Harry Potter

[cappie]

I don't know if the Harry Potter books and movies have made a splash in USA but they have been quite popular in Australia and caused a little controversy.

In a recent homily I asked the young members of our parish community why they enjoyed reading Harry Potter novels. Though most just shrugged, smiled, and tried to avoid looking at me, the seventh grader Johnny quietly responded, “Because you never know what’s going to happen next.” It is the same element of suspense that led the magi who never knew what road the Spirit was going to take them down next. Today’s readings invite us to have the curiosity of Amy and Johnny to find out the ‘epiphany’ of our God in every one, everywhere and every event.

I received the following on the net. Our Cardinal George Pell is a great reader of the novels, so I’m not sure what he would make of the following:

Ten Christian arguments against Harry Potter series

1) It is a long duration project to change the cultures of mankind.

2) Harry Potter never fights against the evil.

3) It glorifies the world of witchcraft, sorcery and enchantment.

4) What is above nature is demonic; the divine symbols are perverted.

5) There is nobody in Harry Potter who likes the good and the noble.

6) The reader is not able to distinguish between the good and the evil.

7) Here the young generation is seduced to magic and their imagination is filled with pictures of a world there the evil has upper hand.

8) Here the belief in a loving God is systematically destroyed.

9) Don’t forget who is behind is the money hungry gigantic multimedia who is tyrannically indoctrinating innocent world who looks only for entertainment, enjoyment and novelty.

10) Harry Potter will affect the psyche of the reader. It is no book for children. The scenes of terror and tension are too much for the reader who will be led to anguish, fear, fright, rage, fury and frustration.

[frozencell]

Ten Christian arguments against Harry Potter series

1) It is a long duration project to change the cultures of mankind.

2) Harry Potter never fights against the evil.

3) It glorifies the world of witchcraft, sorcery and enchantment.

4) What is above nature is demonic; the divine symbols are perverted.

5) There is nobody in Harry Potter who likes the good and the noble.

6) The reader is not able to distinguish between the good and the evil.

7) Here the young generation is seduced to magic and their imagination is filled with pictures of a world there the evil has upper hand.

8) Here the belief in a loving God is systematically destroyed.

9) Don’t forget who is behind is the money hungry gigantic multimedia who is tyrannically indoctrinating innocent world who looks only for entertainment, enjoyment and novelty.

10) Harry Potter will affect the psyche of the reader. It is no book for children. The scenes of terror and tension are too much for the reader who will be led to anguish, fear, fright, rage, fury and frustration.

I, personally, was able to tell very clearly between the good and the evil. The evil people even had an evil name assigned to their little group or whatever it is.

And I think No. 10 is absurd. It's a good read, albeit, maybe a little on the mystical side. But any child who hasn't been correctly taught a Christian viewpoint should know better anyhow.

I have a 12 year old brother-in-law who loves these books. He's pretty mature for his age and doesn't find anything in these books so disturbing that it would lead to nightmares and lifelong fears. Even someone who is immature for their age isn't going to plagued by constant fear by these books.

Just my opinion. Some people just seem too uppety.

[foundsheep]

Didnt anyone read fantasy stuff when they where kids. I like them because the books are very large. Im glad my son started reading them because i was kind of tired of the Dr. Suess :P

[frozencell]

Didnt anyone read fantasy stuff when they where kids. I like them because the books are very large. Im glad my son started reading them because i was kind of tired of the Dr. Suess

Amen. No one ever said you could only read the Bible and things deemed Christianly religious. I like fantasy, horror, all kinds of stuff. Give it a rest.

[jmjtina]

Click Here

Sorry I disagree. Since I don't have much time now to post why.....maybe this will help.

Burn Harry Potter.

[frozencell]

Click Here

Sorry I disagree. Since I don't have much time now to post why.....maybe this will help.

Burn Harry Potter.

I will concede that there are some things in the Harry Pooter books that seem a little unnecessary, but I do not feel that it's anything that is dangerous when explained to a child that this is only a story. I know that it makes references to occultism and what-not. My wife has an interest in fairies, but that doesn't necessarily mean that she's going go running out into the woods rattling off names of little flying friends only she can see!

I also think that some of these things in this article are taken a little too seriously.

What about The Never-Ending Story? I'm sure everyone can find little tidbits of occult in it, too, but I don't remember anyone raising a big stink over it. I guess I think that people are getting a little bit over-protective nowadays.

Go figure. ;)

[musturde]

I personally don't plan on reading them but I've watched the movie and played a bit of the game. I believe it depends on how it will affect the person... If it's gunna entice u to try magic then forget it. If it has not affect ur aware about then it shouldn't be too much of a prob...

By the ways:

Is the author Pagan?

I heard that someboy sent the author a letter telling her that she became a witch cuz of her book or sometin like that... is that true?

Edited December 31, 2003 by musturde

[Paladin D]

Burn Harry Potter.

