i have been perusing the questions today, and although it seems obvious to me that harry potter is just a book, fictional, imaginative, enjoyable, and has morals, there are some frankly strange people who have banned their children from reading the books or watching the films.
have any of these people ever seen wizard of oz? read enid blyton? etc
why do they think harry potter is so evil?!
i know they will mention witches and they think we all go round eating babies and drinking goats blood, but are they that naive that they think reading a fictional tale can actually harm their children?
*sigh*
i have to admit i am becoming rather exasperated by it all, and i have a very patient nature!
so, please explain, what will reading the books and/or watching the films ACTUALLY do to christian children?
many thanks in advance for coherent and non-insulting answers - i am curious and wish to be 'educated' :)
2007-09-20 03:26:48 · 24 answers · asked by hedgewitch 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
cow chip 11 - perhaps leviticus should have taken a tip from cheech and chong and let wizards be eh?!
2007-09-20 03:32:38 · update #1
jack p - my young adolescents enjoyed the books for that reason i expect ;)
i refer to the xians fear of the book - what exactly can reading a book of this nature do??
2007-09-20 03:34:42 · update #2
it gladdens me that there are so many sane answers!
thank you all so far :)
2007-09-20 03:36:11 · update #3
dire badger - i do not question that you are indeed a badger, why would you question my depiction of mys'Elf?? :D
2007-09-20 03:37:24 · update #4
7 of 9 -
you actually believe that the fictional, made-up words of an author who knows nothing about real witchcraft will come true? i though only kindergarten aged children believed such things? these are not real spells!
and of course she says there is a bit of magic in all of us, shes trying to sell books!!
goodness me, i am amazed.
and to declare you were once a 'black witch' -
there is no such thing. witches are witches, if one is spiritually ugly one may choose to try and use the abilities in a negative way, but i think you are just saying this for dramatic effect and do not know a thing about witch craft.
otherwise, your answer would not be so full of ridiculous and frankly insulting fiction.
but thank you for answering my question, it has been enlightening if somewhat scary that adults who should know better would believe fiction.
some cynics may add that this is why the bible holds such fascination. but that is another debate!
brightest blessings 7 of 9.
2007-09-20 04:08:30 · update #5
cantheus - thank you. i knew that phrase in the bible and know it was altered by king james from 'poisoner' to witch. what amazes me is their real fear that a book will harm their children!
i am a witch and i know the spells and rituals are not real. but my children enjoy them,as do many other children, witches, xians, muslim, buddhists etc, and none are harmed!
their imaginations may be fired and enlarged, and so they should.
7 of 9 has demonstrated the blind belief - no offence 7 of 9, but to be scared of a little book and think its spells can come true, is, to be honest, not right!
thank you for all your answers. i am pleased i am not alone in this!!
2007-09-20 04:15:32 · update #6
7 of 9 , this very phrase demonstrates clearly that you were not a witch - "by the way, the witchcraft I sue to use was not in nature it was from satan" as witches do not believe in god OR satan.
and as for wicca, a witch need not be wiccan!! these statements of yours further compound the ignorance.
CURSE??! i do not curse anyone! your karma will look after you.
2007-09-22 19:09:28 · update #7
MAY I REITERATE THAT I AM AWARE NOT ALL XIANS HAVE THIS ATTITUDE!
2007-09-22 19:14:21 · update #8
i agree that parents can ban or encourage any book they choose, and i agree with raj re: the bible and its history. i think it is a great shame that the brainwashing is so prevalent, and that children are being turned into mini fascists; only some will ever be able to break free, which means more prejudiced adults out there in the long run.
2007-09-22 19:18:43 · update #9
Hedgewitch, not ALL Christians feel that way just those fundamentalists who actually believe that the Bible is the unerrant, inspired Word of God (I call them Bibleans). To themn, if it isn't in the bible then it is false and should not be viewed as it will "lead them astray".
Unfortunately, THOSE folks who KNOW every single line and word in the Bible have NO idea of the HISTORY of the Bible. NOt the "history IN the bible" but the ACTUAL history of how the Bible came to BE the Bible. If they DID, they'd realize that it's as much a work of humans and almost totally fiction as Harry Potter is. *walking away shaking head*
BB,
Raji the Green Witch
2007-09-20 14:18:11 · answer #1 · answered by Raji the Green Witch 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
First off I am a Christian. Now that that's out of the way I would like to give my opinion. I have a friend who has a son and he loves Harry Potter and they also happen to be Catholic. They see nothing wrong with Harry Potter and neither do I. As a non denominational Christian I do not see anywhere in the bible where it says thou shall not watch Harry Potter. I am sorry if this sounds like I am making a joke but that's not what I am doing. I am trying to make a point and that is that HP is a fictional character. Most movies that are out there have some type of evil, Gothic or magical theme to them. And speaking of magical if HP is evil and should not be watched then I think you would have to add most of Disney into that list. Disney is full of magic and fairy God Mothers and evil people. I do not see any scripture that backs up these peoples beliefs that say that fiction is real and that it is evil and we should not watch it. And remember I am a Christian.
2007-09-20 10:19:40 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
This is an interesting topic and basically goes back to what Christians have learned through their religious history.
