Harry Haters and the Lack of Proof

[Ripleywriter at aol.com]

Let me first just say that this post is for research purposes, not to start a 
flame war or anything like that. 

I'm searching for proof to prove the people right who put down Harry Potter 
as promoting witchcraft or Satin or being against the Bible, or whatever 
they're saying next; basically I'm looking for a good reason to want to ban HP books 
as much as some people want to. 

I want to do this because currently I have no proof to show that these people 
have a point. That's their problem. For all the talking they do I have yet to 
see an ounce of proof to justify their beliefs. I see the potential of what 
they're saying...I can sometimes even understand why they believe HP is a 
danger to children; but I have yet to see any of these people back up their claims. 
(long quote ahead)

As a law student put it in an excellent review of a book called 'Harry Potter 
and the Bible' by Richard Abanes: "If Richard Abanes were to bring his case 
that JK Rowling and her publishers are promoting Witchcraft and Satanism to 
court, he would be laughed out of building. Contrary to what Abanes seems to 
think, Ms. Rowling and her publishers do not have to prove that the books do not 
promote Witchcraft and Satanism: Abanes has to prove that they DO promote these 
things. He does not provide one shred of evidence that any person has been 
converted to the previously stated activities by the series, and he does not 
show that Ms. Rowling wrote the books for the purpose of converting people. What 
he has presented can at best be considered BS and at worst be construed as 
libel."

Which can be said for the rest of the people like Abanes, IMO. 

So, I'm looking for evidence. Can anyone point me to an article or anything 
that shows actual, factual proof? 

Or, does anyone have any information they themselves can share to the 
opposite point of my article: the "actual" dangers (which are mostly directly related 
to faulty parenting) of Harry Potter. Such as...knowing a child who got the 
idea to try to create a magic potion from the HP books and had to go to the 
hospital for ingesting poison of some kind. 

I have similar stories from the news, but nothing in the vein of a child's 
beliefs being altered as a direct result of reading the books or seeing the 
movies. 

Like I said, anything to give the religious Harry Haters grounds for their 
claims. I have literally found *no* proof to back up their beliefs. 

And frankly, considering the amount of books published and media attention 
these people have gotten, that is incredibly annoying. 

So any info will help immensely! All I need is one story, one report, 
anything.

Thank you, 

Melly