Harry Potter

[naomi24]

Christian friends won't read Harry Potter because their church minister has told them it's all about witchcraft, it's evil and it may lead them astray. What's your view?

[Fingerprint]

Mani - There are witches and wizards in all sorts of classic children's literature including Christian childrens literature. For example, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of Rings Trilogy (and The Hobbit), and even The Wizard of Oz.

The Wizard of Oz had good witches and bad witches and was rooted in Theosophy. Yet I haven't heard anyone ranting about that.

[chimpanzee]

how bloody stupid can you get?!

IT'S JUST A STORY!!!!!

[chimpanzee]

mani what are you on about?!

[WaldoMcFroog]

I don't agree with what he's saying, but attacking him because of his surname is idiotic and makes you, not him, look stupid.

[naomi24]

Dawkins - The books are better though.

[wizard69]

Mani's idea of heaven is to have 7 virgins...
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Society-and-Cul ture/Religion-and-Spirituality/Question365519. html
Sexist or what?
Nothing to do with Harry Potter but it does show the mindset of these religionists that want to ban books and destroy democracy

[wizard69]

Mani ...where is your EVIDENCE that these books are corrupting young people? where is the EVIDENCE that children are worshiping satan?
As I stated earlier I dont see many youngsters sacrificing cockerals to the Dark Lord.
Its nothing but religious hysteria.
My son has read all the books and seen all the films but he can tell fact from fiction...unlike you apparently

[wizard69]

Back later... just got to trim my sons horns up ready for tonights sabbat

[naomi24]

Mani - you haven't read the Harry Potter books, so how can you approve or disapprove? The simple fact is you don't know what they contain. Do you know what messages are contained in the other books Fingerprint mentioned, or are you just going on hearsay there too because you haven't you read those either?

Wizard - mindset is the key word. How can people be so gullible as to blindly believe what someone else tells them, and to enter into a debate on a subject, without first checking it out and making their own decision? I don't know about mindset - but the mind boggles!

[annavc]

Mani - You say that the books Fingerprint mentioned do not contain the same subliminal mind corrupting messages contained in the Harry Potter stories, but how do you know the Harry Potter series contains such things if you've never read them?

You're basing your entire argument on something someone told you - and the chances are that the person who told you that also hasn't read them as if they had they would know it wasn't true.

You cannot condemn something you know nothing about. Go away, read the books then come back and rejoin the argument when you are actually informed about what you are talking about.

If what you are saying was true then surely there would be millions and millions of children and adults all over the world now practising witchcraft and numerous black arts and worshipping the devil. Clearly this is not the case so there is quite obviously something seriously flawed in your argument.

The books are nothing but harmless and fun entertainment about the oldest struggle in the world - good vs. evil and if you read them you'd know that good triumphs. What is wrong with that?

[annavc]

But how do you know they're poison if you've never read them? The old circular argument!!

Sorry Mani but no one is going to take your argument seriously when you haven't even read the books. And stomping off in a huff isn't going to help either!

[naomi24]

No one's mocking your views Mani - but if you're a logical person you must admit that it's pretty difficult to conduct a reasoned debate when you know nothing of the subject under discussion.

The only poison at large here is not Harry Potter - it's the nonsense that's been fed to you, and that you're determined to believe.

[Theland]

The R & S is becoming more popular than the B & S! Not bad eh?
In defence of Mani, I'd say I have to agree with him.
He's not asking for a law banning the books, just expressing a personal opinion.
It seems to me that so called, "tolerance," is the most intolerant of views, as it will not tolerate any deviation from its rigid code of "anything must go."
For some of us, with religious views of whatever persuasion, life is a little more black and white than that.
Our view also should be tolerated.

[naomi24]

Theland, have you read Harry Potter?

I'm not sure you've read the posts thoroughly because Mani did say the books should be banned, even though he's never read them.

[Theland]

naomi24 - Apologies - you are right, I did miss the banning comment from Manni.

No, I have not read Harry Potter books, but could hardly miss the content of them the way they have been promoted, and of course the film trailers.

I think that anything that pushes open the door a little, to the occult, is dangerous.

If these books present an acceptable face of occultism, then I am wary of them.

[luna-tic]

I was rummaging through the pages of "Amazon.co.uk" and found a book called "Faith Journey Through Fantasy Lands" by Russell W. Dalton. It engages popular culture in the Harry Potter, Star Wars and Lord Of The Rings stories guiding the reader through the contemporary fantasy stories and comparing them with the christian faith.
Well that's what it said inside the sleeve.
I think the emphasis should be on the word- Fantasy.
A strange comparison I thought but relevant to this debate because we have some people saying that Harry P. should be shunned for it's satanic overtones and then in this book a minister is comparing the Christian faith stories to J.K. Rowlings characters.