Pagans and other non-Christian believers were either destroyed or were assimillated into the fold during the rise of Christianity. Those who refused to accept the new religion were demonized, villified or executed.
Now, their chief arguement regarding Harry Potter (and all of the other 'occult' material) is this:Their bible says, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."
The thought being that anything that suggests religion other than thiers is heresy, or witchcraft.
The fact lost on so many is that the bible was written hundreds of years after the death of Christ.
While Christ may or may not have been the savior or man, I'm not prepared to say. The bible was written by men, handed down by men and the material it contains was chosen by men (not male bashing, just pointing out that was the power structure then - It was actually illegal in certain countries for women to read the bible, but that's another topic :D ) Their interpretation is what Christians have been going on for over a thousand years. In Pagan religions, women and men held equal positions of power. To some, this was a threat, and thus the rise of the hated "witch".
To get back to Harry, there are those who feel that even though the books are entertainment, and present a moral and ethical message, they are still a tool that the devil has planted, designed to draw those unsuspecting souls into Satan's clutches.
I will not condemn them for their beliefs, but my struggles come when they attempt to 'save' those of us who do not believe as they do, by trying to ban or otherwise outlaw the books.
Thank you for the interesting question, and I hope this answer helps.
)O( ~Cantheus
2007-09-20 03:57:33 · answer #3 · answered by Cantheus 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Don't take this idea personally.
This is a matter of control. Not all Christians are against Harry Potter fiction, dancing, drinking wine or singing. Just the ones with little self control or who are power freaks.
"Suffer not the witch to live" has become a battle cry (again). Most of these people have never read their own Holy Bible in the original languages. They suffer from their lack of education and the belief that no Christian Church would lie to them.
At least they are not burning the books (or the readers). It is really a continuation of the anti-role playing rhetoric (D&D is for Demons and Devils) or a few years ago. The biggest issue is there are a lot of young girls reading the adventures of Harry.
Not that the gender should have anything to do with this, but some parents would be shocked if their daughter came home with one of these books (even if their son had already read these at school or the library). These people tend to protect their daughters fiercely even from fiction.
What reading these books will actually do is require time and expand imaginations. The time could be better spent having one's belief strengthened (hey, this is their concept, not mine. I would say strengthen faith, which is different than belief). Imagination is not always controlled (not that it should be, again, their problems, not mine).
2007-09-20 09:49:49 · answer #4 · answered by Richard 7 · 14⤊ 1⤋
As a Christian, I to feel that some people are a bit strange when the subject of Harry Potter comes up. You hit it right on the nail, the material is based on fictional tales period. Christian parents who think it might be harmful to their children need to go back and take a 101 English class on what the meaning of non-fiction is, ''Reality''.
2007-09-20 13:34:50 · answer #5 · answered by David 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Parents certainly have the privilege of denying their children access to particular books of which they disapprove, by refusing to allow them in the house or sternly telling the kids not to borrow them from a library or a friend. Even by enacting punishments for disobedience on that issue.
And they also have the privilege of saying any kind of absurd thing about those books to their kids.
I do find it amazingly silly to publicly expose one's ignorance by making untrue and bizarre claims about the contents of those books. But if that's how the parents wish to appear (silly), I don't really have a problem with it.
And, frankly, the more something is forbidden to children, the more curiosity it generates in them to find out - perhaps not today, but sometime.
As long as it doesn't get to the point of banning books or burning them, I don't see that it matters much what claptrap some kids are being told about the Harry Potter books. The kids most likely will find out for themselves that things are not quite as their parents have said - kids with any curiosity left in them after brainwashing, that is.
2007-09-20 05:34:16 · answer #6 · answered by Raven's Voice 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because people dont take the time to read the books. They just assume that its all about witchcraft and devil stuff. Why on earth would they let their kids watch Snow White and not let their kids read Harry Potter? It all has magic in it. I just dont get it. I am a big Harry Potter fan no matter how much people make fun of me!
2007-09-20 08:20:02 · answer #7 · answered by prncsssk 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can be patient until the cows come home and you aren't going to get these people to change. They fear that their children are going to get caught up in evil and devil worship by reading and enjoying something they find blasphemous. The reading of these books also creates questions that these people find hard to answer.
My feelings are that they should have every right to deny their children things that disturb them, but let their denouncements remain in their family and not extend into the real world.
2007-09-20 05:13:29 · answer #8 · answered by humanrayc 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Apparently they're planning to raise their kids on ONLY acceptable Christian books. I have to wonder, though, if they let their children read C.S. Lewis' books, since he was a Christian, but wrote about "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," among other things.
I guess Science Fiction is out, too, huh?
2007-09-20 03:32:39 · answer #9 · answered by ♥≈Safi≈♥ ☼of the Atheati☼ 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
People are just nuts you have to accpet it. Sometimes there isnt a logical answer for things. I love harry potter My favorite Series of books of all time. Some people do believe it will make there children turn evil and the devil is in the book. Those parents remind me of the movie "Carrie" yeah you remember her mom? Religous Nut case in point!
2007-09-20 03:34:01 · answer #10 · answered by rachel g 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