La Shawn Barber
12.21.06
Laura Mallory and the Misguided Crusade

Laura MalloryTuesday, May 29: For the latest on Laura Mallory’s misguided crusade, see Laura Mallory, Foiled Again!

Update II (12/21 @ 2:47 p.m.): Would it be too much to ask readers to follow links and read the articles before commenting on this post? Probably. :?

Update: According to Scholastic, J. K. Rowling’s American publisher, Book 7 will be titled, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. More here.

***

Laura Mallory, Christian mother, has been on a year-long crusade to have the Harry Potter books removed from government school library shelves in Gwinnett County, Georgia.

A few months ago, the Gwinnett County School Board refused to remove the books. Last week, the Georgia Board of Education upheld Gwinnett County’s decision. Mallory says she may appeal.

By the way, she’s never read the books. Not one.

Mallory’s quest is misguided, and her efforts will be fruitless. I don’t know any Christians who want to ban books, and I hope I never meet any. In the scheme of things, what Mallory is doing doesn’t matter that much. There are more important things going on in the world for Christians to worry about, and the Harry Potter books are so far down the list, they barely register.

So what is it about the books that offend Mallory’s sensibilities as a Christian?

The Bible and the Practice of Sorcery

When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone washed up on American shores in the late 1990s, some Christians went ballistic.

On the grounds that the Bible clearly condemns the practice of witchcraft and sorcery, these Christians spoke out against the books for “promoting” witchcraft and advised others not to allow their children to read them.

Practicing sorcery was punishable by death in ancient Israel. Among the “detestable practices” are human sacrifice, “reading” the future, casting spells, and communicating with the dead. Along with fornication, idolatry, and jealousy, the practice of witchcraft is a sin.

That much should be clear to Bible-believing Christians.

Christians by definition are not materialists (only matter exists). We believe in the spiritual realm, the “chief” spirit being the Holy Spirit, the third person in the godhead. The Bible describes the Holy Spirit (first mentioned explicitly in Acts) as our counselor and teacher, guiding us through our spiritual journey as Christ followers.

In that regard, Christians believe in the existence of unseen forces, good and evil.

Harry Potter and the Philosophers StoneHarry Potter and the Irate Christians

Joanne Rowling, a divorced mother on welfare in the 1990s, had spent years developing an idea that popped into her head while riding a train. An orphaned boy named Harry Potter discovered that he was a wizard and that his parents had been killed by an evil wizard named Lord Voldemort. The same wizard tried and failed to kill Harry in his crib. So began Rowling’s adventurous tale of “The Boy Who Lived.”

She finished the manuscript for the first book in 1995. Rejected by several publishers (I’ll bet those dopes are extremely sorry now), Bloomsbury took a chance on it. Since then, the books have won numerous awards, sold millions worldwide, and have been translated in dozens of languages, and made into high-grossing movies. Teachers and parents report that children who once hated reading are reading the Harry Potter books.

I won’t rehash the plot here, as I and many others have written enough about Harry Potter and our fascination with Rowling’s series to make your head spin. Begin by visiting the following sites:

As I write, Rowling is completing the seventh and final book in the septology.

American editor Alfred Knopf started a whirlwind of controversy when he decided to change the title of the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. He thought young American readers would think the book was about philosophy and miss the reference to alchemy. In other words he figured (probably correctly) that Americans were too illiterate to understand the title and would, therefore, stay away from the books.

According to legend, a philosopher’s stone was a substance used to turn base metals into gold. The philosopher’s stone was also an ingredient in the so-called the elixir of life, which gives anyone who drinks it eternal life. In Sorcerer’s Stone, the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, having lost his powers and part of his humanity after trying to kill baby Harry Potter, tried to steal the philosopher’s stone. Harry once against thwarts his plans, and the Dark Lord’s return is delayed for a time.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone[Note: While reading the first book, I immediately picked up on the classic “fear of physical death” theme and the desire to live forever, which is what Voldemort wants to do. He is so afraid of death that he split his soul seven times to avoid it. Fascinating themes and implications. Throughout human history, there’s always been a fear of dying, or more precisely, of the unknown. Rowling’s story, like all good literature, resonates because it echoes common refrains of the human condition.]

The word Sorcerer’s on the cover of the American version was just the beginning of some Christians’ problems with the book. They say the books promote witchcraft, but those who’ve read the books understand the distinction between promoting witchcraft and using it as a backdrop in the story. Others, like myself, make distinctions between the incantational magic of Harry Potter and the invocation magic condemned in the Bible. Also consider that Harry Potter is fiction, and the Bible doesn’t condemn reading about sorcery.

Rather than rehash the arguments here, I’ll point you to a two-part column I wrote titled, “Harry Potter and the Charmed Christians,” Part I and Part II. Warning: Here be spoilers!

The Bible condemns the practice of sorcery, but I don’t believe Christians are forbidden to read about it as fiction or non-fiction. I also believe this is a discussion for Christians and shouldn’t be argued among secularists, who have no qualms with witchcraft or any other occult practices. If Christians believe that a few books on a government school library shelf have the power to corrupt their kids, Harry Potter is the least of their problems.

Instead of wasting time, energy, and money trying to ban books, Christian parents should take their children out of government schools. Enter Laura Mallory.

Resources:

Laura Mallory and the Misguided Crusade

Every now and then I read stories about Christians who wanted Harry Potter books banned from government schools. Once an anti-Harry Potter Christian myself, I didn’t support the idea of banning, but I understood where these Christians were coming from.

I was a die-hard fan of Harry Potter by the time Laura Mallory began her one-woman crusade against the books, so I took a special interest in this “Christians against Harry Potter” drama. Mallory, an evangelical Christian, says she finds the book offensive to her Christian faith and harmful to her children’s spiritual health. She even blames Harry Potter for school shootings!

Now all this sounds like a personal problem to me, given that her children attend government schools. There’s a lot about such schools I don’t like, which is why if I ever have children, they won’t be going to government schools.

burning bookFor over a year, Mallory has been trying to convince the Gwinnett County Board of Education in Georgia to remove the Harry Potter books from library shelves. After the local board refused her request,” she took her case to the Georgia Board of Education, which upheld Gwinnett County’s decision.

(Also see “Potter vote no surprise” and “Mother May Appeal Harry Potter Books Decision.”)

If I had children, I wouldn’t want them to read books like Heather Has Two Mommies, but trying to get the book banned would be the last thing I’d do. A child’s education begins at home. Bad influences from the outside will creep in, but that is part of the spiritual journey, so to speak.

The Bible teaches that believers should teach their children about God and his commands. At the same time, part of any spiritual journey involves facing temptation and overcoming it, and children need to learn how to do this. I believe what Mallory is doing is counterproductive. Her time and energy would be better spent training her children’s young minds to formulate and support arguments, and articulate why they believe Harry Potter is “dangerous” for Christians.

Yes, I wrote that. In a way, I support Mallory’s decision to keep Harry Potter from her children. If she believes the books are dangerous, she, as a mother, has a responsibility to protect them. In fact, I don’t think young children should read the later books because of their dark themes. The sorcery is secondary.

Keeping “bad” books out of the house is one thing, but trying to keep them out of government schools is quite another. I’ve expressed my views about government schooling. I support school choice. Taxpaying parents should be allowed to move their kids from low-performing to higher-performing government schools if they wish. I also think parents who currently send kids to private schools ought to get a tax break. And I’m a passionate advocate of homeschooling.

Book banning stinks of medieval hysteria. Just as it embarrasses me to hear and read about blacks fighting for lowered standards, it embarrasses me to hear and read about professing Christians trying to ban books for “promoting” the occult. If your kid is in a government school filled with books on homosexuality and Harry Potter — and you don’t want them reading about either topic — explain to them why the books go against your values and why you don’t want them reading such books. Banning a book (excluding child pornography) only provides a slippery slope for banning others, including books you may like. It’s dangerous, ignorant, and uncool.

Remember what the character Hermione Granger said in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix? After nasty Professor Dolores Umbridge forbade students from reading a tabloid called The Quibbler because it featured a Harry Potter interview that made the Ministry of Magic look bad, Hermoine was happy. The best way to make sure someone reads something, she said, is to ban it.

Take a memo, Laura Mallory.

Harry Potter-related books:

More sites and articles:

Posted by La Shawn @ 11:19 am Permalink
Filed under: Censorship, Pop Culture    


89 Comments

  1. I agree with her althougth I wouldnt try to ban the books i sure wouldnt bring any hint of witchcraft in my household.

