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Old 02-14-2004, 11:35 AM   #17
Elianna
Shade of Carn Dûm
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Ad finem itineris
Posts: 384
Elianna has just left Hobbiton.
First, I didn't know that Tolkien was more excepted than Lewis in Christian circles. Personally, I was introduced to The Chronicals of Narnia long before LotR.

Secondly, Alexus Varus:
Quote:
...revealations had magic and dragons and stuff in it...
I just read through Revelation (note spelling) for any references to magic. I found 3 (and maybe a fourth):
Quote:
Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their theifs.
Rev. ch. 9, verse 21.
Quote:
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murders, the sexually immoral, those who pratice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
Rev. ch 21, verse 8.
Quote:
Outside [the Holy City] are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murders, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Rev. ch 22, verse 15
(Please remember though, if these people will ask forgiveness, God will give them salvation from the lake of sulfur and allow them into the Holy City.)
The possible fourth is a mention of "Satan's so-called deep secrets". Rev. ch 2, verse 24.
As for dragons:
Quote:
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
Rev ch 20 verse 2
So you see: those things are mentioned in the Bible, but always with very bad connects.

Third, as for magic in LotR:

Quote:
'Are these magic cloaks?' Pippin asked, looking at them with wonder. 'I do not know what you mean by that,' answered the leader of the Elves. 'They are fair graments, and the web is good, for it was made in this land...You are indeed high in favor of the Lady! For she herself and her maidens wove this stuff...'
From this I gather that all that was called 'magic' by the Hobbits (who recorded the WR in the Red Book, which became LotR) was actually only things that they couldn't understand. Think about it: Who had the magical powers? The Istari, who were Maiar sent by Manwë. Of course angels are going to have powers that Hobbits can't understand. The Elves, some of whom had lived with the Valar and were closer to them and had a far better understanding of nature and science, were also counted as magical.
I think Firefoot's quote is better at making this point than my quote.

Fourth, as for Harry Potter:
I don't understand why there's so much contraversy about a colonel on M*A*S*H.
Actually, my mommy read the first one when they first started coming out and told me not to read them, so I can't say much about HP. The reasons she gave me for why not to read them, beside the sorcery, were basically because even the good guys lie, cheat, and steal (for something like that). So it's not just the witchcraft that we Christians don't like.

And besides all that, Tolkien said himself "God is the Lord, of angels, and of men- and of elves." Has Rowling ever said anything like that for Harry? I somehow doubt it.

Sorry to be long-winded.
Elianna is offline   Reply With Quote