Replies

I appreciate your posts. This is an instance where a lot of Christian parents are simply being parents in not allowing their kids to partake in Wicca acceptance courses in school. There are probably a lot of parents that would not allow their kids to read fun, exciting stories about militant Islam or Nazis. They all represent a set of non-Christian beliefs. Of course these beliefs aren't being foisted on kids at school like Harry Potter. I have experienced,first hand, what happens to kids that are raised in a "withcraft is fun" environment. They can end up dabbling in the occult. My best friends step-daughter did this. Her mother did the best job she could raising her but completely ignored the effects of being taught about the effects that recreational withcraft would have on her.
My friend discovered her writing spells in her room one day. He now has to deal with a daughter that's dabbling in the occult and a wife that doesn't take it's danger seriously. Parents have to take the potential threat to their kid's souls seriously. Show me a parent that dismisses it as "harmless fantasy" and I'll show you a parent who's kids are at the greatest potential risk of being indoctrinated. Parents have to take this seriously enough to explain what this is about to their children.
Maybe the best thing a parent could do is to go to see Harry Potter with your children and take notes during the movie. After the movie is over, go over it, point by point and explain exactly what the movie was trying to push in terms of Wicca to the child. Make your children understand so they won't be decieved.

Hmm....more labels for those who don't conform. Those who don't follow the official Potter line seem to endure a lot of this behavior from the Potterphiles. I rather doubt this is healthy for our kids.

Potterphiles? Can't really make an argument about labels when you are not only labeling people, but making up words to use as labels, much less inappropriate and inaccurate ones, but I suppose the irony of that is lost on you as well.

I have no real pro or anti Harry Potter stand, I have read the first one, its an ok book... nothing fancy, decend for a childs book. Its mania I believe to be more a product of mass marketing than of its stories inate greatness. I would not put it on a required reading list for life, nor would I put it on the banned list of satan worshiping mind rotting scum.

Its a book, nothing more. Its no more a stepping stone to the "black arts" and satan than "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is a stepping stone to racism.

You say you doubt this is healthy for kids... I see, so reading is unhealthy? Using ones imagination is unhealthy? Finding entertainment that doesn't come in the form of a video game or television is unhealthy? Perhaps they should be out playing spin the bottle in the barn? I am sorry, but there's nothing unhealthy about a kid reading a fictional story, and as someone who has actually read the book in question, I can say first hand there is nothing unhealthy in it.

I honestly don't agree that this book should be cirriculum reading by schools (no more than the hardy boys, or nancy drew or sweet valley high etc) because it really does not represent anything from a literary perspective, not because it is devilspawn.