[non_conformist13]

actually, the Bible is what i base everything in my life on. it is God's direct word to us, and tells us eveything we'll ever need to know. so actually, the Bible is the book that has the main effect on my life. other books certainly can offer many different things, but the Bible is always first on my list.

okay, i have actually had a chance to read through all of your posts, and can i just say, wow! this is the most amazing debate i have read through in a long time. it’s great! i had reapeated alot, and there really isn’t anything else i could say other than a few side notes. going back to the wizzards using witchcraft. i strongly disagree here, because of two reasons. first, God says that witchcraft is not only spells and the ocult, but relying on any power other than Him to control your life. Gandalf using his “magic” to hold back evil and encourage others, is not witchcraft, because he is not RELYING on it. he doesn’t just wisper magic words for everything. he often pulls out his sword to get the job done. also, magic in this mystical world may have different standards, no? it seems almost everything in Middle Earth has some sort of “magic” second, witchcraft is usually used to try to control circumstances and changing them to fit the users OWN wishes. i don’t see any similarities with Gandalf’s power and furthering his own personal interests. there’s no break for tea and a nice, relaxing chair for him. if i were him and were using witchcraft, i think that would be the first thing on my list. <stress> Using his power to confront evil, or just to chastise the foolish is not witchcraft. God tells us that we are supposed to be using His power and strength for those things ourselves! <relying solely on Him, of course> It is He who gives us the strangth to go on, not ourselves, which is the very root of Withcraft, self. I know what i just typed is going to upset alot of people, but it had to be said. go ahead and feel free to tell me what you think. <non_conformist13@gmail.net>
also, since evil vs. good is such a common theme, it would be hard to compare it to the Bible, by itself, but since the Bible is the First Authority on everything anyway (i believe that!) you could say that evil vs. good in any story is based on the Bible.
But what you are comes out in what you make, no matter how hard you try otherwise, what you believe will come out in your writing. as you can see in mine! (lol) sorry for rambling on for so long...