As a Christian and a teacher, I have been reading opinions about Harry Potter on the internet. The following represent the range of beliefs I have found from Christian people. They range from “No Way” to “OK with caution and discussion” to “No Problem”. Here are three sample beliefs. I would be interested in hearing your opinions about these  articles. You can write to me at aa282@seorf.ohiou.edu.
                                         Chuck Carroll
                                         Christian
                                         parent
                                         5th grade teacher
 

(Note: this first site is hosted by a lay person whose organization (Exposing Satanism) does not have tax-exempt status and he  wants you to make out checks in his name, not in the name of the organization. I would be hesitant to send him money even if you agree with his position.)

Harry Potter - A new twist to Witchcraft
http://www.exposingsatanism.org/harrypotter.htm

"This page is for those who seek truth about the book series Harry Potter  Many think it is just harmless fantasy. True it is fantasy, but it is laced with  witchcraft and demonology as are most books like it. Many say it gets  children reading books who never would do so. I give you this thought. If your  child did not like to take medicine and you had a chocolate drink with the  medicine, plus arsenic in it, would you give it to them? You would if you did  not know it was in there and what arsenic was. It is the same scenario with  fantasy especially when it is laced with the poison of witchcraft".

 Matthew 13: 9-16, who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And the disciples  came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He  answered and said unto them, because it is given unto you to know the  mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For  whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance:  but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and  hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the  prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not  understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:  For this  people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their  eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and  hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be  converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see:  and your ears, for they hear.

 Some of you see nothing wrong with a book about fantasy, mythology, or  witchcraft and some of you so called believers will see nothing wrong with  mixing the occult with God, and with that, I give you 1st Timothy 4:1-2.

 1st. Timothy 4:1-2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times  some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and  doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience  seared with a hot iron;

 Also look at the Satanic "S" on Harry's head shown on this book cover.   Click Here

 Then look at the Satanic "S" on the signs and symbols page Click Here

 There are many books out about Witchcraft but none so cleverly packaged  like the latest. Satan is up to his old tricks again and the main focus is the  children of the world. The latest craze is a series of books by author J. K  Rowling, known as Harry Potter.

 The scramble to get the books is not just for children. Just as many adults  are amused and are absorbing the content of these books. And what is  sickening, Christians, or so-called Christians, are part of the fan club. I knew  nothing of Harry Potter until mail started coming in asking if it was ok for  teachers in Christian schools to be reading children books about mythology  and witchcraft!!!! Did you read that correctly? In Christian schools!!!!!

 Are we now so far gone that the church can't tell what Witchcraft is?  Preachers are not doing what they are supposed to do. They are to expose  this trash and inform the flock. But they join in the festivities and will not rock  the boat. Halloween is accepted in the church and many of the so-called  Christians fight hard when told they should not take part. Now just as  Halloween is an abomination to God, so is writing books that glorify  witchcraft or any kind of mythology.

 The whole purpose of these books is to desensitize readers and introduce  them to the occult. What a better way to introduce tolerance and acceptance  of what God calls an abomination, then in children's books? If you can get  them when they are young, then you have them for life. It’s the oldest  marketing scheme there is.

 Who is Harry Potter?

 Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly  inherited him when his parents were killed. For the first 10 years of his life  Harry sleeps in a cupboard under the stairs of his only living family who  loathe him never realizing he's special.

 A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry  from his dreary, Muggle hidden existence: "We are pleased to inform you  that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  Harry finds himself at Hogwarts surrounded by wizards, his snowy owl -  Hedwig, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor,  including strawberry, snot, grass, and sardine ... and that's where the real  adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful begins.

 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone first published in England as Harry  Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

 Note how the adults are depicted as hateful and perhaps strict. Then note  how these wizards and other creatures are the good guys. These types of  writings are nothing more then Satan's way to undermine the family. Kids get  these books and then live in a fantasy world and rebel against there parents  Here is a quote from the author: "The idea that we could have a child who  escapes from the confines of the adult world and goes somewhere where he  has power, both literally and metaphorically, really appealed to me."

 Note what she says about the child having power? What she is saying is that  the child needs to have power and control over parents and also to have the  power of the occult. The author also uses occult terms in her thinking. Look  at this new age phrase. "I have a very visual imagination. I see it, then I try to  describe what is in my mind's eye," This minds eye concept is the heart of  the new age movement. It is the ability to escape ones confines of this world  and to explore the other dimensions of existence. For more info on the new  age movement, check out this site. New Age

 Keep these books and their teachings from your child. It is supposed to be a  7 book series, which 3 have already been published. I will add more info  about the author and the books as it comes to my attention. Some teachers  are reading these books to their classes. They are pagans using the school  system to spread their agenda. Your tax dollars are being used to promote  Witchcraft and no one is coming against it. Now read a bible or mention  Jesus in school and your locked up. Pagans state that theirs is a bona-fide  religion with the same rights as Christianity. So why are they allowed to  teach it in the schools?

