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When I was going over our family's email, one of our friends sent a mail saying that the author of the Harry Potter books was worshiping the devil. We later received word that it was a hoax.

That brought the question up, are the books good or bad? Just plain fun or something much worse?

The Bible says NOT to play
Or tiol around with witchcraft
Or the like.

Also it says that each one
Of us is either worshiping
God or Satan.

I would say that the problem with these books, as opposed to other fantasy, is that there ARE real things like this happening in the world and books like Harry Potter tend to blur the lines and make witchcraft and wizardry seem "fun." At the same time I just don't have a big taste for fantasy in general. But just because a person reads Harry Potter doesn't mean they worship the devil. They just might need to make better choices for thier reading.

That's my personal take, and I believe it's biblically supported.

The witchcraft and wizardry in Harry Potter is not real, though. A Harry Potter potion is not going to work, no matter how many unicorn hairs you put in it. A wand is not going to let you cast spells regardless of whether you have phoenix feathers at its core or not. Magic is simply used as a plot device for entertainment and allegory.

What about the little kids who play around trying to make fairy potions from pine needles and mud? What about kids who pretend to cast spells with those little wands you can get at the toy stored? What about The Wizard of Oz, with Glinda the Good Witch? What about Gandalf?

Rachel (aka. Kaiserin Sisi) wrote: "The witchcraft and wizardry in Harry Potter is not real, though. A Harry Potter potion is not going to work, no matter how many unicorn hairs you put in it. A wand is not going to let you cast sp..."

I didn't say it was real. But don't you agree that there ARE real witches in the world? Do you believe that what they are doing is wrong?

I do believe their real.
But I also believe there
Are no real, Good witches.
How can they be, when the
Bible condemns it.

1 Samuel 15:
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim (household good luck images). Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.

Micah 5:
12 And I will cut off witchcrafts and sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more soothsayers. 13 Your carved images also I will cut off and your statues or pillars out of your midst, and you shall no more worship the work of your hands.


*Galations 5:
19 Now the doings (practices) of the
flesh are clear (obvious):
they are immorality, impurity,
indecency, 20 Idolatry,
SORCERY, enmity, strife,
jealousy, anger (ill temper),
selfishness, divisions (dissensions),
party spirit (factions,
sects with peculiar opinions,
heresies), 21 Envy, drunkenness,
carousing, and the like.
I warn you beforehand,
just as I did previously,
that those who do such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Revelation 9:
20 And the rest of humanity who were not killed by these plagues even then did not repent of [the worship of] the works of their [own] hands, so as to cease paying homage to the demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor move. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their practice of magic (sorceries) or their sexual vice or their thefts.

Sorry I don't mean to preach, but this has always been a hot subject for me.

Lol. Wow..interesting. I don't know what I think of Harry Potter /: haven't read the books still. My mom did go crazy when she found out my dad let us(me and my brother) watch the first movie when we were young. We watched it everyday pretty much[= but I do'nt think it's..bad.

Sharon wrote: "I do believe their real.
But I also believe there
Are no real, Good witches.
How can they be, when the
Bible condemns it.

1 Samuel 15:
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornn..."

Ditto -- I was talking to Rachel, actually.

In truth, I don't think that there is anything wrong with the Harry Potter series. While I do believe that witchcraft is wrong and that I know the Bible condemns it, I don't think this applies here. These books are about a fantasy world that does not and could not exist. Think about the Lord of the Rings series. There is magic and wizardry in these books. However, Tolkien was a strong and devoted Christian. In fact, he was a lifelong friend of C.S Lewis. And, if you dissect the books, you will find many Christian precepts within them... in fact the books have been often viewed as a fantasy version of the book of Revelation. And Gandalf is a "good" wizard.

If ever you have read the Harry Potter series, you will see that there is a strong line drawn between good and evil... in interviews of Rowling, she has said that a lot of her Christian upbringing influenced the writing of her books... good versus evil, and good triumphs in the end.

Still, I prefer to defer to the Bible on this subject. When early Christians asked the Apostle Paul whether they could eat the flesh of offering burnt to pagan gods, Paul left it to their consciences. If it did not bother them, it would be acceptable. If it did, don't do it. If by eating it you cause a friend to stumble in their walk, don't do it. The same would apply here, I believe.