    Comment by shari — 12.21.06 @ 11:22 am

  2. Shari, I think you’ve commented about this before. I wholeheartedly agree with her decision to ban the books from her home, but trying to ban them from a government school is going too far.

    Comment by La Shawn — 12.21.06 @ 11:23 am

  3. La Shawn, one thing you must also consider is that public schools ban books all the time. They don’t call it that of course. They just don’t select them when it comes time to purchase books for the library. But because they control the “purse” no one views it as “banning.” But that’s exactly what it is.

    This mother has every right and indeed a responsibility to voice her concerns over the books in the library. What is misguided is the fact that the schools don’t feel the need to ask parents to consider what is purchased for the library. They are completely left out of the selection and purchase decisions. Not only at the library but school textbooks in general. Those decisions are made by committess far, far away. (So much for accountability and local control.) But if the schools are PUBLIC and accountable to the parents that is exactly what should be happening. We all know they won’t because that would be a logistical nightmare. You’ll never satisfy everyone. So they make the decisions for the parents. Choosing some books, but effectively “banning” others by their refusal to purchase them. In some schools, the parent cannot even donate books to the library. They won’t accept them.

    So banning books happens all the time. It’s just that this mother is forced to go public with her campaign and to the courts, while the schools quietly get away with banning books all the time.

    Comment by Spunky — 12.21.06 @ 11:46 am

  4. La Shawn,

    I agree with you that I think this lady is misguided. And yes, there are very important things that Christians should be worried about, such as loving the person next to them, listening more, and keeping the love warm in their hearts.

    But I do agree with her that the Harry Potter books are dangerous because I think it does promote occultism.

    With that said, I think it’s a bootless battle she’s waging. Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, who has read up on the practices of occultists and the inner ring of the Third Reich, would know that it’s everywhere we turn to now. On TV, in books, in our everyday mundane lives… The Harry Potter books, the same one that sparks violence and quasi-riots whenever there’s a shortage in stores, is only one in myriads of examples of how many people are turning back to the “old gods”.

    You can’t really say this anymore since it is neither politically correct nor is it kosher to oppose wildly popular Pop trends. You’re the Nazi if you speak it (even if Joseph Goebel’s diary sounds exactly like everyday modern speech…).

    I don’t know why I’m commenting on this today. I guess I just had to say something…

    Comment by Thomas — 12.21.06 @ 11:53 am

  5. If she feels so strongly about this, she should put her money where her mouth is and get her kids into a good private school or homeschool them. I’m sick to death of Christians who “want it all.” My kids are going to grow up knowing the Lord and that’s not really possible for most public school kids. If I have to sacrifice and be nearly poor to do that, then so be it.

    I bet she’s also one of those idiots who thinks that her little kids are going to be “salt and light” to a public school system that is profoundly anti-Christian, rather than be broken spiritually by it. People like this are the reason why the church is struggling so much in America.

    Comment by MikeT — 12.21.06 @ 11:55 am

  6. Nice post LaShawn…

    This mother’s efforts do point out that the public schools aren’t all that public. Christians need to realize that the government schools never were ours and they should pull their children out of them right away.

    Imagine the collapse of this institution if the Christians withdrew…

    Al sends

    Comment by al — 12.21.06 @ 12:00 pm

  7. While I have never read a Harry Potter novel nor seen any of the films I am going to present THIS to Laura Mallory, why don’t you go ahead and get the Wizard of Oz banned too??

    Some folks really need to pick their fights better…

    Comment by TexasFred — 12.21.06 @ 12:50 pm

  8. MikeT, I disagree with you about the salt and light point. It is possible for children to be salt and light and IMHO, I do not believe it is unrealistic if children are taught properly at home and have a strong Christian foundation to build on. It IS foolish though if your household is a quasi-Christian home, where there is no true foundation, then it makes no sense.

    While I agree that this woman’s efforts will seem futile in that much will not be accomplished through public, government owned schools, in a spiritual sense, I agree with her and my prayers are with her cause. In commenting about Christians being salt and light, that is exactly what this woman is doing. She is being light to the secular world by exposing a truth, that the Harry Potter books do indeed promote, romanticize and in a sense justify witchcraft. The books and especially the movies tend to present magic and witchcraft as normative to those who are watching. It doesn’t expose it as being counter to what is right under God’s law or as something that is evil.

    What movies and books like Lord Of The Rings, Harry Potter and others do, and I admit possibly unintentionally, is give credence to the secular by masking the Godly with pagan imagery. This in turn allows anyone to simply plug in his/her morals, spirituality, and religion into the story and justify their belief system. Even a belief system that is un-Christian. As of the last 5 or 10 years there has been a huge upswing of books, t.v. shows, and movies that tend to promote evil as good, i.e. where there are “good” vampires vs. “evil” vampires, without pointing out that a vampire is by default evil. The same goes for witches, wizards and the like. I do understand that it is something that is inherent in our modern culture, yet when will the Christian stand up and speak out and point out these issues? When will it be o.k. to do so?

    The Bible is clear about what is good and what is evil. There really is no question. Even when Christ used parables to explain spiritual matters, they were quite apparent in their meanings and did not use pagan symbolism or metaphor. In other words, Jesus didn’t talk of witches, warlocks, or sorcerers to explain the nature of God or His kingdom. So, why do we?

    Comment by Jerry McClellan — 12.21.06 @ 12:54 pm

  9. Okay - re: the argument that the public schools aren’t listening to this ONE woman. How many other parents in this district don’t have any problem whatsoever with the books. So, should the one voice overrule the many? I don’t think so. If she doesn’t want her kids to read these books, she needs to let them know and explain why. Has she even read the books herself?? I own all six currently available Harry Potter books. If I ever have children, I will share these books with my children (at the age-appropriate time). And, I will discuss the themes in the books with my children, so they know what my beliefs are.

    Also, check into how your child’s school stocks its library shelves. While I was student teaching, I spoke to the librarian periodically. I have been reading a lot of children’s literature lately, and told her of a book I read and thought was good. She made note of it for when making future acquistions.

    Comment by Miss Ladybug — 12.21.06 @ 12:57 pm

  10. Thanks for the mention, La Shawn. Keep up the good work.

    8^)

    Comment by Pauli — 12.21.06 @ 1:08 pm

  11. Jerry,

    I’m sorry, but I have to disagree with you, at least as far as The Lord of the Rings goes. Tolkien was Roman Catholic and a friend of C.S. Lewis. There are many Christian themes to be found in his LOTR trilogy. I own (but have yet to finish reading - got misplaced in the move 2 years ago) The Gospel According to Tolkien. Maybe you should look into that before condemning Tolkien’s work as godless…

    Comment by Miss Ladybug — 12.21.06 @ 1:11 pm

  12. The woman is clearly deluded.

    In order to fight sorcery one must first prove it works. I believe an American is offering a huge amount to people who can prove supernatural phenomena. Tgis gives me an idea. Why doesn;t this woman put two and two together make a load of money for her church or her book-banning ambitions by proving that real sorcery exists?

    One small problem of course: It probably doesn’t.

    It’s like proving that the ’sorcery’ of prayer can cure people from cancer, arthritis and other diseases that are characterized by remission.

    Seems to me to be awfully prejudiced, as no Faith to my knowledge ever ‘cured’ someone missing a limb or an organ, or suffering Down’s Syndrome, or profound autism etc.

    I suggest a healthy dose of realism in dealing with this matter and any like it ;-)

    Regards,

    John

    You and I know that it is just a story to spice up tales of derring do, abit of fairydust and magic etc.

    Comment by JohnD — 12.21.06 @ 1:29 pm

  13. “a vampire is by default evil.”

    A ‘vampire’, I’m afraid, is a work of fiction, so a vampire can be ‘evil’ or ‘good’ on the author’s say so. Just as a bishop can be. Or a talking tree, etc.

    *sigh*

    Unless youy can prove that real vampires exist, s I say, some guy is offering a million dollars to prove any of this hokum:

    http://www.randi.org/research/index.html

    teh dollars is good?

    Comment by JohnD — 12.21.06 @ 1:33 pm

  14. You know, it’s funny that this happens because those books do not mention religion at all from what I can remember (yes, I have read them all). I read these because my kids were reading them and excited when a new book was coming out, which is unusual for 3rd graders, IMO.

    The only even remote reference to a religion of any type would be the basic struggle between good and evil.

    Comment by Scott — 12.21.06 @ 1:41 pm

  15. I too think this woman is misguided. Consider the Lord of the Rings, which is ripe with Christian metaphors, symbolism and doctrine. But Gandolph is a wizard, Frodo uses a magic ring, Aragorn is a healer.

