NationStates Jolt Archive

Why have some places banned Harry Potter books in the past? I've only heard about them doing it, nobody ever really told me why. I don't really understand what could be so horrible about Harry Potter.

Anything that hints at witchcraft is just a way for satan to lure kids away from jesus. That's the viewpoint of the book-burning christian right.

Anything that hints at witchcraft is just a way for satan to lure kids away from jesus. That's the viewpoint of the book-burning christian right.

Well, I'm Christian, but I think that that is ridiculous. I have read J.K. Rowlings books countless times and I have never gotten satanic vibes from them.

Anything that hints at witchcraft is just a way for satan to lure kids away from jesus. That's the viewpoint of the book-burning christian right.
Ashley Daniels is as close as you can get to your typical 9-year-old American girl. A third-grader at Lock Haven Elementary School, she loves rollerblading, her pet hamsters Benny and Oreo, Britney Spears, and, of course, Harry Potter. Having breezed through the most recent Potter opus in just four days, Ashley is among the millions of children who have made Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire the fastest-selling book in publishing history.

And, like many of her school friends, Ashley was captivated enough by the strange occult doings at the Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry to pursue the Left-Hand Path, determined to become as adept at the black arts as Harry and his pals.

"I used to believe in what they taught us at Sunday School," said Ashley, conjuring up an ancient spell to summon Cerebus, the three-headed hound of hell. "But the Harry Potter books showed me that magic is real, something I can learn and use right now, and that the Bible is nothing but boring lies."

Ashley is hardly the only child rejecting God these days. Weeks after the release of Goblet, the fourth book in J.K. Rowling's blockbuster kid-lit series, interest in witchcraft continues to skyrocket among children. Across America, Satanic temples are filling to the rafters with youngsters clamoring for instruction in summoning and conjuring.

Over protests from Christian Right leaders, who oppose the books for containing magic--and, by extension, Satanic religious beliefs--millions of children are willing their bodies and souls to Lucifer in unholy blood covenants. In 1995, it was estimated that some 100,000 Americans, mostly adults, were involved in devil-worship groups. Today, more than 14 million children alone belong to the Church of Satan, thanks largely to the unassuming boy wizard from 4 Privet Drive.

"The Harry Potter books are cool, 'cause they teach you all about magic and how you can use it to control people and get revenge on your enemies," said Hartland, WI, 10-year-old Craig Nowell, a recent convert to the New Satanic Order Of The Black Circle. "I want to learn the Cruciatus Curse, to make my muggle science teacher suffer for giving me a D."

"Hermione is my favorite, because she's smart and has a kitty," said 6-year-old Jessica Lehman of Easley, SC. "Jesus died because He was weak and stupid."

But as wild as children are about Harry, no one is happier about the phenomenon than old-school Satanists, who were struggling to recruit new members prior to the publication of the first Potter book in 1997.

"Harry is an absolute godsend to our cause," said High Priest Egan of the First Church Of Satan in Salem, MA. "An organization like ours thrives on new blood--no pun intended--and we've had more applicants than we can handle lately. And, of course, practically all of them are virgins, which is gravy."

With membership in Satanic temples reaching critical mass in some areas, many children have been forced to start their own organizations to worship the Lord Of Lies. Houston 11-year-old Bradley Winters, who purchased Goblet Of Fire with his own allowance money at the stroke of midnight on July 8, organized his own club, Potterites To Destroy Jesus, with his neighborhood pals. An admission fee of $6.66 grants membership to any applicant willing to curse the name of God and have a lightning bolt carved into his or her forehead with an iron dagger.

"The Harry Potter books are awesome!" Winters said. "When I grow up, I'm going to learn Necromancy and summon greater demons to Earth."

It's more than just the kiddie set and Satanists, however, who are rejoicing over Harry's success. Educators nationwide are praising the books for getting children excited about reading.