I agree that witchcraft is real, and there are real witches in the world. I believe what the bible says and I don't think Harry Potter has any exception to go against the bible. Yes, Lord of the Rings has magic, and the author was a Christan, that is probably why the books don't go into the magic part.
But Harry Potter is about a School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It might be fun, harmless, fantasy books, but what is really in there?

Like you said, if you cause a friend to stumble in there walk, shame on you. And there are some people who take the book's to the next level. They get overly obsessed. And who knows, the people who are obsessed might of been Christan at one time.


Like I said, why should Harry Potter be ok, when the bible clearly says that witchcraft is bad?

this is a witch sight, if witchcraft was not real, then why does people believe in it? Witchcraft and occults are very real in this very real world.

Still, I prefer to defer to the Bible on this subject. When early Christians asked the Apostle Paul whether they could eat the flesh of offering burnt to pagan gods, Paul left it to their consciences. If it did not bother them, it would be acceptable. If it did, don't do it. If by eating it you cause a friend to stumble in their walk, don't do it. The same would apply here, I believe.

Very well said, Breezy. My thoughts exactly. I love how this passage can apply to so many of the "gray areas" in life!

Pansy wrote: "Still, I prefer to defer to the Bible on this subject. When early Christians asked the Apostle Paul whether they could eat the flesh of offering burnt to pagan gods, Paul left it to their conscienc..."

I feel Harry Potter IS and has been a gateway to the occult and not for educational purposes, but entertainment for children and adults in the new generation.

i feel similar about worldly secular (which includes pop Christian) music...its up to my conscience whether it offends the Spirit, a mature Christian CAN know & feel when a piece music or song is not pleasing to Him. When i get that "pull", then i am convicted, and Turn It Off.

"I would say that the problem with these books, as opposed to other fantasy, is that there ARE real things like this happening in the world and books like Harry Potter tend to blur the lines and make witchcraft and wizardry seem "fun." At the same time I just don't have a big taste for fantasy in general. But just because a person reads Harry Potter doesn't mean they worship the devil. They just might need to make better choices for thier reading.

That's my personal take, and I believe it's biblically supported."
by Pansy

I agree...XD

I really don't think that Harry Potter is bad- I posted a quote by JK Rowling on another topic discussing this- can't be bothered to find it- she wrote it for fun, not for, idk, saying that witchcraft is true?

Where are you from?

OMG!!!!! That's sweeeeeeet!!! I have a friend who has a friend from Poland! Lovely accent she had(;

Grzesiek wrote: "I'm from Poland :)"

Cool! :D

Harry Potter? Good or Bad?
Well, I'd really have to say that's something that you'd have to decide for yourself. The Bible does not say 'thou shalt not read Harry Potter'. Of course, if you're talking about taking it to a different level and trying to learn to be a witch, well that's a whole different matter, that is warned against in the Bible.
As many things (like women wearing pants, going to movie theaters, eating in restaurants where they serve alcohol), it's a matter of personal conviction.
I respect people who think it's completely evil - that's their conviction from God. And I respect people who think it's just a good story.
I for one used to be the former. I read them to be able to argue to my brother in law as to why they were so poorly written. I actually really enjoyed the story.
Is witchcraft real? Yes
Do people take Harry Potter as reality? Probably, there are some strange people out there.
Is there actual witchcraft in the book? I don't think so. Whenever it addresses spells and things it's pretty vague.
Like many things, it's all part of the fantasy world. In my opinion if you swear off Harry Potter because of the sorcery element, you should also eliminate most Disney movies, the wizard of Oz, and pretty much any story that involves fairies, vampires, ghosts, etc. There's really not a whole lot of difference.
Yes, they're at a school for witches and wizards, but that's really not the main focus in the book. It's actually about the power of love to be the most powerful thing in the world(yes, even more so than magic). That's how Harry defeats Voldemort in the end (sorry if I just ruined the ending for anyone....)
Now, can Satan take a book like this and use it for evil? OF COURSE! He does that with absolutely everything he possibly can.
I'm not trying to argue with anyone about their conviction, and I certainly wouldn't let kids read it - they don't have the discrimination for it.
But it's actually a good story if you like that sort of thing.

