Harry Potter Vs. Christians

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Who has never dreamed of witches, broomsticks and full moon light? I always wished, when I was younger, I could turn and do magic like a witch. I even bought little magic kits, but it was nothing like the magic I wanted to produce. In my teen years, a book called Harry Potter caught my attention. It took me to a world I thought could only belong in my head. J.K. Rowling brought words of description to my dreams and brought out the little witch and wizard in many children's lives. I have not been able to find a more descriptive, memorable, imaginative, and well-written books for both children and adults to read and enjoy.

Why do so many Harry Potter fans reread these fantasies over and over again? Are there secrets that gradually unfold? Are there layers and layers of understanding they are peeling away? Does the imagery enrich each time? The magic remains; whatever the reasons, readers are motivated to read, then once more, and once more again and immerse themselves in the enjoyable world of the written word. First as books, but now as movies, video games, and a multitude of toys Harry Potter has become an important feature of modern popular culture.

The Harry Potter books, written by J.K. Rowling, have sustained consistent attack from Christians because of how they portray witchcraft. It has been said that the Harry Potter books encourage children to accept a view of witchcraft that is benign, even good, and thus will lead them to adopt some form of paganism or Wicca. Christians naturally object to this and...

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...is structured by comforting stereotypes and doesn't upset preconceptions. If it's true that the Harry Potter books are ideologically conservative and, furthermore, exploited by conservative corporations for their own profit, then both the books themselves as well as the wider cultural phenomenon need to be read more critically. It would be inappropriate to take them at face value.

References

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" J.K. Rowling Sep 1998

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret" J.K. Rowling Jun 2, 1999

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" J.K. Rowling Sep 1999

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" J.K. Rowling Jul 8, 2000

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" J.K. Rowling Jun 2003

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" J.K. Rowling Jul 16, 2005

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