Posted on 11/25/2001 3:14:41 PM PST by Fintan
In a debate over the influence of a fictional boy warlock, Bible-school professors Tom Allen and Patricia Rahn come down on different sides of the broomstick. Harry Potter and his classmates at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry make sorcery appear attractive and enticing - when the Bible clearly says it's evil, says Allen, an assistant professor at Philadelphia Biblical University in Langhorne. For pro-Potter colleague Rahn, author J.K. Rowling's best-selling books and the hit movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone are fantasies that teach valuable lessons. "The main characters show love, courage, loyalty and sacrifice," said Rahn, who teaches children's literature at the Bible college. "The only thing I would recommend is that parents read the books with their children." Earlier this year, Allen and Rahn sat on a panel discussing the phenomenon that has spawned four best-sellers and a movie that is setting box-office records. Though Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone has delighted millions of children, some conservative Christian leaders aren't sold on it. They insist that the mysticism of Harry's world, in which magical people predict the future, change shapes and communicate with ghosts, sends an "unscriptural" message. "There's a real religious concern," says Jana Riess of Publishers Weekly, who moderated a Potter debate at a July convention of Christian retailers. "Evangelical Christians believe that witchcraft is real." "Although the story is fictional, Harry Potter has real-world occult parallels," said Richard Abanes, author of Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace Behind the Magick. "The books present astrology, numerology mediumship, crystal-gazing," he said. "Kids are enthralled with it. And kids like to copy." "I'm so tired of people saying he's evil," says Connie Neal, a Christian author who has investigated the Potter claims. "They're choosing to interpret the books in a very selective way." Neal - a mother of three and author of What's a Christian to Do With Harry Potter? - characterized herself as a "discreet fan." Scottish author Rowling calls the accusations about her work "absurd," saying Harry Potter's world is entirely imaginary. "I have met thousands of children now, and not even one time has a child come up to me and said, 'Ms. Rowling, I'm so glad I've read these books because now I want to be a witch,' " the author has said. Though the religious critics are clamoring, it's not clear how many families are heeding them. Catholic News Service movie reviewer Anne Navarro wrote that the movie is "innocuous fantasy" and no threat to Catholic beliefs. Christians should remember that Harry Potter is make-believe, said William T. Devlin of the Urban Family Council, an evangelical Christian group. Instead of debating a fantasy, Devlin urges Christians to use their energy to confront evil in the real world. "Stop drawing your sword against novelized, imagined and fantasized evil," Devlin said. "Share the love of Jesus Christ at an occult bookstore or meet with a Wiccan. They're in the phone book." But fantasy still has the power to change beliefs and values, said the Rev. J.R. Damiani, senior pastor of the Family Worship Center in Lansdale. "A lot of this stuff smacks of Satanism," he said. "Even though it appears kind of innocent, there is evil at the root of it." The Rev. Charles Dear of Crescentville Baptist Church in Northeast Philadelphia preached a sermon about Potter several months ago hoping to "inoculate" his congregation before the movie opened. The pastor says Pottermania is not harmless fun. "It deals with things of the unseen world that can be played with and that puts both adults and children at risk," Mr. Dear said. "The Bible says that Satan is alive. He is a real being, and both he and his agents that are demons use people to advance his cause, and these things we are not to fool with." Some have called for the books to be banned from public school libraries and have staged book burnings. The Potter books top the banned book listing for 2000, compiled by the American Library Association. But others in the religious world say that if Potter is to be condemned, so must the works of other authors who create fantasies in which otherworldly things occur. "For me to discount Harry Potter, you have to discount J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis because of the worlds they create," said John Oliff, an instructor at Philadelphia Biblical University, citing the authors of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Chronicles of Narnia. "And I don't discount either of them." The Rev. Rich Craven, a senior pastor at Church of the Saviour in Wayne, says the novel must be judged by the manner in which the evil is portrayed in the book. Are evil powers used for selfish gain, he asks. "You can't just look at the book and say it has a wizard and therefore discount it right away to think the book will somehow serve evil ends or purposes," Mr. Craven said. For Rabbi Linda Potemken, Harry Potter is a force for good. Earlier this year, Rabbi Potemken of Beth Israel Congregation in Media led a discussion called "the Torah of Harry Potter." She discussed the ethical wisdom in the books and playfully paralleled them to Torah lessons. "These books clearly delivered moral lessons that would be attractive to people of many different faith communities," the rabbi said. "They speak of the power of love, right and wrong, and the power of our choices to determine who we are. They exalt human virtue." |
Personally, I find this "Harry Potter" uproar ridiculous, especially the belief that is held by some that the world is going to hell in a hand basket by the very existence of a fictional character. But, hey, fire away... |
Using the mindset of these imbeciles, one would be forced to conclude that Huckelberry Finn, and Tom Sawyer are rascist publications, due to the existance and frequency of the word 'Nigger'.
