Even muggles (people without magical powers) know that the latest—and last—Harry Potter book, Deathly Hallows, flies into bookstores July 21. Arguments are flying like bludgers at a Quidditch game as to who will and who won’t survive.
So, here’s my totally unscientific poll.
- End Poll Code->Apart from the ending, Harry continues to conjure up controversy as to whether the incredibly successful series is a force for good or evil. I’m still debating myself on this topic: Harry Potter: the good, the bad, the muggly
So, for the seventh time, is the Harry Potter series good, bad or none of the above?
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June 26, 2007 at 09:49
“So, for the seventh time, is the Harry Potter series good, bad or none of the above?”
It’s a book, not an evil way to destroy children.
I would say the books are good for the simple fact that kids of all ages, are picking up books with well over 500 pages each time, and reading them cover to cover.
This series got children reading again and for that, they have my respect.
June 26, 2007 at 11:04
Sometimes Christians are just wacky. In this issue, two extremes keep emerging. First, Harry Potter is completely of the devil. It will spawn witchcraft and send our children to hell. Second, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Harry Potter. It’s just good kid’s literature and there is no danger at all.
Here is the most reasoned response I have seen to the Potter controversy.
http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Christian-Do-Harry-Potter/dp/1578564719/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3098975-1717727?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182873637&sr=1-1
June 26, 2007 at 11:52
I think that the only way you can judge a tree is by its fruits. Are kids honestly becoming involved in Tarot cards and palm readings as a result of this series? Are they becoming Satanists? If the statistics can back this up at all, then Harry Potter is worth a second look.
But I think that children (and adults) are being entertained, and they’re seeing that the world is a bigger place than they imagined. Yes, the medium is a bit strange, but Narnia and Middle Earth also dealt with magic, and both realms had God figures.
June 26, 2007 at 13:28
considering (if you’ve read the series) that the overall story is far more focused on normal human issues like love, betrayal, lies, hard work, helping others, friendship… and on … and on…
then I make the assumption the series is extremely good. very healthy, uplifting and inspiring.
There has always been fantasy in stories/movies/etc involving magic or magical creatures. I know many a Christian who will easily watch/read Lord of the Rings or Star Trek or Star Wars, and see the value in their stories, and not mind the fictional use of magic or otherworldly themes… yet they’ll turn a harsh judgemental eye on poor harry.
With an open mind, and without succumbing to christian-generated anti-witchcraft hype about the series, you can clearly see the author has nothing but good intent for the reader… and certainly is not trying to convert anyone to wicca. Anyone that does convert to wicca, is likely going to do so with or without reading the books… they are not guidebooks for casting spells. And they hold no ill will against Christianity or any other religion.
June 27, 2007 at 11:36
I think the books are a good thing – magic is simply a used as a construct to create a different world – narratively, it makes things happen in different ways than normal. Ms. Rowling could just as easily have used a science fiction base instead.
What’s really important are the values of friendship, loyalty and integrity, battling evil for as long as it shows its head. these stories have given my family lots of things to discuss. My 6-year-old is exploring all kinds of emotions as she considers the different things that have happened to Harry and his friends.
She is developing empathy for kids who get bullied and working through ideas of justice (on a 6 yr old level). These aren’t the only stories where this can happen, but they are one of the few that people are really worried about because of the idea of witchcraft.
So the question to ask is this – are the Harry Potter stories telling kids that its magic is real? Are they telling kids to go out and learn how to do magic? No. According to the narrative, you’re either magic or muggle. Their schooling teaches them how to manage their talents.
My take on the series is that they are tellig the story of a boy who comes of age in a time different from ours and learns the same kinds of things that we all struggle with. Perhaps these stories will encourage the rest of us to be better people as a result of having read them.
June 27, 2007 at 12:57
For those still wrestling with these questions I suggest they read: What’s a Christian to do with Harry Potter? (WaterBrook Press), and The Gospel according to Harry Potter? (Westminster John Knox Press).
I wrote both of these books to help Christians make a wise, well informed decision on this disputable matter based on TRUTH.
Christians can rightly come to differing conclusions depending on how they view literature and whether they equate reading a story that uses magic as a literary device with practicing witchcraft.
However, those Christians who enjoy the Harry Potter series can—and I believe should—make the most of this opportunity to connect with our culture and point out Christian themes in these stories that satisfy the deepest desires of the human heart. (Such as someone loving another so much as to take the curse of death so that “the boy who lived” can have life; such as Harry killing the King of Snakes with the sword of Godric Gryffindor, being pierced with the deadly venom of that snake, but being resurrected by the tears of the Phoenix.)
I hope that helps a bit.
June 27, 2007 at 15:39
Simply because a book involves magical constructs and a fantasy land does not mean that it encourages children to particpate in witchcraft. If that were the case, then why not ban the Narnian Chronicles?
I think one of the important things to take from this debate is that there is a growing resurgence of the occult, and that people of all ages are intrigued by it. Harry Potter did not cause this, and I very much doubt that it exacerbated this trend. We should focus on ministry to the curious/seeker pagans and the invested pagans (i.e. witches) instead of bashing a “children’s” book.
(I also debate that these novels are even “children’s” books, as several of the themes and scenes are simply inappropriate for young children, in my opinion.)
June 28, 2007 at 15:44
Oh, my. Where to start? For those readers who cannot yet determine the difference between fantasy and reality, my advice would be to stick to the Biography and Non-fiction sections of the Book Store. Then there are others don’t seem to understand that a book written to a 7th or 8th grade reading level isn’t intended for six-year-olds or anyone still reading at the “Clifford, the Big, Red Dog” level. I am a 52-year-old-mother-of-male-teenager. I have tried to read nearly EVERY book my son has read in his life (OK, he reads faster at 14 than he did at 8 and I’m falling behind!) The HP books have been a marvelous point of contact over the years; allowing us to discuss a multitude of moral issues; make predictions; anticipate outcomes; compare the world of Harry (with magic) to our own (without “magic”); share ideas, experiences, values….etc. It’s an ill-diguised PLOT to get my kid to THINK! [YEAH!] Harry is a complicated kid with flaws. Do you know anyone who isn’t flawed? The good guys have faults and the bad guys have surprising “weaknesses”. I have loved fantasy and Science Fiction my whole life. But reading of any fictional genre allows us to step outside our everyday lives and examine our strengths and weaknesses as human beings in a non-threatening, and generally satisfying, way. In spite all the failures and mistakes that are made along the way, a heart bent toward GOOD, posessed of the most important magical element of all, LOVE (just ask Dumbledore), makes the difference between the forces of evil and good. What’s wrong with that??
July 7, 2007 at 16:49
I think its interesting to note that the first book was called the Sorcerers stone in America because apparently they were afraid American kids wouldn’t know what a philosopher was (every where else it was called the Philosophers Stone)