[Aquinasfan]

I think the Pagan Federation (which is of recent date, and is no more "authentic pagan" than you or I) is simply taking advantage of what they used to call "brand confusion". Once the kids find out that "magic" as practiced by Wiccans doesn't involve flying or zotting things, most of them will lose interest.

First, I hope we can all finally agree that this book series encourages chldren to further "investigation" into "witchcraft," whatever that term means to TV-educated ten-year-olds.

Secondly, I generally concede your point. But that doesn't settle the issue. There are many children (especially from broken homes) who are desperate for control over their lives. For the spiritually ignorant (the majority of children these days?) sorcery can represent a means to achieving control and power. While some children might drift away from the occult when activities don't go as planned, other children might delve in more deeply.

I've heard several interviews with the exorcist for the archdiocese of NY. He states that playing with ouija boards, holding seances, and the like has opened the door to the occult for many children, paving the way for demonic obsession or oppression. It's not unreasonable to assume that Harry Potter can do the same thing, or at least serve to open the door to ouija boards, holding seances, etc.

[discostu]

No we cannot agree the book series encourages investigation into witchcraft because it doesn't, hasn't, and won't.

So disagreeing with the first point the second point is a non-starter.

Oh great the archdioscese of NY is a flaming idiot. Thanks for warning us.

Same crap new target. Everything is satanic to someone, and that someone is usually a complete moron that doesn't know what he's talking about. I have serious doubts one single person that claims Potter leads to witchcraft has physically touched a Potter book much less read one.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

For the spiritually ignorant (the majority of children these days?) sorcery can represent a means to achieving control and power.

Then do a better job, and expect your church to be accountable to the laity for something every now and then.

Worried about occult influence over youth? Fine, then counter it by being an example of real people, and real men and women that troubled youth want to emulate. Select clergymen who look and act like men, and don't sound and act like Village People impersonators. Select bishops, cardinals and popes who demonstrate genuine leadership ability and management skills, punting those who are good only at forging political alliances. Insist that your hierarchy all the way to Rome be forthright and manly about problems, as opposed to acting like a hysterical bunch of old women when confronted with an accusation. Select nuns who don't sound like Hillary Clinton on a bad PMS day with political views to match. I'm not sure y'all have the stones to what is necessary to accomplish that, but nobody would like to see that happen more than I would.

Until you do manage to accomplish these things in your own organization, you really have nothing to say to secular culture.

[strela]

I've heard several interviews with the exorcist for the archdiocese of NY. He states that playing with ouija boards, holding seances, and the like has opened the door to the occult for many children, paving the way for demonic obsession or oppression.

I believe I would rather my child play with a Ouija board than be buggered by his parish priest in the sacristy after Mass. But that's just silly little ol' me.

[BlueLancer]

Well, then, I guess that those of us who play "Dungeons and Dragons" or "Chivalry and Sorcery" are doomed without hope, eh?

[AnAmericanMother]

No, I can't concede your first point - I sincerely doubt that the HP books standing alone have caused any child to make serious inquiries about Wicca. . . any more than "Bewitched" or "Dark Shadows" ever did. As I noted, any interest is along the lines of my best friend and I checking inside all the closet doors in the hopes that one might be a door into Narnia. . . pure wishful thinking. And the "Pagan Federation" is IMHO merely seeking publicity and attempting to latch onto a current fad.

And children who inquire into Wicca will learn zilch about Ouija boards or seances. Neither of those goofy practices (one a Parker Bros. board game, the other popularized by professional stage "mediums" in the 19th century and hanging on ever since among the credulous) has anything to do with Wicca.

And for kids with other problems (such as broken homes, etc.) joining a gang would seem to me to be the more likely choice rather than latching up with a bunch of holdover nuts-and-granola Earth Children, which is by and large who populates your average Wiccan group.

[Xenalyte]

While some children might drift away from the occult when activities don't go as planned, other children might delve in more deeply.

They can delve as deeply as they like. None of the Potter spells will work for them.

How many times do I have to say this before it sinks in?

[rwfromkansas]

First, some children may find witchcraft as a way to have power. True. But until I see hard evidence that more than just a few Harry Potter readers are converting to white or black magic, I don't think this should mean the books are evil in themselves. They are fantasy.

Next, there is no doubt that Ouji Boards etc. open the doors to the demonic realm. I had HS classmates who had some incredible and unexplainable things happen to them after using a ouji board. But Harry Potter is not the equivalent of actually trying to initiate contact into the other realm. Reading a fantasy book does not do this. It is only if they act on what they read and start reading spell books, the Book of Shadows, etc., that the door to the evil one is truly opened.

Most kids are able to see Harry Potter is fiction, not reality.