Christains against Harry Potter?

Question

I've been doing a lot of thinking about all of the recent "censoring" that is being attempted.
One of the best examples (and there have been a number of questions pertaining to this) is Harry Potter.
Zealous Christain groups have been trying to put Harry Potter on a banned book list. (Kind of like what Hitler did in Germany). Get Harry Potter out of the schools because he promotes witchcraft.
I've found out that a lot of the words and "wand movements" used are actually referenced out of the Wiccan Handbook (or Bible or whatever the call it).
So by trying to ban Harry Potter aren't the zealous Christains stating that witchcraft actually does exist and is something to fear?
98% of the kids who may think that there is something to it will go out into the woods or behind the house, make a wand, try to cast some spells (a couple thousand times) and nothing would happen. They'd say OK, it doesn't work, and go on with their lives.

The 2% that REALLY thinks it works are the ones that would dress up like Darth Vader and Yoda at Star Wars movies. It's not Harry Potter making them who they are, it's them.

By acknowledging there is something to fear, I think parents confirming that witchcraft actually does exist and is not just a work of fiction.

Hmmm... Zealous Christains admiting that witchcraft exists... think about that.

My apologies to all Wiccans. I did not mean to infer that your beliefs are false or misled, I only made this argument from the Christain standpoint.

Damian,

It's probably the same number of children who will start cults based on Christainity. Or commit murders because they think God tells them to. Or dance with poisonous snakes as a show of their faith.
Or go to church barefoot and speak in tongues and have seizures when God comes to them.

Whacko people will find a way to be whacko regardless of the subject matter.

Answer 1

In my opinion, and this is only my opinion, the MAIN reason I love the Harry Potter chronicles is because they teach friendship, love, loyalty, compassion, trust and belief in yourself and your abilities. The "witchcraft" or "wizardry" is a backdrop for the storyline to give them an element of the mystic and unexplainable in our lives, and simply to make them fun to read. I am proud to buy Harry Potter movies and books for my son because he "feels" the goodness of the storylines and what they teach him about people and about life.

Answer 2

Personally, if the Harry Potter books are forbidden, it gives them more power. So, with that in mind, I guess that it might encourage kids to sneak out and read them.

For a long time (the Dark Ages) it was forbidden for anyone except the clergy to read the Bible (well, it was in Latin and no one much read THAT anyway).

There is no such thing as BAD publicity. Think about it. Would anyone have read Salman Rushdie's _The Satanic Verses_ if the Muslims had NOT declared a jihad against him for it? I am not saying it is right to threaten the life of an author, you understand. And _The Satanic Verses_ is a wonderful read. So too is the publicity surrounding the Christian Fundamentalists and the Jo Rowlings' books. The more the "horrified fathers" howl, the more ka-ching we will hear in the cash registers. Reminds one of the _DaVinci Code_ except Harry Potter is better written.

BTW, my car has a bumper sticker which reads: "Dumbledore: If he comes back, we'll kill him again!!"

Answer 3

As long as people realize that it is only a few misguided Christians that are doing this. Most Christians actually really like Harry Potter or don't care about it one way or the other.

I think most Christians acknowledge that Witchcraft exists, but I'd say most of these don't actually know what "real" Wicca looks like. Fear of the unknown drives a lot of people to do odd things.

There's a lady in Georgia who is fighting tooth and nail to ban Harry Potter. She thinks she's doing the "Christian" thing. I just have to ask...How many starving children could be fed using the money she is wasting on legal costs to try and push this through the courts???

Answer 4

Funny, I hadn't realized we had a "handbook"--lol. We DO study and read a lot, and learn all we can about the things around us-- to include nature, sciences, etc. It is our belief that we should always continue on our path of learning. All of these things are displayed in the Harry Potter series. Interestingly enough--I don't see anything wrong with ANY of that, regardless of religious beliefs. Witchcraft does exist FYI, it is just how people view it that is the problem. It is not the "hocus-pocus" type wizardry that Harry Potter illustrates. After all, THAT is fiction.

BTW: You mention "wand movements," what about what a director in an orchestra does? Uh oh, those could be evil gestures in secret also?!?! lol j/k

Answer 5

The Bible acknowledges witchcraft as well, so it shouldn't be too surprising that Christians might think it's real. It's a shame so many people are willing to put there brains on hold.

That said, it's a valid argument that Harry Potter promotes a particular religion. It should not be on any required reading lists in public schools. That doesn't mean it must be pulled from the libraries though. If it is, then all other books that promote a religion must also be pulled.

Answer 6

Well, I think it's funny that people are actually foolish enough to believe in witchcraft. I mean, I really can't imagine living my life being afraid that my kid was going to learn how to do magic tricks after watching Harry Potter.

But of course, that's the difference in mentality between the atheist and the theist.

