'HARRY' CATCHES HELL FROM CHRISTIANS

New York Post ^ | 11/24/01 | TODD VENEZIA

[kattracks]

November 24, 2001 -- Is Harry Potter the spawn of Satan?

That's the opinion at one Christian school in southern Australia, where parents voted yesterday to forbid students from reading about the bespectacled wizard and his preteen cohorts.

The vote was just part of a widespread anti-Harry backlash by religious conservatives angered by the best-selling books' blatant celebration of witchcraft and the occult.

[SamAdams76]

I saw the movie last night with the kids and boy, are these anti-Potter folks making a big fuss over nothing at all. Personally I was a bit disappointed in the movie as it left out of lot of things in the book like the "Maurader's Map" and character development. You need to read the book to really understand the characters. The beginning of the book was practicially eliminated, only a few scenes occurred with the Dursley's and if you didn't read the book, you'd be scratching your head wondering what they were all about. Still, the movie was already 2 1/2 hours long so I guess the filmmakers didn't really have much choice in the matter. It is very difficult to make a movie that matches up with the book and overall, I think they did a pretty good job. Certainly they could have done a lot worse.

You know, if I was a Bible-thumper, I'd be a lot more concerned with 90% of the other movies out there myself. There is so much garbage in the movies today. The fuss the Bible-thumpers are making about this movie is akin to complaining about the weather in the middle of an earthquake. If they are concerned about morals and role models for our children, Harry Potter is the least of their worries. Actually I think the main characters are good role models for kids (Harry, Ron, Hermione). Speaking of Hermione, the girl who played her did an excellent job.

I'm not panning the film, just saying it doesn't quite measure up to the hype, especially if you have read the book. If you are planning on taking the kids to see it, still do so, they will still like it. There is no dirty language, no senseless violence and no obligatory sex scenes that you have in 90% of the other movies.

Saw the trailer for Lord of the Rings, now that is something I am looking most forward to. I suppose the anti-Harry Potter folks are going to have a field day with this one too, after all it too features, gasp, magic and wizards! What has this society come to! This is yet another movie with no dirty language, senseless violence or obligatory sex scenes. It's evil I tell you, evil!

[f.Christian]

Good manners---Class is not making your self big-comfortable by making someone small-hurt---you booger!

[Puppage]

Good for your parents!!! More should be like them. My parents were happy to see that the television off, and a book open.

[raybbr]

Have you ever noticed that it is only the Christians around the world who oppose things like Harry Potter? We never hear from the Jews, Hindus, Muslims or any other religious sect.

Why is it that Christians believe that they should be in charge of what the world accepts and rejects? I was born and raised Catholic, went to 12 years of Catholic school. As I get older (42) and am exposed to other beliefs about God (In whom I firmly believe) I begin to see the New Testament in the Bible used by Christians as a sheild to stand behind while they sling arrows of denigration and reproof at others.

Would a true Christ(ian) hate non-Christian so much? Or, rather would he try to understand him and love him regardless of his beliefs?

Ray

[texson66]

Here's an inteview with Connie Neal who wrote "What's a Christian to do about Harry Potter?"

Neal Interview

[TightSqueeze]

I would not let my kids see that movie. The school they went to was reading my youngest son harry potter without parents promision or knowage. So we home school are kids now. My son want to burn the Harry Potter book the public school gave him.

Parents have the right to let there kids see that movie or read the book. But the public schools should not have the right to choise. In Denver they took a whole elementry school there. The teachers took it apon then selfs to take the kids. The didn't even have to ask parents. Thet is sick.

Please do your kids a favor and employ an English language teacher before it is too late.

[AppyPappy]

One difference. LOTR isn't aimed at children.

[AppyPappy]

Have you ever noticed that it is only the Christians around the world who oppose things like Harry Potter?

Have you ever noticed that all Harry Potter fans are racists? < /irrational generalization >

[norton]

Although I totally disagree with the bible-as-censor faction (and incidentally totally agree with post number 21, the film should have kept more of a kid's wonder and tried to be less of a Star Wars contender), you mnight be a bit off on your comments about other religions.

I seem to have noted reports of muslim intolerance in the news of the day.
I know that (very) Orthidox Jews have been known to stone people driving past on the sabbath.
From other news reports I'd guess that athiests are even less capable of accomodating to religion in just about any form...

Narrow minds is narrow minds is narrow minds......

[aruanan]

There is a segment of the population that considers being against something to be a positive moral act. This way they are able to have a sense of being moral and good simply by being opposed to something or by conducting boycotts or media campaigns rather than by actually changing the character of their own (as opposed to someone else's) lives. Anti-Harry Potterism is just the latest incarnation of anti-nuclear powerism, anti-SUVism, anti-Halloweenism, anti-rock music-ism and anti-Beatle-ism which were more modern versions of anti-technology (Luddites), anti-witch, anti-Jew, anti-Gypsy hysteria of previous centuries.

