Snape Harry and forgiveness/ judaism related/Canon for the Snape being abus

[ornadv]

No: HPFGUIDX 144302

>Lupinlore:
> I'm not sure it's relevant, at
>least not from the perspective from which some of us are coming. I,
>for instance, could not possibly care less about what is or is not
>abuse by the standards of the WW. I have never bought the "it's not
>abuse by the standards of his culture" defense of Snape. Sorry,
>doesn't cut it. Some cultures are simply corrupt and reprehensible 
>in their standards and practices.

>Is it an excuse? No. "Other people do worse (or
>the same) things!" That's the cry of nearly everyone caught in a
>wrong deed. It comes down to "If they weren't punished, I shouldn't
>be!" Is that a defense? No. Is it a reason not to punish? No.

Orna:
I agree with you in respect to this. Maybe I should clarify myself: 
I thought it was worthwhile to think about what is considered abuse 
in the WW, precisely because it would help us to understand what 
this culture is. ( I may decide then, that it's a very corrupted 
society, or that JKR will have to punish Snape severely if I am to 
accept the WW as a human world)

And anyway, we do accept deviations from our cultural norms -   I 
mean it's obvious nobody in his right mind would send his child to a 
school, where his child might have to fight dragons, where three-
headed dogs are kept in a corridor, behind a very easy-opening door, 
etc. Not exactly a very responsible headmaster. And it's difficult 
sometimes to decode the way things are – because of the differences –
 one of them being the healing qualities, another the way pupils can 
defend themselves against teacher (remember Ron and Harry forcing 
Lockheart in CoS, disarming Snape in PoA (unpunished), the twins 
actions in OotP, Snape being put on fire in PS, and just "innocent" 
places where misdirected spells caused teachers only to fall.

It is more salient when we come to direct human relations – that's 
where we expect the same standards, otherwise – what's the point of 
the book. And after all, wizards seem to fall in love, get hurt, 
angry etc. by just the same rules, which apply to muggles, like us. 
So your point is valid, IMO, but still I think that we do expect 
different standards in some places. 
Different cultures do have rightly some difference in what is 
considered right or wrong, because the impact of the deed may be 
different. Just like you have different standards towards children 
of various ages – so don't you think your behavioral standards would 
be different towards a child who can fly, heal instantly, and do 
magic?

There are things which are just wrong, no cultural perspective being 
a possible excuse for them. But I think that's the thing we are 
trying to figure out, and I just thought that deciphering the moral 
codes and "abuse standards" of the WW might help to understand it - 
in relation to the WW, and also in relation to our own muggle world. 

Orna (according to HPFGU's standard last for today)