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Why does BCCN support Potter?
Re: ‘Deathly Hallows a grim prelude to Harry Potter’s final battle’ (December):
It is a sad day when a Christian paper affords valuable space to the Potter
saga.
The article says: “Let’s just hope that Part 2 gets the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort
right. Done properly, there should be some meat for Christians to chew on there, too.” What about the real meat of the Word of God, instead? If there is meat in the
Potter series, it is toxic.
Whatever happened to the injunction in Philippians 4:8, to think on whatever is
true, honest and pure? Your paper’s coverage of such dark and dangerous ‘entertainment,’ while grasping at straws to find ‘meaning’ in it for Christians, is painful to say the least.
If Jesus owned BC Christian News , I wonder what he would publish. Would he seek to entertain others with that
which He condemns? Leviticus 20:27 states: “A man or woman that has a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be
put to death.”
V. Rodenbush,
Abbotsford
The latest Harry Potter movie was advertised on your front page. I thought either you were doing this
for shameless attention grabbing, or you had something insightful to say from a
Christian perspective.
Sadly, you had nothing insightful to say. How is your review any different from
what I can get from any other newspaper?
I used to work for Industrial Light and Magic, where the special effects for
Harry Potter films were done, and was scheduled to work on one of the movies. I talked to the producer, and asked to be taken off it. I was able to share my testimony – and why, as a Christian, I didn’t want to have anything to do with the movie.
How sad to find that a Christian newspaper doesn’t have a similar viewpoint.
Ron Bublitz, by email
Asking questions about evolution
Re ‘Darwin champion challenged’ (December): Evolution is the only origins theory taught in public schools. But teachers and
students should be free to discuss evidence that both supports and questions
evolution. Otherwise, evolution is accepted as dogma.
On CNN, Darwin on Trial author Phillip Johnson said: “What we’re getting is a philosophy that’s claimed to be scientific fact, a lot of distortion in the textbooks, and all
the difficult problems left out, because they don’t want people to ask tough questions.”
The following questions would spark good classroom discussions:
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• In The Blind Watchmaker , Richard Dawkins writes: “Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having
been designed for a purpose.” If empirical evidence suggests purpose, how does Dawkins know living things
weren’t designed?
• How does geology explain dinosaur bones with red blood cells, including
hemoglobin, and blood vessels which are still elastic?
• Most geologists believe diamonds formed deep below the earth’s surface, over a billion years ago. How do these geologists explain the
carbon-14 in some diamond samples?
• All radiometric dating methods assume that no decay product was present
initially, or that initial quantities can be accurately estimated; that the
decay system was closed through the years; and that the decay rate was constant
over time. What conditions could invalidate these assumptions?
• How does evolution explain the Cambrian explosion’s massive burst of life forms?
• How does evolution explain non-winged pterosaurs developing fully functional
wings?
• Can you give an example of a genetic mutation which can be seen to increase
the information in the genome?
David Buckna, Kelowna
For and against Body Worlds
Re: ‘A valuable lesson in respect for God’s creation’ (November): It takes unmitigated gall to differentiate two displays of human
remains by calling one “a lesson in the respect for God’s creation,” and the other “a mad scientist’s lab experiments gone awry.”
This is especially irksome when the scientist in question is a spiritual
humanist who has dedicated his life to educating the public on human
development. Legions of people have given testimonials on Body Worlds’ impact. Many comments indicate that the exhibit has strengthened their faith in
God.
I call on the Catholic Church of Vancouver to examine the work of anatomist
Gunther von Hagens, from his early efforts on behalf of the Catholic Church in
Germany, to his anatomical explications of the human saga; investigate the body
donation program that is the source of the bodies in the exhibit; and
reconsider its position on Body Worlds.
Gail Vida Hamburg,
Director of Science Communications,
Body Worlds
I can’t imagine why anybody would want to see such things, or why somebody would keep
such things for people to view. That whole Body Worlds thing just seems bizarre
and more than a little sick.
But I feel the same way about the Vianney and Bosco relics. I can’t see that they would be any more interesting, or less ghoulish.
The word ‘saint’ is used in the Bible to refer to all believers, not just a handful of people chosen by a denomination for the role.
Therefore, the remains of these men are no more important or more interesting
than the bones of my ancestors. And I wouldn’t expect anybody to line up and see them!
Mary Louise, by email
January 2011
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