    Fiction can and should be uplifting, I personally find Harry Potter to be that. The author’s doctrine is not Christian, but if you ban your children from hearing opposing views about what constitutes right and wrong, how do you expect to make them strong?

    I find it most telling that the woman has never read any of the Potter books. I have read many books opposed to basic Christian principles, many of them to my benefit.

    I would more concerned with my child’s biology text if I were her, it is presented as fact.

    Comment by benm — 12.21.06 @ 1:50 pm

  16. Jerry, Jesus said, in the 24th Chapter of Luke, to the disciples, “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

    Now, is he saying that ghosts exist (and do not have flesh and bones) or is he using pagan metaphor?

    Comment by benm — 12.21.06 @ 1:57 pm

  17. I thought I might chime in on something. Let me say first off that I have never read nor watched a Harry Potter book or movie. What I know I know from reviews of other people.

    There is a world of difference between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. One extols self-sacrifice, standing in the pathway of the juggernaut and, more often than not, being shattered by it. The other extols self-importance in the “no, no I don’t want superior power over everyone” sort of way. It’s “The One” syndrome.

    The other major difference is that the characters that had supernatural powers in Lord of the Rings are the wizards, the elves, and the Numenorian (that’s probably not the correct spelling). Wizards according to Tolkien’s Middle Earth are sent by the Valar, or the stewards if you will, of the earth, who were in turn sent to earth by Maledil or God. In other words, the wizards are more like Archangels than human. The Elves according to this mythology are “unfallen” creatures who is granted access to return to the Undying Lands, or Paradise, where they came from. The humans have the same abilities that we used to attribute to men, but many dismiss this nowadays as medieval. Indeed, those attributes were acknowledged and well-known in the medieval ages.

    In contrast, in Harry Potter humans are directing reality with their minds, which is the goal of the occultists. Moreover, from what I can decipher without actually reading the books, there is constant refrain of Harry being special, not like other boys, apart. In the Kingdom of God what it means to be special is to be the donkey that Christ rides into Jerusalem with. Being special means that your back will be broken because Christ is being the weight of the world.

    Harry, the Nazi’s might say, would be a superman. Or as the New Agers would say, he’s an ascendant god. Or as evolutionists would say, he’s evolved to perfection. Etcetera, etcetera.

    There are supposed battles between good and evil in the Harry stories. But good has to exist battle evil, right? Once a person makes the mental concession that casting spells and exerting his will upon reality is really just the same as prayer or manipulating sediment and concrete to build a building, he is also ready to accept the premises of such a concession. The equivalency is just more of the subjectivism we are seeing come into fruition… both in the Christian community and the non-Christian community.

    I have known many, many people who have read the Potter books. I think they are in error, but I also don’t think it is my place to correct them. That’s between them and their Creator.

    Comment by Thomas — 12.21.06 @ 2:00 pm

  18. Thomas, while I understand if you don’t want to read the books to for yourself to find out what’s going on, I hope you’ve at least followed the links and read some of the articles about HP and Christians, including the two-part series I wrote.

    I’m not trying to sell the books to anyone, but it helps when commenters make an effort to read some of the resources I link to if they’re going to comment on a post.

    Comment by La Shawn — 12.21.06 @ 2:10 pm

  19. I have a friend who is my most frequent movie-going buddy, but I’ve learned not to ask her to see sci-fi/time-travel or fantasy movies with me (though she loved Lord of the Rings). Her imagination just doesn’t make the leap into other worlds, and that’s what Harry Potter does…

    “Imagine there’s a world where some people are magic. How would the battle between good and evil play out in such a world?”

    My friend can’t imagine that world, or many other worlds. People who love these books can. And most of them know that Harry Potter’s world is NOT the world we live in. But I suspect Mallory is much like my friend, who sees and judges fiction as reflections of the world we live in. In our world, magic or witchcraft is an abomination to the Lord.

    I feel sorry for her–not because of her overwhelmingly uphill battle, but because there are whole worlds there that she will never be able to explore.

    Comment by SkyePuppy — 12.21.06 @ 2:12 pm

  20. Miss Ladybug, with very much respect I have to correct your assertion that I somehow condemned LOTR. That simply is not true. I happen to enjoy the movies and have read “The Hobbit”. Yet, my point regarding it and other stories is that whether intentional or not, they do give credence to sorcery, magic, witchcraft, and the like. Plain and simple.

    JohnD, as far as vampires go, whether you believe they are fiction or not isn’t the point. They are historically evil, their characteristics are inhenrently evil, therefore they are evil. You completely miss the point by nitpicking at such a thing. BTW, there are people even today who live as vampires, i.e. drinking blood etc, as well as others who live as witches.

    I wonder, do any of you believe that there is a devil, a being called Satan?

    Comment by Jerry McClellan — 12.21.06 @ 2:14 pm

  21. I don’t like Harry Potter but…

    I can see this woman’s point….

    Harry Potter IS a book about witchcraft and we as followers of Christ should not be indulging in this stuff.

    I also see the point that there are more important things to talk about, but thats just our opinion.

    When you are saved and you end up pursuing your passions in life, sometimes you just cant help it. You want to see the right thing done in this world, you want justice, no matter what the odds or how crazy it sounds.

    Lashawn, from what I’ve read in your posts, part of what you want to do is even the playing field on racial bias reporting and politics and thats a good thing. I myself dont think its fruitful, but thats your passion.

    I myself want economic empowerment and financial literacy for more people. Many dont care about this or see it as unimportant.

    Ms. Mallory wants to see Harry Potter books banned. I dont see this as misguided but, she’s right on the money.

    Bottom line is that we all keep the foundation solid…being sure to always have that alone and personal time with God through Christ…

    Comment by lukeNC — 12.21.06 @ 2:36 pm

  22. Jerry, you betcha I believe there is a Satan out there. I guess I am a bit of a looney to some folks cause I believe that there is such a thing as demon possession. What I am, is a Christian literalist. I believe the Bible is literally true.

    Now there are many things in the Bible that are hard to understand, and Jesus himself used analogy, metaphors, and fiction (I believe that the parables are fiction), but where the Bible is meant to be taken literally, to the best of my reasoning, I take it literally.

    My guess is that someday, in eternity, God will have a word with me about some of my beliefs and say, “Well, Ben, I really didn’t mean for you to believe in XXX, you were too literal.” or “I really meant….”

    But Jesus healed the demon-possessed, He struggled with Satan, and by the way, He healed the sick, probably some missing a limb or an organ, or suffering Down’s Syndrome, or profound autism.

    Comment by benm — 12.21.06 @ 2:38 pm

  23. La Shawn,

    Unfortunately, La Shawn, I’m afraid we are just going to have to disagree on this issue. I read your two-parter on Harry Potter and Charmed Christians once before and again just now. I also just browsed through some of your links here. I thought at the time that Grangers distinction between “invocational” and “incantational” magic to be a matter of semantics, since the distinction is only a distinction of means toward the same ends. I still think so now.

    I think the point I was making still stands. I don’t think reading these books will make anyone evil or anything of the sort. We have free will choices to make, whether you’re a child or an adult.

    Personally, I think C.S. Lewis would be horrified at this phenomenon. And I don’t think Rowling would have become an Inkling. In one of his essays (I don’t remember which), he was laughed down by his peers because he asserted that “materialist wizards” will be the logical end of the trends he saw in his time. He was laughed down because this was a contradiction in terms; in his world, the time when Christianity in England collapsed, and they simply could not make the leap in understanding how you can be both spiritual and materialistic at the same time.

    And yet, here we are.

    I have to say, it is a brave man indeed that says what you read or watch does not affect behavior since a mountain of evidence points to the contrary.

    I’m not saying that reading the Potter books are going to make people occultists. But what you spend time on matters. What/who you listen to matters. What you read matters. And what you watch matters. We all get to live the logic of our choices.

    There ends my two-cents for what its worth.

    Comment by Thomas — 12.21.06 @ 2:57 pm

  24. benm, you asked:

    “Now, is he(Jesus)saying that ghosts exist (and do not have flesh and bones) or is he using pagan metaphor?”

    The passage you refer to follows:

    Luke 24:39 (New International Version)
    Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

    (King James Version)
    39Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

    So the NIV says ghost and the King James version says spirit. I believe they are considered to be interchangeable. As far as what Jesus said in regards to him not being a ghost/spirit, logic dictates that he was not making use of pagan metaphor, since the concept of spirit or ghost isn’t necessarily pagan. If you read 1 Samuel 28 about how Saul consulted a medium and spoke to the “ghost” of Samuel, this is made quite clear. In addition, Jesus’ transformation on the mount where Moses and Elijah appeared would also speak to this fact.

