Ark Park SVP Zovath: Bible = Harry Potter Saga
This is one of those things I wonder about from time to time.
Let us start with a recollection of a common joke that actually bears some merit: Faery tale characters like the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Jesus.
Normally, Christians aren't so enthused about such lines. Indeed, many see it as a deliberate insult to their faith.
But what if the person making the point is a Christian, advocating Christianity?
In the first place, Harry Potter stories are no more witchcraft° than the computer-animated movements in The Matrix are martial arts.
We might also ask Mr. Zovath for evidence of civil or religious authorities punishing people for failing to believe appropriately in The Boy Who Lived.
And we should probably turn to our Christian neighbors and say, "Really? Harry Potter? I mean, okay, sure, but ... really?"
And, in truth, I'm not so much worried about the effect of alleged adults playing Quidditch as I might be about the effect of alleged Christians depicting the murder of the Easter Bunny to children. Call it what you want, but it seems to me—to me, as in, this is my opinion—that Christians generally do not appreciate comparisons of their faith to passing faery tale trends.
After all, Christians make all sorts of political claims in issues like marriage equality. Their rights are violated, apparently, if homosexual humans have human and civil rights. Okay, so ... we're all aware, right, that Albus Dumbledore was gay?
So, now, what wins? The religious liberties of Christians to banish homosexuality from civilized society? Or the religious liberties of Potterites, whereby homosexuals are welcome to civilized society?
Over the years, the fact that, say, real witchcraft has no objection to homosexuality has had no real impact on the gay fray. Given the frequently-expressed disdain many Christians have for the freedoms of other religions in the United States, is it really a wise idea to add inchoate Potterism to the list?
Thus: Should Potterism be regarded as a real religion, as Mr. Zovath suggests?
___________________
Notes:
° Harry Potter stories are no more witchcraft — To wit, one does not regularly cast with a fire wand; the spells of witchcraft are considerably less dramatic, and take far more time to cast, than in the Potter mythos; Potterite magic is as mystical as the Force, and has no symbolic grounding in anything. And that's just a short list.
Works Cited:
Wisniewski, Mary. "Noah's Ark theme park wants to show the Flood was 'plausible'". Reuters. May 31, 2013. Reuters.com. June 2, 2013. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/31/us-usa-religion-ark-idUSBRE94U12U20130531
Netburn, Deborah. "Seven clues that 'Potter's' Dumbledore was gay". Los Angeles Times. October 23, 2007. LATimes.com. June 2, 2013. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-showbiz7-23oct23,0,5726083.story
This is one of those things I wonder about from time to time.
Let us start with a recollection of a common joke that actually bears some merit: Faery tale characters like the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Jesus.
Normally, Christians aren't so enthused about such lines. Indeed, many see it as a deliberate insult to their faith.
But what if the person making the point is a Christian, advocating Christianity?
Zovath argues that the tax breaks do not violate the Constitution, since the state is not giving the park money up-front, but is only returning some of the tourism money the park will bring to the state.
"If somebody wants to come into Kentucky and build a Harry Potter park and teach all the fun things about witchcraft, nobody would say a word about it—they'd just think it was so cool," Zovath said. "But if we want to come in ... and build a Biblical theme park, everybody goes crazy."
(Wisniewski)
"If somebody wants to come into Kentucky and build a Harry Potter park and teach all the fun things about witchcraft, nobody would say a word about it—they'd just think it was so cool," Zovath said. "But if we want to come in ... and build a Biblical theme park, everybody goes crazy."
(Wisniewski)
In the first place, Harry Potter stories are no more witchcraft° than the computer-animated movements in The Matrix are martial arts.
We might also ask Mr. Zovath for evidence of civil or religious authorities punishing people for failing to believe appropriately in The Boy Who Lived.
And we should probably turn to our Christian neighbors and say, "Really? Harry Potter? I mean, okay, sure, but ... really?"
And, in truth, I'm not so much worried about the effect of alleged adults playing Quidditch as I might be about the effect of alleged Christians depicting the murder of the Easter Bunny to children. Call it what you want, but it seems to me—to me, as in, this is my opinion—that Christians generally do not appreciate comparisons of their faith to passing faery tale trends.
After all, Christians make all sorts of political claims in issues like marriage equality. Their rights are violated, apparently, if homosexual humans have human and civil rights. Okay, so ... we're all aware, right, that Albus Dumbledore was gay?
So, now, what wins? The religious liberties of Christians to banish homosexuality from civilized society? Or the religious liberties of Potterites, whereby homosexuals are welcome to civilized society?
Over the years, the fact that, say, real witchcraft has no objection to homosexuality has had no real impact on the gay fray. Given the frequently-expressed disdain many Christians have for the freedoms of other religions in the United States, is it really a wise idea to add inchoate Potterism to the list?
Thus: Should Potterism be regarded as a real religion, as Mr. Zovath suggests?
___________________
Notes:
° Harry Potter stories are no more witchcraft — To wit, one does not regularly cast with a fire wand; the spells of witchcraft are considerably less dramatic, and take far more time to cast, than in the Potter mythos; Potterite magic is as mystical as the Force, and has no symbolic grounding in anything. And that's just a short list.
Works Cited:
Wisniewski, Mary. "Noah's Ark theme park wants to show the Flood was 'plausible'". Reuters. May 31, 2013. Reuters.com. June 2, 2013. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/31/us-usa-religion-ark-idUSBRE94U12U20130531
Netburn, Deborah. "Seven clues that 'Potter's' Dumbledore was gay". Los Angeles Times. October 23, 2007. LATimes.com. June 2, 2013. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-showbiz7-23oct23,0,5726083.story