Good points! :D

Thanks

:D

I love HP and it itself is certainly not bad. Witchcraft, of course, is certainly not right, but there is nothing in the books that is telling people to do witchcraft and there is no communicating with the Devil. Good conquers over evil too! (always an awesome thing)

What bugs me is that most people who are against Harry Potter don't realize that there is just as much magic in The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. Both of which were written by Christian authors.

Sharissa wrote: "I love HP and it itself is certainly not bad. Witchcraft, of course, is certainly not right, but there is nothing in the books that is telling people to do witchcraft and there is no communicating..."

Very true. But I think most people are more nervous about HP because it makes magic look cool and would influence people to research witchcraft.
Which is why I said it's a personal conviction thing. I enjoyed the books but I'm not about to let my kids(one day)read them until they can understand certain things.
Also true about Narnia and Lord of the Rings, if you don't like HP because of the magic, those should be on your black list too.
But I don't think I'd put them on the same level as HP.
HP's just a good story.
I can't say for Lord of the Rings because I haven't read them, but I know that the Chronicles of Narnia has ALOT of great Christian symbolism.

Kristen wrote: "Sharissa wrote: "I love HP and it itself is certainly not bad. Witchcraft, of course, is certainly not right, but there is nothing in the books that is telling people to do witchcraft and there is..."

Yeah, my parents didn't let me read Narnia for a long time for that same reason as no Harry Potter...but now I'm older and it's different.

As a parent who forbade the reading of Harry Potter when it first came out, that prohibition was based upon Scripture. The difference between HP and LOTR or Narina is HP glorifies witchcraft, evil and darkness. LOTR & Narina use it to highlight Truth and combat, not elevate.

It is the parents duty to protect their children until they can make decisions for themselves with Truth as the guide.

That said, I wrote my YA Christian fantasy because my daughter asked me. She understood why we made the decision against HP, but also felt left out. Like LOTR and Narina, ALLON is the classic fantasy with Biblical themes throughout.

This actually gave way to witnessing opportunities for my daughter with her friends and classmates. Some resulting in coming to church. Others -including Muslims and Bhuddist, came to the house to speak to me about personal issues. I learned a lot and incorporated what teens need in the books. And all based upon Scripture.

Shawn Lamb

'The difference between HP and LOTR or Narina is HP glorifies witchcraft, evil and darkness'

Um, how does it do that?

Chiara *♥☺Eat cheesecake.....NOW☺♥* wrote: "'The difference between HP and LOTR or Narina is HP glorifies witchcraft, evil and darkness'

Um, how does it do that?"


HP - the whole series centers around the teaching and promoting of witchcraft as a way of life, of solving problems, of dealing with issues. It elevates "Hogwarts" to a special level above others due to their powers.

If you noticed each book got darker in storyline and more creepy in the characters introduced as HP and his friend grew in age and knowledge. It was never the traditional Good vs evil - rather just differences of how rivals used their powers. They don't solve anything based upon personal mettle and courage rather calling upon the forces of darkness to help. It gives a false sense of "empowerment" in dealing with issues.

In LOTR the main characters - aside from Gandaulf and Saruman (represent supernatural good and evil), do not possess powers or magic. Frodo is keeper of the ring to destroy its evil influence. They utilize personal mettle and courage to counter the evil forces against them. Note: the Orks and Uriki weren't supernatural in power either, just supernaturally created. This makes the story more personal and realistic for people to relate to.

In Narina - the weapons given Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, aren't magical, rather to be used wisely and against evil. Only Aslan and the White Witch possessed supernatural powers in representations of good and evil. Like LOTR - it is the inner character, faith and belief of the individual that guides them, not the ability to calling upon supernatural forces.

Hope that answers your question.

