So, remind me again why Harry Potter is 'evil'?

[KelitaArcher]

The Top Crusader: Well, may I ask you, what evidence you have to support that claim?

[SoccerLOTR]

I didn't I'm fine with it except ONE fact- The fact that traps most people: It takes up all your time. I mean my sister claims she never has time to hang out with me. But somehow she had time to read all 7 books in 2 weeks. And they aren't SHORT books either. Plus she claimed she didn't have any money-yet somehow bought all 7. Hmm...

Hate to tell ya, but that's not Harry Potter...that's anything that you become obsessed with that takes the place of God or others. People can spend all their time/money reading Harry Potter just as well as they can playing/buying video games, shopping, exercising, drinking, watching tv, playing music, or even reading/buying Narnia books and {gasp} even Adventures in Odyssey! Just about anything can be taken to the extreme.

[jelly]

Ok I haven't read this thread and don't plan to, but I wanted to let you know why I don't like them and don't plan on reading/watching them.

Ah, ignorance at its finest.

My friend's mom used to be a witch and we asked her what she thought of Harry Potter. She said that she did not like them at all. She started reading them and said that they were real spells. Not just fun little sayings in a fiction book, but real. She also said though that she didn't have any problems with LOTR.

You seriously have to be a desperately gullible person to believe such complete nonsense. First of all, JK Rowling extracted words from different languages and crafted words of her own. Here's a link explaining the origins of the different 'spells'... http://hotword.dictionary.com/harry-potter-spells/

Secondly, 'real magic' is not at all how it is portrayed in Harry Potter. People don't walk around with wands and cast magical spells at each other. In real life, witchcraft is more likely to come in the form of ceremonies and rituals. The wands, hats, magical spells and other classic wizardry symbols are all fictional elements. Nobody worships Satan. The fictional 'witchcraft' element found in Harry Potter is completely different from real life witchcraft.

Again; if you insist on being stubborn in your biased opinions towards the Harry Potter series, fine... but son't spread such ignorant accusations around. It's this kind of stubborn stupidity that give Christians the closed-minded, ignorant, judgmental image that we get.

[Taps]

Jelly you seriously have to be a desperately gullible person to believe that ridiculous article

Maybe I will start reading them sometime.

[American Eagle]

Ask yourself:

Are these books and movies pleasing to God? Do they bring me closer to Him? Do they glorify Him Name?

/end thread

[Shadowfax]

Ask yourself:

Are these books and movies pleasing to God? Do they bring me closer to Him? Do they glorify Him Name?

/end thread

Something that doesn't bring you closer to God or glorify His name isn't evil. Classical music, sports, boardgames, bikes...

[jelly]

Jelly you seriously have to be a desperately gullible person to believe that ridiculous article

Or maybe that article was based on facts!
srsly tho. Mock-Latin words = hardly 'real' magical spells.

Ask yourself:

Are these books and movies pleasing to God? Do they bring me closer to Him? Do they glorify Him Name?

/end thread

People like to bring in this argument all the time, and there's nothing wrong with it... however, if that's the way you view life, great, but it's really unrelated to the argument at hand. As Shadowfax mentioned, there are lots of things that may not always glorify God, but that alone hardly makes them evil. If your argument is that Christians shouldn't spend time partaking in anything that doesn't bring you closer to God, then Harry Potter isn't the one item you should choose to argue against.

[Amethystic]

Again; if you insist on being stubborn in your biased opinions towards the Harry Potter series, fine... but son't spread such ignorant accusations around. It's this kind of stubborn stupidity that give Christians the closed-minded, ignorant, judgmental image that we get.

Honestly, this is the most biased opinion in the entire thread. Everyone else has been perfectly reasonable in stating their opinions in relation to their age and understanding of the issue, so insinuating that everyone who doesn't think that Harry Potter is okay holds an unfounded prejudice is uncalled for.

[jelly]

Again; if you insist on being stubborn in your biased opinions towards the Harry Potter series, fine... but son't spread such ignorant accusations around. It's this kind of stubborn stupidity that give Christians the closed-minded, ignorant, judgmental image that we get.

