Baptism/Christianity in HP: was Looking for God in Harry Potter

[PJ]

No: HPFGUIDX 153651

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "leslie41" <leslie41 at ...> 
wrote:
> Leslie41:
> Again, one can read The 
> Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and not see Aslan as Christ. 

PJ:
I don't see how it can be missed.  He hits us over the head with it 
on almost every page.  It's far from being subtle.  :)
 
> Leslie41:
> What shocks me is the vehemence with which readers are unwilling 
to 
> see Christian elements or themes in the books, and the lengths to 
> which they will go to disprove them.

PJ:
I don't think anyone is *unwilling* but if we don't see something we 
can't just stand around nodding and say "oh yes, of course... there 
it is!"  

I can see the fight between good and evil, love and hate, fear of 
death vs. death as the "next great adventure", but that's not just a 
Christian theme in my opinion.  It's more an ongoing *human* 
struggle.

>Leslie41
> So if you suggest that suddenly the names "James" and "Lily" 
really 
> don't mean much with regard to the Bible, it seems to me that 
you're 
> the one trying to make the text fit your interpretation.
> 
> The first association that a Christian (such as Rowling) would 
make 
> when hearing the name "James" would be the apostle.  The first 
> association that a Christian would make when hearing the 
word "Lily" 
> is an Easter lily.

PJ:
I'm christian and I'm sorry but I don't see it either.  My oldest 
son's name is James. Not because of the apostle but because I liked 
the sound of the name.  My aunt's name was Lilly because it was my 
Grandmother's favorite flower... Sometimes things just are and don't 
have a deeper biblical meaning.  

As you know, not all Christians are the same.  Most of us approach 
organized religion as "1 from column A, 2 from column B".  We don't 
all base our lives on the bible.  I suspect JKR has her "columns" as 
well.

> Leslie41:
> So what I'm getting from your argument is that you are opposed to 
> bringing in any biblical elements at all, because you are arguing 
> against the very points of that interpretation.

PJ:
Sorry but from what I've read she's already said she's not *opposed* 
to it but that she doesn't *see* it - and honestly neither do I.  
The arguements put forth for the story being biblical rather than 
spiritual are all over the map and don't have flow.  It's, as 
stated, a hodge-podge.  You're having to work too hard to make the 
case which makes me think it's just not there to make. 

IMO, JKR hasn't hidden a thing.  She's shown the very core of her 
belief system through the love, compassion, and choice themes she's 
based her story around.  It's all sitting right out there in canon.

PJ