I can't say that I agree with you there. Magic is magic, no matter what title you put on the story. Harry Potter, Narnia, Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz.
There are other ways to show good vs evil than with magic.
Aslan and Gandalf represent good and they use magic. In my opinion if you're judging HP solely based on the witchcraft element, everything else should be held to the same standard.
The magical world in HP is an alternate reality. Some people are born with magic and some are not. It's not something that they just decide to go into.
Yes, LOTR and Narnia are different from HP. But they were written by Christian authors with the intent to make certain comparisons. I haven't looked into it, but I think it's safe to say that J.K.Rowling is not a Christian author.
And as far as HP glorifying witchcraft. I see what you're talking about, but I don't agree. I'm not sure how much you know about the story, but usually when Harry triumphs, it's not through magic.
I could see it, maybe if you were talking about one of the books by itself or maybe certain things about them, but they aren't stand-alone books, it's one long series, meant to be read as a whole and that doesn't totally make sense until the end.
Voldemort is the ultimate evil and he is the most magically powerful person in the series (at least by the end). He controls the whole world pretty much and everyone is scared to stand against him. And then you have these 3 kids who are trying to destroy him. And mostly when they do (as in getting rid of his horcruxes), they can't really use magic at all to do it. It doesn't work.
Honestly, Harry's not even that great at magic, he's pretty much average and essentially no match for even one of Voldemort's followers.
Then at the end, Harry can either 1.run away 2.try to defend himself(with magic) or 3.surrender to save others.
He chooses the third option and because he willingly gives himself up(because of love), he doesn't die. He's able to go back to defeat voldemort. Because he didn't use magic.
And then a little later, Voldemort's power loses it's effectiveness with everyone else b/c the people are willing to stand against him - not with magic, but with their free wills -they aren't going to just submit to him even though it looks like their only other option is to die. (I haven't read these in a while, so I can't give the exact reasoning, but that's basically it)
Then we find out towards the end of the series that Dumbledore had a choice of whether to help Harry defeat Voldemort with either the hallows(ultimate magic) or by destroying the horcruxes(without magic). He chose the non-magical(and more difficult) way. And when Harry figures this out, he makes the same decision.
Even back at the very beginning of the story, Harry survives the attack by Voldemort, not b/c of magic, but because his mother loved him enough to sacrifice her life for his. And as a result Voldemort is banished the first time.

So, really, as a whole, I don't think it glorifies magic. It's definitely a big part of the story, but Harry recognizes it's not all powerful or always the answer. Really the story is more about the power of love. Harry's mother's love was more powerful than any magic in the story.


I hope no one takes any of this personally, I'm not trying to argue. I just enjoy debating :)
And I totally agree with you on your reasons for not letting your kids read it, that's your right and responsibility as their mother.

Kristen wrote: "I can't say that I agree with you there. Magic is magic, no matter what title you put on the story. Harry Potter, Narnia, Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz.
There are other ways to show good vs evil tha..."

I agree.

In reply to Shawn's post, HP does not state that witchcraft is good. It states that the only way to defeat evil is through love, which is the only thing that Voldemort (the evil one) cannot conquer.

Kristen, I think there is different in semantics and even interchanging the words to mean the same thing. Magic and supernatural. They aren't the same. I was trying to used them in the proper content earlier, but I guess that didn't come across.

This being a Christian thread, everyone should know God and Satan are supernatural beings, only one is the Almighty Creator and the other a created being. Man substitutes the word 'magic' to lessen the true sources of ALL supernatural power and play around with the imagination. Magic doesn't exist at all, only real demonic supernatural beings who can make it appear as if people are doing things they physically cannot ever accomplish.

LOTR & Narina are true allegorical stories in portraying the supernatural battle between God and Satan, with only certain key figures able to perform supernatural acts.

HP isn't allegorical in any sense. I don't care what so-called themes one tries to ascribe it does not relate true spiritual Christian principles.

In fact, Rowlings', in an interview when the book first became a hit, said she wrote HP to 'empower' children. At the time she was a struggling single parent and admitted seeing witchcraft as the means to an end in her story. Regardless of how you argue Harry's use or non-use of 'his magical powers' the point of Rowlings was to influence kids by creating a world in which they are in control. No one else, including parents. She is totally anti-Christian.

