[american colleen]

I shoulda added that so many of the kids today are living in less then Christian homes... divorce with boyfriends and girlfriends of their parents staying over in the same house, their own TVs to keep them quiet, no grounding in any sort of faith, parents not setting a Christian example, you know we could go on and on. This is the problem, not Harry Potter. If a book was so influential that it could corrupt kids who read it, why hasn't the Bible in 2000 years done the opposite?

[Gophack]

I agree with you that much of the problems of today have nothing to do with Harry Potter in particular, but with parents, education and society as a whole. Harry Potter is but one more contributing factor.

As one writer said (to paraphrase): all the kids who read Harry Potter and go to church and hear about the Transfiguration of the Lord will think FIRST of Harry Potter, not the Lord.

On your second point, you have to read to be influenced.