On being a nut
I think virtually everyone on my flist is a Harry Potter nut, to some extent. Some of us are involved in Harry Potter communities (online, RP or otherwise), some of us engage in debate about whether or not Ginny is a Mary Sue or Snape might yet be vindicated, and others are perhaps just capable of quoting the books off by heart.
So it’s fairly natural that when random JKR-fans, some of them authors themselves who should know better, start misrepresenting the things Jo has written, making out that she’s evil in disguise, that she deliberately misled her readers into thinking Harry and Hermione were going to be together (or vice versa, that she is now deliberately misleading them into thinking Ron-Hermione is the real deal), and other similarly charming things, we get a bit peeved. I mean, fair enough when non-JKR readers make random claims about her attitude to fat people - how could they know any better? (Actually, hang on, we get up in arms about that too). But for her own fans, who have followed her all these years, who should know that she never deceives her readers, that she is very careful what she says for that specific reason, and so on, to say such things about her, well that’s just evil.
Even though we don’t actually know Jo personally, we know enough about her from her written works and her own website, to know that these people are misrepresenting her, in some cases deliberately for their own gain.
If we did know her personally, we’d probably be even more upset on her behalf.
Are you all with me so far?
Right. Here’s the deal then. I’m a Christian. That means that I am involved in Christian communities (online and otherwise), that I engage in debate about whether God cares more whether we drink alcohol or whether we’re kind to our friends, and that I’m capable of quoting portions of the Bible off by heart.
It also means that when random Christians, some of them professionals who should know better, start misrepresenting the things God has written, making out that he cares more about the security or economics of any particular country than about individual people, or that the things he says are limited by other conditions (such as “apart from gay people, cos I hate them”), I get a bit peeved. I mean, fair enough when non-Christians get a wrong idea about the Christian God. How would they know better? (especially when his own people are making such a hash of representing him). But for his own family, who have supposedly dedicated their lives to applying his commands, to deliberately ignore those commands to love God and love others, and then pretend that what they do is all in the name of God, well that’s just… how should I put it… evil.
And because I do know him personally, I get more upset on his behalf than if it was all just words on paper, or traditions in a church building on a Sunday.
Please note that I’m not saying Christians should never make mistakes or get it wrong. I make mistakes all the time. I get it wrong. Sometimes deliberately. But when someone calls me on it, I do try not to carry on in the same way. I don’t just say “well you know, the concept of loving your neighbour these days is misunderstood, and shooting abortionists is in fact the loving thing to do for the sake of the unborn babies”.
Yes that’s an extreme example, but I think you see what I’m driving at in general.
I don’t like the word “religious” very much, because it sounds like relying on doing x,y, and z (don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t read Harry Potter…) in order to “get to heaven”, which in fact is not what Christianity is about at all, but if that’s the word you use to mean committed to loving God, loving others and loving life, I can live with it.
Fact is, if all the above makes me a “religious nut”, as well as a Harry Potter nut, that’s fine with me.
(Disclaimer: if you didn't like what you read, please address all correspondence to: Vixx, who inspired me. ;) )
So it’s fairly natural that when random JKR-fans, some of them authors themselves who should know better, start misrepresenting the things Jo has written, making out that she’s evil in disguise, that she deliberately misled her readers into thinking Harry and Hermione were going to be together (or vice versa, that she is now deliberately misleading them into thinking Ron-Hermione is the real deal), and other similarly charming things, we get a bit peeved. I mean, fair enough when non-JKR readers make random claims about her attitude to fat people - how could they know any better? (Actually, hang on, we get up in arms about that too). But for her own fans, who have followed her all these years, who should know that she never deceives her readers, that she is very careful what she says for that specific reason, and so on, to say such things about her, well that’s just evil.
Even though we don’t actually know Jo personally, we know enough about her from her written works and her own website, to know that these people are misrepresenting her, in some cases deliberately for their own gain.
If we did know her personally, we’d probably be even more upset on her behalf.
Are you all with me so far?
Right. Here’s the deal then. I’m a Christian. That means that I am involved in Christian communities (online and otherwise), that I engage in debate about whether God cares more whether we drink alcohol or whether we’re kind to our friends, and that I’m capable of quoting portions of the Bible off by heart.
It also means that when random Christians, some of them professionals who should know better, start misrepresenting the things God has written, making out that he cares more about the security or economics of any particular country than about individual people, or that the things he says are limited by other conditions (such as “apart from gay people, cos I hate them”), I get a bit peeved. I mean, fair enough when non-Christians get a wrong idea about the Christian God. How would they know better? (especially when his own people are making such a hash of representing him). But for his own family, who have supposedly dedicated their lives to applying his commands, to deliberately ignore those commands to love God and love others, and then pretend that what they do is all in the name of God, well that’s just… how should I put it… evil.
And because I do know him personally, I get more upset on his behalf than if it was all just words on paper, or traditions in a church building on a Sunday.
Please note that I’m not saying Christians should never make mistakes or get it wrong. I make mistakes all the time. I get it wrong. Sometimes deliberately. But when someone calls me on it, I do try not to carry on in the same way. I don’t just say “well you know, the concept of loving your neighbour these days is misunderstood, and shooting abortionists is in fact the loving thing to do for the sake of the unborn babies”.
Yes that’s an extreme example, but I think you see what I’m driving at in general.
I don’t like the word “religious” very much, because it sounds like relying on doing x,y, and z (don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t read Harry Potter…) in order to “get to heaven”, which in fact is not what Christianity is about at all, but if that’s the word you use to mean committed to loving God, loving others and loving life, I can live with it.
Fact is, if all the above makes me a “religious nut”, as well as a Harry Potter nut, that’s fine with me.
(Disclaimer: if you didn't like what you read, please address all correspondence to: Vixx, who inspired me. ;) )