[jjbrouwer]

Good to see the Potter loons are not just confined to the States.

[WaterDragon]

My parents were deeply, genuinely religious people, but somehow they had the wisdom not to censor our book reading. I guess they trusted what we'd been taught by them. I remember being fascinated for a while by witches, goblins, etc, but it was a passing phase, and since no brouhaha was made over it, my interest waned and went on to something else.

I think those who are making a stink over Harry Potter are making a mountain out of a mole hill, and are giving witches, etc, more importance than they'd otherwise have for the kids.

But, you know, parents aren't perfect, they just do their best. And some are more susceptible to this kind of worry than others.

The point for me is that the parents on a tear about Potter have a perfect right to their beliefs and concerns. They aren't trying to impose those beliefs on anyone else. They aren't trying to pass laws against Potter. So, let them be. Who isn't at times irrational?

[Tax Government]

Harry Potter, Star Wars and other recent sci-fi/fantasy epics can be seen as retellings of the Christ story. Harry, Luke and Jesus are born to a special fate, are recognized by others while young, perform miracles or magic, and overcome long odds and evil-doers while fulfilling their destiny.

So, based on the popularity of Harry and Luke, I'd say the appeal of Christianity is alive and well.

[Skooz]

Oh, no. Not again. Some people have religious convictions and principles. Other people have lives so vacuous and devoid of meaning that they must ridicule those who have religious convictions and principles. Boring.

[Radioheart]

"...train up a child in the way he shall go, when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

[Ahban]

Hey Freepers, quit ridiculing us Christians just because we don't like a commercial for witchcraft flasly presented to us as entertainment. After all, each and every one of YOU objects when Hollyweird packages its left wing politics as entertainment in the movies. You also don't like it when Peter Jennings falsely presents his propaganda as objective news.

I used to work in a center for severly disturbed children (a public school- just kidding). Anyway, it was run by non-christian psychologists, but even they knew not to let the inmates practice witchcraft. See they noticed that in real life, unlike Harry Potter movies, a huge correspondence between participation in witchcraft and a whole list of social pathologies.

In conclusion, give us a break, we are only doing what you do yourselves, and we have good reason to do it.

Ahban

[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!

[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

[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.

[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?

[eaglewatch]

Last January my quadriplegic nephew, who is in my care, became very ill and had to spend two weeks in the hospital. Since hospitals are not staffed or equipped to deal with quadriplegics, I had to "move in" for the duration of his stay.
To pass the time I read the first two books of the Harry Potter series to him. I found them sort of fun but some of the names were hard to pronounce when reading outloud.
Beyond that, the books can only be described as "hack-work" if compared to the great master, J.R.R. Tolkien.
As for promoting witchcraft, how many witches do we find in the good old fairytales and Walt Disney movies? (The old movies - not that crap they produce today.)

[mamaduck]

Don't you people have anything better to do????????????Sheesh!!!!!!!!!!!

Have any of you heard of the concept of "making you look the other way"??????? If you all believe Satan created and or is Harry Potter, do you think maybe he is using these arguments as a distraction from the Really Important Things that are happening and coming to light in the World right now??????

Go Read Some News!

[self_reliant]

In the marketplace of free ideas, Christianity has survived quite nicely. O, ye of little faith.

[JoeSchem]

Much of the opposition is based on the long-felt Christian disdain for the occult that dates back to the Salem witch trials.

Actually, I think it goes back to the time when people who believed in magic and astrology threw Christians to the lions.

[Bush2000]

Somehow, I've heard this rant before: "Rock and roll is the spawn of the Satan. Blah, blah, blah..." I'm amazed that some of these morons have not had problems with Grimm's Fairy Tales ... since they are populated with evil trolls, wicked stepmothers, witches, and so on. Harry Potter is no different. It's a fairy tale. The main character is fundamentally good, decent, and honest. He is set against the evil Lord Baldemour (sp?) and, while Harry's tool is wizardry, he does not use his gifts to intentionally harm other people. In other words, it is no different from comic book heroes who have developed extraordinary powers and battle evil. The problem that some of these narrow-minded twits apparently have with Harry is that, besides finding him sympathetic and likeable to potential Wiccans, many of them cannot distinguish between fantasy and real-life evil. They would have felt right at home at the Salem Witch trials; in fact, some of their ancestors were probably cheering stuff like "Burn the Witch! Burn the Witch!"

[Demidog]

I wonder what these morons think of Shakespeare.

[ICE-FLYER]

I wish that folks here would make a little room for those who wish to censor this from their children. I know, I know, flame away, but work with me here for a minute and allow me to ask you to consider a few things.

First, No, I would not let my children get the videos, go to the movies and would not let them get the books.

