John Granger "Looking for God in Harry Potter"/ Random thoughts about CH 1-3

[kempermentor]

No: HPFGUIDX 185914

> Alla:
> This is all lovely, and sure I can see how Christ symbols **help** 
> Harry, but when Granger starts to argue... "And in case you think 
> this is just a "great comeback" rather  than a resurrection 
> reference, please note that Harry never saves himself but is always 
> saved by a symbol of Christ or by love" – "Looking for God in 
> Harry Potter". And I am thinking that this is a fine example of 
> stretching the point to the extreme to fit your argument. Just stop 
> after saying that those elements **help** Harry, because it is 
> ... bizarre to me to read that Stag saves Harry in PoA, and not 
> Harry himself who saw himself **casting said Stag** and was finally 
> able to do it.  And Harry's love for Sirius that saved him from 
> possession in OOP – um, that IS Harry himself, is it not?

Kemper now:
I can see the Stag (Christ figure ergo God figure) as saving Harry,
but probably not in the way Granger proposes.  I think it is the
literal rather than the figurative that Granger's title suggests.
Harry finds God in himself.  He (as Son) originally thought he saw his
dad (Father) casting the Stag (Holy Ghost/Spirit).  I do not mean to
imply that Harry is God, but that Harry found God within himself. 
Which is way different than finding God.  To me, that signifies
finding God outside of one's self which might be as close as a church
or as far away as the sky.

Harry's love is also Harry finding and, more importantly, embracing
God: given that 'God is love'. 

Just my (heretical?) thoughts.

Kemper