is knowing that God lives within us 
personally.

Again, to finish, Dumbledore points out to Harry in COS that what we 
are is a result of our choices, not our abilities and this again is 
part of the core of real Christian belief. Harry reminds me so much 
of myself in many ways when I was at that age, looking for answers, 
being impatient, not listening to wiser counsels, making a pig's ear 
of things but I believe that I finally reached decisions which have 
given me a full and satisfying life because I made the right choices 
at the right time. I am sure that many contributors to this group 
will snort and say "Rubbish" because they do not share my view of 
life - and they have a perfect  right to do so. My point is that 
people who are at the stage of making choices for themselves at 
crucial moments could do far worse than looking at the advice Harry 
receives from all directions and the ultimate (and sometimes flawed) 
choices he makes.