My (Catholic) niece had seen it before but insisted that I see it with her.
No damage. She is still going to Mass and still worshiping Jesus.
Excuse me now. I have a sudden urge to draw a pentagram and sacrifice a goat. :)
Big deal!! You can be a Hindu, Buddhist, or whatever and still show all of those traits. Doesn't mean you're saved.
"Excuse me now. I have a sudden urge to draw a pentagram and sacrifice a goat. :) |
Thank you for the best laugh I'd had in days...;-) |
Once again, you missed the point. The HP books weren't written to convert anyone to Christianity -- as is true of most fiction. They do, however, incidently, show "courage, loyalty, and sacrifice."
Let's not confuse the purpose of fiction with the purpose of scripture. Each has its place.
Now whether her story was written primarily to tell a good tale, illustrate the difference between good and evil, or make big bucks, I do not know. I do feel that for consistency if one condemns the Potter books on theological grounds, one must also condemn The Chronicles of Narnia and Grimm's Fairy Tales.
"If Harry Potter is the decline of human existence, then what about Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Fantasia, Pinochio, and pretty much every childs story since the beginning of civilization. |
I posted a similar reply to yet another "Harry Potter Is Evil" post the other day. I read Superman, Batman, Uncle Wiggly, Chicken Little, and, most importantly watched the Three Stooges religiously (pardon the pun)in my misguided but thoroughly enjoyable youth.. I have yet to give someone an eye poke, jump off a building wearing a cape or screw someone's head in a vise. Cheers. |
This was a well thought out article. I appreciate your posting it. Thanks. I noticed this quote at the end (I agreed with what so many of different faiths had said, but this one held importance to me, and I'll explain why after I re-post it.)
"These books clearly delivered moral lessons that would be attractive to people of many different faith communities," the rabbi said. "They speak of the power of love, right and wrong, and the power of our choices to determine who we are. They exalt human virtue."
I mentioned before that after seeing the movie, our 6 year old grandson said: "Daddy is was so neat, it was all about love and justice".
Thats what we thought too. We saw a TON of great moral lessons in this. It was just good fun,..and it is so wonderful to see movies coming out that we can go and enjoy with our grandchildren. We hope this becomes a trend!!! We can't wait to see "Lord of the Rings"..and we hope that books like "The sword of Shanara" and others by Terry Brooks, become movies.
Again, thanks for one of the most balanced and well written articles on this subject to date!!
Religious whackjobs need to get a grip... Take a visit to NYC, and face the reality of REAL evil before they start their "all sin is evil" coupled with "all that is, is sinful," hyperventilating act over the plainly innocuous and creative world of Harry Potter... CS Lewis... Grimms fairy tales and Pilgrims Progress...
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, NOT a phallic device... and sometimes a fanasy story, is just a fantasy story... instead of a Satanic plot to take over the world.
It is however entertaining to watch them completely "self-destruct" over what they FEAR might be bringing someone else a bit of joy...
I happen to fall on the "con" side of this argument, but not to the extent of name calling, which I find common from the "pro" side, as evidenced in this thread (imbiciles was the term used.)
So YOU'RE the one driving up the price for the rest of us, huh? Nothing sticks to my ribs like cabrito, but you can't touch goat meat for under 15 bucks a pound these days after that Harry Potter thing came out.
(There's price gouging in the obsidian knife and stone altar markets as well, but I've already got mine so I don't mind as much).
(bad Sean Connery imitation):
"Goose-stepping morons such as yourself should try reading books instead of BURNING them!"
I've posted this before, but here goes. I assume you're a conservative (of course). The other week, there was a visitor from http://www.bread.org who made the argument that Christians who do not support government-mandated "sustainable minimum wages", welfare, international aid, etc., were not truly Christians.
Would you get mad? Of course, especially when you see half the audience nodding with the speaker. (Time to find another church)
Now take the fact that many Christians on this thread are essentially asserting that those who enjoy the books do not have the Spirit in them, ignore the Bible, etc...
Understandable that us fans would get mad, too.
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