Oh, yes, I have stated that I think a number of folks are being inconsistent because they allow the gory stuff of Potter, but would cringe at the site of a toy gun on a playground. :( (And you darn well know that's the truth!)
Have a good evening. :)
Since when is FR a forum for those who would cringe at the sight of toy guns? Most of us are firm supporters of the second amendment.
Now, I *would* cringe at the sight of my child on a playground -- particularly if that playground was in close proximity to a public school. *vbg*
As to goriness, what about nursery rhymes or even Mother Goose ditties? Nothing could be worse than Ring Around the Rosie when it comes to gore. Or, what about fairy tales? Plenty of goriness there. It's really all a matter of perspective: knowing your own children and reading through a work with them. I do that with everything they read -- which isn't easy when you have four voracious readers.
As to HP, I, like many Christians, bought the book and read it. I found it to be a thoughtful work and shared it with my children, as I did Tolkien, Lewis, Lloyd Alexander, L'Engle, Jacques, and many, many more talented fantasy writers. I personally find fantasy very conducive to Christian education because it is so clearly modeled around the concept of life as a journey to better understanding. It's the struggle to see through the darkened veil to the face of God. It's a fictional representation of the journey of life that begins with birth and ends in heaven when we then can see God face to face.