When Stories are Just Stories

There's something about books and the written word that gives them crazy power. This is especially true if they become popular. I mean, people forgot to eat and bathe just to find out what happens to Dumbledore. They captivate people in a way that TV and videogames can never do in the same way. Books have the power to spontaneously cause millions of kids to start reading again. Even if the book is crap *cough* Twilight *cough* at least they're reading. There's a crappy side too though. Books also have the power to offend a million people as well. For the life of me, I can't bring myself to understand this second part. Sure, if the book is decidedly false, slandering and presented as truth, then yes. I get that. Be offended by all means. But... when they're just stories... then that's another matter.

The DaVinci Code and Harry Potter stick out in my mind the most. Decidedly, it's mostly religious groups that find these books to be so horrid. I can kind of see it. I mean, The DaVinci Code challenges Christian foundations and beliefs by suggesting things like Jesus had a wife and it so happened to be Mary Magdaline. People just freaked out. Some even went so far as to say that Dan Brown himself was the anti-christ. Why? Let me ask a question. In which section of your local library is The DaVinci Code located in? Non-fiction? In the Reference section? No... they're all decidedly in the fiction section. Yes, fiction as in... not true. The DaVinci Code is a story. A fabrication. Dan Brown knows it. He doesn't try to present any of his novels as fact. As a Christian, I read this book and my faith was not shaken. I didn't question my beliefs after finishing it. I read the book and enjoyed its genious. His stories are amazing and well-written. He does his homework and does a lot of research for his books. Just because I read it and enjoyed it, does that make me horrible? A hypocrite? A traiter to my faith? No. It really, really doesn't.

There were arguements that Harry Potter was encouraging children to engage in witchcraft. Does it? Not anymore than Huckleberry Finn encourages kids to drop out of school or Robin Hood encourages them to steal. Is it the magic in the book that's the problem then? If that's the case, then I'd like to point out that one of the most beloved Christian authors just so happens to be C.S Lewis who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia. Guess what's all over those books? Magic. Wizards. Unicorns. We forget that children, as naive as they can be, still know the difference between fantasy and reality. If children can tell the difference between stories and reality, why can't adults?

Ultimately, what bothers me most is not the fact that people are offended, (because they're always offended by something) but that they don't know why they're offended. Many who rally against these books have never read them. They just have a vague idea of the plot and decide to hate it. I would respect these people so much more if they would read these novels, use their brains, and examine their own beliefs as they stand after the books are read. If then they are still offended, then that's their right. Listen, if something as trivial as a book, song or movie is enough to shake your faith, then I would dare to say that your faith sucks. If you truly know where you stand and what your beliefs are, there is no book in this world that will offend you. I'm a Christian and a Harry Potter fan and I'm totally okay with that.