    So once again, I would say that Jesus in describing himself in this passage, was referring to something real and something that doesn’t necessarily reflect pagan belief or ritual, and definately not something that is inherently evil. As I am sure you would agree that the Holy Spirit or Ghost is far from evil.

    Comment by Jerry McClellan — 12.21.06 @ 3:00 pm

  25. Although I haven’t read the books, it appears Harry Potter is fantasy fiction. As someone above said, so was The Wizard of Oz and the list could go on and on. I think we have to use judgement and realize our children are going to be exposed to the “world” at some point. It’s our job to raise them as Christians who are aware of the evils in the world and to learn to discern truth from fiction, good from evil.

    Make no mistake, I believe there’s a war against Christianity out there and frankly it scares me to death. People have been so afraid of being sued or ostracized or fired, that we hide under our little politically correct shells instead of standing up for what we believe. The Bible tells us that we will be tested and we will need to take up our armor and our shields. I hope that I will know the right time to do it.

    Comment by dianne — 12.21.06 @ 3:11 pm

  26. Benm, I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment regarding scripture bing literal where it is meant to be literal and the fact that Jesus’ parables were meant as fiction. My conention was not whether ghosts, vampires or witches are real or not, it was that these things, vampires, witches and the like in particular are evil. They represent evil, yet are presented as good to the masses.

    I find that to be dangerous, which is why I don’t necessarily disagree with the woman who is attempting to ban the Harry Potter books. At some point we have to make a stand, draw a line in the sand. Now, maybe she could be more tactful in her approach, such as making attempts to put more Christian related or God-centered writings into the libraries as oppposed to simply banning certain books. Yet, I still support her efforts since it at least draws attemtion to this issue of glorifying things that are evil.

    Comment by Jerry McClellan — 12.21.06 @ 3:13 pm

  27. Jerry, I completely agree that there is a difference between the Holy Spirit and pagan beliefs. But the “ghost” that Jesus was referring to, in my opinion, was the ghouly, spectral, things that go bump in the night, type. That is the type that the disciples believed they were seeing and that was what he was addressing.

    As far as the “ghost” of Samuel, well the woman was clearly involved in sorcery. It is unbelievable and unreasonable to believe that she had any power whatsoever over the spirit of a holy man like Sam. So, what she conjured up was either a demon or something like it. Or she didn’t conjure up anything at all.

    I believe that God used the occasion of Saul meeting with an occultist to reveal something to Saul, namely that He would not be mocked. This is born up by the fact that the witch fainted from fright. She knew she had no such power.

    I agree that the Holy Spirit is, well, “Holy” and could never be construed to be evil. But some words have many meanings, context is important.

    I also agree with you that it is important what we feed ourselves, both literally (and my belly betrays my lack of discipline there) and figuratively. I just think that there are far more evil things written than Harry Potter. And many of these books can be found on the “Christian” bookshelves at Barns and Noble or other bookstores.

    Comment by benm — 12.21.06 @ 3:24 pm

  28. Thomas, if you had read any of the Harry Potter books, you would know that self-sacrifice is also a theme of the books. I am certainly impressed by the audacity of this woman to try so hard to prevent others from reading books she has never read herself, but also that necessary to pontificate about the differences between LOTR and HP based solely on conjecture and hearsay rather than first-hand knowledge.

    Comment by slr — 12.21.06 @ 3:47 pm

  29. Benm, you are correct in your assessment of the spirit/ghost of Samuel and the witch of endor. My point was simply that Jesus was making reference to something that isn’t necessarily evil or fake. Nor was he using it as an opportunity to tell a story or teach the Gospel, and He definately wasn’t attempting to somehow say that ghouls and ghostly goblins are good. My main contention is simple, that there is a growing trend today that presents evil as good. Harry Potter is a heavy contributer to this fact. Just because we as Christians can appreciate the nuances of truth and good that may be present within the stories, that doesn’t justify utilizing symbols that are known to be evil, and turning them into things that somehow align with good. If we examined many other stories, books and movies we could always find metaphors of good and evil and the love of God in them. I believe just about every superhero story is a story about Christ as our Lord and Savior. From Gladiator to Superman and even Batman. They all point to the notion of a savior.

    This woman standing up against the schools carrying Harry Potter in their libraries is not necessarily wrong for doing so.

    Comment by Jerry McClellan — 12.21.06 @ 3:50 pm

  30. It’s been interesting reading the comments above. LaShawn, this is one of the hottest topics you’ve commented on in a while!

    I’ve read all the HP books, since my 13 and 10 year old daughters love them, and they are wonderful - they put forth the importance of friendship, loyalty and facing up to evil for the sake of good - and the whole ‘witchcraft/magic’ deal is thrown in for what it is - fantasy. If these books get one child interested and hooked on reading then that’s a great thing, no?

    I remember several years ago another woman here in the Anoka-Hennepin school district tried to get the “Goosebumps” series of books banned for the same reason as this Mallory woman. The hearings were broadcast on C-SPAN, and I watched as a single father stated that until the books came into his daughter’s school library, she had no interest in reading, and since then she read whatever she could get her hands on. That pretty much sealed the deal as far as banning the series went. And again, the woman involved had never read any of the books herself.

    The point I’m making is that kids are smarter than a lot of people give them credit for, and that they’re able to distinguish between reality and fact when they’re reading a book. I haven’t heard of any kids trying to make an invisibility cloak, have you?

    I do agree with the poster above who suggested that if Mallory isn’t happy with her publicly-funded school, that she should either home-school them or send them to a private, church-related school. And take the time to actually read the books too, before she goes off trying to force her views on others.

    Comment by Dawn — 12.21.06 @ 3:52 pm

  31. The main reason I like the Harry Potter books is that they are interesting, and therefore encourage children to READ. And the more that they read HP, the more that they will also read other books, including the Bible.

    There exists in every town a magical place. It is called the Public Library. And by reading the books in that library a child can be transported to the past, to the future, to the never-was-and-never-will-be. They can join Huck Finn on a barge travelling down the Missippi, or join Captain Ahab on a sailing boat looking for Moby Dick, or go to Hogwarts and see what it would be like to go to school there.

    Comment by Don Singleton — 12.21.06 @ 4:21 pm

  32. #26 “My conention was not whether ghosts, vampires or witches are real or not, it was that these things, vampires, witches and the like in particular are evil. They represent evil, yet are presented as good to the masses.”

    With respect, how can you say that fictional ghosts, for instance, are (or represent)’evil’? How can you argue the creator of these fictions? (The author?) with such resolve? The author has maybe gone to a great deal of trouble to endow a character with a personality, a soul, if you will.

    But, it doesn’t have to reflect the Christianized blanket equation of supernatural:

    Supernatural = evil.

    Why doesn’t it? Because it is a fictional book, and hence inherently subjective. Supernatural beings make it arguably doubly subjective. Because no-one, in all history, has proved that ghosts and vampires or real witches exist.

    “But it’s evil!” They cry…

    The author invents a character, and for sake of argument makes this character ‘evil’ or ‘good’ (remember, it’s a simple book, there are only very basic stereotypes here, it’s fiction for children) depending upon the author’s whim/design. It’s that simple. It really is.

    In a world of fiction, the protagonist(s) can exist in a world that is also fiction. The rules that apply, in this world of fiction, are also works of fiction.

    They can be based in reality, they can turn reality upside down, they can turn it inside out. it can be another world all together. They can borrow from any faith, concept, philosophy, thoyught process. Different rules apply. Now I appreciate that Christians believe that there is a supernatural being(s) etc, and that the world is ‘that way’ because of this being, but for most people, fiction is fiction, and vampires are just boogeymen, psychological stereotypes, folk myths, and now modern literary folklore (Anne Rice etc)

    If people choose to base their lives around fictional novels, more power to them, just hope they don’t mess with other people who choose not to believe in the supernatural.

    The modern reworkings of old legends and old myths often attempt to humanize the ghost, or the vampire, to plough a new furrow, to mine a new seam in an old rockface. Readers sometimes demand something more believable than the old stiff-legged zombie undead stereotypes. Another angle is to give a ‘lost soul’ a personality.

    If an author’s ‘ghost’ character is portrayed, say, as a kindly spirit of a deceased person , then that is exactly what it is. A kindly spirit in a book. Where I get lost is how one moves this fictional creation into the real world?

