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Harry Potter Versus The Purpose Driven Life


ladybug

Which is better reading for your child. Harry Potter, or The Purpose Driven Life (Christian) by a baptist minister.  

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The Purpose Driven Life by a baptist preacher has outsold Harry Potter, but you will never hear it in the media.

Both of these books can be read to your child with supervision, and the parts that don't agree with catholic teaching can be explained. Which of these books, if given the choice, would you read to your own children?

I know one is a fiction and the other about christian living, but they both influence our children with ideas and concepts.

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cmotherofpirl

I would give my child Harry Potter, advice books are a dime a dozen, while good childrens fantasy is rare.

How about a copy of the [i]5 Habits of highly effective teens[/i]?

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Well, I haven't read "The Purpose-Driven Life" but I think Harry Potter is better for your child because he/she is just that, a CHILD. They're probably much more readable.

And if I had kids, although I'd be careful about what they read, I wouldn't limit them to Catholic authors only. I mean what about C.S Lewis, and so many other great authors? :D

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[quote name='VeraMaria' date='Jul 14 2004, 09:20 PM'] And if I had kids, although I'd be careful about what they read, I wouldn't limit them to Catholic authors only. I mean what about C.S Lewis, and so many other great authors? :D [/quote]
Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia rock! :D

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[quote name='VeraMaria' date='Jul 14 2004, 09:20 PM'] Well, I haven't read "The Purpose-Driven Life" [/quote]
:o Its 1 AmaZing bOok!
[b]
ReaD it ReaD IT! [/b]

:cool:

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[quote name='Claudine' date='Jul 14 2004, 09:28 PM'] :o Its 1 AmaZing bOok!
[b]
ReaD it ReaD IT! [/b]

:cool: [/quote]
Claudine,

My church (catholic) recommended the book and went through it with the cathecism kids and the adult study groups for lent, and my religious director asked me to to an art project to go with the book, so I came up with a scripture tag art project. My pastor and all of our church clergy say it's wonderful.

I flipped throught the book initially to design the project, BUT I'm re-reading it slow and I'm on chapter 16.

I'm surprised that many catholics on this board on another thread say it's heretical and we should not be reading it, but Harry Potter which has spell chants in it, and a school for witches and wizards is not heretical reading ???

If our church teaches witchcraft is a sin, we shouldn't read any books that glorify spells, right? It's like giving your child a book about extra-marital sex and saying "Well this is just fictional so you can read it and find some christian lessons in it".

I have THREE catholics in my family dabbling in wicca now and two have completely left the faith and now deny christs divinity and embrace witchcraft. They have pointed out to me that the Catholic church says wicca is okay. I hope the third person in my family keeps his faith.

Maybe they need to read The Purpose Driven Life.

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WCC_Catholic

with harry potter you can turn it and show your children lessons on life it is the "magic" that kids like and children need that "magic" they dont need to be read christian books per say when they are young they need to be taught Christian Catholic views through terms that they can understand. that is just my thought on it. i will support harry potter forever i see nothing wrong with it.

:banana:

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the thing is... kids will read harry potter and know its fiction and imaginary

if they read a book like the purpose drive life( which i havent read but my mom said it was good and it was written by the pastor of the "church" right near me) they will see it and think that it is real and could get misconceptions

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Hmmmmm...

To hear bible.com talk about it, they say that Harry Potter is a tool of Satan because it talks about magical forces and stuff.

I really don't agree with them for a few reasons. I dunno.

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Purpose driven life--presents itself as real. Tries to teach faith. Directed towards adults and faith formation groups.

Harry Potter--presents itself as fiction. Tries to entertain. Directed toward young teens and adults for fantasy reading.


hmmm...I think there may be a difference here....


LOTR and Harry Potter are a much better comparison. Both present themselves a fiction literature.


Also, do you actually know any children who would read A Purpose Driven Life?

Edited by p0lar_bear
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Catholic_4_Life

[quote name='ladybug' date='Jul 14 2004, 10:16 PM'] I'm surprised that many catholics on this board on another thread say it's heretical and we should not be reading it, but Harry Potter which has spell chants in it, and a school for witches and wizards is not heretical reading ???

If our church teaches witchcraft is a sin, we shouldn't read any books that glorify spells, right? It's like giving your child a book about extra-marital sex and saying "Well this is just fictional so you can read it and find some christian lessons in it". [/quote]
Correct me if I am wrong, but I have read all 5 HP books, and I have YET to find anything that says "Catholics are wrong". A book of fantasy with magic in it, well, so was LotR! And as I stated in another post...wouldn't the title "LORD of the Rings" be wrong? We only have one Lord and Saviour, right? But in that book, the evil "demon" was the "Lord" of the rings...isn't THAT heretical? Why aren't people talking about that?

I haven't read "Purpose..." but I have been thinking about getting it. I bet if I tried really hard I could find something in that book that is just as heretical as in a HP novel.

Peace,

Steven

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[quote name='p0lar_bear' date='Jul 15 2004, 09:12 AM'] Purpose driven life--presents itself as real. Tries to teach faith. Directed towards adults and faith formation groups.

Harry Potter--presents itself as fiction. Tries to entertain. Directed toward young teens and adults for fantasy reading.


hmmm...I think there may be a difference here....


LOTR and Harry Potter are a much better comparison. Both present themselves a fiction literature.


Also, do you actually know any children who would read A Purpose Driven Life? [/quote]
Isn't the director/writer/guy in charge of LOTR very Catholic?

I've only seen the first LOTR moive, but aren't there supposedly a lot of parallels between it and Catholicism?

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