[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

This is so amazing. I haven't read the books, my children are grown now, but I have heard that the kind of stuff you list above is in these books, which I believe is appalling and wrong for young readers, or anyone for that matter, but then I hear people who I thought :) have good moral sense say there is nothing wrong with the books, and people are making mountains out of mole hills. I am definitly going to have to read at least one. Which is the first?, (see how behind the times I am:). I ride alot with a school teacher, and she swears they are absolutly wonderful, but then her and I do not discuss public schools, and religion very much, we are miles apart.

Becky

[Gophack]

To summarize my opinion which has been pretty well documented on this thread;

1) I agree that Harry Potter is fantasy;

2) I believe that Rowling uses true occult and witchcraft ideas in her books which can and have proven to increase a child's interest in the occult and witchcraft;

3) Witchcraft and everything surrounding it are works of the devil, i.e. there is no such thing as "white magic";

4) The Potter books are aimed at YOUNG children (8-13) who are less likely to be well versed or grounded in their Christian faith (and many not even taught anything about God from their parents who may be agnostics, etc.) and these children are very suspectible to "magic";

5) There are blatant anti-Christian messages in the books, which are getting darker with each publication.

6) Aside from religion, Harry Potter is a bad role model: he lies, cheats, steals and is never punished for these actions because he does them "for good" or to simply not get in trouble.

7) Parents should decide, of course, what is appropriate for their children to read, to watch on tv, etc. but they should be fully aware of the dangers of Potter and the FACT that interest in the occult and witchcraft have gone up DRAMATICALLY among young people since Potter first came out. This alone should spark concern among Christian parents.

8) Finally, LOTR and the Narnia tales, while fantasy, have the right moral order. Potter has a reverse moral order.

Hope that helps and God bless!