    Anyone could take Mr Randi’s million dollars if they could prove there is supernatural stuff out there. You don’t even have to prove that ‘it’ is evil or good or anything inbetween!

    Now why don’t people accept Mr Randi’s challenge?

    Answer: Because there are no such things as vampires and warlocks etc except in books and deluded people’s minds. Of course there are people who *think* there are such things. We used to burn people at the stake for being ‘witches.’

    Then we grew up.

    Comment by JohnD — 12.21.06 @ 4:30 pm

  33. La Shawn - I’m currently reading the sixth HP book (though I know how it ends). I read them in part because I’m involved in youth ministry, and partly because I just enjoy good, rip-roaring fantasy or sci/fi novels.

    I look on HP pretty much like Star Wars, or the Tom Clancy “Jack Ryan” novels, or the like. There’s a conflict of good versus evil, and the characters are pretty starkly drawn. You know who’s good, you know who’s bad. It doesn’t take too much brainpower to figure it out.

    Is there Christian edification in these types of novels? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

    I’ve never felt that Harry Potter was pushing witchcraft and sorcery on me as a reader, any more than the various writers of Star Wars novels were pushing the Zen Buddhism of the “force” on readers. As others have pointed out, the magic of HP is merely a vehicle for telling a story. It isn’t a means to an end, e.g., promoting witchcraft.

    If they did, I’d trash them. God forbids real-world witchcraft. That’s explicitly clear.

    Does He forbid its use in fiction depicting a titanic tale between good versus evil, even if that tale doesn’t quite point toward Him as t he ultimate victor and the ultimate good?

    I really don’t know.

    This comment from Connie Neal via one of your links is, I think, most fitting:

    “We’re not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). Some do this by disallowing Harry Potter. If you hold convictions that God’s Word prohibits Harry Potter, overcome it with good by directing kids to alternatives such as Frank Peretti’s Cooper Kids Adventure Series, Bill Myers’ Forbidden Doors series, or C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. If you deem Harry okay for your kids, be sure to read, watch, and discuss it with them, practicing moral and spiritual discernment, and distinguishing between fantasy literature “magic” and real-world occult.”

    http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/2001/006/15.98.html

    Comment by Big Mo — 12.21.06 @ 4:32 pm

  34. SLR,

    You are absolutely correct. I shouldn’t be pontificating (a usual hazard of mine, it’s true :) )about something that I haven’t experienced or thoroughly inducted. Personally, I don’t think it is entirely necessary to gain first hand experiences to come to an opinion about a subject matter; like I don’t need to get hit by a truck to know it’ll hurt. Some things can be inducted and deduced without first hand experiences. Some things can’t.

    I think this may be one of the things that cannot be inducted and deduced. I can, however, induct the effect it has on people reading it, but I can’t induct the book itself. How can you deduced from a book you’ve never read?

    My apologies, SLR and La Shawn, for not thinking before leaping into the conversation.

    I still would rather not read these books since I feel in my guts that it’s not wise for me to do so. I usually follow my guts in these kinds of matters. There are just some books that one must acknowledge is not good for oneself, spiritually speaking.

    This one is not for me.

    Comment by Thomas — 12.21.06 @ 4:43 pm

  35. The Bible condemns the practice of sorcery, but I don’t believe Christians are forbidden to read about it as fiction or non-fiction.

    I don’t disagree. I haven’t read Harry Potter, so I don’t grok all the fuss. I read all the L. Frank Baum books, and I think I turned out OK…

    But I’m having some fun with your sentence structure.

    The Bible condemns the practice of ___________, but I don’t believe Christians are forbidden to read about it as fiction or non-fiction.

    The Bible condemns murder, but it’s OK for Christians to read the crime section of the local paper. OK.

    The Bible condemns adultery and fornication; is it OK for Christians to read erotic literature or view porn films?

    In a culture where Christians are often exhorted to keep adults from viewing sexual materials (protesting the adult bookstore, that “internet decency act” in the 90s, etc), encouraged to shut down sex ed in the schools, etc, I guess it’s not really surprising that some people are going to try to ban other stuff the Bible condemns.

    And I think if this woman was trying to get the school library to remove from the shelves any of the recent “young adult” books about junior high kids having oral sex, no one would dare suggest she was “misguided.” Even if the books were ultimately about “self-sacrifice” and “friendship”.

    I’d also be more concerned with the kids’ history and “social studies” textbooks–they’re being taught flat-out that the U.S. is evil and Christians are wrong; Harry Potter is a red herring.

    Comment by Radish — 12.21.06 @ 4:52 pm

  36. “With respect, how can you say that fictional ghosts, for instance, are (or represent)’evil’? How can you argue the creator of these fictions? (The author?) with such resolve? The author has maybe gone to a great deal of trouble to endow a character with a personality, a soul, if you will.”

    I can say that because they do historically represent evil, whether you want them to be evil or not. Yes, many modern fairytales, books, and movies are painting evil things such as vampires and witches as good. IMHO, I believe this can be and is dangerous, it may not be an immediate threat, yet is is a threat still when there is a huge influx of like material in the market place that is specifically marketed to children.

    It always amazes me when people attempt to justify evil by pointing to a perceived good, i.e. the HP books are encouraging children to read, well, this may be true, yet, why does it take a book series that makes light of witchcraft, ghouls or the undead to get your kids to read? Why don’t other works such as “Huck Finn”, “Up From Slavery”, or even the Bible itself inspire children to read? Think about how things are marketed these days, what part of our nature do they appeal to?

    The slippery slope of morality that permeates society is subtle indeed. I am not saying that HP is evil in and of itself or LOTR even. Yet, for Christians out there, you have to ask yourself, where do you draw the line?

    Think about it.

    Comment by Jerry McClellan — 12.21.06 @ 5:01 pm

  37. I agree with Jerry’s crux. At the same time, the woman could expend her boundless energies on other worthwhile topics. If it’s books in the library, she’d have better success in making the book selection transparent prior to purchases. That way, she won’t get pegged as the anti-HP looney and is seen as a public citizen demanding the right to review how her tax dollars are being spent.

    Better yet, if anti-witchcraft is her ‘forte’ then she needs to be conversant on the details & nuance. That means, knowing where the pagans are coming from. Hysterics without facts won’t convince anyone of their error.

    Put it this way, Satan is God’s archenemy. At the same time, Satan would never presume to argue with God without knowing God’s Words inside & out, forwards & backwards. Likewise, if one is on fire to witness to muslims, they better learn & know the Koran.

    Comment by Andy — 12.21.06 @ 5:07 pm

  38. “He healed the sick, probably some missing a limb or an organ, or suffering Down’s Syndrome, or profound autism.”

    How can you say that?

    I’ve cared for and lived with over a hundred such children for over a decade, and have witnessed no evidence of the supernatural, or spontaneous cures.

    Mediavel minds used to deduce that people with mental/physical instability were actually evil, or possessed by ‘demons’ or the ‘devil’, another ‘thing’ made by a supernatural, punitive creator-being.

    I have seen no proof of this, and I have seen no proof either that a supernatural being called God/Jesus has healed Down’s syndrome or the autistic or amputees etc. With respect, I do find it disturbing that you confidently proclaim that ‘Jesus probably cured these people’. I wish they would be ‘cured’by a supernatural loving all-powerful force, but reality is so different.

    After watching these children literally tear their own eyes/skin/organs with mental anguish, I can only believe that a perverse mind could conceive of a supernatural being so cruel as to ‘make’ these children the way they are, and then claim to heal a few of them to gain other’s Faith, or whatever.

    With due respect, how, then, do we know that children with mental impairments aren’t still possessed by this fellow ‘The Devil’, as was once the case?

    Regards,

    John

    Comment by JohnD — 12.21.06 @ 5:17 pm

  39. “Yes, many modern fairytales, books, and movies are painting evil things such as vampires and witches as good. IMHO, I believe this can be and is dangerous”

    But Jerry, there are no such things as vampires, warlocks, withces, etc.

    Here’s an example, I’ll take something traditionally ‘bad’,but of course, like your examples, imaginary. OK?

    A dragon.

    Now, instead of the devil-sent ferocious dragon of yore, with his eyes of fire, and his claws that scratch good Christian folk, MY book will have a thoroughly nice dragon. A prehistoric remnant, or maybe a myth from a book within a book, brought to life in a children’s book, about another imaginary world. Kids love that stuff. My dragon will have big, kind eyes, not like the traditional evil dragons, and he will save a boy from mythical peril, from an evil Preacher of Hatrred who lives in an white tower (not a black one, in my book, colour is amoral)

    Now is my dragon story ‘dangerous’, as you say? I took a traditionally mythical ‘evil’ character and made it ‘good’.