I am involved in my children’s life, deeply; I do not let them get influenced by things that may, in their immature lives, be received wrong. I do not just do this with Harry Potter. I do it with WWF, and many other shows. I make a judgment call about a great many things that they watch and act upon it.

I took heat from my mother when I told her that I did not allow them to watch Barney. I have my reasons. Those reasons were based upon watching (Yes, I admit it) over 20 episodes of it.

Second. This is more than just disagreement with content. My first born is very willing to take and believe in something at face value. He is very trusting of things and people and what he is told. Harry Potter DOES celebrate something I never want to see him get involved in. Period dot. End of story. Now, I am willing to bet there will be some that says to me "Well, you just are not secure in your own sons ability to discern that its just a story, like a cartoon.". Right, I am just that. After all, Harry potter is NOT a cartoon. There is no Wyle E. Coyote falling yet again to the desert floor thousands of feet below only to get up again and try for Road Runner one more time.

Harry Potter is a film, make believe, yes, real people in it, yes, special effects, yes, however, it also includes things like Spells, Witchcraft (White or black does not matter to me) Sorcery, channeling. The problem comes when as a child such interesting and exciting things are planted as a seed about a subject that is very real to some people yet very dangerous, spiritually speaking.

I either believe in God or I do not. I either say that He is real or that He is not. I either keep from these kinds of things or I just tell Him that "Its just for fun." and demand that He not hold me accountable. Accountable to the many times in His word where I have been told to stay away from such things, to pray against such things, and most assuredly not to teach, by way of allowing them to consume Harry Potter, my children any such thing. I will answer for it all.

So, ease up on those people of faith. As much as you may think that it is not at all a big deal, to many others it is. I very seriously doubt that I will be raising axe murderers because they did not get to see Harry Potter. My children will not lose out on any potential in life because they did not see Harry Potter. They will read more than their contemporaries in the classics. I assure you that they will read of witchcraft, the devil, evil, murder, hatred, and many other evils. However, in all of it, I will go out of my way to properly set up what it is they are reading and make sure that they understand it.

I am sure that some will say I could just do this about Harry Potter. Yes and no. I could frame up Harry for what he is. A young boy practicing the occult. Using the power of the evil one to do his magic. It could be used to show how the devil wears sheeps clothing. Is this what I should do so as to 'follow the crowd' and appease those who seemingly demand that all children go see and read Harry Potter? Nope. Not with my money. I can't say that I will support that.

[RussianBear716]

I have just come from seeing the movie and you'll have to excuse me but I consider myself a good Christian and I found nothing wrong with the movie. As a matter of fact I thought that it demonstrated some values that everyone, including children should have.

The first one was standing up for the weak. There was a scene where the children are gathered for their broom flying lesson (if there are any here who believe that an average, intelligent, well raised, child is going to believe that brooms can fly, please raise your hand so that we can get you some help), and a bully in the bunch picks on one of the meeker children. The Harry Potter character leaps to his defense and defeats the bully, to my mind demonstrating both the qualities of compassion for one's fellow man and personal courage.

There is another scene in the movie where the Harry Potter character and one of his male cohorts rescue their female companion from a rather large troll (aka evil). One again the characteristics of courage and caring for the welfare of others is demonstrated. Aren't these qualities we would want our children to have? Wouldn't these be considered Christian qualities? They were taught to me as such.

The qualities of teamwork, personal courage, sacrificing for the good of others are demonstrated in a scene where the Harry Potter character and his two friends have to work through the larger than life chess game.

Finally, the most important scene to me was the finale where he faces the evil antagonist in the movie. The Harry Potter character destroys the evil with 'magic' which at first glance your led to believe comes from the Sorceror's stone, his touch causes the evil character to turn to dust. Shortly thereafter, we learn that the power to turn the evil critter to dust comes not from some 'magical rock' but from (as he is told by his mentor) his dead parents' love for him, specifically, the love of his mother! And by the same token, his love for them. Well, this is certainly a quality we would want children to have .... isn't it?

I found the movie to be clever and very nicely done. There is also a scene in there where the young girl chides her two male companions, asking them "don't you ever read?". The rest of it, the 'magic stuff', is simply entertaining FANTASY! I'm not worried about children mistaking the fantasy for reality and trying to cast spells or fly a broom. Most children (95%+) can discern fantasy from reality, what worries me is the adults who believe this film is going to cause their children to worship Satan, join a Wiccan group, or whatever other rubbish. I worry about the adults because they don't seem to have the same ability as their children to discern what is reality and what is fantasy.

[angelbaby1111]

I am a Christian. I just got home seeing Harry Potter with my ll and 15 year old. Not once did I think of Satan. It's pure fantasy and was very enjoyable. This legalistic thing by Christians is very shallow. I'd challenge them any day. I loved it and give it two enthusiastic thumbs up.