Baptism/Christianity in HP

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 153684

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "leslie41" <leslie41 at ...> wrote:

> Leslie41:
> Just can't help it, considering all the evidence.  Is Harry's 
> baptism some sort of protection for him?  Not really.  But I think 
> the place of his scar is supposed to remind us of his baptism and 
> remind us that it is only through Christ's principles that he will 
> vanquish Voldemort.  Not through power or destructive raids.  But 
> through love.  

Geoff:
Speaking as a Christian I think that we need to be careful about how 
we expect people of different denominations to interpret something 
such as baptism.

The suggestion has been made that baptising a child with holy water 
seems to leave some sort of "imprint" (for want of a better word).

In the UK, the only denominations who are likely to use holy water in 
the first place are Catholics and high Anglican churches. The low 
(evangelical) Anglican churches and the non-Conformist churches - 
Methodist, Baptist, Elim, Salvation Army, Free evangelical groups etc. - 
do not. If the sign of the cross is made over the child, it is more likely 
to be made with the hand.

If I might digress for a moment to look at the actual service of baptism, 
I often compare Christian faith to a car. For a car to work, you need 
wheels, an engine, a gearbox etc. and a very simple construction can 
fulfil this role - look at the Model T for example. Now if you want a 
slightly posher vehicle you can have power steering, four-wheel drive, 
air conditioning, sunroof and such like to satisy you but, unless the 
basic car underneath works, all this lot is pointless. In the Christian 
church, denominations have evolved their own rituals, offices and 
routines which members follow. but unless there is a basis of true 
faith in Christ, they are all pointless.

Baptism merely marks the bringing of a child into the church to ask 
for God's blessing on that child; that he or she will be guided by those 
around them and that they might gain real faith as they grow. It does 
not make a person a Christian.

I am first a Christian and second a Baptist. Within the Baptist church, 
we use the word "dedication" whereby a child is brought into the 
church - as Mary and Joseph brought the infant Christ to the Temple 
at Epiphany - where the parents promise to attempt to bring up the 
child to find faith in later life and the church acknowledges a collective 
responsibility to support both parents and child. Then, if the child 
comes to faith as he or she grows, they them can seek adult baptism 
if they wish, which echoes John the Baptist's ministry that he baptised 
only those who came expressing repentance and a wish to follow God.

Now, I am personally sceptical that there will be a connection between 
Harry's scar and his baptism. I accept that, since Sirius is confirmed as 
his godfather not only by himself but by Cornelius Fudge, Harry was 
obviously baptised in whatever form was considered appropriate by 
James and Lily.

However, I am inclined to think that this was a literary device used by 
JKR to strengthen the bond between Harry and Sirius. Had Sirius only 
been a friend to his parents, Harry might not have set much store by 
a suggestion that they live together and would not perhaps have been 
so devastated when Sirius was killed; it is the fact that his parents had 
placed this responsibility in his hands that created the closeness that 
made Sirius the nearest thing he had to a real, loving family member.

Moving to another topic which has been a hot potato for a few days, 
namely whether JKR writes from a Christian perspective. 

I can do no better than quote something I wrote nearly eighteen months 
ago in message 121598:

<quote>
There are three major series of books which are often discussed here 
on this forum, either directly or indirectly: Harry Potter, the Narnia books 
or Lord of the Rings.

All these have been written by authors who profess to be Christians. The 
only allegorical books here are C.S.Lewis' series and he made no secret 
of the fact that they were intended as such. "The Lion, the Witch and 
the Wardrobe" is an overt allegory of the Christian story; Aslan is the 
son of the great Emperor over sea and represents Christ.

Both JK Rowling and Tolkien have created universes which are not overtly 
Christian but which, through the beliefs of their writers have echoes of 
Christianity in their fabric. These books are not "message" books but 
labours of love. They are not mass produced books written to a template; 
I could name authors who have turned out massive numbers of books to 
very similar patterns which do not reflect any sort of ethical system.

I have remarked on occasions before that I do not see JKR postulating a 
story line in which Harry is a Christ figure because that would fly in the 
face of her belief. To a Christian, he cannot be such a figure because 
our belief accepts Christ as God in human form, sinless, perfect so as 
to be able to die for the sins of the world in his human form.

I see Harry as an everyman figure echoing our own journeys through
life. I love Harry as a character; he reminds me of the scrapes I got up 
to when I was his age but sinless, perfect? No way.

These three authors have written books which are timeless and 
"thumping good stories" which will continue to enthral readers of all 
ages in the future; they pit goodness against evil not in a black versus 
white scenario where everything is a foregone conclusion but with 
shades of grey which cast shadows and doubts on the final success 
of good. This is drawn from their own perception of good and evil 
which I believe is rooted in their faith.
</quote>