The religious content of Harry Potter

[cat_kind]

No: HPFGUIDX 128713

Hans:
>> I've been following the discussion about the religious content of
Harry Potter with great interest. First of all I want to answer a
poster who asked about the quote from Rowling which I've had as part
of my signature for all this year. The exact quote is: "Every time
I've been asked if I believe in God, I've said yes, because I do, but
no one ever really has gone any more deeply into it than that, and I
have to say that does suit me, because if I talk too freely about that
I think the intelligent reader, whether 10 or 60, will be able to
guess what's coming in the books.'' It can be found on
http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/2000/1000-vancouversun-wyman.htm.

>>I've put this in my signature because in my opinion it is the most
significant thing she's ever said about Harry Potter. What she's
saying is that the plot CAN BE GUESSED! There IS a pattern, and if you
know that pattern, you can work out the message and the climax. And
it's so obvious, that even a ten year old can work it out. And it is
connected to the belief in God! It just so happens that I'm 60 and I'm
absolutely sure I have discovered the pattern the books are based on.<<
 
catkind: I'm sure I'm not the only one who has said this before in
response to your JKR quote.  It can be interpreted in plenty of other
ways than a Rosicrucian conspiracy. JKR is known to be a member of the
Presbyterian church, so it seems more likely that if there is a
religious message it's based on her own religion, not Rosicrucianism.

If you think you know better than us what is to come, why not take
part in tigerpatronus's predictions competition? Maybe more people
would listen to you if you actually had some correct predictions.

Hans:
>>It is irrelevant to this discussion whether the pattern itself is
factual or a patchwork of lies. I'm not asking the members of this
group to discuss the pattern. As a loyal, contributing member of HPfGU
I'm doing my duty in pointing out the pattern that Jo is basing Harry
Potter on. <<
> 
> Unfortunately so far very few members have taken the trouble to
examine the
> pattern to see whether it resembles Harry Potter. That's because 
> (a)	they're not interested in it because they find spiritual stuff
boring;
> (b)	they don't agree with the pattern, therefore they can't conceive
that Jo
> could possibly have used it to base Harry Potter on;
> (c)	I'm inviting you to supply other reasons.

catkind: One possibility for c) might be that people have read a
couple of your posts, decided they disagree with your theory, and
moved on. A variant on b) might be that people believe that *JKR*
doesn't agree with the pattern, and therefore wouldn't have used it. 

There's also the point that your theory is very, very complicated. It
takes a lot of time to try to work out what you are saying. Most
people here are here for fun, not to study esoteric religion. So
there's another c), or possibly a): people don't have time. 

We're not denying the facts, we're just interpreting them differently.
For example, I think there are similarities between HP and alchemy
because both draw on similar "mystic" traditions. 

Hans:
> In addition here's another quote which speaks volumes: "Rowling, [
]
said she couldn't answer the questions about the book's religious
content until the conclusion of book seven." 
http://www.quick-quote-quill.org/articles/1999/1099-chictimes-tucker.html

catkind: I think this is just a journalist paraphrasing the previous
quote, actually.
 
Hans: 
> Please note that everything I say is my opinion, but I thought it
rather boring to start every sentence like that.

catkind: It would maybe be a good idea to say this at least once or
twice in your Accio paper.  It would convey a more detached and
academic tone if you occasionally said "Rosicrucians believe that ..."
or "I believe that". At the moment it is giving the impression that
you are trying to convert the reader to your religion, which you say
is not your aim. You also present your opinions about JKR's aims as
cold facts, which isn't going to come across well to an audience that
probably has their own strong opinions about what she might be
symbolising.

Just my opinion.

catkind