Honestly, this is the most biased opinion in the entire thread. Everyone else has been perfectly reasonable in stating their opinions in relation to their age and understanding of the issue, so insinuating that everyone who doesn't think that Harry Potter is okay holds an unfounded prejudice is uncalled for.

It's not everyone who doesn't like Harry Potter. It's everyone who goes beyond merely choosing to avoid a certain aspect of pop-culture and thinks they have the right to attack it with every single pathetic excuse and biblical reasoning they can without barely knowing anything about what they're choosing to label as 'evil'. I don't believe Christians have any right to state their strong opinions on certain issues if they know nothing about them, just as I don't believe anyone has the right to state biased, unfounded and prejudiced opinions. Those who have a limited understanding of something shouldn't start speaking as though they have the God-given right to condemn it. For example... rock music? (yes, that one is a favorite of mine )
Quiet opinion = fine. Biased, opinionated prejudice = not fine.

Modern-day Christianity has a serious image problem. Those who label Christians as "ignorant, judgmental and hypocritical" get their fuel from controversial issues like Harry Potter, which for some reason became the 'hot topic' for Christians to pick on. Personally, I'm in favor of not fueling these labels.

[Amethystic]

It's not everyone who doesn't like Harry Potter. It's everyone who goes beyond merely choosing to avoid a certain aspect of pop-culture and thinks they have the right to attack it with every single pathetic excuse and biblical reasoning they can without barely knowing anything about what they're choosing to label as 'evil'. I don't believe Christians have any right to state their strong opinions on certain issues if they know nothing about them, just as I don't believe anyone has the right to state biased, unfounded and prejudiced opinions. Those who have a limited understanding of something shouldn't start speaking as though they have the God-given right to condemn it. For example... rock music? (yes, that one is a favorite of mine )
Quiet opinion = fine. Biased, opinionated prejudice = not fine.

Modern-day Christianity has a serious image problem. Those who label Christians as "ignorant, judgmental and hypocritical" get their fuel from controversial issues like Harry Potter, which for some reason became the 'hot topic' for Christians to pick on. Personally, I'm in favor of not fueling these labels.

So why are you allowed to trumpet your opinion and not everybody else? And why don't Christians have the right to state strong opinion when everyone else is doing it? After all, everyone else is blasting their own opinions without stopping to worry if they're prejudiced or offensive; how are Conservative Christians supposed to defend their beliefs and be respected as equally valid contributors when everyone's telling them to keep their opinions to themselves--including other Christians? Are we so concerned about defending the popular opinion that we have to put down the convictions of our fellow churchgoers?

And yes, modern-day Christianity does have a serious problem; it refuses to step up and tell people that there's a right and there's a wrong. Do we want to be accepted by the world, or do we want to follow God? We can't have both.

[Musical Shutterbug]

Amy and Jelly enter the ring. The crowd is tense...waiting...

[Amethystic]

...

[jelly]

So why are you allowed to trumpet your opinion and not everybody else?

Because I'm awesome.

...and maybe because there's a major difference between my opinion and the opinion of someone who doesn't even know what they're opinionated against. I don't believe I ever grouped an "everyone else"; in fact, I respect the opinions of people like you and AE when it's obvious to me that you're actually well-educated with the issue at hand and you know what you're talking about. I'm not attacking you, Amy.

Are we so concerned about defending the popular opinion that we have to put down the convictions of our fellow churchgoers?

Convictions are personal things; not something that you automatically have the right to shove down other people's throats.

And yes, modern-day Christianity does have a serious problem; it refuses to step up and tell people that there's a right and there's a wrong. Do we want to be accepted by the world, or do we want to follow God? We can't have both.

There's a massive difference between "being accepted by the world" in your context, and learning how to co-exist with the world. It's not a "Christians vs. the world" war. Obviously we want to follow God, and by doing that we want to fulfill the great commission and bring others into the light. We don't do a very good job of that by building those negative stereotypes for ourselves. We can say "Oh, we're following God and that's all that matters", but it's incredibly counter-productive to dismiss the rest of the world the way we do.

These days, Christians are known for what they're against rather then what they're for.

