Would I let my seven-year-old read it? Probably not. In my opinion, it's just too much of a spritual risk for a child
What risk?
Strictly speaking the christian church has been both directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of countless millions since its inception. Witchcraft on the other hand teaches harmony with nature, and our fellow beings. All the supposed "evils" of witchcraft are all invents of the church to villafy peganism, since the church was run by men and pegan practices and healling techniques were largely practiced by women, whom the church did not view as real people and found threatening. Its been my expirence that peganism and its related practices also lack the hypocricy that is found in most organized religons.
Christ preached forgiveness and acceptance, but Christians are often the first to judge and cast stones. Its my feeling that Jesus would be immensely dissappointed with what has been done in his name if he were to theoretically return. He'd be out infront of the vatican smashing tables and shouting just like he did in the temple in jerusalem. And since the church would find this threatening to their enterprize Jesus would once again be eliminated by the religous hierarchy.
And I'm not coming at this from the outside, I was born catholic and was raised in that system until I finished highschool. And I find nothing redeeming or rewarding in it.
I believe in the teachings of christ, be good, help those in need, forgive, accept, dont judge.
But then again all these things should be common sense to any decent caring individual, that it takes a philosopher of remarkable noterity to point this out to people astounds me. Do I believe Jesus was the son of god? No I don't. But thats beside the point. Whether Jesus was real or not, whether he really did the things the bible claims he did (which is a second hand account written entirely by men, after the fact and retranslated a dozen times over) what's important is that someone said those things and wrote them down. But what many fail to see is that Christ himself was anti-organized religon. This is what always gets skewed into the anti-jewish sentiment that some felt was prevelant in the Mel Gibson Jesus torturefest. its not the jews Christ was against, not specifically. He was against a dogmatic church that used its sway to gather money and power from the people's blind obedience. Which is no different then the modern day vatican or any other religous power.
True to christ word, the vatican should be the lowliest of huts somewhere in slum. If we were to follow what Jesus said to the letter, then no home or refuge should be lesser then the house which represents the lord. Christ didn't want to be worshipped, he didn't want to be objectified or turned into a symbol, he wanted to lead by example.
If Jesus returned (in some theoretical world where people do return from the dead) then he would be hanging out with aids patients, and prositutes. He would be friends to women who've had abortions, and gays and people of other faiths and nationality. I see him far more likely to be spending time with them then the Pope and cardinals.
when there are plenty of other books they could and should be reading... Like, for instance, the Bible.
The most violent, racist, genocidal book of all time?
Anyways, I've gone off on a rant here, people can believe whatever they want, I'm just throwing in my two cents here. Feel free to smack me upside the head for it.
lol