[littleflower+JMJ]

http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=1347&st=0

[Live4Him]

Sure the stuff “Harry Potter” can do is cool. Sure the story is exciting and very interesting. Sure the author has a great way of writing and sure many people love “Harry Potter”. But all of this does not make it right. What we need to look at is, in the story what is glorified. Love, as in Cinderella? Charity, as in Beauty and the Beast? Loyalty, as in Snow White? Each one of those movies has magic. But not one of those movies glorifies witchcraft as something that can be used for good. This is where the problem sets in. “Harry Potter” uses witchcraft for good. In high school I knew some guys and girls who started studying witchcraft. Let me start by saying it was a simple thing like “Magic the Gathering” cards and “Dungeons and Dragons” that got them interested in black magic. So can something as simple as “Harry Potter” take our eyes off Jesus? Yes and No. Yours and mine most likely not. Eight to twelve year olds, yes it could easily distract them. It will defiantly distract the ones who don’t know Jesus at all. You might say, “Well this is not my problem”. Wrong it is your problem even if it does not affect you or someone you know and the only one it affects is some kid you don’t know. If you supported it, it will be in part your fault for supporting it. “Harry Potter” is fantasy but remember it is not like “Lord of the Rings” “Harry Potter” is post Christian, where “Lord of the Rings” is not. “Harry Potter” takes Place in a real city England and it takes place today in a world that knows Christ. “Lord of the Rings” takes place in a fantasy world and time. Harry Potter is wrong! It is that simple.

[frozencell]

Sure the stuff “Harry Potter” can do is cool. Sure the story is exciting and very interesting. Sure the author has a great way of writing and sure many people love “Harry Potter”. But all of this does not make it right. What we need to look at is, in the story what is glorified. Love, as in Cinderella? Charity, as in Beauty and the Beast? Loyalty, as in Snow White? Each one of those movies has magic. But not one of those movies glorifies witchcraft as something that can be used for good. This is where the problem sets in. “Harry Potter” uses witchcraft for good. In high school I knew some guys and girls who started studying witchcraft. Let me start by saying it was a simple thing like “Magic the Gathering” cards and “Dungeons and Dragons” that got them interested in black magic. So can something as simple as “Harry Potter” take our eyes off Jesus? Yes and No. Yours and mine most likely not. Eight to twelve year olds, yes it could easily distract them. It will defiantly distract the ones who don’t know Jesus at all. You might say, “Well this is not my problem”. Wrong it is your problem even if it does not affect you or someone you know and the only one it affects is some kid you don’t know. If you supported it, it will be in part your fault for supporting it. “Harry Potter” is fantasy but remember it is not like “Lord of the Rings” “Harry Potter” is post Christian, where “Lord of the Rings” is not. “Harry Potter” takes Place in a real city England and it takes place today in a world that knows Christ. “Lord of the Rings” takes place in a fantasy world and time. Harry Potter is wrong! It is that simple.

I'm not totally clear how the setting of either movie affects it's moral or ethical influences. I also don't think that any large number of children are going to go run off to the local witch store and buy volumes on pagan worship and black magic, either.

As I pointed out earlier, let's look at The Never-Ending Story (the name itself implying eternity). At the end, the princess says that all the boy had to do in the first place was call out the new name of the princess and everything would be saved from the evil "Nothing". It you want to get as nit picky about all this as it is getting we could all say, "Oh, no! They're making a reference to man becoming God and speaking things into existence with only the power of his words (like Creation)!"

The same line of thinking can be taken on Star Wars (the original, good ones!). I even had a book that supposedly outlined the similarities between the Jedi and the Christian realm and how it was so anti-Christian, but these movies are classics and loved by people of all ages. Anyone can take a lot of things the wrong way (not just Harry Potter) and end up with any number of bad situations. Common sense needs to come into play here.

There is a line that seperates just plain entertainment from dangerous material (i.e. House of 1000 Corpses), but sometimes we need to take a step back and just let ourselves (and kids) have fun without pulling apart the smallest things and screaming fire and rape all the time.

[BLAZEr]

I like em, I read em, and I don't see the big deal.

[foundsheep]

Click Here

Sorry I disagree. Since I don't have much time now to post why.....maybe this will help.

Burn Harry Potter.

Tina,Tina tina, please miss LOTR. Elves? Magic Ring? Ugly monster wanting the precious. :lol:

[nikkan_hanil]

Burn Harry Potter.

Right on.

[MrsFrozen]

I read the article "Harry Potter: Agent of Conversion," but I must say, I disagree. I like these books and am strong in my faith. My 12-year-old brother likes these books, and is strong in his faith. I can see how this would disturb someone who had bad experiences with the occult, though. I see it as fantasy, just like LOTR. You can't defend LOTR in this situation, because they're both about good magic and bad magic and fantasy.

I think that article blows HP way out of proportion. I actually thought it was written by Fundamentalists at first. Especially regarding the thing about the guy dying at age 666.. It is possible to have turned 665 last year and still be 665. I certainly don't believe in practicing magic, but these are make-believe books. Come on, no Hogwarts really exists! It's just for fun.

Also, I found all those ten arguments to be kind of boloney, too.. Especially the part about Harry never fighting against evil! That's the whole plot of the books!

God bless.. :)