Changes

::I agree with you that there is nothing in LOTR that conflicts with christianity, but there are other examples of magic.  Gandalf uses it to make fire, Galadreil's mirror is magic, gandalf and the Gandalf and the balrog fight over a door using magic, etc.

::I agree with you that there is nothing in LOTR that conflicts with christianity, but there are other examples of magic.  Gandalf uses it to make fire, Galadreil's mirror is magic, gandalf and the Gandalf and the balrog fight over a door using magic, etc.

:::There are also magic glowing swords, the wizard who create orc soldiers, Galadriel's magical phial that they use to keep the spider at bay, other magic rings (Galadriel had one), Gandalf's magically glowing staff.  It's not wall to wall magic, like Harry Potter, but there is magic and the good guys use it without any consideration for the morality of doing so.  Some might argue that the fact that someone would say "nothing in LOTR that conflicts with christianity" shows its pernicious and dangerous effects.  Magic is expressly forbidden in the Bible.  Deut 18:10-12 "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.  For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you."

:::There are also magic glowing swords, the wizard who create orc soldiers, Galadriel's magical phial that they use to keep the spider at bay, other magic rings (Galadriel had one), Gandalf's magically glowing staff.  It's not wall to wall magic, like Harry Potter, but there is magic and the good guys use it without any consideration for the morality of doing so.  Some might argue that the fact that someone would say "nothing in LOTR that conflicts with christianity" shows its pernicious and dangerous effects.  Magic is expressly forbidden in the Bible.  Deut 18:10-12 "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.  For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you." I am not suggesting that anyone who likes LOTR is a bad Christian, just that like Harry Potter there is a subtle pro-occult attitude in the stories that conflicts with the express commandments of God.  A Christian can read stories of practices that God despises, but he or she should realize  what those aspects are and avoid accepting anyone who engages in such sins as "heroic" in the way LOTR suggests they might be.  Everyone in those novels seems to be in desperate need of saving, especially anyone who accepts the counsel of Gandalf or the other wizards.  I'd argue that Gandalf is the worst of the bunch, because he seems wise and benevolent, when in reality he the is the sort who we are supposed to drive out from our presence (in fact, under Exodus 22:18 and Leviticus 20:27, we are commanded to put him to death).  --[[User:JesusSaves|JesusSaves]] 004:35, 11 March 2007 (EDT)