[Ferder]

I don't believe Christians have any right to state their strong opinions on certain issues if they know nothing about them

Would you except any less from a thread you titled "So, remind me again why Harry Potter is 'evil'?" This is like scolding a mouse for getting caught in a trap you baited with cheese.

[American Eagle]

There's a massive difference between "being accepted by the world" in your context, and learning how to co-exist with the world. It's not a "Christians vs. the world" war.

We are not here to co-exist with the world. You cannot live for yourself and God. You must choose one or the other.

If we don't choose God now, we will eventually default to the world. More wasted lives.

[Amethystic]

So why are you allowed to trumpet your opinion and not everybody else?

Because I'm awesome.

...and maybe because there's a major difference between my opinion and the opinion of someone who doesn't even know what they're opinionated against. I don't believe I ever grouped an "everyone else"; in fact, I respect the opinions of people like you and AE when it's obvious to me that you're actually well-educated with the issue at hand and you know what you're talking about. I'm not attacking you, Amy.

I know you're not; you are, however, attacking the less-polished but equally important views of our younger peers. Do you really expect them to be able to argue with the knowledge and assertiveness that you, as a young adult, possess? They were just sharing their honest opinions; none of them were deserving of any disrespect. A lot of the 'ignorance' perceived by you is just a maturity gap caused by age difference, so criticizing them won't do them any favors.

Are we so concerned about defending the popular opinion that we have to put down the convictions of our fellow churchgoers?

Convictions are personal things; not something that you automatically have the right to shove down other people's throats.

But then what are you sharing now? Aren't you sharing your convictions with us--and, dare I say it, "shoving it down our throats"? If I had started a thread and began blasting the Harry Potter supporters with the same fervor that you've been sharing your opinions, half of the board would have been all over me for being close-minded and intolerant. Everyone from every walk of life has the right to share their opinion, and they have the right to disagree with others, but they should do so with respect.

And yes, modern-day Christianity does have a serious problem; it refuses to step up and tell people that there's a right and there's a wrong. Do we want to be accepted by the world, or do we want to follow God? We can't have both.

There's a massive difference between "being accepted by the world" in your context, and learning how to co-exist with the world. It's not a "Christians vs. the world" war. Obviously we want to follow God, and by doing that we want to fulfill the great commission and bring others into the light. We don't do a very good job of that by building those negative stereotypes for ourselves. We can say "Oh, we're following God and that's all that matters", but it's incredibly counter-productive to dismiss the rest of the world the way we do.

These days, Christians are known for what they're against rather then what they're for.

Being a Christian by definition means that you're in a war against the powers of darkness that are in the world. (At least, it should be by definition.) Why is everyone convinced that if we polished up our PR skills then everyone will respect us and we'll win souls over with our tolerance? "They will hate you because they hated me," is what Jesus said. The spirit of the world hates Christ; the only way to gain the respect of the world is to become like them, and as Christians we're supposed to be against the things of this world. If we're watching what the world watches, thinking how the world thinks, and living like the world lives, how are we supposed to be Christ's light in the world? I'd rather be hated for sticking to my beliefs than to be scared of hurting someone's feelings and tell everyone, "Oh, I'm not here to judge," and have everybody love me. 1 Corinthians 6:3 says, "Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!" We're not here to beat down our fellow man or to preach at everybody until they hate our guts, but the church is not supposed to be a neutral party when it comes to the moral dilemmas of our age--we're the body of Christ, and we have to stand up for what's right, even if when other Christians are trying to convince people that you can follow God without offending anybody and then still have all your worldly fun on the side.

[jelly]

There's a massive difference between "being accepted by the world" in your context, and learning how to co-exist with the world. It's not a "Christians vs. the world" war.

We are not here to co-exist with the world. You cannot live for yourself and God. You must choose one or the other.

Why does co-existing with the world automatically mean living for yourself? You can choose to live for God and yet still respect the rest of the world. We are not supposed to form an unattractive clique of closed-minded people... we're supposed to represent Christianity as an attractive thing. People should be getting converted because they see that Christians have a close relationship with Jesus Christ and they want it for themselves. Maybe that still does happen, but it seems to me that more people are instead turned away from Christianity because of all the negative behaviors we live out. Christians should be known for what they stand for, not just for what they stand against.

