HARRY POTTER: ENEMY OF GOD

e-mail | 07.21.05 | Dr. Bradley Carey

[Charlespg]

Harry Potter is an enemy of illiteracy

And the people who post/publish these anti Harry Potter rants are enemies of common sense

to paraphrase a quote from one my favorite movies "Self Righteous morons should try reading books before burning them"

[Coleus]

Read Deuteronomy Chapter 18: 9-14

9 "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. 14 For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.

[onja]

It still didn't say to not read about magic. It says magic is bad but nothing about reading about a Harry Potter type story.

[Houmatt]

Thank you so much.

Maybe these people will one day realize Harry Potter is a fictional character (Osama Bin Laden and the ACLU are, sadly, very real) and their attacks on the Potter books while being silent on The Wizard of Oz, The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia only show their willful hypocrisy.

[Coleus]

the problem is that kids mimic what the see and read.

The Nazis and Marxists knew that, so did those who started MTV, fashion designers know it, marketers and advertisers know it, so why don't parents and many clergymen know it.

God warned us. I don't think at the time of Moses there were many books. It took months just to transcribe the Torah, it wasn't until Gutenberg's printing press that books started coming out. Please don't get silly with me.

[Loud Mime]

After doing a bit of photoshop on Carla...go here:

http://revel.wso.net/Personalized_t-shirts.htm

[Da_Shrimp]

According to Wiccans and Wizards, what is discussed in these books accurately portray Wiccan spells and rituals.

Absolute RUBBISH!!!!

[Da_Shrimp]

A Wiccan ritual consists of:

1. Circle is cast and elements called upon (Earth, Air, Fire, Water)

2. 'Power' is raised by dancing.

3. God and Goddess are called into the circle

4. Magical working done, if any required.

5. Elements dismissed, cirlce closed.

Now then, lets see how many times these are mentioned in Harry Potter...

1. 0

2. 0

3. 0

4. Spells, but not in any way like those in Wicca. One does not shout wingardum leviosa! in a circle.

5. 0

Whoops! Not much of a similarity there, then. Never mind: it's so much easier to read some buffoon's opinion on a book than to read it oneself, eh?

[Coleus]

interest in Wiccan materials, schools, spells, etc., has increased over 200%. (Retail Trends, 2004) >>

looks like someone missed the point, eh?

[kellynch]

But I doubt they have working spells to make stuff float or unlock locks, etc. It seems like Wiccans are more New Age stuff than Harry Potter spells(though I may be wrong).

Very true. Yes, I'm a conservative Christian (although some of you may doubt that a cradle Episcopalian from a long line of Episcopalians can be conservative or consider themselves Christian), but I do happen to have two friends who are Wiccan High Priestesses. They most certainly do not worship Satan. To say that is to say that the ancient Romans, Greeks, Norse or Celts worshipped Satan. Wiccans are pagans in the same way that the ancients were. They believe in multiple gods, but not in Satan. Of course I think they're misguided, but they're certainly not evil people.

And people who love the books(me for instance) probably won't be changed by a few posts saying that it is bad.

Me neither. I love the HP books, just as I loved the Narnia books. And, for the record, my mother (grew up as a Lutheran but who now attends a conservative Episcopal church) is absolutely hooked on time travel books. Does that make her a Satan worshipper too? I hope someone will let me know soon so I can fill her in next time we talk.

[Da_Shrimp]

interest in Wiccan materials, schools, spells, etc., has increased over 200%. (Retail Trends, 2004) >>

looks like someone missed the point, eh?

Nope, I wasn't arguing with that.

This is what I took issue with:
According to Wiccans and Wizards, what is discussed in these books accurately portray Wiccan spells and rituals.

This is not true. If you think it is, then please post links to comments by bona-fide Wiccans to back it up. A Wiccan ritual in essence operates EXACTLY the way I said it does in post 48.
Please point out parts of any Harry Potter books where a circle is cast, elements called upon, Gods and Goddesses invited in prior to doing a spell. A chapter number will do, you don't need to specify a page. I won't hold my breath, as the number of mentions of Gods and/or Goddesses in Harry Potter is precisely zero.

Ironically, there are more parallels with Wiccan ways of working in C.S Lewis' Narnia series than in Harry Potter.

[JockoManning]

Marker.

[Crocodile]

To someone from outside the USA, this discussion here seems quite strange. However, whether you reject or do not reject the Harry Potter fiction on religious grounds, please do so always in giving your reasons and to put the view of others at debate. You may "attack" views that you may not necessarily agree with but there is no need to "attack" the people behind holding such a view.
You can better go against a crocodile like myself. I have a big mouth and some ugly long teeth and I promise to give everyone a big bite who would likes to bite me. For the rest, relax a bit and take it easy - the life we have received from God (including that of crocodiles like me..hehehe) is so wonderful. Greetings and Blessings from across the ocean to everyone here on the board - enemies and friends, crocodiles and non-crocodiles alike.
If anyone can do so, please pass on a fraternal greeting to my US-based relatives, the alligators.

[Crocodile]

To someone from outside the USA, this discussion here seems quite strange. However, whether you reject or do not reject the Harry Potter fiction on religious grounds, please do so always in giving your reasons and to put the view of others at debate. You may "attack" views that you may not necessarily agree with but there is no need to "attack" the people behind holding such a view.
You can better go against a crocodile like myself. I have a big mouth and some ugly long teeth and I promise to give everyone a big bite who would likes to bite me. For the rest, relax a bit and take it easy - the life we have received from God (including that of crocodiles like me..hehehe) is so wonderful. Greetings and Blessings from across the ocean to everyone here on the board - enemies and friends, crocodiles and non-crocodiles alike.
If anyone can do so, please pass on a fraternal greeting to my US-based relatives, the alligators.

[Paul C. Jesup]

Just keep in mind that in the Harry Potter books, magic is treated and taught as a trade skill and tools to be used in one's work, NOT AS A RELIGION.

This one major fact seems to be lost on those who want ban the Harry Potter books.

[Esther Ruth]

Coleus, Excellent Post!!! and Excellent list in #1

[Sue Perkick]

LOL. All true.