    Should ‘Peter and The Dragon be banned?’ Because dragons can’t be portrayed as GOOD? Because kids will think that ‘real’ dragons are good?

    Reality check: There are no real dragons. Except in Komodo etc. And I have it on good authority that they are morally excused for having bad breath and social habits ;-)

    Comment by JohnD — 12.21.06 @ 5:31 pm

  40. Ya know, I think a lot of people who read fiction books (regardless of subject matter) read them purely for enjoyment, and don’t pick up on “hidden meanings”. I know when I was in high school and had to read “classic works”, and was asked to pick out symbolism/analogy/etc., I could have a really hard time of it - sometimes, the story means only what words are on the paper.

    Case in point, I have read The Hobbit, Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and Return of the King. In just reading the books, before I got into learning about Tolkien himself, it was just a story about good vs. evil. I didn’t pick up on the Christian symbolism and themes. Same with the Harry Potter books.

    As a new teacher, I will have a classroom library. But, I had better know what is in the books I put on the shelf and make available to my students. Is there inappropriate content in any way (age appropriate, doesn’t glorify bad/destructive behavior, etc.)? I will also need to let parents have access to what my library holds, so if a parent objects to THEIR child reading something, I will be aware of it. But, I don’t plan on removing things I don’t find objectionable for a single child - I’ll just know that child isn’t allowed to read it, per their parents.

    Comment by Miss Ladybug — 12.21.06 @ 5:53 pm

  41. If any school has made a consistent decision regarding the entire “fantasy” category, then I would support that school also not buying/offering the Harry Potter series. Since “Alice in Wonderland” is such a staple, I do not see that as happening. At all.
    Regarding LB’s “dark issues”, it would be appropriate to limit it to older students, age to be decided openly (and with consistency) in discussion that does allow for input from parents.

    Comment by J'hn1 — 12.21.06 @ 6:07 pm

  42. JohnD, wow, man, you can’t be serious. A Dragon? I am not speaking of the personification of animals (although that can be for another discussion) nor is my debate about what is real and what is not. Please get that point already. So, in your opinion, Dragons are not real, yet, how do you know this? Ever heard of a dinosaur? Not to mention you are kinda missing the mark in your example, the point being that it isn’t so much the dragon being evil, it is what the dragon has historically represented. Although, depending on what culture it has been both good and evil. Therefore, you writing a story that makes a dragon good natured is nothing new.

    The actual point is that such stories, whether intentional or not, paint what is known to be evil as good. This is especially dangerous when it correlates with reality, i.e. the practice of witchcraft. The more something is “marketed” as good and acceptable the more paletable it becomes, it really is that simple.

    Comment by Jerry McClellan — 12.21.06 @ 6:16 pm

  43. JohnD, sometimes it is difficult to follow your thought processes. Sometimes you sound like a Believer, then you say something weird, like :”How can you say that?“. How you ask? Cause the Bible tells me SO.

    If Jesus can bring people back from the dead, what’s a petty thing like Down’s Sydrome, Deafness, or even demon possesion to an almighty God?

    Unless of course you don’t believe in such a thing.

    Just so I know where you are coming from and can better formulate my answers to you in the future:
    1) Are you a Christian? IOW do you believe that Man has been cursed by sin and is by nature sinful, thus deserving eternal separation from God the Creator, Father & Judge. And that God so loved us that He sent his only begotten Son, Jesus, as an escape route from hell, to bear our sins on the cross, thus redeeming us from the penalty of death?

    2) If so, do you believe that God is good, perfect, just and that his word is truth?

    If either/both is no… I’ll just stick to the Book of Matthew for the basics for now. The meatier stuff, such as dragons, spirits etc can come later:

    You question parables. Check out the answers in Matt 13:10-17 & Matt 16:15-19

    Btw, since you ask for a sign from heaven, I can only give you Jesus’ answer: “When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather for the sky is red.
    (Mat 16:3) And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the, face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
    (Mat 16:4) A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah.    ” And he left them, and departed.

    As for why the suffering? See Matt 24.

    Comment by Andy — 12.21.06 @ 6:30 pm

  44. “JohnD, wow, man, you can’t be serious. A Dragon?”

    Yes, dragons were in the Bible.

    http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/End%20of%20the%20World/dragons_in_the_bible.htm

    I’m absolutely serious. Your point, was it not, that things that the Bible says are traditionally evil, should not have a ‘good’ face put on them?

    “Please get that point already.”

    I believe I have. The Bible says dragons are the Devil.

    “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:9)

    Jerry, please answer me this:

    Why on the one hand would you think it “dangerous” to put a benign anthropomorphic face on a devilish fokloric creature like a vampire, but not so dangerous on a devilish folkloric creature like a dragon? You know what the bible says about dragons?

    You then say:

    “So, in your opinion, Dragons are not real, yet, how do you know this? Ever heard of a dinosaur?”

    You know full well that I mean the traditionally Biblical ‘evil dragon’ as per my example ( I even specified as much), so why even try that strawmen out?

    Now, you state:

    “Although, depending on what culture it has been both good and evil. ”

    Ah, subjectivism. Are you arguing for subjectivism in mythical beasts? In fiction?

    So am I.

    However, my response was mainly to the flaw inherent in your remark about the ‘danger’ of putting a kind face on an evil thing. Now as you know, only the Bible gets to say what is Evil. And the Bible says Dragons are evil.

    You then say:

    “The actual point is that such stories, whether intentional or not, paint what is known to be evil as good.”

    So Pete’s Dragon (for instance) is painting what the Bible states is the Devil, to be ‘good?’

    Or are you arguing that other cultures see dragons as ‘good’, and that is ok for kiddies?

    You can’t have it both ways, the Bible is either the Global truth, or it isn’t?

    ‘Dragons’ are all evil, or they aren’t. Or…they don’t exist!

    Jerry, you asked: “So, in your opinion, Dragons are not real”

    No, absolutely not, not as they are described in the Bible, or the Christian kiddies books, not even as described by any creation myth. The dragon, like the vampire, like the witch, like the ghost, is another psychological archetype of ‘evil’. Of things that scare us, death, violence, big animals with teeth.

    Of course, in reality, we have big reptiles, we have blooduscking creatures, vampire bats, landlords and tax collectors, we have ghostly noises, voices in our heads, and we have wind sighing in the trees. But we don’t have evil supernatural entities. We don’t burn ‘witches’ today. Why? because of PC? No, because we grew up. There are no withces, except in children’s books. And the fancy dress store. And my wife’s mother’s house. ;p

    Jerry, you say:

    “This is especially dangerous when it correlates with reality, i.e. the practice of witchcraft.”

    OK, if you can prove the supernatural reality of witchcraft, dragons, warlocks, vampires or ghosts then you could easily get Mr Randi’s $million … or at least get to burn something ‘evil!’

    *shudder*

    Regards,

    John

    Comment by JohnD — 12.21.06 @ 7:03 pm

  45. [LMB] Remember what the character Hermione Granger said in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix? Nasty Professor Dolores Umbridge forbade students from reading a tabloid called The Quibbler because it made the Ministry of Magic look bad. This made Hermione happy. The best way to make sure someone reads something, she said, is to ban it.

    I was all set to comment along those lines exactly. Glad I read to the end of the post, first. It remains the parents’ responsibility to be aware of what their children are reading and be involved in discussing it with them.

    Thanks, G. After re-reading that passage, I edited it for clarity. - Admin

    Comment by Geardaddy — 12.21.06 @ 7:29 pm

  46. I agree with you, La Shawn. Trying to ban the books in schools is beyond any reasonable argument.

    Comment by RepJ — 12.21.06 @ 7:33 pm

  47. “I’m absolutely serious. Your point, was it not, that things that the Bible says are traditionally evil, should not have a ‘good’ face put on them?”

    No, I think that is apparent given that the bible doesn’t specifically mention vampires. JohnD, get a grip man. You are missing the entire premise because we are arguing past each other.

    Once again, the P-O-I-N-T is that depicting evil as good is dangerous. Whether it is a vampire, a witch or a dragon. I am pretty sure that we can discern whether Pete’s Dragon is harmful to children or not, yet I am not making a blanket judgement about all fairy tales if you haven’t noticed that. My contention is simple, as Christians we have to draw a line somewhere, this woman who is attempting to ban HP books has drawn said line. I say good for her, I do not believe she is wrong for it. It is undeniable that there is a trend today of depicting traditionally evil concepts, figures, characters etc. as good. It has been going on for quite some time, yet it seems to be a huge industry now.

