I'm interested to know what people think about the Harry Potter series vs. what they think about the Chronicles of Narnia. I have read both and have come to believe that they are both fictional stories and both have a conflict of good vs. evil. Also, I have been told that the Chronicles of Narnia are supposed to be somewhat based on the Bible, however, having read through them, there might be some silmilarities but I don't believe that reading the Chronicles of Narnia anymore so makes you a believer of God's word that reading through the Harry Potter series makes you a devil worshipper/ witch/warlock. So just to re-emphasis my question....
What do people/you think about the Harry Potter series vs. what do people/you think about the Chronicles of Narnia?
I have read the Harry Potter series but I've only seen the Narnia movie. From a parenting stand-point (although I'm not one) I think just about any story that depicts good and evil could be used as a good parenting tool as long as the parent is involved. But my mother would tell you otherwise! Haha!
I suppose just like anything else in this world, it's all about perception.
Read Narnia, awesome story/stories, yes, all of them. Saw one Harry Potter movie, never read any books. It seems like the next generation's fantasy novel to me. I'm not a parent, and unless stated as a "Christian" work by the author/director, I never try to draw parallels.
I have read about half of the Harry Potter books and two 1/2 of the Narnia books. (I would like to read the rest of the Narnia's, just haven't made the time.)
Anyway, the Harry Potter books do get darker as they go along. Yes the "good" magic always prevails in the end (at least in the earlier books) and it is pretty good writting. The issue that I have with the books is that many 8 and 9 year olds start reading book 1, which is about a 12 year old, which is fine, but then a few months later, they are into book 3 or 4, which are about 13 & 14 year olds. The characters in the books keep getting older, while the child reading is still only 9 or 10. I don't think I would be comfortable with my 9 or10 year old reading a book about an older teenager and all the "feelings" and experiences they are having. However, if, when my son is 12 or so, he wants to read them, I might be open to it.
I can see the parallels in the books (and movies) of Narnia that I have read to Christanity. However, just reading these books are not going to make anyone become a Christian or have a deeper relationship with Christ. It would be a good book to read as a family and have a discussion about Christianity, but without the follow-up discussion, I don't think anyone, child or adult will get too much "Christianity" out of it.
I'm absolutely against Harry Potter books. All this magic stuff just isn't good for anyone especially for kids. It makes kids feel like nothing wrong with trying some "white" magic.
Narnia... I saw the movie. I think it's good movie. Good moral.
I understand your point but there's magic in the Narnia Chronicles. I mean, its even called Magic. So how's that different? I"m serious...I"m not trying to be pushy or angry sounding. But you have the White Witch who is defeated by Aslan, no doubt a magical lion and its not portrayed in the books or the movies that Aslan is tied to God and miracles but rather to a greater understanding of this "deep magic", more so than what the White witch is. I just don't think that this should be a battle ground, you know? I heard people in my church talking evil against the Harry Potter series while praising the works of the Chronicles of Narnia. That's really where this whole post came from...I just think you can't encourage one and completely ridicule the other. That's all...
In Narnia magic is not for humans, and good people do not attempt it without permission.
I thought that the magic of Narnia represents God�s mysterious and unseen ways that He continues works through the lives of humans.
The Deep Magic was a set of laws placed into Narnia by the "Emperor beyond the Sea" at the time of its creation.
It was written on a table of stone. This law stated that the White Witch was entitled to the blood of a traitor and a son of Adam to do as she wished.
If someone denied her this right then all of Narnia would be destroyed. With her sense of power through this, she had set herself up as Queen of Narnia.
The Deeper Magic that existed before the Deep Magic was brought forth and was unknown,
Know to Jadis because her knowledge went back only to the dawn of time.
Her powers were only rooted in the ordinary realm.
This magic stated that if any innocent being sacrificed themselves in the place of a traitor, that the Stone Table would crack and the death of the innocent person would be reversed.
This is a clear metaphor for the sacrifice of Christ and his crucifixion.
Christ traded his life so the sins of humans could be forgiven and all people have access to deeper spiritual forces.
Aslan goes through many transformations throughout the Chronicles, which serves to illustrate the many facets of God and the many roles Christ played in his life healer, leader, teacher, and an angry figure at somepoint as seen in his reaction to the money changers in the Temple.
Aslan appears more distant and more elusive to find, like the Christ nature in the world.
The story of Narnia implies that there are no shortcuts to the realm of God�s world.
One must follow the moral and ethical steps, and keep the faith in order to eventually move into the realm of Heaven.
I feel that forbidding a child to read a book often has the reverse consequences from what the parent intended. My grandmother read the first book when it first came out and sent it to me. my mom decided i could read the first through third books then forbid me to read the fourth, so i borrowed it from a friend and read it at night.
i don't see the harm in reading the books as long as the student has a good head on their shoulders. the books portray magic as something special that needs to be used only in controlled situations (at the school in classes) and focus more on the students than the magic.
a book is an inanimate object therefore neither inherently good or evil.
I have read and enjoyed both series and see them both as entertaining. i don't feel that either is more evil than the other and actually prefer the writing style and story of the Harry Potter series. it is very steeped in mythology, which has always interested me.
Well I have read all of the Narnia books and non of the Harry Potter books but from what I have read about the Harry Potter books there is a big difference. The difference is that in the Narnia books there is a clear distinction between good and evil.
On the other hand in the Harry Potter books sometimes the good guys us bad magic for "good reasons" and sometimes you don't know how is good and who is bad.
I think as a mature christian I could read the books and discern the what is write and wrong, but if a younger child read the books it could cause serious doubts as to what is write and what is wrong. Another negative thing about Harry Potter is that is is peeking so many childrens interst in witchcraft as they see using magic as something cool.
Well that is my take on the subject and yes it is true I haven't read the books before but I have done alot of research about the books.
This is an interesting thread. I have never read Harry Potter, so cannot say anything about that. But I love Narnia!
Stormcountry, You say that in Narnia, Aslan is not directly connected with God. I would disagree. First of all, there is the very obvious allegory in The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe. Then, in The Magician's Nephew, Aslan creates a world. In the Dawn Treader He tells Lucy and Edmund that they were brought to Narnia because, through knowing Him there, they might know Him better in their own world. Then in The Last Battle, it is said that ALL of the REAL countries are only the spurs of the great mountains Of Aslans country (which means heaven of course). :-)
Hey everyone, if you haven't done so already, check out Lewis' other books, the ones for grown-ups. They are even better!
Harry Potter certainly is very controversial with it's use of witchcraft and wizardry. However, it is not a how to book on using spells - it's a fantasy novel. I think people blow that out of proportion and take it out of context a lot of the time.
They are a lot of Christian principles in those books like loyalty, friendship, love, compassion, etc. Not to mention in the seventh book Rowling even quotes scripture on the parents of Harry's tombstones.
Certainly, it's not as allegorical as Narnia, but it is as enjoyable in my eyes.
Narnia is a very good read. However, if one can argue against HP one could argue that a talking lion is more appealing to children than Jesus as on of my classmates did in college.
It's all a matter of educating yourself and perceptions. If you're grounded and in God's word than neither of these books should cause you to stray from God's kingdom.