But what I would worry about, as far as kids are concerned, is that they would take an interest in "witchcraft", which could potentially attract them to the local "weirdos" who actually claim to be witches. (You know the ones... the 30-somethings who play a lot of Dungeons and Dragons, wear biker jackets, work at Chik-Fil-A, etc)

I wouldn't want my child to start hanging out with folks like that because he was under the mistaken impression that they were "wizards". But that's an actual rational concern. I'd be more concerned about him getting molested than anything else. I'm not too worried about him learning the "dark arts" from them. :)

Answer 7

People against the books just need to relax. Its obviously not real I mean when was the last time you seriously went flying on a broomstick? Exactly, never. I've been reading Harry Potter for about half of my life and know that I and everyone that I know that have read the series are well aware that it's fantasy. Those attempting to censor these books mainly refuse to read these novels and some make excuses that it's too long to read. They are oblivious to the lessons taught by Harry and his friends; bottom line it's a series of books not an insturction manual to worship the devil.

Answer 8

The problem is that life is not 2-D. Life and everything around us is a rich, complex mosaic. Life being this mosaic, it is easy to read into it what you want.

If I want Harry Potter to be evil (which I don't), I can make it so, at least to me.

If I want to see demons hidden around every corner, under every CD case, in every TV show (which I don't), I can make it so, at least to me.

There are some people (fundies) use it as a control method, especially within their own families. I also think they use it as "I am better than you, I am closer to god than you, I am more pious than you." method.

My problem is that they that conveniently see satan and demons where they want, and conveniently don't see them where they don't want to.

On their basis that HP is evil, then most Disney movies are evil, all Superhero movies are evil (people can't normally fly, sling webs through their wrists, turn into walking rocks, etc.) But do you hear most fundies say that?

I think it is a very self serving attitude.

I believe the fundies have a right to believe what they want to. I don't believe that their extremist beliefs should affect my children or their schools.

If you don't want your child to be read HP in a classroom, than work with the school to find a different activity for your child for that 20 mins, such as reading a different book in the Library.

Don't try to get the book banned, because now your beliefs are infringing on mine. I will be resentful, and as hard as you work to get the book banned is exactly how hard or harder I will work to keep it safely in the schools.

About the bible being in school, we do not all believe the same way. If my child gets a fundie as a teacher, and she reads and interprets the bible that way to my children, and my children come home and start believing that, then that teacher has disrupted my house and has now caused conflict between the teacher and parents, the child and parents, and within the child themselves.

I sounds like a very grand thing to some to teach God in school, but think. Among us who believe the bible, we have very different beliefs and interpretations. What about the Jews, Islamics, etc? We can not let the schools cause conflict and discord within a family.

If you want the child to be taught religious beliefs in school, find a nice school who believes the way you do, and send your child there.

Answer 9

Okay.
Here are a few scriptures that should be looked by faith followers so they can discern how God feels about matters about the occult and spiritism.

Deutronomy 18:10-12 keeping away from spiritism

Romans 12:9

1 Corinthians 10:21

2 Corinthians 6:17 Quit touching the unclean thing

If God has taken effort to warn us of it then there has to be something evil and powerful behind it and yes - Satan.

Watching movies like Harry Potter which delves in the occult you are making yourself part of the audience to it thus approving of it's theme. Galatians 5:19:21
I can tell with complete sureness that Jesus Christ himself would ask us to shun such forms of entertainment. Entertainment with spiritism is serious even if it is a children's movie.
Leviticus 19:31 Being a movie doesn't make it innocent just the same way as viewing fornication in pornography.

People without Godly faith may laugh and think it is all fun and sneer and laugh at people because they want them to do what they are doing but so what, but shouldn't doing what God requires of us come first?
Spiritism, witchcraft the occult are derived from Satan and shows like Harry Potter may seem innocent but why would you want to be an audience to what is making entertainment of the works of the devil? Even Satan transforms himself to an angel of light [2 Corinthians 11:14] He will do anything by any means to fool you.

Isaiah 5:20 "Woe to those who are saying that good is bad and bad is good, those who are putting darkness for light and light for darkness, those who are putting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"

Romans 12:2 "And quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making YOUR mind over, that YOU may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Answer 10

I am a Christian who is an avid fan of the Harry Potter series. I personally do not see anything wrong with the books. There are many themes that both HP and Christianity share (good vs. evil, love conquering all etc). As long as parents explain the questionable things to their children I feel there is no problem.

Answer 11

I'm a Christian, and I don't particularly care one way or the other about Harry Potter. . . I don't think it was such great writing that it deserves all that much attention anyway. I can't figure out what it is that people ever saw in it- any more than I can figure out what they ever saw in the Left Behind series, or in cheap romance novels. It's all pulp fiction that won't even be remembered thirty years from now (I'd be willing to bet), so why get upset about it?