Avoiding threads (was Re: Christianity in HP / Snape-like teachers

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 128441

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "JaanisE" <jaanise at h...> wrote:

Jaanis:
 
> OK, sorry for making a second OT post... But I pointed to the 
particular
> question, I think, is *not* really connected to HP discussions, 
that is,
> how much Easter or Christmas is of one or another religion, which 
one
> has taken it from the other, what religion are you of if you do
> celebrate them or not etc.

Geoff:
Some contributors may not believe me but I try to avoid getting too 
bogged down on these issues. However, there are times when I feel it 
necessary to defend my position and that of fellow Christians on the 
group. The current threads largely arose out of a discussion about 
the celebration of Christmas. When some group members begin to 
marginalise Christmas and Easter and even suggest that they are 
really pagan festivals, I feel there is a need to remind people that 
JKR does come from a Christian background and that these two dates 
are when we rememeber the two central core events of the Christian 
faith.

We have had times in the past when this sort of debate has dominated 
the group threads for a short period. There was a period a year or so 
ago when Christianity came under heavy attack from non-Christians of 
varying persuasions on the group and we have also had a string of 
lengthy posts at times on Rosicrucian/Way of Liberation apologetics.

I try to bring my posts on topic - I realise that there are times 
when I don't but, like another poster, I have had to discuss Harry 
Potter with members of my home Baptist church who are convinced that 
the books are a route to real witchcraft and convince them why I feel 
they are valuable, important and entertaining. And, as I do on a 
number of topics, group members can always choose to skip a thread.