In LOTR & Narina, family, home, duty are major themes throughout. And Narina points to the 'source' of all authority and power - God.

Chiara, funny, you post came on after I posted mine. Anyway, it sounds like I'm dealing with HP fans. And I totally am not one, nor will I ever be. I've had too much real-life experience with the occult to be persuaded that anything connected to witchcraft is good or even should be read and acknowledged.

So let us leave it that we disagree, amicably. :)

Shawn wrote: "HP isn't allegorical in any sense. I don't care what so-called themes one tries to ascribe it does not relate true spiritual Christian principles.
"

No argument there. I certainly wouldn't make that claim. As I said before, I don't count LOTR and Narnia on the same level as HP. My main point is that it's a good story, not necessarily on you can learn from.

Personally, I love fantasy books. Usually I read to escape reality - it's my tv.
And to me, that's what a series like this is. But then, I'm going in with a Christian perspective and can leave everything totally in the fantasy world when I put the book down.
Not everyone does that. And certainly not everyone has a Christian perspective. Which is why I'm not saying it's a fabulous book that everyone should read - especially kids. Just that it's not necessarily the plague either. To me anyway. You make some good points and I respect your conviction.

I never knew any of that about Rowling - good to know. I can't say that I'm surprised, but it doesn't really change the story for me. It's all fantasy as far as I'm concerned.

You also said "In LOTR & Narina, family, home, duty are major themes throughout."
Really, the same can be said of HP. whether Rowling intended it or not.

"So let us leave it that we disagree, amicably. :) "
Agreed, lol

I'm glad to hear you can make the disconnect. Unfortunately, not many can - especially kids. And I talked to quite a few when I visit schools. Because I write fantasy they ask if I'm going to by the next Rowling and try to compare ALLON to HP. I'm quick to point to LOTR and Narina, no witches or vampires for me. :)

I've become curious about your book. I'll have to check it out. I'm always looking for good Christian fiction :)

Thanks, Kristen, appreciate it. :) If you check out the website you'll find an except from book 1 and links to videos. It's very kid friendly with an interactive map and character pages.

Also, on my YouTube channel a group of local middle school boys made a video about turning Allon into a video game. Real cute.

Definitely as soon as I have time. I've been so crazy busy lately that I haven't been able to read anything - so sad....

Shawn wrote: "Chiara, funny, you post came on after I posted mine. Anyway, it sounds like I'm dealing with HP fans. And I totally am not one, nor will I ever be. I've had too much real-life experience with the o..."

:)

You said in message 36 that 'the point of Rowlings was to influence kids by creating a world in which they are in control. No one else, including parents. She is totally anti-Christian.'

But one of JK Rowlings quotes that I have included in my favourites is this:
"I really feel that we're not giving children enough credit for distinguishing what's right and what's wrong. I, for one, devoured fairy tales as a little girl. I certainly didn't believe that kissing frogs would lead me to a prince, or that eating a mysterious apple would poison me, or that with the magical "Bibbity-Bobbity-Boo" I would get a beautiful dress and a pumpkin carriage. I also don't believe that looking in a mirror and saying "Candyman, Candyman, Candyman" will make some awful serial killer come after me. I believe that many children recognize Harry Potter for what it is, fantasy literature. I'm sure there will always be some that take it too far, but that's the case with everything. I believe it's much better to engage in dialog with children to explain the difference between fantasy and reality. Then they are better equipped to deal with people who might have taken it too far."
� J.K. Rowling

Pansy, Rachel, Sharon, Alex-wa, Clarisse-Jane, Mrs. Brightside, Breezy, Chiara, Kristen, Grzesiek, all make very valid points.
This is definitely a debatable subject, although I must side with the fact that with God as Lord of our lives, we are protected against being consumed by this fantasy world, as long as we put Him first and devote more time to His Word and less to earthly things. Practicing witchcraft is undoubtedly bad, but simply reading and viewing movies where it is clear that it is just in pretend, is okay with me. As long as the line is drawn and distinction is made between whether the viewer is taking it seriously into consideration or realizing it is just as a source of movie/book entertainment.
Praying for those endorsing and involved in witchcraft and magic....

