Harry Potter - christian or not

Stephentlig

Jakkass wrote: »

If a story can get us thinking about the truth, surely it isn't a bad thing?

I'd agree with you that a lot of fiction isn't worth our time, but there is some that is certainly.

No harm in watching it when one can stay firm in his position.

my whole life growing up before my conversion was spent watching fiction and I never thought about Jesus once.

as I said previously I can watch a fictional film with my wife and remain in my conviction, but other people get so zoomed into these things and miss the joys of truth altogether.

Antbert

Stephentlig, do you do anything for fun?

Corkfeen

Stephen, how the hell can you argue that fiction is wrong and shouldn't be read. First of all, you should try posting that in the literature forum to see how they'd react.

Why shouldn't we enjoy the art form that is writing.I can't see why we shouldn't be allowed to enjoy ourselves as we see fit.

Fiction opens your mind and is capable of inspiration. To limit yourself to the bible is idiotic. Should Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolstoy, Ian McEwan and the many other writers be ignored since they haven't found fit to spread biblical messages that you preach.

Some novels may simply be candy for the mind which I have no issue with. But many others discuss major issues of the time or even foresee issues of the future. Look at books such as Q&A (Slumdog Millionaire) or even his Dark Materials(A highly controversial book for catholics).

To live life without "thrills" can't be considered living life. I myself prefer to live life without absolute boredom. Readings a luxury that many people don't unfortunately benefit from. Up until recently novels were burned in countries such as Afghanistan. Its a right; we shouldn't waste on grounds of religion.

krudler

Corkfeen wrote: »

Stephen, how the hell can you argue that fiction is wrong and shouldn't be read. First of all, you should try posting that in the literature forum to see how they'd react.

Why shouldn't we enjoy the art form that is writing.I can't see why we shouldn't be allowed to enjoy ourselves as we see fit.

Fiction opens your mind and is capable of inspiration. To limit yourself to the bible is idiotic. Should Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolstoy, Ian McEwan and the many other writers be ignored since they haven't found fit to spread biblical messages that you preach.

Some novels may simply be candy for the mind which I have no issue with. But many others discuss major issues of the time or even foresee issues of the future. Look at books such as Q&A (Slumdog Millionaire) or even his Dark Materials(A highly controversial book for catholics).

To live life without "thrills" can't be considered living life. I myself prefer to live life without absolute boredom. Readings a luxury that many people don't unfortunately benefit from. Up until recently novels was burned in countries such as Afghanistan. Its a right; we shouldn't waste on grounds of religion.

Well put, surely experiencing the joys of life is one of the reasons that makes life worth living, i love the cinema, i go on my own to get away from everything for a couple of hours, phone off, sit there by myself and just take in a good movie, its thats wrong then i dont want to know what right is

philologos

Corkfeen: Interesting point.

I think the Christian although they are meant to be separate from the world, still needs to know about the world so that they can communicate the Gospel while taking into account current trends.

Defending Christianity in the 21st century is different from defending Christianity in the 1st century.

Our knowledge of our culture, and what our culture believes is crucially important if we are going to have anything of worth to say to it.

Coriolanus

Corkfeen wrote: »

Stephen, how the hell can you argue that fiction is wrong and shouldn't be read. First of all, you should try posting that in the literature forum to see how they'd react.

Why shouldn't we enjoy the art form that is writing.I can't see why we shouldn't be allowed to enjoy ourselves as we see fit.

Fiction opens your mind and is capable of inspiration. To limit yourself to the bible is idiotic. Should Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolstoy, Ian McEwan and the many other writers be ignored since they haven't found fit to spread biblical messages that you preach.

Some novels may simply be candy for the mind which I have no issue with. But many others discuss major issues of the time or even foresee issues of the future. Look at books such as Q&A (Slumdog Millionaire) or even his Dark Materials(A highly controversial book for catholics).

To live life without "thrills" can't be considered living life. I myself prefer to live life without absolute boredom. Readings a luxury that many people don't unfortunately benefit from. Up until recently novels were burned in countries such as Afghanistan. Its a right; we shouldn't waste on grounds of religion.

McEwan is a hack.

Anyway, with that out of the way, I think a lot of people are missing some of the points that Stephenlig is making. While I disagree with him, I can at least see where he's coming from.

He's not living a life without "thrills", he just finds his thrills, pleasures and escapes in what he sees as the word of God, and His all embracing nature, if I'm reading him right at least, I may not be.

For me at least, he's right in saying that fiction is pure escapism. For him, he feels that escape isn't necessary to enjoy life.

Now, I'm all for enjoying the fruits of life, I'd be a sensualist far above an ascetic, but I do draw lines. Some people gain real, actual pleasure from hurting themselves, or being hurt for example. I don't know if I do or not, but I'm not bloody well trying.
Stephen to me, seems to have drawn the exact same lines as the rest of have, albeit a bit more restrictively on himself than most tend to.

If anything, he's to be applauded for having the courage of his convictions if nothing else and I think the ire being raised is interesting in and of itself.

Stephentlig

Jakkass wrote: »

Corkfeen: Interesting point.

I think the Christian although they are meant to be separate from the world, still needs to know about the world so that they can communicate the Gospel while taking into account current trends.

Defending Christianity in the 21st century is different from defending Christianity in the 1st century.

Our knowledge of our culture, and what our culture believes is crucially important if we are going to have anything of worth to say to it.

#

I'm hearing what your saying and I understand your point of view, we need to learn to communicate with the world, but as St.Clement of alexandria said, ( and I dont qoute word for word ) there are two ways of living the spiritual life, there are those who lead the spiritual life of perfection and there are those who live the life in the world and in their ordinary every day to day faith. A great example of the person who leads the spirtual life of perfection can be found in St.John the Baptist, and the apostles preached in the world and even St.Paul at the aeropagus used one of the pagans poets qoutes to teach them about God, this is why philosophy in the Catholic church plays an important role in helping us understand how the Holy Spirit works through everyone in the world, and how we can pick truths out of what some philosophers say and use that to aid in our effort to convert.

But we can see from Saint Pauls advice to Timothy in his letters ( which is the word of God ) that he doesnt water down the truth and warns timothy to stay away from myths and old wives tales that only lead us away from the truth.