HP religion debates

[Susan McGee]

No: HPFGUIDX 8482

> 
> Since the alleged censoriousness of evangelicals is taken as a 
given 
> by many on this group – i.e.,. one anti-HP site was described as 
> giving "the" evangelical position on HP, presumably assuming
> that all 
> evangelicals are one unamimous, harmonious anthill on this matter  
> (it's bigtime stereotyping, but hey, who doesn't? - to paraphrase 
> Pascal, people so naturally stereotype that not to stereotype would 
> merely amount to another form of  stereotypy).  I would like to see 
> some hard actual real data here – what percentage of people in
> this 
> country actually want to ban/restrict HP? What percentage of 
> evangelicals?  My guess is that even with the latter group, the 
> number would fall well below 50%.  I doubt any polling organization 
> has explored this issue, so if anyone out there has friends at 
Gallup 
> or Roper, now's your chance to put a bee in their bonnet. 
> 


Oh come now. The only people who have tried to ban HP from 
the bookshelves are those who state that magic is against God
and HP is a magician/wizard. These people describe themselves 
as Christians. Some of them describe themselves as Evangelical
Christians.

It is therefore reasonable to suggest that there is a group of 
Evangelical Christians and/or right wing fundamentalist Christians
who use their religion as justification to ban HP. 

I haven't heard ANYone suggest that all Christians are bad or even 
that all Evangelical Christians are bad, or that all Christians ro 
even all Evangelical Christians want to ban HP.

However, it is an ideology embraced by some Christians and ECs that 
they want to ban HP as a spawn of Satan, a magician, etc.

I doubt that ANYone one this list would disagree with the statement 
that the HP books embrace morality and good. The HP books are about 
good and evil and HP is good and on the side of good.

Those who condemn HP as part of their religion (AND there are no non-
religious groups that want to condemn HP and take him off the shelf)
are doing so from a Christian and Evangelical or right wing 
fundamentalist Christian standpoint. 

So, I think it is on topic and legitimate to express disagreement
with this ideology and with those Christians whose religious beliefs
fuel the anti-HP movement. 

Kind of like the witch burnings and the Inquistion. 

Susan