Harry Potter, C.S. Lewis and Cinderella

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
The problem with Harry Potter, is that it is entirely about witches, wizards and casting spells, that is not too bad if it is a fantasy world with fantsy beings, but Harry Potter is set in the world today and involves human children which all kids can identify with. This combination increases the realism factor and increases the chances the youngsters will take a keen interest in witchcraft for real.
 
Praus said:
Is that how you read the book of Acts? :rolleyes:

Acts 19:19-20 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all [men]: and they counted the price of them, and found [it] fifty thousand [pieces] of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
Click to expand...
Were they actually practicing the arts? yes? Watching a mere movie isn't. However, I did stated earlier that I don't like Harry Potter, because I think it's enticing the viewer to the cults, but I find nothing wrong with the other movies mentioned here, and classify them as fantasy, and Narnia as fantasy with a Christian theme.

My point regarding Acts 15 is that what is being discussed here is a secondary issue, a lot of has to do with a person's Christian understanding, growth, maturity and personal discernment and shouldn't a cause for a hash rebuke or dis-fellowship. Nothing wrong with your opinion tho.

I actually stopped watching Ghost Hunters years ago for the same reasons I don't like Harry Potter, I was convicted.
 
Last edited:
Praus said:
Is that how you read the book of Acts? :rolleyes:

Acts 19:19-20 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all [men]: and they counted the price of them, and found [it] fifty thousand [pieces] of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
Click to expand...

Yes, book-burning is definitely the best way to teach people how reasonable your position is.
 
AvalonXQ said:
Yes, book-burning is definitely the best way to teach people how reasonable your position is.
Click to expand...
I agree! There's no going back once a book is burned, so its a great testimony to show people how sure you are of your change of heart. :D
 
I'm not going to sit quiet while someone insults one of the greatest series of fiction books ever written. The Chronicles of Narnia are about Christ. If you want to deny that, read CS Lewis' letters of correspondence with children, in which he states that Aslan is Jesus the Christ. Also, CS Lewis called Christianity the "True Myth." By the way that phrase is not a post modern new age phrase, but in fact is derived from the very foundations of Christianity in the Middle Ages, in which the word "myth" meant an explanation for unknowable things. The story of Christ is the "True Myth" because it explains unknowable things, and is true.

Why is there magic in Narnia? Because its a children's story. Many children's stories are filled with magic. Magic is not witchcraft or sorcery outright. Case in point, the Saga of Middle Earth. Gandalf the Wizard, is not a wizard at all, but is in fact an angel given mortal form, sent to this world to contend against a fallen angel known as Sauron. What Gandalf does is the power of God working through him, what Sauron does is sorcery (or using the laws of the universe for selfish devices).
 
Married_Richenbrachen said:
I agree! There's no going back once a book is burned, so its a great testimony to show people how sure you are of your change of heart. :D
Click to expand...

I think you missed the sarcasm. But then this whole thread is laughable, so many people scared of a children's book series. I know plenty of people who have read the whole Potter series and we've seen the movies. And none of us practice witchcraft...you know because witchcraft is a joke anyways. Its called separating fantasy from reality, if you yourself cant do it, or you cant teach your children to do it, then don't try to blame harry potter for you being a bad parent.
 
ThomistColin said:
I'm not going to sit quiet while someone insults one of the greatest series of fiction books ever written. The Chronicles of Narnia are about Christ. If you want to deny that, read CS Lewis' letters of correspondence with children, in which he states that Aslan is Jesus the Christ. Also, CS Lewis called Christianity the "True Myth." By the way that phrase is not a post modern new age phrase, but in fact is derived from the very foundations of Christianity in the Middle Ages, in which the word "myth" meant an explanation for unknowable things. The story of Christ is the "True Myth" because it explains unknowable things, and is true.

Why is there magic in Narnia? Because its a children's story. Many children's stories are filled with magic. Magic is not witchcraft or sorcery outright. Case in point, the Saga of Middle Earth. Gandalf the Wizard, is not a wizard at all, but is in fact an angel given mortal form, sent to this world to contend against a fallen angel known as Sauron. What Gandalf does is the power of God working through him, what Sauron does is sorcery (or using the laws of the universe for selfish devices).
Click to expand...


I understand that many of you will hold C.S. Lewis to be the 13th apostle of Jesus Christ, but I, however, do not. The man had been an avid atheist and was fully steeped in the modernist and postmodernist thought of his day until he had a 'realization'. Then this former atheist, steeped in the language and mindset of this aeon, set out to be a Christian philosopher and write popular books. It would be as if Richard Dawkins were to suddenly become a Christian and start writing theological works and commentaries. Though he may be in earnest, he would not have the requisite grounding in truth to be qualified for the task. It would be as if a lawyer who had not formerly believed that there was a brain, suddenly realized there was a brain and then set his hand to being a brain surgeon without any training in the matter. I have no doubt that C.S. may have meant well, but did he do well with his Narnia? I call foul, and I do so because 'Myth' is a word the Apostles simply do not allow for and I believe there is a good reason why.