This phenomenon isn't just limited to "Christian" lands but is ubiquitous. It's a manifestation of the same mentality that gave rise to the systems of taboos so prevalent in animistic societies and is the basis of tribalism: the imposition of unique self-defined characteristics to set one's group off from others but which are later taken to be some inherent measure of human value which one's group has in spades and which the other groups do not have. This, then, is used to prove how depraved the other groups are and, of course, how good one's own group is.

People need devils and a sense of danger to promote solidarity of their own group. In some places these characteristics are used to justify wiping out the other groups (both Naziism and communism have used this approach as have Tutsi/Hutu combatants). In other places, such as in the Western world with subjects like Harry Potter and the environment, people are mostly satisfied with the self-referencing act of masturbating their sense of moral outrage.

[Cable225]

"I would not let my kids see that movie. The school they went to was reading my youngest son harry potter without parents promision or knowage. So we home school are kids now. My son want to burn the Harry Potter book the public school gave him.
Parents have the right to let there kids see that movie or read the book. But the public schools should not have the right to choise. In Denver they took a whole elementry school there. The teachers took it apon then selfs to take the kids. The didn't even have to ask parents. Thet is sick.

I'm impressed you made the commitment to homeschool your children. I hope someone else is working with them on spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, capitalization, and grammar.

[Economist_MA]

Have you ever noticed that it is only the Christians around the world who oppose things like Harry Potter?

I don't think this is true - just look at what happened to Salman Rushdie. Book-banning is alive and well in Muslim countries. And please, this is not meant as a defence of this practice, but merely as a reminder that fools exist everywhere.

[ventana]

is akin to complaining about the weather in the middle of an earthquake Great point Sam. There is a lot of junk out there, and Harry isn't in the league of that junk at all. I saw it, and agree, there was no character development. I did not read the book--but am now reading the Hobbit. Can't wait for that movie. Harry had some high points, was well produced, but was a little dull because great sets, scenes and technical stuff still can't beat seeing the development of character unfold. V's wife.

[dighton]

Makes me sigh for the good old days you-know-where, when every fifth thread was about John Rocker.

Or was it The Patriot?

[Economist_MA]

witchcraft, Satanisim and pagan mythology

Here is an honest question: Why does learning about a phantasy world, in which things which do not exist in reality are present, harm a child? I guess for this to be true the child would have to think that these things are real. But doesn't it point to a much more serious lack of education and proper child-rearing if children are exposed to books without a helping hand from the parents, explaining the difference between reality and phantasy?

I fail to see the danger in books like Harry Potter simply because I believe that my daughters are able to distinguish between phantasy and reality. Or are the people arguing against these books afraid that these things do in fact exist?

[Jim Scott]

Your post (#3) is sensible and reflects my own feelings about the Harry Potter flap.

Some Christian parents will feel it's a bad influence and not permit their children to read the books or see the movie out of a real concern for keeping them from viewing witches as harmless fun.
That is their right and duty if they believe it's harmful to their children. Others will allow their kids to indulge in the Harry Potter fad, being careful to instruct them that it's fantasy...a made-up story, and not to be taken seriously. I see no problem with that, either. It's parental choice based on parental judgement, something parents have to do all the time.

I don't believe that attempting to 'ban' Harry Potter from a public or school library is valid as Christians have no right to dictate what others may read (or watch) and this type of attempted censorship always generates the kind of backlash (and golden opportunity for Christian-bashing) we see every time Harry Potter is mentioned on FR or elsewhere. The fact that school and public libraries have lots of material that may be offensive to Christian children is a reality but beyond protesting the most egregious manifestations of the 'anything goes' attitude of the schools and libraries, there is not a lot that can be done, other than avoidance.

I find that the attacks on Christians who protest Harry Potter are often from the same people who ridicule anyone with religious convictions, attempting to live a spiritual life. Nothing new here. In those cases the Harry Potter fad just becomes a vehicle non-believers can use to criticize and mock Christianity while appearing to be oh-so open-minded and intelligent about the whole thing. Been there, done that. No one convinces anyone of anything but we all get in our shots. Way of the world, which is not and never will be favorable to Christ and those who follow Him.

Jesus warned us of this so no Christian should be shocked or dismayed. Christ was alive before the world was formed and will still reign long, long after 'Harry Potter' has been forgotten. Take heart.

[AppyPappy]

I don't believe that attempting to 'ban' Harry Potter from a public or school library is valid as Christians have no right to dictate what others may read

Surely you don't think that Penthouse should be allowed in the elementary school library (hint:Penthouse is banned from school libraries)? People have the right to object to material for any reason. No one is stopping anyone from reading Harry Potter. The question is whether it is appropriate for schools (see Pokemon)

[Kmavp6728]

Although I applaud your efforts to provide your children with an appropriate educational philosophy, I am rather concerned that you seem to have a poor command of the English language. Since many homeschoolers network among their strengths, I would hope that you are considering this concept for your children's sake. I'm sure you have other strengths to offer your community.

[GreatOne]

And you can say that Dean Cain's career is just as "dead", no?