    JohnD, as far as your assessments above, you obviously do not believe the scriptures so why are you attempting to not only use it in your argument ,but actually applying meanings to it that fall out of proper context? If you truly understood the passage you cited from Revelation you would not be drawing a correlation between Satan and Pete’s Dragon.

    Please let it go.

    Comment by Jerry McClellan — 12.21.06 @ 8:02 pm

  48. A Misguided Crusade:

    La Shawn Barber writes on Laura Mallory’s unsuccessful efforts to have the Harry Potter books removed from government school libraries in her county, in Georgia….

    Trackback by Pajamas Media — 12.21.06 @ 8:45 pm

  49. JohnD, you state, “I’ve cared for and lived with over a hundred such children for over a decade, and have witnessed no evidence of the supernatural, or spontaneous cures.”

    Well, I would say this, the point a miracle is that it is not something that happens every day. If you check out the time-line in the Bible, you will see that miracles were very very rare, even in Old Testament days. Hundreds of years apart.

    A lot of people have said that those people were ignorant, compared to us, but the truth is we are not more intelligent then they were. They new that people didn’t come back from the dead, that leprosy didn’t just heal itself, that people with demons didn’t just get better (or if it makes you feel better and more modern, people with mental disease). That is why they ascribed these instances to the class “miracle.”

    Looking at your experience of 100 kids and concluding that there is no room for miracles because of it is rather short sighted, I think you will agree.

    I know a little girl with MD. I prayed and prayed with all my heart that she be cured. She still has it and is very close to dying. Does this mean that God does not answer prayer? No, it means God knows better than I what is best for her.

    I have a friend who had Leukemia. She had the acute type, the worst form. We prayed and prayed for her. It is in “remission.” She asked the doctor a couple of weeks ago how long she could expect to live. The doctor looked at her and said, “Oh I don’t know, thirty or forty years.” Is this a miracle? I say it is.

    I believe the world is set up so you can chose to believe, or not. And either way you chose you will find convincing evidence. This is because God has made it possible for you to choose and that choice has eternal meaning.

    It is important, vitally important what you choose to believe. This is a gift from God, and He honors that gift. If He forced you to believe, what would that mean for your free will? Your free will would be meaningless.

    I know what I believe, and not only that, I know I chose well because today I find meaning in everything I see and I see Christ in everyone I touch. I pray that you find Christ also, because I know that He is seeking you.

    Comment by benm — 12.21.06 @ 9:35 pm

  50. She needs to put her children in a Christian school or encourage more wholesome books buying by the schools district,or get a consensus from the parents. Not try and ban books, especially one she hasn’t read. Nor has she set her sights on other poplular works of literature that mention witchcraft and sorcery, particular many of classic children’s novels, she needs to stop picking on this one series. Banning books medieval, and its not the type of thing this country represents. Like Lashawn said, it is also a slippery slope. And every oppressive system in world history has had a habit of banning and/or burning books.

    Comment by Zakia — 12.21.06 @ 11:32 pm

  51. Better late than never.

    I agree with Spunky (Comment #3).

    Comment by Mwalimu Daudi — 12.22.06 @ 12:06 am

  52. LaShawn, you have given me much food for thought. What a rich post - your writing alone, without the links, would have been powerful, but all the links add even more weight to your viewpoint. I think I just might put Harry Potter on my to-read list for 2007, and see for myself.

    Comment by Donna-Jean — 12.22.06 @ 12:38 am

  53. If Mrs Mallory wants to deny her children the pleasure of reading Harry Potter..That is her right as a parent. (The school allows parents to restrict their children from reading selected books.)

    But her this lady to dictate what our children may read - sorry that is an infringement on their rights.

    My wife and I used to run a home day care for several kids. And we would have movies for the kids to provide them some ‘downtime’. One parent was real restrictive as to which movies her children could watch - luckily we had two VCR’s and could divide the kids up.

    My point is: We respected that parents wish while we allowed the other childrens to enjoy different films. And we did it without making any of the kids feel cheated, by emphasising that children should obey their parents.

    Comment by Marvin — 12.22.06 @ 7:21 am

  54. Harry Potter Book 7 Title Announced

    LaShawn Barber reports that the title has been announced for the seventh and final installment in the Harry Potter saga. Apparently, the series finale will be titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. LSB cites here and here. The publisher, Bloomsbu…

    Trackback by cb.blog — 12.22.06 @ 8:29 am

  55. Hot Air

    More: While I’m not a fan of the Potter series (I don’t know why…I’m just not), I’m less of a fan of book banners. La Shawn Barber is a fan of Potter, and is about as much of a fan of book banners as I am.

    Pingback by Hot Air — 12.22.06 @ 8:41 am

  56. I fully support this mother’s decision to keep the Harry Potter books out of her own home. But before she starts campaigning hysterically to remove them from libraries in schools (or anywhere else), wouldn’t simple common sense dictate that the silly fool READ them?

    Censorship is an insidious danger to our way of life. There are many books that I think are offensive or downright dangerous. And if I feel strongly about it, I may campaign to discourage people from reading them on that basis. BUT, I cannot and would not advocate censorship ever. It’s a slippery slope we don’t want to attempt!

    Comment by Gayle Miller — 12.22.06 @ 9:55 am

  57. Mallory is an intolerant fanatic. It is pretty much irrelevant whether Harry Potter “witchcraft” or interest in the “occult.” The local school board and the school librarian are under no obligation to remove a work from the shelves because of an objection from one disgruntled parent, or even a number of disgruntled parents, no matter how “Christian” they proclaim their motives. Nobody is forcing Mallory’s children to read these books. This is an attempt to deprive OTHER PEOPLE’S kids of access to Harry Potter.

    This is a public school responsible to an elected school board. Anyone who has followed the Harry Potter phenomenon in the press knows the books are wildly popular, both with kids and kid’s parents, and that the vast majority of parents who care WANT THE BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY. The school librarian knew this, the elected school board members knew this, the Georgia State Board trustees knew this, and Mallory herself probably knows this. When she took this past the local school board, it was just another example of a minority trying to impose its views on the majority by using litigation to overrule a democratic institution.

    We should feel about as much sympathy for Mallory as we would for a Muslim mother demanding the removal of Winnie the Pooh because it has a cheerful talking pig.

    Comment by C. Gray — 12.22.06 @ 10:32 am

  58. Hello LaShawn,
    This is not a comment on your post, just a general comment on your blog.

    I’m a conservative black woman, who is delighted to find your blog. If you occasionally hear a loud “that’s right!”, it’s coming from me while I read your blog.

    We have been homeschooling our children for the last 16 years. My two oldest (of 6) have graduated from our home school. Our younger four have never been to a traditional school. If you ever have the opportunity to home school, I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

    Comment by Patricia — 12.22.06 @ 10:35 am

  59. #47

    *sob*

    “No, I think that is apparent given that the bible doesn’t specifically mention vampires.”

    So Jerry, are we then allowed to make ‘vampires’ be ‘good’? Or should they be evil because Bram Stoker said so and you need to draw a line somewhere? Or will you pull the mutli-culti view like you did on the Dragon deal?

    OK you have me beat, I can’t keep up with this pot-pourri of fantastical fiction and ‘non-subjective’ Christianized subjectivism.

    I’ll let it go :p

    (PS there are no such things. No really. There aren’t!)

    Comment by JohnD — 12.22.06 @ 11:10 am

  60. While I have never read a Harry Potter novel nor seen any of the films I am going to present THIS to Laura Mallory, why don’t you go ahead and get the Wizard of Oz banned too??

    Some folks really need to pick their fights better…

    Comment by TexasFred

    Amen, Fred!

    I will add that I planned on giving the 2nd book out as a highly desired Christmas present for two young nephews and I decided to read it because of “concern” by some fundamentalists that it “lured kids to sorcery”. What I found reading it was a strong sense of disappointment….that I wasn’t lucky enough to have the Harry Potter books when I was a kid.

    They are very well written, and the sorcery and magic are in a clearly designed and cordoned off “alternate world”, not this one. There is absolutely no effort or pretense that any of the magic would work in the real world a child knows they inhabit. Hogworts is in the same realm of other fantasy lands presented to children safely and enjoyably - OZ, The Shire, Peter Pan’s (not Michael Jacksons) Neverneverland.

    I haven’t heard of any significant underage dysfunctional behavior arising from the books. Any Christian with concerns should just pick a book up and check it out for themselves.