And that's really all I'll say about it. Christian discipleship may even require one to give up their beloved C.S. Lewis fetish.
 
Last edited:
Then let me ask you 1disciple, who are you to talk about theology? Who was Peter? Who was Iranaeus? Who was Thomas Aquinas? Who was John Wesley? According to you, none of them had a right to talk or teach. So, we are now to judge our Christian brothers and sisters by their past? What kind of heresy is that? Do not be so sure of your position, because it is heresy. We are the beloved Bride of Christ, who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb of God. I do not judge you because at one time you sinned and served the Devil. We all have that in common.
 
ThomistColin said:
Then let me ask you 1disciple, who are you to talk about theology? Who was Peter? Who was Iranaeus? Who was Thomas Aquinas? Who was John Wesley? According to you, none of them had a right to talk or teach. So, we are now to judge our Christian brothers and sisters by their past? What kind of heresy is that? Do not be so sure of your position, because it is heresy. We are the beloved Bride of Christ, who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb of God. I do not judge you because at one time you sinned and served the Devil. We all have that in common.
Click to expand...

I can understand why you would question my knowledge of Theology. After 8 years of Theology school, I not only questioned my knowledge of Theology, but began to question my own sanity.

Albeit, Peter and Paul both speak of the word 'Myth' in negative terms and there is a reason why. Paul goes so far as to say 'Myth' would be all the apostates would listen to in the end days.

The reason C.S. Lewis can be dangerous is that people will mistake the fiction for the reality. Furthermore, as I have already explained in this thread, it is as easy to interpret Narnia in terms of modern or neo-platonic gnosticism as it is Lewis's supposed orthodox Christendom. And people do it all the time. If they couldn't do it so easily, I assure you that Disney would not have been interested.
 
I hate seeing so many people judging others without instruction.
Is it a sin to watch Harry Potter?
... sometimes ...

If you are struggling with witchcraft/wizardry, or your conscience tells you you should not be watching it, then it is sin.
If you are not struggling with witchcraft/wizardry, and your conscience is clear while watching, then it is not sin.

Some will say that God's absolute truth is being ignored by this, but saying that "absolute truth defines all sin" ignores all of the Pauline epistles. There is truth, and absolute truth, and God's Holiness is absolute, but: the Christian is guided by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the conscience. For the Christian, sin is denying the conscience.

The worst thing about these movies, as any movie, is that: they are distracting us from doing good for others. If we are entertaining ourselves, we are neglecting our calling. < we are called to bear good fruit.

If you have ever judged others for watching Harry Potter, ever in your life, IT IS A SIN FOR YOU TO WATCH IT!
^this goes for anything that you've judged someone for.
 
First off the word "Myth" did not exist in the time period of Peter and Paul, it is an English derivation of mythos, a latin phrase that meant a code of beliefs. The Old Testament Law was a Mythos.

Also, Neo Platonism is not gnostic nor modern, but is a Medieval philosophy. Also, Lewis' Orthodoxy was that of the Anglican Communion.
 
ThomistColin said:
First off the word "Myth" did not exist in the time period of Peter and Paul, it is an English derivation of mythos, a latin phrase that meant a code of beliefs. The Old Testament Law was a Mythos.
Click to expand...

You're incorrect. The word "mythos" is a Greek word meaning "story" or "fable," and was used by both Peter and Paul to refer to untrue stories. It occurs in 1 Timothy 1:4, 1 Timothy 4:7, 2 Timothy 4:4, Titus 1:14, and 2 Peter 1:16. Every use of it is negative.

Strong's Greek: 3454. μῦθος (muthos) -- a speech, story, i.e. a fable
 
Bookends said:
My point regarding Acts 15 is that what is being discussed here is a secondary issue, a lot of has to do with a person's Christian understanding, growth, maturity and personal discernment and shouldn't a cause for a hash rebuke or dis-fellowship. Nothing wrong with your opinion tho.
Click to expand...

I wasn't serious, I think it's fine for adults to read Harry Potter, C.S. Lewis and so on.

For children--I don't know--I didn't turn out very well, but I'm pretty sure that Narnia is not the reason why....
 
καὶ ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν ἀκοὴν ἀποστρέψουσιν ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς μύθους ἐκτραπήσονται
 
I always thought teaching "another Jesus" is teaching another Jesus, whether fiction or non-fiction. Why write such a story for kids when the "true story" is available? Anything Hollywood makes a blockbuster out of they do for evil influence. If any of these stories were so "godly", Hollywood would surely shun them.
 
1disciple, your attitude stinks. If people can't differentiate between reality and fantasy, that's their problem, not Lewis' or Tolkien's or Rowling's. While witchcraft is a very real thing, the magic presented in the three franchises have little, if anything in common with the real world occult. Yes, we need to be discerning, but we also need to be responsible for our own sins and temptations. You can't always blame the latest craze. Temptation comes from within, outside and the Enemy, not just the latter two. And no-one ever said Lewis was the 13th apostle. You're a very aggravating person.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back