Harry Potter: Good Witch or Bad Witch

Subject: RE: Harry Potter: Good Witch or Bad Witch
From: Nigel.Parsons
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 06:24 PM

Sophocleese (any relation to John Cleese ?/ nearly Headless nick): I happily confirm that a person born of wizard parents who is untalented, or weakly talented, at witchcraft is a "Squib". Whether this has the same connotations in the U.S. I'm not sure. A Squib is a firework, a type of "banger" (no pretty show, just a loud BANG) but the term squib seems to now be reserved to fulfil the meaning previously used for a "damp squib" i.e. a firework with no pretty show, and which fails even to produce a good bang. Celtic Soul: Quoting is no bad thing, but unless the U.S. edition has been translated from the English, may I point out that the emenations from a troll's nose are "Bogeys". Buggers are (in English) persons who indulge in sodomy. I realise it loses something in translation.

Finally, HP is about having power, but choosing to use it for the right purposes. I seem to remember another book which could be the subject of book burning. It involved the central character being tempted by a "Satanist" who took him to a high place and offered him the world if only he would swear his allegience... It all comes down to choice.

Nigel Parsons

Subject: RE: Harry Potter: Good Witch or Bad Witch
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 10:09 PM

lamarca, I don't think your view of what disturbs the fundies quite tracks with what I know of the ones who have opened their hearts to me-- but it sure is accurate to the picture they show of themselves, on the outside.

I've been thinking about this more as the age-old struggle for Judeo-Christian people: the one between Grace and Works... the one between the experience of the living Christ and Legalism... the one between ministering to people in love and what Hardi and I call the Excuse From Ministry.

Sorry if that last bit makes no sense at the moment-- it will take a good bit of writing to hash it out so others can follow it, I think.

So I'll write more about that as my thoughts develop. I think I may have some thoughts that will be useful to people who want to interrupt fundie rhetoric and get someone's mind engaged.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Harry Potter: Good Witch or Bad Witch
From: John Hardly
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 10:34 PM

Well, as a fundamentalist Christian I have been watching this thread grow and wondering how to say what I'm feeling in a way concise enough for a forum posting. As I've tried this late in a thread before (this has 107 posts at this point) I know the likelihood is that I will finally word it just as I meant it-----only to find it get lost after I hit the "submit" button. I'll wait 'til someone makes a "Part II" thread and see if anyone is still interested in this topic.

Subject: RE: Harry Potter: Good Witch or Bad Witch
From: CarolC
Date: 21 Nov 01 - 10:35 PM

Snosrap, over here (the US), the spelling I'm familiar with is 'boogers'.

Subject: RE: Harry Potter: Good Witch or Bad Witch
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Nov 01 - 12:04 AM

Hey John Hardly, write your ideas to me. I'd love to see what you think. We can compare notes.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Harry Potter: Good Witch or Bad Witch
From: Art Thieme
Date: 22 Nov 01 - 12:05 AM

That this is even being argued over at this late date is a huge sign that our thinking we have progressed AT ALL since the days of primordial oooze is nothing but a huge illusion.

A good story is just that-----a good story-- ! Nothing more and nothing less. PLEASE quit trying to control my life.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Harry Potter: Good Witch or Bad Witch
From: CaptainLewis
Date: 22 Nov 01 - 02:22 AM

Wow! great thread, good movie - loved the books. I was raised in a fairly liberal American Lutheran tradition and now am a practicing (until I get it right??) Epicopalian. I took some excursions into what is widely regarded as mainstream "fundamentalist Christianity" during my youth and other areas as well.

One of the things I noticed about this part of Christendom is the focus on the "fundamentals" of Christian belief - as interpreted by several mainline and conservative denominations (called sects in other religions). Many adherents to this interpretation or approach to worshipping Jesus Christ rely on the simplicity of the beliefs to bulwark themselves against the complexity of the world around them. Of course not all fundamentalists are knee-jerk reactionaries. There is as wide a spectrum of beliefs there as anywhere else in the kingdom. The failure is in the round condemnation of any reference to "magic", "sorcery", "spells" and like vocabulary to Satanic influence and wickness.

I've heard in Baptist churches about the sin of being Catholic, in Catholic churches of being any Protestant denomination, in evangelicals of being "charismatic" and so on. The problem is not Christianity, it is human nature. Fortunately as far as the proclaimed gospel is concerned, christians are saved by grace through faith, not necessarily because they are realistically "good" people. I personally hope that like in Narnia however the fruits borne determine the destination.

Just some personal thoughts.

-CLB

Subject: RE: Harry Potter: Good Witch or Bad Witch
From: Noreen
Date: 22 Nov 01 - 04:18 PM

Please go to continuation thread:

BS: Harry Potter: Good or Bad Witch part ll