    Same is true of the movies. Rollings is careful to show good and bad playing out their struggle in a way, I believe, that most ethicists and religious scholars would approve of. The books and movies have crossed cultures.

    I don’t know of any nation that has looked into the HP phenomenon and wanted to keep it from the kids.

    Comment by Chris Ford — 12.22.06 @ 11:17 am

  61. OK, John. I’ve had enough. I think you need to take a break from this thread. - Admin

    Comment by JohnD — 12.22.06 @ 11:40 am

  62. Ok, I have read most of the comments here and I have to say a few things.

    1. I agree with the comment about pornography. We know it is a sin to indulge in anything of the pornographis nature. Yet some indulge in reading HP and make excuses for reading a book based on the occult.

    2. JK Rowling did her homework well when writing the HP series. As do most great writers. The danger in her research, which involved a great deal of occult research, is the amount of demon activity she allowed in her path. Let’s get real here as Children of God….the devil is real and so is his army of imps and demons. We cannot and must not ignore this fact. This means that they can operate in every area of our lives….even reading. Reading is not a harmless event.

    3. I have to ask myself as we all should…What would Jesus do? May sound cliche, but it is an ever true and necessary statment.

    We must be careful in assuming that it is ok to read certain type of books. It is a dangerous thing when we dance with devil.

    Comment by LaTara — 12.22.06 @ 11:57 am

  63. I am so tired of this arguement. I have been in variations of it for 30 years, since becoming a Christian in the Jesus Freak times. We also follow this closely because my wife - also a Christian - is an elementary school librarian. Additional disclosure so that you get some sense who we are. We have had our children in both Christian and public schools, and we do not celebrate Hallowe’en. Tolkien and Lewis were central to our conversion.

    Bringing up Tolkien or Lewis as points of explanation is wasted. Most of the people objecting to Harry Potter object to LOTR and Narnia as well. There is a knee-jerk reaction that says “anything that mentions magic is of the devil.” There’s a lot of the KJV-only people in that crowd, if you want an idea of how much ability to reason we are talking about. They cannot put forth a coherent set of priciples of what should be allowed and what not. They just find a way to stick a “pagan” sticker on something, and after that, anything you say is interpreted to be “soft on paganism.” “You don’t know how bad it is! Witches are trying to entice your children! This is the thin edge of the wedge! We should have nothing to do with this!”

    They believe in a comic-book Satan, and so miss the real one as he slips by. They strain out gnats and swallow camels. They hope that by applying some artificial rules which are not biblically based, but are sorta kinda maybe about some things the Bible mentions, that they can protect their children from evil. In this, they have the exact mirror of the sorceror’s mentality.

    Additionally, some people just don’t “get” fantasy literature and just don’t like it. That’s fine - some people don’t like poetry and some don’t like self-help books. But attaching spiritual value to a purely personal aesthetic judgement is ludicrous.

    I have never had a rational conversation with an anti-fantasy person in 30 years. With people who don’t like HP or Narnia? Sure - I’ll happily have that conversation. I don’t like Potter myself. But the others are quite certain that to even theoretically discuss the issue is the camel’s nose under the tent.

    Comment by Assistant Village Idiot — 12.22.06 @ 12:26 pm

  64. WHICH HUNT?

    There are those who dislike the books, and then there are those who consider them wicked and dangerous. Witchcraft, they cry, the books are teaching children sorcery and spell-casting! While I find such calls amusing, to say the least, there is definit…

    Trackback by Word Around the Net — 12.22.06 @ 1:22 pm

  65. Fantasy fiction, from sword and sorcery to some of the stranger corners of beautiful downtown Cyberland, has been a home base…a safe place behind a window, if you will…To observe man’s view of the battle between good and evil since we crawled out of the caves and started telling stories.

    Alongside of these fictions, some cultures fully believed in their sorceries, some formed multiple-deity beliefs, and some of them eventually came to monotheistic belief systems.

    Alongside. Always. Sometimes blended in, but in every race on the planet that believed in a higher power to explain their real world, there was a set of minds creating stories based on what was, or could be, happening right here on the face of the world, or, failing that, created another world to show us ourselves in fanciful ways.

    Sorcery, as created for the reading public in the Harry Potter books, is a means. It ASSISTS the characters in making things happen. It is a means to advance a story which could also have been told WITHOUT it. Used it protects the good and misused it aids the bad in their plots.

    Good wizards have been a staple of such fiction since the days of Merlin in the days of King Arthur. The evil creature we know as Voldemort isn’t evil because he uses magic…His evil springs from the attempt to gain ultimate power over those around him through murder, mayhem and the misuse of the powers he possesses.

    Some people just can’t handle some forms of allegory without feeling they invades a sacred spot in their belief system. It’s not all perfect…Hell, any fan of fantasy can name at least ONE stinker that they wish they hadn’t wasted brain cells on…But they do serve a purpose. And I’d rather have something firing up a youngster’s reading ability and imagination than shutting it down out of unfounded fears.

    Besides…Some day the kids reading 700+ pages of Potter aren’t going to so much as bat an eye when “War and Peace” hits their reading list.

    With that said, I know I’ll take my chances with a little wand-waving and adventure now and again over watching it burn in a fear-induced puddle of mulch.

    Comment by Frank — 12.22.06 @ 1:43 pm

  66. I hate to put a pin into that “old gods” thing…but Harry and all around him in these books are CHRISTIAN!!

    They promote Christian values, and are stories about the triumph of good over evil. This nonsensical ravings about it being “occultish” are just oversensitive paranoia from people who obviously have WAY too much time on their hands, and too little actual adversity in their lives.

    It’s just like thinking we’re safe as long as we try to “talk to” terrorists. Join us in the real world, folks. Potter is FICTION, and not a threat. And Islamic Fundamentalist terrorists are real and a BIG threat. Stop being so stupid and pick the right battles.

    Comment by Wendy — 12.22.06 @ 1:46 pm

  67. This is interesting. I would suspect that Satan actually prefers to get us in a tizzy over books like Harry Potter and things like witchcraft and wizards and the occult.

    Why? Because, and especially for a Christian, being focused on fantasy books about witchcraft, or concerned about covens of cultic practioners, keeps us from focusing down on the things that are actually impacting us negatively on a day to day basis.

    The things in life that actually give Satan the greatest foothold have to do with our habits and giving into our own will. The doable stuff. That is: we fornicate, we lust, we have pride, we hate, we are gluttons, we divorce, we get angry, we cheat, we fight, we sloth, we manipulate.

    Often enough by focusing on witchcraft, we are focusing on a mirage. Why? Because among many evils, it is probably the sole arena where God might actually prevent one person’s witchcraft from impacting the freewill of others. Witchcraft, and indeed Satan, are not beyond God’s control. So where God will protect you from true Satanic power, God will not protect you from yourself (as he does not want to impose good on us, but have us choose it freely).

    So more often Satan will use the things of daily life that involve our free choice and will.

    Most of that stuff is remedied by focusing on the core of what Christianity is all about: that we are all sinners, that Jesus died for our sins and God loves us, and that God wants us all back with him to party, so tell people the good news.

    Forgiveness and love are two the hardest things to apply on a consistent basis. It is very easy to go on a crusade against a book, but much harder to treat everyone you encounter with love.

    The whole task of banning Potter (from OTHERS reading it) is Satancentric Christianity. We can rail about every perceived evil, and every slippery slope into demonic control (and remember in the way back when all of us were worried that George Lucas was steeped in the occult and actually had a coordinated desire to get us all believing in “the force” when it turns out he probably just wanted to make money?).

    But the true task of the Christian is simple, and hardly affected by a work of fiction. The task of the Christian is to love and forgive, and be known for that love so that those who don’t believe can get an inkling about what Jesus is all about.

    Comment by Finn — 12.22.06 @ 2:34 pm

  68. As with all popular kids’ things these days, they don’t exist as single items. Harry Potter the book is enhanced by Harry Potter The Products. I’m more concerned with these than with the books, as they encourage kids to actively try on witchcraft. (Still, an inventive child will create her own sorcerer’s kit, I guess.)

    In any case, someone above questioned if witchcraft is real, if it “works.” It is quite real and quite damaging; thus, if one chooses to let one’s children read the books, a sober conversation about the real stuff might be in order.

    Comment by L.L. Barkat — 12.22.06 @ 3:08 pm

  69. I haven’t read the Harry Potter books, but I’ve seen all the movies and thought they were gorgeous. When I became a Christian, I had some thinking to do about whether the series was something I wanted to stay attached to. W