I know you're not; you are, however, attacking the less-polished but equally important views of our younger peers. Do you really expect them to be able to argue with the knowledge and assertiveness that you, as a young adult, possess? They were just sharing their honest opinions; none of them were deserving of any disrespect. A lot of the 'ignorance' perceived by you is just a maturity gap caused by age difference, so criticizing them won't do them any favors.

Actually, I believe that presenting a more-educated alternative opinion is doing people favors. You don't do anybody a favor by patting them on the back and telling them they're right all the time... often, a harsh criticism is exactly what people need to help them mature. That's how I grew up and matured... when people told me I was wrong, and I realized that they were right. My goal, however, is not to insult people for the sake of disrespecting them. I apologize again if that comes across. I just prefer to be more blunt in my posts.

But then what are you sharing now? Aren't you sharing your convictions with us--dare I say it, "shoving it down our throats"? If I had started a thread and began blasting the Harry Potter supporters with the same fervor that you've been sharing your opinions, half of the board would have been all over me for being close-minded and intolerant. Everyone from every walk of life has the right to share their opinion, and people have the right to disagree, but they should do so with respect.

except, I'm not really the one with convictions on this matter. There's a difference between 'opinions' and 'convictions'.

Being a Christian by definition means that you're in a war against the powers of darkness that are in the world. (At least, it should be by definition.) Why is everyone convinced that if we polished up our PR skills then everyone will respect us and we'll win souls over with our tolerance? "They will hate you because they hated me," is what Jesus said. The spirit of the world hates Christ; the only way to gain the respect of the world is to become like them, and as Christians we're supposed to be against the things of this world. If we're watching what the world watches, thinking how the world thinks, and living like the world lives, how are we supposed to be Christ's light in the world?

By being aware of the way others view us. This, I think, is very important. We can't very well be Christ's light to the world if we close ourselves off from the world we're trying to reach. And I'm not talking about immersing ourselves into the 'spirit of the world' or the 'powers of darkness in the world'... by 'the world', I mean the people. How can we so blatantly label everyone who's not a Christian as 'a power of darkness'? That is exactly why others look at us and want no part of the judgmental image we portray. We must separate 'the spirit of the world' from 'the people of the world'.

I believe there's a happy medium. The world should hate us because of what we stand for, but the unreached souls should not.

[American Eagle]

There's a massive difference between "being accepted by the world" in your context, and learning how to co-exist with the world. It's not a "Christians vs. the world" war.

We are not here to co-exist with the world. You cannot live for yourself and God. You must choose one or the other.

Why does co-existing with the world automatically mean living for yourself? You can choose to live for God and yet still respect the rest of the world. We are not supposed to form an unattractive clique of closed-minded people... we're supposed to represent Christianity as an attractive thing.

I just plain disagree. That was my thinking and lifestyle for the past few years, but it's gotten me nowhere. I'm giving it up.

People should be getting converted because they see that Christians have a close relationship with Jesus Christ and they want it for themselves.

This, however, I agree with.

[Sherlock]

I don't believe Christians have any right to state their strong opinions on certain issues if they know nothing about them

Just because you or don't want to hear an unstudied opinion doesn't mean that the person loses the right to voice it. That would be a ridiculous thing to claim.

As for Christians having a consistently negative image, that is going to become an inevitability in any society that embraces complete autonomy as most of the western world does. If you adhere to any moral code whatsoever you are going to be percieved as a negative force, since to adhere to a moral code is, by definition, advocating imposing limitations on human behavior. In a society that values no limitations, you will have a backlash against the Christian moral code.

While I think that Christianity has many positive aspects to bring to the table (obviously, otherwise I wouldn't be one), I don't think we can deny that it won't be seen as a positive force by those who espouse a subjectivist worldview.

As for reconciling severely wrong idas with good people, that's easy. There are good people who claim to espouse very silly and dangerous values and very bad people who claim to espouse good moral values. That doesn't change the nature of the values themselves, it just illustrates the complexity of human nature.

[KelitaArcher]

I agree, AE, you have to serve God, or yourself. No in-betweens. We are either friends of the world, or friends of God.