Should Harry Potter Books Worry Adults?

http://www.smarterkids.com/rescenter/library/news/sk_top3/2001/12/16/eng-newsquest_york/eng-newsquest_york_103419_2944867694198913185.asp?redir=true
 
 

 STEPHEN LEWIS interviews local Pastor, Christian Selvaratnam and  local Vicar, Rev Tom Gill on their opposing views on this question.

YES, Harry Potter books should worry adults...says Christian Selvaratnam,  Pastor of York  City Church, whose daughter Kate, 11, is a Potter fan.

 Who couldn't love Harry Potter? Attendance this week at cinema  showings of the first Potter film are bound to show that Harry, the central  character of the world famous J.K. Rowling novels, is loved by millions of  children (and adults) around the world. Parents and teachers alike must  be thrilled to find their children discovering and rediscovering the delights  of reading and the enchanting power of a young imagination.

As heroes go Harry is an inspiring example - he and his friends display  courage, loyalty and a willingness to make great sacrifices to overcome  evil.

If Harry is your role model you will learn that gossip hurts people, judging  others is wrong and even respect for owls!

In the mind of a child all things are (and should be) innocent and pure and  in this respect no one should complain about any part of Rowling's  novels.

Harry is a hero as is Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, Aslan in the Tales of  Narnia and even Dorothy in Oz! My own daughter Kate, who is 11, is a  big Harry Potter fan. She read all four of the books avidly, as soon as  they came out.

But the subject matter from which the fictional Potter stories are drawn  relates to an arena that is sometimes far from innocent or wholesome. I  did read the first of the Potter books before I allowed my daughter to read  it, because I wanted to see for myself what the content was. In the event,  I was very happy and allowed her to continue to read them.

Nevertheless, when I read that a local tourist attraction is now offering  séances, tarot card reading and opportunities to contact the dead , I  wonder if fiction has become fact. It is not without reason that the  Christian bible warns against real witchcraft and spiritism, for example  Deuteronomy 18:9. I remember one particular person I knew a few years  ago that became involved in a satanic coven, witnessing and participating  in events that still `haunt' her today. Stories like that person's are rare but  are real and should be something that any `Potter parent' should be  thinking about. I know that in the real world the occult isn't pure, isn't  innocent and isn't a great example or experience for any person or child.

Any parent of a Harry Potter fan will have excellent opportunities to  discuss important matters of life, morality and truth. Younger children  may well do best to avoid some of the scarier parts of the book, or have  their parents selectively read the best bits to them. Parents of older  children may want to explain about the real life aspects of the occult that  the books draw from that are definitely to be avoided.

Enjoy the Potter books and learn some great lessons for life - but  remember, it is just fiction!
 

http://www.smarterkids.com/rescenter/library/news/sk_top3/2001/12/16/eng-newsquest_york/eng-newsquest_york_103419_2944867694198913185.asp?redir=true
NO, don't worry...says Rev Tom Gill Vicar of St Luke's, York, and father of six-year-old Tom, a devoted reader of Harry books.

I LIKE good novels for children, and the Harry Potter books are good,  well-written children's novels. They encourage the imagination, which is  something I think we ought to be doing for our offspring.

One of the most important things is that because they are a good read,  because they are a lot of fun, they are getting children reading again. My  six-year-old, Thomas, is reading them by himself - he's on the third one  now - and I know a lot of children who don't normally like books who are  reading these books. This has got to be a good thing.

They aren't perhaps the most original books in the world. You can see  sources all through them - from Billy Bunter, Narnia, Tolkien. But there is  nothing wrong in that. There are no new stories, really - there are perhaps  only half a dozen stories in literature.

These books are very well written, and if some of the ideas come from  other sources, what is the problem with that?

Another thing these stories are is very moral. They are not Christian, but  they are very moral. There is a very clear line in them between good and  bad. There are good characters who act in accordance with their values,  and bad characters, who get their comeuppance.

It is quite black and white but children's stories need to be black and  white, so that children can develop a moral sense. You can only learn to  deal with shades of grey later if you have developed that moral sense.

One of the great things is that they can be used as a springboard for  dealing with some very serious issues. Through the behaviour of Draco  Malfoy and his father Lucius, for example, they raise the issue of racism.  Particularly in the Chamber of Secrets and the Prisoner of Azkaban,  where you have Malfoy talking about pure-bloods and mud-bloods, a  `racist' term for muggles. It has a lot of echoes of what was happening in  1930s Germany.

At a time when there is a great deal of suspicion of Moslem people, you  can draw a child's attention to what Malfoy is doing when he talks about  mud-bloods, and you can do it in a way that they will understand.

There is nothing satanic about the books. They are a form of mythology.  The church has always used mythology. Are we saying Greek mythology  is satanic? Tolkien or Narnia is satanic? We need to accept that fiction is  fiction. My six-year-old son knows the difference between fact and fiction  perfectly well.

I wouldn't want to say Rowling's books are Christian or un-Christian. They  are a good read, they are funny, they allow us to raise some very serious  issues with children - and they are getting children reading again.

Updated: 10:15 Friday, November 16, 2001

For more information please visit http://www.thisisyork.co.uk/

December 16, 2001