Another Anti-HP Site (yawn)

[Ebony]

No: HPFGUIDX 8042

Awake much later than intended... again...

While surfing I found a website that eloquently states the 
evangelical position against the Harry Potter novels.  

http://www.worthynews.com/harry-potter.html

As an evangelical myself, I think it sums up the official "Religious 
Objections" position better than any website I've seen.  (FAQ 
writers, are you listening?  Or... um... am I supposed to be 
authoring the FAQ on religion?  I thought mine were gender and 
ethnicity!  Uh-oh...)  

Of course, no mention is made of any other children's fantasy novel 
that contains many of the same elements (if not more) of the Harry 
Potter books.  No mention is made of fairy tales, of folklore, of 
even certain passages of the Bible that you don't read to your 
children.  

If we Christians are going to argue that Harry Potter is evil, I say 
we should argue fairly.  That's the one thing that concerns me about 
Christian apologetics.  It's like with the Great Ship Debates (had to 
slip it in somewhere!)... if you are truly correct (like H/H is ;)), 
lay all of your cards on the table and allow all opponents to do the 
same.  The Right Answer should be obvious.

Rationalism is never employed in any anti-HP drivel I've ever seen.  
If ever I suddenly decide that HP is wicked and compromising my faith 
(unlikely--been there, done that already), I'll offer up my services 
as a children's lit specialist-in-training and help construct an 
argument for Why Harry Potter is a Sign of the Impending End of the 
World that's a tad more bulletproof than what's currently out there.

As one who loves and works with children, and as a Christian who's 
listened to the hysteria over The Systemic Demonic Corruption of 
Youth since my conversion, I am more than a little concerned with a 
growing trend in modern conservative Christianity that the anti-Harry 
Potter sentiment is a symptom of:  isolationism.  Instead of being 
salt and leaven, many serious Christians are choosing to bubble 
themselves off from the rest of the world, calling anything that is 
threatening or different "evil" and refusing to touch it.

Thank God Jesus wasn't like that.  But anyway...

One point the site brings up that I readily agreed with is that the 
books are eerily addicting... hmm... maybe it *is* a vast left-wing 
conspiracy to force bad things like multiculturalism, globalism, and 
relativism upon unsuspecting children and adults!  (shaking head)

If you're of another religion, you *can't* appreciate how totally 
against HP most evangelical and Pentecostal ministers are.  I'm 
starting to see why the arguments against HP are honestly bewildering 
most reasonable non-religious people... you can't understand the 
arguments unless you comprehend the evangelical and/or Pentecostal 
worldview on what Harry Potter represents in the Grand Scheme of 
Things.

I have dear friends and family who sincerely think my HP obsession 
means that I'm starting to "backslide"... a significant number would 
question my very relationship with God (which, quite frankly, has 
nothing do with them anyway).  My collegiate pastor would have a fit 
if he knew my best friend and I devoured the books.  Of course, I was 
always the type to ask questions during Bible study like "Why are we 
boycotting ---fill in the blank with some prohibited vice--- and not 
absolutely everything else that contradicts a Biblical worldview?" so 
it probably wouldn't come as a total surprise.  I came to 
Christianity as an adult and had the tendency to ask too many 
annoying questions.

Believe it or not, once upon a time (and not too long ago, at that) I 
would have eaten up every word of this rhetoric.  And now I realize 
that my own prejudices and fears would have had me miss out on a 
wonderful book series whose author's motive isn't being a cog in the 
formation of the New World Order or to Open Young Minds... but simply 
to entertain.

I'm a committed Christian who happens to love Harry Potter.  Some may 
think that's a paradox.  I don't.

Hey, where's Aberforth's Goat when you need him?

--Ebony (who, due to more than 10-15% of parents/children "opting 
out", made the choice to table her Harry Potter unit this school year)