Christian Support Group :) discussion

Mortal Instuments trilogy- City of Banes, City of Ashes, and City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

I like:

1. The Inkheart Series - by Cornelia Funke
2. The Series of Unfortunate Events - by Lemony Snicket
3. The Looking Glass Wars Trilogy - by Frank Beddor
4. The Lord of the Rings Series - J. R. R. Tolkien (well, I'm sure y'all knew about that one xD)
5. The Legends of the Guardian King Series - Karen Hancock
6. The Last Sin Eater - Francine Rivers
7. Books of Bayern series - Shannon Hale

Aaaaaaand those are just a few :)

look on my book list for suggestions cuz I don't have time to write them all I'll even make a new folder before I get off

The "Diary of a Teenage Girl" (Caitlyn) series by Melody Carlson is so awesome - our library didn't have all of them so I bought them, cuz it's soooooooooooooo worth it! Oh and if anyone does read this series, do NOT read the back cover of one of the next ones (as in, if you're on three don't read the back of book five, like I did), because it gives away eeeeverything...

sounds interesting

yup :)

The A.D. Chronicles-by Bodie & Brock Thoene is my all-time favorite series! They are written incredibly well.

hmm . . . never heard of them, but i'll have to check them out! thanks!

1. Chautauqua Series by Isabella Alden
2. Ranger's Apprentice Series by John Flanagan
(Note: these are two extremely different kinds of books!)
3. Crown and Covenant Series by Douglas Bond
4. The Light and the Glory
5. The Hiding Place
6. Any and all books by Marguerite Henry
7. Ditto to anything by Walter Farley
8. Also Sam Savitt, especially The Big Book Of Favorite Horse Story: Twenty-five Outstanding Stories By Distinguished Authors and Vicki and the Black Horse
(Note: if you don't like love horses, you may not be interested in the last three)
9. Anne of Green Gables Series by L. M. Montgomery
10. G. A. Henty and some Ann Rinaldi...uh...I could go on and on about historical fiction! ;) One of my favorite genres.

I have tons more favorites -- if you care to (you probably won't), check out my shelf! ;)

I LOVE His Dark Materials Trilogy. It pretty much openly insults Christianity, but I don't think the value of a book should be measured my it's religious worth. Dragon Rider, by Cornelia Funke is also great. The Lord of The Rings, Narnia, Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson and The Olympians, Johnathan Livingston Seagull, The Story of My life, The Mysterious Benedict Society....*starts panting* O.K there are so much I cannot put them all down.

I think I see what you're saying, Aoibheann, but if a book openly insults God then it's not the best thing to read ;) For instance, if you heard someone standing there right in front of you and cursing God would you be like, "Well, I won't judge this person by how they're speaking of my Heavenly Father - I think they're a cool person and we're gonna be close friends now" - no. As Christians we would want them to stop, right? Lol, hope I'm making sense - my point is that, yes, there are books out there that we read for enjoyment - not every book has a spiritual meaning, and I'm not saying that's a sin - but if they are insulting God that's an entirely different matter. As I'm always saying, I'm not trying to be mean or anything - just telling you my opinion ;)

It's not cursing God or anything.... Maybe you should read it.

But you said it openly insults Christianity. To rephrase Raven's comment, "insulting Christianity = bad."

I was just going over the topics and I saw that there was no debate about the worst books: Harry Potter. I think we should have one to see who likes them and who doesn't like them.

I love Harry Potter. I've been following the series since third grade, and I'll be in twelth grade this fall. :D Those books are some of my favorites.

I haven't read His Dark Materials, so I can't comment on that.

I've not read them myself and probably have no business commenting, but I tend to shy away from anything with witches/wizards/magicians in it. I can't see how it would be profitable and although it might not influence me, if I read those books, others might look at my example and read them too, and might be affected. No judgment here; just my personal take. I have heard that the books are well-written, though.

Harry Potter is great!

It's all fantasy, though. I mean, I may have played pretend-Harry Potter when I was younger, and my friends and I may have discussed what we would do if we got a letter to Hogwarts on our 11th birthdays, but we never actually believed it. We always new it was just a story drawn from different myths and superstitions.

Overall, the books' message is that love is the most powerful force, and that it is stronger than hate.

Yes, that's its message.

I never used to play pretend Harry Potter- I was never that big a fan. I always used to imagine, though, and even now I still say 'ACCIO!' when I want something desperately! :D

My friends and I played pretend with everything. So. Much. Fun. I had very theatrical friends. :D

I never read the books but like Pansy said, I stay away from magic like Harry Potter. And what Harry Potter has in it, it defines what the bibles says about witches and witchcraft. I am ok with Lord Of the Rings because that is based on real fantasy land, but Herry Potter has a focus that dwells on witchcraft.

Ezekiel 13:20 (New International Version)

" 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds.

Ezekiel 13:18 (New International Version)

'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own?

I don't believe in witchcraft, and I don't take see the Bible as inerrant. The witchcraft in Harry Potter is just based on common culture's view of it, with a few imaginative twists. It's fantasy put in the modern world.

And at the end of the series, there is an event that is very similar to Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection.

What are your opinions on the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series?

Do you believe in witches?

No, I haven't read the Olypians series.

No. I don't.

Okay.

If your a christian, then you probably heard of Saul and the Witch of Endor. Saul asked the witch to bring up the spirit of Samuel. Even in the bible there was witches and fortunetellers, and stuff like that.

I don't think the Bible is entirely, literally accurate. I don't believe that witchcraft exists.

Help me out here...are you a Christian?

Yes, I outlined my beliefs in the introductions thread.

