Harsh Morality

[Tonks]

No: HPFGUIDX 121025


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at y...> wrote:
> 
> Lupinlore:
> 
> As this discussion continues, I am growing more and more convinced 
> that JKR is, at heart, espousing a rather old-fashioned form of 
> Christian moralism in the Potter Saga.  snip> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> As I said yesterday, I do agree with you that Good and Evil seem 
to  be very real principles in Potterverse with Dumbledore and 
Voldemort being their personifications.
> 
> I have this very uncomfortable feeling that you will turn out to 
be 100% correct (snip) but I still WANT to think that JKR believes 
in grey areas, otherwise it is very harsh morality as you said it 
> yourself.
> (snip)
 
> Now, you are absolutely correct that ending may put an end to 
those unintentional "grey areas" because I also have a feeling that 
it will be very "black and white".

(snip)> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> Call me "hopeless cause", but I am still keeping hope that 
> Dumbledore was sorry for leaving Harry with Dursleys. When I read 
> his OOP speech, I at least see some small hints to it, but again 
if I am honest with myself, I have to say that I agree  with you.
(Snip> 
> 
> Alla:
> 
> What do you make of her statement then that "Nobody is born evil"? 
I  don't know, I am confused to tell you the truth.


Tonks here:

JKR is a Christian writer telling us a story with deep moral 
meaning. Whenever I say this, no one believes me. But now I see that 
some of you are coming around to the fact. SO at the risk of being 
blown out of the waters again let me say this:

The black and white ending.. is the ending that we are told God will 
judge each of us by at the end of our life.  Only one.. the one that 
JKR has mentioned over and over... LOVE.  It says in the bible that 
the greatest thing we can do is LOVE.  And I think it was Jesus that 
said we will be judged by only one thing... how much did we obey the 
law of love. Love your neighbor... etc. over and over... and over 
and over in the Harry Potter books.  And JKR does show gray areas... 
areas where the players do things that seem wrong... but done for 
the right reason. And when they do the wrong thing, for the wrong 
reason, they are often forgiven.

We are told that Lord Voldmort...  Never loved... this is what makes 
him the evil principle.   LOVE is a central theme in the books. And 
I say that this is so for a reason. 

As to no one is born evil.  This is true... All that JKR is writing 
makes perfect sense if you look at it from the view of the Christian 
faith... not a hell fire and brimstone faith of some of the 
fundamentalist groups... but a faith of LOVE.  God is LOVE we are 
told. And Love does accept gray areas of human imperfection 
 Love 
forgives.  There are stories of the Prodigal son... like Snape.  And 
most Christians believe that Human Beings were created in the image 
and likeness of God and therefore are GOOD. No one is born evil.  
Evil is a choice. The teaching of the Church tells us that the only 
people who go to hell are those who CHOOSE to do so.  Also the only 
real sin...  is a complete turning away from God... a conscious 
CHOICE to go against the law of LOVE. And it is not a one time 
thing... it is a series of choices made over a lifetime to do Evil 
instead of what is loving.

If you look at the books from this point of view, I think many 
things will make sense.

Tonks_op