| The objections raised by some fundamentalist | | | | literal. They seem to think that young |
| Christians to the Harry Potter books continue | | | | readers are incapable of divining meaning and |
| to make the news. | | | | truth beyond the trappings of the tale. They |
| | | | get hung up on the trappings themselves |
| The Christian attacks on the Potter series | | | | rather than probe the deeper meaning of the |
| aren't an attack on witchcraft and magic, so | | | | stories. When they do look a little deeper, |
| much as an attack on the imagination and | | | | they often misconstrue the author's intent |
| freedom of expression - and by extension an | | | | and try to spin the plot as evidence of |
| attack on literature. The Harry Potter books | | | | literary evil doing. Fortunately, a few |
| aren't 'How To' manuals on witchcraft, nor is | | | | leading voices in the evangelical community |
| the author, J.K. Rowling, advocating the | | | | have had the good sense to take a more |
| practice of witchcraft. | | | | objective view of the content, and have |
| | | | resisted the temptation to try and subvert a |
| The themes in the Harry Potter stories pit | | | | fictional fantasy in order to smoke out the |
| the good against the dark side. Magical | | | | devil. |
| themes happen to be an effective way to play | | | | |
| out the drama in a manner that is engaging, | | | | In attempting to ban the Harry books or in |
| especially for younger readers. | | | | other ways suppress them, the detractors |
| | | | ironically succeed in adding to their allure |
| Professor Dumbledore, the Hogwarts | | | | and power. When something is 'forbidden' it |
| headmaster, is clearly the personification of | | | | becomes a lot more tempting. When the D.H. |
| good and urges Harry to use the power of love | | | | Lawrence novel Lady Chatterley's Lover was |
| when dealing with the dark side personified | | | | banned, it did more for the sale of the book |
| by Lord Voldemart. On one level the Potter | | | | than any promotional campaign could ever have |
| books are morality tales that happen to take | | | | done. The same went for Ulysses by the great |
| place in a make-believe world that is magical | | | | Irish writer James Joyce. |
| - but then a lot of literature contains | | | | |
| magical themes, including books by famous | | | | Moreover when you consider the amount of |
| Christian authors. | | | | material on magic and witchcraft that is |
| | | | freely available in book stores these days, |
| C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein are examples of | | | | on the internet, in magazines, via certain |
| Christian authors who created magical worlds | | | | video games or just by word-of-mouth - it |
| with plots that at root are moral and even | | | | makes it almost absurd to try and suppress |
| Christian in philosophical intent. The Lion, | | | | Harry Potter books. |
| The Witch and The Wardrobe by Lewis creates | | | | |
| an intermediary zone between the real and | | | | If Harry Potter gets banned in the bailiwicks |
| imaginary worlds using a prop - the magical | | | | of the offended - what's next on the list? |
| wardrobe. Enchantment and make-believe allow | | | | Grimm's Fairy Tales? Rupert the Bear? |
| the 'other world' beyond the wardrobe to | | | | Teletubbies? We live in a society in which |
| become a possibility. Similarly Tolkein in | | | | diversity of opinion is an integral part of |
| Lord of the Rings invokes the powers of | | | | our fundamental freedoms. People who for |
| wizardry and magic. But it is used as a | | | | personal or religious reasons attempt to |
| device to enable characters and events that | | | | create a chill by pushing for a ban of |
| couldn't feasibly exist in the 'ordinary' | | | | material as innocuous as Harry Potter, cater |
| world. This doesn't mean that either Tolkein | | | | to a mean spirited approach that diminishes |
| or Lewis were promoting magic or attempting | | | | us all. Objectors can refuse to buy the books |
| to 'corrupt' the minds of young readers. | | | | or have them in their home, and that's as far |
| | | | as it should reasonably go. |
| The problem with the criticism coming from a | | | | |
| section of the evangelical community is that | | | | We are talking about tales for young readers |
| their interpretation of the books is much too | | | | after all - not Anton La Vey's Satanic Bible. |