Actually, it depends on your definition of Christian. I consider anyone who believes that Jesus died for our sins is Christians. However, I understand that some people have definitions that are a bit more exclusive. How do you define Christian?

Really? That's odd. You said you read the PJO series (one of my favorites ;D). If you didn't object to anything in that series, I can't think of anything in the Harry Potter series you would object to. They're both really similar, actually.

Ha ha, we were all naive back then. Everything seemed so black and white, at least to me.

And that makes sense. I can see how the Greek gods can seem more fictional than witchcraft. I think most people read PJO (and Harry Potter) as fantasy. I don't know anyone who actually believes in Greek gods or witchcraft because of the books they read.

I know a girl on this site who believes in one of the Greek gods.

Rachel (aka. Kaiserin Sisi) wrote: "Yes, I outlined my beliefs in the introductions thread.

Actually, it depends on your definition of Christian. I consider anyone who believes that Jesus died for our sins is Christians. However..."

How I define a Christian, is some one who puts there trust in God, believes and accepts God into there hearts, has faith, and does what God tells them to do. I think there can only be one real type of christian. Some where in the bible it says some thing about a lukewarm christian and a hot christian for Christ. How I see a lukewarm christian, is by there actions. If they don't follow something that God says, doing sins and then saying "I am saved, God will forgive me", reading bad books and other stuff......my fingers are tiered now so...

Rachel (aka. Kaiserin Sisi) wrote: "Ha ha, we were all naive back then. Everything seemed so black and white, at least to me.

And that makes sense. I can see how the Greek gods can seem more fictional than witchcraft. I think..."

I think I was getting the argument mixed up about Harry Potter. I still don't agree to all the witchcraft in the book but what I don't like is the influence the books give the kids.

In some christian books, it has witchcraft, but I still read it because it has a christian view point and not a worldly view point about what witchcraft is.

Artemis Fowl, The Supernaturalist, The Wish List, And The Maximum ride series.

I like the Maximum Ride series, I don't care about the global warming thing.

I think Global Warming is real but won't harm US because we are going up with God. Why don't think there is no Global Warming?

There's a discussion about global warming in the Debate section- talk there! :)

I just finished the book "House" and it was good.

N.S.A (Search for the truth) wrote: "Rachel (aka. Kaiserin Sisi) wrote: "Yes, I outlined my beliefs in the introductions thread.

Actually, it depends on your definition of Christian. I consider anyone who believes that Jesus died fo..."

Ok, thank you for your views. I appreciate your explanation. I am very interested in understand as many different religious views as I can. Thank you!

N.S.A (Search for the truth) wrote: "Rachel (aka. Kaiserin Sisi) wrote: "Ha ha, we were all naive back then. Everything seemed so black and white, at least to me.

And that makes sense. I can see how the Greek gods can seem more f..."

How do the more Christian books handle witchcraft and wizardry?

I am of the opinion that a book can only be a bad influence if you allow it to be. If you use discernment in how you let it affect your life, then it's fine. For example, I you decide to let it influence your life by deciding deciding to put more effort in loving everyone, then it's a positive influence. If it influences you to go out and try to curse every single person who has ever annoyed you, then it's not so positive.

Aquanetta wrote: "Artemis Fowl, The Supernaturalist, The Wish List, And The Maximum ride series."

I've been meaning to read Maximum Ride for so long. I don't know a single person who didn't like it.

I am of the opinion that a book can only be a bad influence if you allow it to be. If you use discernment in how you let it affect your life, then it's fine. For example, I you decide to let it influence your life by deciding deciding to put more effort in loving everyone, then it's a positive influence. If it influences you to go out and try to curse every single person who has ever annoyed you, then it's not so positive.

I agree with you. If a book makes you do bad things because it has led you to believe things that perhaps before you had not seen (for a good reason), then perhaps you shouldn't read books like that. However, if a book makes you do things for the better, I think we can agree, that even if it's not a Christian book, and states things that we do not agree, then it is a good book.

Rachel (aka. Kaiserin Sisi) wrote: "N.S.A (Search for the truth) wrote: "Rachel (aka. Kaiserin Sisi) wrote: "Ha ha, we were all naive back then. Everything seemed so black and white, at least to me.

And that makes sense. I can..."

I think the authors want to make a point: 1. That there are things out there that can bring spirits. 2. That we should beware of witches, witchcraft, fortunetellers, black magic and other things. 3. To make the story have a good plot and see how Christians should react if they are ever in a position with witchcraft or any other thing. 4. the bible teaches some good points to not look to witchcraft for power, and the authors want to bring some of those points into there books.

C. 5 and C. 6 is ready in my book

Alex-wa wrote: "I don't think God has favorites. No favorite people, nations, whatever. And I don't believe in Global Warming. (But I agree with Chiara-we should move this to the Global Warming topic.)"

I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure that N.S.A. meant "Christians" by "US" -- not the "U.S.A.".

Yeah, I took it to mean N. S. A. was emphasizing the word by put it in caps instead of using italics, because the little things are kind of annoying to use ;)

I definitely agree, Sandy. LOL

what....ok refresh me on what I said in the past. Ok never mind, I found it. And yes I was talking about Christians.

*high fives Pansy* WE WERE RIGHT!!! HUZZAH!!!

lol

and C.7 is ready in my book for any one who wants to read it.

N.S.A (Search for the truth) wrote: "Rachel (aka. Kaiserin Sisi) wrote: "N.S.A (Search for the truth) wrote: "Rachel (aka. Kaiserin Sisi) wrote: "Ha ha, we were all naive back then. Everything seemed so black and white, at least to m..."

Interesting. Thank you for your answers. :D