Muggle Practices/Religion/Weasley practices

[lziner]

No: HPFGUIDX 79209

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "feetmadeofclay" 
<feetmadeofclay at y...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "lziner" <lziner at y...> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > Perhaps you misunderstood - Harry Potter books are the most 
banned 
> > books in the US.  Certain religious sects feel they are about 
> > witchcraft etc promote santanism etc.  I meant, to imagine if she 
> > added pagan holidays as well... mugglenet a few weeks ago posted 
a 
> > book burning involving Harry Potter books.  My point was that by 
> > leaving Christian holidays in the books - JKR provides a counter-
> > point (although unecessarily) to the belief that HP books promote 
> > witchcraft and evil.  
> > 
> > I still believe that the sole purpose 
> > of JKR including holidays are for time frame and familiarity 
> (earlier 
> > post)
> > 
> > lziner
> 
> Well the only reason they are so banned is because they are so 
> popular.  Diana Wynne Jones' books are no different except that 
> millions of kids aren't mad for Howl.  (That is just the ladies)
> 
> It provides a platform for fundamentalist Christians to speak about 
> what they fear is a dangerous irreligious part of modern culture.  
> The fact that we pay any mind to it, is what makes the view 
> powerful.  But in reality it is an view not held by majority of 
> people/parents in America - as evidenced by America's very good 
sales 
> of HP. 
> 
>  Also the reason they are the most banned is because lots of books 
> considered innapropriate (or in this case anti Christian) are 
simply 
> not stocked in many school or local libraries, but not necessarily 
> banned either.  They are simply not bought and not considered at 
> all.  HP was bought and then removed and its being so popular makes 
> the difference.  When at 16 I asked for a copy of Lady Chatterly's 
> Lover (having it recommended by a friend) my school librarian 
turned 
> whiter than chalk and simply said they didn't have it.  Was it 
> banned?  I don't think exactly so - and thus it doesn't get listed 
> amongst the banned books.  They didn't have a copy of the science 
> book I wanted either and that most certainly was not scandalous.   
> 
> That being said I don't think Rowling ever thought her books would 
be 
> banned or innapropriate for Christian children.  I don't think that 
> is why she put in Christmas.  If fundemntalists hate Harry Potter 
> when the kids celebrate Christmas, IMHO making the kids celebrate 
> Samhain or such would not likely alienate those that don't hate HP. 
> We would merely have encorporated it into the idea that Wizard 
> culture was different.  
> 
> I don't disagree about using the holidays as time keepers. It is 
very 
> much the way kids mark time.  Birthdays to Christmas to easter to 
> summer holidays.  However, what necessarily follows from having 
these 
> kids celebrate Christmas on mass (in a segregated society) is that 
> majority are most likely also Christian in some way.  Especially 
> since the celebrate it in much the same way Muggles do.   
> 
> The media wanted to make a story out of HP and it let a minority 
take 
> centre stage because they were more fussy about what their children 
> read.  Nothing more than something to sell newspapers.  The book 
> burnings are nothing more than something that will motivate the 
media 
> to pay attention to what Christian fundamentalists want their 
> children to read.  
> 
> Those kids aren't likely to read the dozen or so things I read as a 
> child.  I simply think the focus is on HP because it is so 
popular.  
> Reporting every book burning only gives these people power. They 
are 
> extremists.  Why not focus on getting those kids a good science 
> education or something.  We should have another monkey trial.  The 
> focus on HP is silly on both sides.
> 
> I don't know why they make such a fuss - What they don't like about 
> the books is clearly obvious from info on the back cover. The books 
> are about a boy who goes to a wizard school.  Just censor their own 
> children's reading - why bother everyone else with their views?
> 
> Golly


I couldn't agree with you more.  As a matter of fact, I bought the SS 
for my son (he is still too young to read it -5 yrs old).  I had 
heard so many positive reviews. At a later date, I spoke with my 
mother who informed me I could not have bought a more terrible book 
for him.  She, of course, heard this from a fundamentalist friend.  

I immediately sat down and read the book.  Yep - refrained from 
buring it or sending it back.  I read it.  I then ordered the other 3 
books.  Now, I'm posting here. I just hope my son enjoys the books as 
much as I do. 

Hoping my son is still in elementary school when book six comes out :)

lziner