Wow

[Jim Ferer]

No: HPFGUIDX 182135

Lesley wrote:   "I think if I had read a lot of these posts before
reading the  books I would never have picked them up after the amount
of  religious comments and references that have been made about them.
 I didn't see any religious messages in any of the books and am 
amazed at the amount of comments that say there were. I also read  the
books because I liked them and have no interest in what  JKR's
religion is." 

Geoff: "I think that you have to make some allowance for the beliefs
of the authors in a series of books such as HP, LOTR or Narnia."	

Maybe the word "religion" is the hangup here. If by "religion" Lesley
means the specific theology, rituals or ceremonies of Christianity or
another religion, those are mostly absent. (Harry does scratch a cross
where he buries Moody's magical eye.)

The books, though, are full of a spirituality that's easy to spot. 
The ethos of the author informs how she wrote them. The same is true
of Geoff's examples of LOTR and Narnia.  The concept of universal love
and sacrifice are key concepts all through the HP tale. Harry does
things that saints and martyrs do in the Christian tradition. People
of other faiths see parallels as well, I'm sure.

Perhaps JKR did not make the books explicitly Christian out of respect
for those of other faiths. Her decision may have served to bring out
the universals of spirituality. I'm sure that the world would be a
better place if we were more like Harry, that I'm sure of, despite his
angst and his occasional undeniably annoying qualities.

Jim Ferer