Chiara *♥☺Eat cheesecake.....NOW☺♥* wrote: "J.K. Rowling: I believe that many children recognize Harry Potter for what it is, fantasy literature. I'm sure there will always be some that take it too far, but that's the case with everything"

Chiara, I can tell you from my experience with kids, reality is the reverse of what Rowling said.

Nor is it a matter of giving kids credit for distinguishing right from wrong. Scientifically the brain is not able to make subtle distinctions of right from wrong until around age 16 when the reasoning synapses begin firing. That's where the old phrase about reaching the age of 16 and thinking they know everything comes from.

Teachers and librarians disturbed by the trend of stories written by kids in middle school due to the influence of 'books, movies and video games' have given me some to read. What they write would put Stephen King to shame. Kids are very willing to share with me their 'creative' ideas, eager for my opinion. And I can tell you, HP and other graphic, violent worlds are places many want to live in.

Parents must be the buffer for kids during their formative years.

Shawn wrote: "Scientifically the brain is not able to make subtle distinctions of right from wrong until around age 16 when the reasoning synapses begin firing."

I'm very tired right now, and might be missing something obvious here...but, explain that please? Because I knew right from wrong WAY before 16.

Yes, Kristen, there are different rates of maturity and external input that help a child to make rational, adult decision. But medical scientific research has shown the average brain development doesn't reach full maturity until age 18.

At age 16, the abstract reasoning ability is fully developed. This is why the majority of teens go through a mini-rebellion of sorts, since they can now make direct connections of abstract concepts on their own and understand them without guidance. Or so they believe. This is a critical time in a teen's life to either put parental instruction into action or make choices based upon the opinions and ideas of their peers.

Morality is a learned behavior. Parents instruct kids from birth about right from wrong, personal faith and believe. Based upon those lessons, the child begins to conform and can make basic decisions along the way. The act of reasoning out a moral dilemma on their own without direction or input is the issue.

With HP it is much more complex for kids today then dealing with a single book or even a series. Words on a page invoke mental images that are usually harmless in and of themselves. And IF left only to the imagination. However, HP has moved beyond words in a book to a branded franchise.

Those words become vivid graphic, dark images on a screen assaulting a child's senses involving real people. On top of that, add video games, in which the child becomes an active participate. HP has effectively moved from words to stir the imagination to a learned behavior reinforced by visual images and actions. This is the behavioral aspect I see and hear from kids, teachers, librarians, and parents when I participate in school events.

I'm not sure how old you are, but when I was a kid, we acted out books with sticks or other household items. But it never went beyond the pictures in our imagination to a visual behavioral reinforcing stage by outside influences.

The best way to stop, or at least minimize the effect, of today's book/movie/game franchise, is not to allow the child to start. I did so with my daughter, who is now 22. She has friends her age up into their earlier 30s who are still die-hard, rabid HP fans and defend it to the hilt if even one negative comment is made. They play the video games, wish for a man like HP, take their fandom to comic conventions, etc.

Taken in its totality, HP reaches deep into the psyche of kids that follows them into their adult life. In this respect, I find HP very dangerous - beyond the witchcraft - to instill altered behavior and desire.

Hope that answer your question.:)

Yes, thank you, it does.
I'm 27.
When I was a kid, I didn't like reading at all. Usually you couldn't get me to voluntarily pick up a book. I wasn't allowed to play outside a whole lot b/c the neighborhood was pretty bad by the time I got old enough to go out by myself, so I watched alot of TV.
I would pretend different things by myself or with my siblings or cousins, but we hardly ever took anything from movies or tv. The stuff we did was original.
So, I don't really think that all kids are going to take what they watch/read and incorporate it into every aspect of their lives.

Of course I'm basing this on my experience as a child. I realize things are different now.
The only game system we had was the original nintendo (which I barely ever got to play - not that I'm bitter....lol), we never went to movies, and we didn't even have cable (nice thing about the city - you don't need it).
I think kids today are WAY overstimulated. When I see a kid who looks to be about 8 playing with their cell phone I'm a little disgusted. There is no reason a child that young needs a phone. I didn't get one until I started driving.
Kids spend way too much time in front of screens, and for very young children, I think it's actually harmful to the development of their brains.
So, when you say that "HP it is much more complex" about it becoming a franchise with video games and all.
Let me just say, too much of anything is not good.

