Snape as infidel was Re: Kant and Snape and Ethics and Everything

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 150349

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > So, you're okay with a popular childrens series classifying any 
> > religion that isn't Christianity as less moral? 
> > <snip>

> >>Nora: 
> Honestly--no, I don't care, I'm fine with it.  I have nothing 
> invested in that interpretation, and it's not anywhere as         
> obnoxious and overt as either Lewis's Christianity or Pullmann's   
> anti-Christianity.

Betsy Hp:
I can't be as laissez-faire, I'm afraid.  If JKR came out and 
said, "Yes the Slytherins are the Jews and I'm trying to show that 
the Christian Gryffindors have the better morality," that would kill 
the series for me.  However, I don't think this is what JKR is doing.

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > With regards to magic, I've found this series in particular to   
> > be incredibly weak in differentiating between good magic and    
> > bad.  

> >>Nora: 
> Possibly it's a distinction between necessary and sufficient, but 
> YMMV.

Betsy Hp:
I think everyone has a different theory on what makes one spell dark 
and another okay.  That's why it strikes me as unclear. <g>

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > Hee!  And see, I think the "good guys" display bad sportsmanship 
> > all the time.  The twins *always* fight with the odds on their   
> > side.

> >>Nora: 
> On the other hand, their aim is not malicious--it's not the same   
> kind of benefiting from the misfortunes of others.
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
Right.  The twins would *never* nearly kill someone in order to 
protect Gryffindors' house points.  And gosh, they'd *never* test 
products on little children with an eye towards future earnings.  
That would be wrong. <g>

> >>Nora:
> And that's why JKR is totally okay with the Gryffindors and their 
> actions which seem 'the same' as the Slytherins, who take the      
> textual knocks for it.

Betsy Hp:
How do you know JKR is okay with it? The fact that the twins nearly 
killing Montague was the first step on a path that lead to their 
brother being mauled suggests that JKR isn't all that okay with 
their actions.  Plus, she does highlight that Montague nearly died. 

> >>Nora:
> That's why she loves Ginny for her feistiness and makes Draco the 
> punching bag.  See above about the worldview of the series.

Betsy Hp:
Because Ginny's a shiny Christian and Draco's a dirty infidel?  No, 
I think it's more that Ginny is a filler character, Harry's end of 
the series prize.  Draco has more meat to him.  And meaty characters 
suffer in JKR's world.

> >>Betsy Hp:
> > However, by entangling Snape in the Tower killing, Dumbledore is 
> > hardly being benign.  

> >>Nora: 
> That is, of course, dependent on an interpretation that thinks 
> Dumbledore has somehow entangled Snape in this killing.  Try out 
> another perspective which doesn't assume that and see where it     
> gets you.  It's interesting.

Betsy Hp:
Oh, yeah, I'm pretty much talking about DDM!Snape whenever I talk 
about Snape.  Rather than interesting the other flavors are too 
illogical, leading to the same dead-end.  

Betsy Hp