[HPforGrownups] Re: Christianity in HP (WAS: Religion & Law in HP and Smelting Sticks)

[Kathryn Lambert]

No: HPFGUIDX 168951

Geoff Bannister <gbannister10 at tiscali.co.uk> wrote:          Geoff:
<enormous snipping here>

Returning to the books and looking at the question of where JKR is 
coming from, she has indicated that she is a Christian and we know 
that she worships in the Church of Scotland, where she now lives. 
There are implicit hints to Christian belief in the HP books: 
Dumbledore's comments on choice; possible redemption (for characters 
such as Snape or Draco or Peter Pettigrew), sacrificial love as 
demonstrated by Lily to mention a few - and there is certainly a book 
in existence "The Gospel according to Harry Potter" which draws 
comparisons between events in the books and quotes from the Bible. 
Obviously, the structure of the books did not lend itself to overtly 
Christian observations (in the same way as LOTR).

Ironically, a couple of years ago, there was a groundswell of 
criticism from a number of members on the group which included 
Wiccans, atheists and alchemists inter alia, who suggested that 
Christians were hijacking the books completely.

<another large snip>
   
  KATIE REPLIES:
  I resent wholeheartedly your insinuation that sacrificial love, redemption, CHOICE, and other so-called "Christian" themes in Harry Potter are Christian at all. My objection is two-fold:
  1 - There is an assumption by Christians that values that are in the Bible are somehow singularly Christian. Simply because you put it in the Bible does not mean it is owned by Christianity. The Bible may mean something to you, but it means nothing to me, and I believe in sacrificial love, redemption, spirituality, loving the Creator, and treating my fellow man with humanity. This doesn't mean that I am a Christian, nor does it mean that I am practicing "Christian" values. These beliefs belong to all of humanity - why do Christians get to hijack all virtues and claim them as their own?
   
  2 - I was part of that "groundswell" of other religions a few years back. I do not in any way believe that JK intentionally put Christian themes into these books. Perhaps her religion inspired her in an unconscious way (although I disagree with this as well), but it is obvious to me that these books are not religious. If there is any overriding faith theme in HP - it is faith in ONESELF - not in God! The fact that there may be an afterlife in HP doesn't mean it's a Christian heaven. Um...other religions believe in an afterlife. The fact that characters that we believed to be evil may redeem themselves in a sacrifical way in the end, doesn't mean it's some metaphor about Jesus - it's just really fantastic plotting and storytelling. Not everything has to do with Christianity! Jesus' story is a story that had already been told repeatedly in mythology by the writing of the Bible. Why? Because sacrifice and suffering makes a good damn story. 
   
  Harry Potter is not about religion. It is about a boy who is on a  journey of self-discovery, and he happens to have a wonderful cast of characters to help him through. Plus, he's a wizard, and that's dang fun. 
  Trying not to take stuff too seriously, Katie  


  .

 
         

       
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