I have not read any of the Harry Potter books, so I can only go on what people say about them, or reviews of the books...I have no children or grandchildren of the age to read the Harry Potter books...so my opinions are merely based on what I have heard and read about the books, and what I have read on FR, by posters both pro and con about these books...
My opinion is that it is the parents outlook and right to decide what their children should and should not read...if you dont appreciate a certain book, because of its themes, and it contradicts what you try to teach your children, then by all means dont allow your child to read such material...if on the other hand, you see nothing harmful in the content of a particular book, then by all means, allow your child to read it...
All parents, all families, have a set of guidelines by which they try to live and raise their children...and gearing their reading material to jive with those beliefs is appropriate....
I know a few people who will not allow their children to read any sort of fantasy material at all...no fairy tales, no made up stories...their children are allowed to read only stories based on the Bible, or true life stories, usually pertaining to their particular Christian beliefs...they feel that fantasy in any form, is harmful to their children...that is their choice, ,and their children must adhere to it...and so be it...that is their right as parents....
There are people who object to the Harry Potter books, based on the occult themes...yet those same people see nothing wrong with the magic in say, stories like Cinderella, or Pinocchio....because the fairy godmother is using her magic for good, as is the fairy in Pinocchio...it is as if, they are saying that magic in a book, that uses magic for good, or just a little bit of magic, is ok....a little contradictory in my mind, but again, so be it...those parents have made a decision, and their children must abide by it...
And there are the parents who believe that any reading material is ok for their children as it encourages them to read, and especially if there is discussion of the themes with the parents, this promotes a flow of ideas...
I am fine with any of these choices, so long as its the parents who are making the decisions and the parents are comfortable with their decisions...after all, that is what parenting is about, deciding what your child should and should not be exposed to...we all parent in different ways, every family has its own set of dynamics...
What I do become uncomfortable with, is when some parents act as if their particular choice is morally superior to the choice of other parents...we all parent as we see fit to be in the best interest of our children...some folks believe that the Harry Potter books would be harmful to their children, others see the Harry Potter books as pure non-harmful fantasy for their children...to me, neither side is morally superior or better...its a difference of opinion among parents...
The Harry Potter books muddy the waters of this distinction because they depict good as coming from sorcery. Since those powers don't come from God, they can come from only one other source, Satan.
As Christians, there should be no doubt as to where we stand regarding witchcraft.
Gal 5:19 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inheri t the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
It's one thing where a fairy tale might have a bit of "magic" dabbled in it. And, where witches are shown in there rightful association with evil. It's quite another thing to create stories where magic is the focus of the story and the powers of that magic are sought by and used by the main protagonist.
Harry Potter will not lead one to practice sorcery any more than smoking a cigarette will cause someone to get cancer. But, I hope for young people to avoid one as much as the other.
"What I do become uncomfortable with, is when some parents act as if their particular choice is morally superior to the choice of other parents...we all parent as we see fit to be in the best interest of our children...some folks believe that the Harry Potter books would be harmful to their children, others see the Harry Potter books as pure non-harmful fantasy for their children...to me, neither side is morally superior or better...its a difference of opinion among parents... "
I dare say that history and biographies such as Helen Keller, Braile, Abe Lincoln, Ben Franklin, Christ and Bible stories, ready for this -
ARE MORALLY SUPERIOR TO HARRY POTTER!
Not only are these stories MORALLY SUPERIOR but they offer GOOD examples of people and someone to look up to.
You fill a mind with garbage and it's the same old story:
GIGO is as true as ever!
Being morally superior is ONE of the favorite things for Freepers.
I can't think of the other right now.
There's a difference between a fairy -- in the case of Pinocchio at least, a guardian angel or even the Virgin Mary in a Christian, even Catholic, allegory -- and a witch.
What I do become uncomfortable with, is when some parents act as if their particular choice is morally superior to the choice of other parents...we all parent as we see fit to be in the best interest of our children
There is no right or wrong choice, everyone can do what they want. Parents who want to have a witchcraft club in their basement, that's their business. Parents who want to show their kids porn, that's their judgment of what's best, oh no we can't say that their judgment is wrong!
I personally enjoyed reading them.