All of my points on why HP is ok, do not apply to kids. I completely agree with you on that. I don't think they should read it/watch it until they're at least in their late teens.
I remember when I was first reading it, thinking 'this is a kids book?!'
Magic aside, it's just too dark for them. Too violent. Kids don't have the discrimination to understand 1.that it's all fantasy 2.the real theme behind the story.
But even if I thought it was ok for kids, if they have the books, the movies, the video games, the action figures, the board games, the stickers, the wands (yes, they sell the wands), the capes, etc etc.
Of course it's going to affect that child. If they're constantly exposed to something, it almost becomes a part of them.
Again too much of anything is not good. Parents just have to do their job and and limit their kids. Sadly too many parents don't limit them at all.
Kids have a tendency to get obsessive. When me and my sister were younger we used to rewind our vhs of the little mermaid to hear the songs over and over and over until we had them memorized, lol.

"The best way to stop, or at least minimize the effect, of today's book/movie/game franchise, is not to allow the child to start."
Very true. But depending on the specific franchise you're talking about, I think some exposure can be ok. It just has to be limited.

I agree with your points.

Not all kids will incorporate everything they watch/read into their lives. But because of what you say later - kids are way overstimulated and obsessive - sadly many do today.

Being 27 I'm not sure if you're married and a parent yet - but I encourage you - stick to your principles when you do. It won't be easy, compromise or ignoring things are easier - staying true to your beliefs over the long years of child-raising is HARD. Only with God's help and long term heavenly perspective can a parent succeed.

No, not yet. My own family is still a little ways off.
I know it's not the same, but I've had alot of experience with kids, including 5 nieces and nephews. I have a pretty good idea of how I'm going to be with my own.
I always joke and say I feel sorry for my kids one day - they won't be allowed to do anything, lol.
For now it's nice to be able to give them back at the end of the day though :)

Forgive me if this sounds un-Christian, but I honestly don't see the problem with Paganism. It's a legitimate religion that promotes peace and respect toward nature and those around you.

Christianity is not everyone's interpretation of God. That's why there are different religions. If someone finds that they are more at home or feel more connected to God through Paganism, and they found that connection through Harry Potter, well then I say good for them. They've found a way to worship that feels comfortable and spiritual. I honestly don't see what's wrong with that.

Shawn wrote: "Kristen, I think there is different in semantics and even interchanging the words to mean the same thing. Magic and supernatural. They aren't the same. I was trying to used them in the proper conte..."

I agree wholeheartedly that, as a parent, it is of the utmost importance that you make decisions to protect your children. Whether this be in which movies or television shows they are allowed to watch, or in the books they should read. As a parent, you know your children the best, and ultimately you must do what you feel is best for them in your heart.

Please know, however, that the author, J.K Rowling is not anti- Christian. She has never said so, but it has been asserted for the past decade that she is. It has even been alleged that she is a Satan- worshipper. In fact, on numerous occassions she has addressed this subject. In the most recent interview of the author that I have seen, she has stated that her books have nothing to do with being anti-Christian or even pro-Christian. To her it is merely a big fantasy world. No more no less. Her overall theme of good vs evil, she did assert, comes from her upbringing in the Anglican Church. What she has stated emphatically over and over again, is that she is not against Christian principles and never intended to offend or alienate the Christian community.

I hope that this has helped clarify the subject somewhat.

Breezy, I can appreciate what you are saying. I too have seen and read her interviews, but her actions in writing do not match what she says. Even Anglican doctrine states a prohibition against witchcraft. And she admitted to embracing the practices of witchcraft to further her writing and help to 'empower children'.

Actions speak louder than words. So to continue to write darker and darker stories after causing disruption from Christians flies in face of "never intending to offend or alienate the Christian community".

I judge a person more by what they do then what they say, especially if what they claim does not bear out in their actions. Personally, I cannot come to any other conclusion than Rowling is anti-Christian by her continual actions.