"It's almost impossible to find a book that can compete with those PlayStation games, but Harry Potter has done it," said Gulfport (MS) Middle School principal Frank Grieg. "I have this one student in the fifth grade who'd never read a book before in his life. Now he's read Sorcerer's Stone, Prisoner Of Azkaban, Chamber Of Secrets, Goblet Of Fire, The Seven Scrolls Of The Black Rose, The Necronomicon, The Satanic Bible, The Origin Of Species--you name it."

Less pleased are Christian leaders, who see Pottermania as a serious threat to their way of life.

"Children are very impressionable," said Dr. Andrea Collins of Focus On Faith, a Denver-based Christian think-tank and advocacy group. "These books do not merely depict one or two uses of magic spells or crystal balls. We're talking about hundreds of occult invocations. The natural, intuitive leap from reading a Harry Potter book to turning against God and worshipping Satan is very easy for a child to make, as the numbers have shown."

"These books are truly magical," Collins added, "and therefore dangerous."

But such protests are falling on largely deaf ears, especially in the case of Harry's creator.

"I think it's absolute rubbish to protest children's books on the grounds that they are luring children to Satan," Rowling told a London Times reporter in a July 17 interview. "People should be praising them for that! These books guide children to an understanding that the weak, idiotic Son Of God is a living hoax who will be humiliated when the rain of fire comes, and will suck the greasy cock of the Dark Lord while we, his faithful servants, laugh and cavort in victory."
This is the source many of them use. A joke.

This is the source many of them use. A joke.

It's the parents problem if children actually believe what J.K. Rowling writes about magic in her books. I can imagine the kids' surprise when they discover that they can't kill someone with the Avada Kedavra spell by waving a stick at someone. If parents feel that their children are gullible or will believe anything they should simply make sure that their child doesn't read Harry Potter. Not all kids are completely out of their minds.

But Harry Potter ands the group are against Dark Wizard like Voldemort?
Wouldn't it make less sense to join a santanic cult/church since yu become a dark wizard?

If they wanted to be bad guys its not the bibles fault, its their own fascination with them.

Jesus was actually pretty strong with that whip, he followed the law that is why he didn't resist arrest.

That quote doesn't sound like Rawlings either.

Weird christians, and other right wing people.

"It's almost impossible to find a book that can compete with those PlayStation games, but Harry Potter has done it," said Gulfport (MS) Middle School principal Frank Grieg. "I have this one student in the fifth grade who'd never read a book before in his life. Now he's read Sorcerer's Stone, Prisoner Of Azkaban, Chamber Of Secrets, Goblet Of Fire, The Seven Scrolls Of The Black Rose, The Necronomicon, The Satanic Bible, The Origin Of Species--you name it."
HAHAHAHA!!!! :D

It's the parents problem if children actually believe what J.K. Rowling writes about magic in her books. I can imagine the kids' surprise when they discover that they can't kill someone with the Avada Kedavra spell by waving a stick at someone. If parents feel that their children are gullible or will believe anything they should simply make sure that their child doesn't read Harry Potter. Not all kids are completely out of their minds.
You need a wand not a stick says so in Harry potter.
Wands have to have special things in them such as pegasus hair, horn, or bird feathers of birds that don't exist in this world so you will never make a wand in reality.

Harry Potter describes, yes, magic and forms of the occult. I do have reservations about the books. They indeed DO show witchcraft as a totally acceptable and real path to these kids. Sometimes I think that JK Rowling has made her success because she has made magic real for people, just like CS Lewis made for his readers.

I would not give the book to kids under 10-12 (depends on the maturity of the kid really) just because it's all sweet and nice to play pretend, but I don't want my kid telling me that they don't need to pray for things, picking up a stick and yelling out Latin phrases.

Maybe it's because I'm an incredibly conservative, fundimentalist and possibly even radical Christian, but that is how I feel. The book should not be banned as a whole, but should be used with disgression by parents.

Please let me know if you disagree with a telegram. I like debate.

