Potter Mania: Should Christian Kids Read 'Harry Potter'?

Breakpoint with Chuck Colson ^ | 7/20/2007 | Chuck Colson

[oneamericanvoice]

Darn! I forgot that spell yesterday when I had a flat! But then the twig that I picked up hasn’t helped me do one single spell. Gotta look for another twig.

[SamAdams76]

I've read "Lord Of The Rings" several times and it is quite the stretch to link it with Christianity.

I find it quite amusing to see how much the Harry Potter bashers contort themselves to justify in LOTR the same things they condemn in the Harry Potter series.

Ironically, as I was growing up in the early 1970s, the very same accusations being tossed around today about the Potter books were being said about the Tolkien books. In fact, for a time, the principal of my elementary school banned the Tolkien books outright. Of course the same principal canned the music teacher for playing a Beatles record in music class and routinely sent students home for wearing blue jeans but he wasn't the only voice speaking against the "evil" influences of J.R.R. Tolkien back in those days.

Rumors abounded back then that Tolkien's works promoted drug use (the hobbits loved to smoke those pipes after all) and the occult (it was said that the game Dungeons and Dragons was derived from LOTR).

All of that was nonsense of course and most reasonable people back then recognized that. But one thing that held true consistently was that those who hollered the loudest about Tolkien's works were those most unlikely to have read Tolkien's works. Otherwise they would have realized just how foolish their rantings sounded to the rest of us.

And so it is today with the Potter books. Any Harry Potter basher spreading the tripe that we hear today who actually sat down and read the books would want to slink under the nearest table and hide from the world for a while. They would be like those characters in those airline commercials ("Need to get away?").

[Shadowstrike]

I didn’t insult anyones faith. I am a church going Christian.

I didn’t say the Bible was just a story, Logan1492 did.

[Revolting cat!]

Why?

See # 54.

[tacticalogic]

Historically, the people who believed most fervently in the power of witchcraft were the ones putting people on trial for it.

[ChocChipCookie]

I don’t think any kids should be reading them.

I don't think anyone should be reading them.

Well, I'm reading Book 1 right now. I found it in a used bookstore for five bucks. It's very interesting and very well-written. My kids are only 8 and 5, but I figured someday they might want to read Harry Potter, and I want to have read them first.

[lesser_satan]

Muslim kids should read these books and watch the Movies

Believe it or not, it's one of the favorites at Gitmo. I don't have a source, but I'll try and find one tomorrow. Medved mentioned this on his show a while back.

[Revolting cat!]

Sorry, see # 46.

[Captain Peter Blood]

Are we going through this nonsense again? This debate has been going on since the first Potter Book. Get on with other things.

[Calpernia]

Them with Van Morrison

[oneamericanvoice]

They aren't practicing anything except pretend. Kids can point twigs at each other and say words, and they are doing only that...pointing twigs and saying jibberish. It is fun to pretend, and it is also a vital part of childhood! Learning to be creative! They also learn the difference between make-believe and reality. Please don't spoil their childhood! Let them be children! I promise they will be more drawn to the darkness by your disallowment than anything in these books. In fact, they will be revolted by the evil, and inspired by Harry & company's actions against evil.

[Larry Lucido]

Nor did putting a funnel on my head turn me into Tom Terrific.

[Mr. Silverback]

The point being...what? Parents can also make their children understand that the Bible is just a story.

The point is that if a kid wanders off and become a satanist because he read a Potter book, it isn't J.K. Rowlings fault, because that kid has some pretty dim bulbs for parents.

[Barnacle]

Go ahead and laugh. I’d just as soon encourage kids to play with radioactive material than the occult.

Do a search on this stuff. It’s more popular than ever. The Potter books certainly deserve their share of credit.

[oneamericanvoice]

Good for you. And what you will find, if you haven’t already, are the values that you most probably espouse, like family, friends, loyalty, respect, courage, scholarship, sportsmanship, the triumph of good over evil, and Christmas. Good reading! Enjoy!

[Corin Stormhands]

Gotta look for another twig.

The twig chooses the wizard.

[Revolting cat!]

I hear tulip futures are the next big thing. Gotta get with the program, keep up with the Joneses, join the mob, if it sells, it must be good. And so on...

OR

[oneamericanvoice]

This isn't the occult!!!! It is pretend! They aren't being taught anything except good values like friendship, family, loyalty, strength, courage, the triumph of good over evil, and oh yes, Christmas. It's popular for alot of reasons...good values + fun = popularity. Same reason Narnia did well.

[Corin Stormhands]

I've read "Lord Of The Rings" several times and it is quite the stretch to link it with Christianity.

You are kidding aren't you?

Tolkien denied that it was allegory, but explicitly said that as a Christian any work of his would naturally be a Christian work.

I did my entire freshman research paper on "Christlike Symbolism in the Lord of the Rings." Frodo the Deliverer, Gandalf the Resurrection. Aragorn the Triumphant King.

I think you need to read them again.

[null and void]

Naaahhhhh, Keep ‘em ignorant, I say!