-R. S. of UC

Maybe it's because I'm an incredibly conservative, fundimentalist and possibly even radical Christian

Not just maybe.

Harry Potter describes, yes, magic and forms of the occult. I do have reservations about the books. They indeed DO show witchcraft as a totally acceptable and real path to these kids. Sometimes I think that JK Rowling has made her success because she has made magic real for people, just like CS Lewis made for his readers.
Um, witchcraft in reality was just an excuse to persecute people who are different from you. If you think "witchcraft" is a terrible, real thing - then I seriously think you need to read up on the history of this so-called 'witchcraft'.

"It's almost impossible to find a book that can compete with those PlayStation games, but Harry Potter has done it," said Gulfport (MS) Middle School principal Frank Grieg. "I have this one student in the fifth grade who'd never read a book before in his life. Now he's read Sorcerer's Stone, Prisoner Of Azkaban, Chamber Of Secrets, Goblet Of Fire, The Seven Scrolls Of The Black Rose, The Necronomicon, The Satanic Bible, The Origin Of Species--you name it."
HAHAHAHA!!!! :D

*winces*

Yikes....

*winces*

Yikes....
What? I thought that part was hilariouse. :D

What? I thought that part was hilariouse. :D

The Satanic Bible? That isn't exactly at the top of most kids' reading lists.

Anything that hints at witchcraft is just a way for satan to lure kids away from jesus. That's the viewpoint of the book-burning christian right.

I remember having watched Nick News like 5 years ago, and on it, they were talking about how this group of ub3r-right wing Christian kids were getting together to protest the book

The Satanic Bible? That isn't exactly at the top of most kids' reading lists.
Oh please. That article was from the Onion. So that part was meant as a joke. Don't tell me you didn't get that. And the Necronomicon? I doubt many kids have read that either.

Oh please. That article was from the Onion. So that part was meant as a joke. Don't tell me you didn't get that. And the Necronomicon? I doubt many kids have read that either.

I knew there was a reason for the bold print, but that is what is bad about forums, you can never be quite sure when someone is being sarcastic or if something is a joke unless they put: ;) , :) , :p , :D , or [/sarcasm].

Harry Potter describes, yes, magic and forms of the occult. I do have reservations about the books. They indeed DO show witchcraft as a totally acceptable and real path to these kids. Sometimes I think that JK Rowling has made her success because she has made magic real for people, just like CS Lewis made for his readers.

I would not give the book to kids under 10-12 (depends on the maturity of the kid really) just because it's all sweet and nice to play pretend, but I don't want my kid telling me that they don't need to pray for things, picking up a stick and yelling out Latin phrases.

Maybe it's because I'm an incredibly conservative, fundimentalist and possibly even radical Christian, but that is how I feel. The book should not be banned as a whole, but should be used with disgression by parents.

Please let me know if you disagree with a telegram. I like debate.

-R. S. of UC

Telegram-shmelagram, if you can't defend it out in the open, then it must be indefensible or you're a coward. *there, that should get us up to the appropriate level of flame-itude.*

However, I do have a question. What are your feelings about fairy tales?

That book made me go out and start worshipping Satan.
Like in the fourth one he summoned evil demons from the depths of hell.

I can't say I've ever been seriously influenced by Harry Potter. I think the books don't do enough exploration of any serious ideas to really make me think. I want to see things like the conflict between two groups of people with different levels of power vs. the idea of equality and such. I want to hear speculation on the nature of magic.

I can't say I've ever been seriously influenced by Harry Potter. I think the books don't do enough exploration of any serious ideas to really make me think. I want to see things like the conflict between two groups of people with different levels of power vs. the idea of equality and such. I want to hear speculation on the nature of magic.

Where?

A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it.

I could beleive kids turning to paganism, the occult or wicca due to harry potter, but the church of Satan? come on that's just ludicrous.

If they want to get upset about kids leaving the church due to Harry Poter, then (despite it encouraging ignorance) that's ok.

But Devil Worship? :headbang: