# Harry Potter is EVIL! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 25, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297 "2003-06-25T14:26:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/21 "2003-06-25T21:11:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeadlyAccurate \* > \*\*What I want to know is how they ended up with two copies of HP, when I haven’t been able to get my hands on even one yet. I admit, I haven’t tried too terribly hard, but the two times I was in Texarkana and went into the Books-A-Million there, they were completely sold out. > > I did manage to get my hands on _Dragon_ issue #309 which had my article in it. Super cool! \*\* First, congrats on the article. Second–I got my copy at Wal-Mart, and I only paid about $17. They had a whole palette of the things. It was on the first day it was available, but it was also late afternoon and they had plenty of 'em. So try some non-bookstores that carry books amongst all their stuff. You might get lucky. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/22 "2003-06-25T21:32:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*Why are fundies so fucking stupid \*\* They are fucking stupid because they: - Allow themselves to be told what to think. And - Believe that a frequently mistranslated and unverifiable collection of writings of unknown authorship are literally true. As for liars and frauds… well… look at their leaders…there was Jimmy Swaggart, for one… ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/23 "2003-06-25T21:37:16Z")
> [@](#): > > _From **tomndebb** ’s link:_ > **Clive Staples Lewis has been perhaps the single most useful tool of Satan since his appearance in the Christian community sometime around World War II.** Well, yeah, he wrote _The Screwtape Letters_, right? I mean, that whole book was about demons and how to be more evil! Of course he Satan’s tool!\ :rolleyes: I’m with **gobear** on this one… I used to work in a bookstore and the first thing I thought of when I read the OP was “bad check scam artist.” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/24 "2003-06-25T21:55:05Z")
> [@](#): > > _Orignally posted by DeadlyAccurate_ > I did manage to get my hands on Dragon issue #309 which had my article in it. Super cool! Hey, I just got that issue! What article did you write? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/25 "2003-06-25T22:12:45Z")
Obvious scam. Wouldn’t he have known his wife was that much of a loon? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/26 "2003-06-25T22:22:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > \*\*Hey, I just got that issue! What article did you write? \*\* The one on page 34. It’s four pages! I was all ashiver with excitement. I ran up to my husband in the book store squealing, “Look! I’m even on the front cover!” Prior to that, my biggest excitement was getting a half-page review in _NextGen_. I’m almost positive I wasn’t the cause of them going out of business, but if _Dragon_ announces its final issue soon, you’ll know who to blame. Thanks for the suggestion, **Morgyn**. I’ll definitely check WalMart out, probably tonight. Um, sorry for hijacking your thread, **Sivalensis**. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/27 "2003-06-25T22:25:11Z")
She’s a dumbass, but she’s right on one point: store credit is the work of the devil. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/28 "2003-06-25T22:28:44Z")
Oh, **vanilla** , you put the “fun” in fundamentalist! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sivalensis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@Sivalensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sivalensis)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/29 "2003-06-25T22:42:57Z")
As for locating copies of the book, look in some of the independents (not many left, what with all the BN, Borders, B Dalton, Waldenbooks and the like). There’s only one here in St Louis and most towns don’t have many if at all. Such being, people don’t flock there in as great numbers. I can’t speak for every independent, but we had a rockin party friday night, only ordered 800 copies, and as of yesterday we still had at least 100. ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/30 "2003-06-25T22:44:07Z")
I think the key part of “fundamentalist” is neither “fun” nor “mental”, but rather “fundament”. It came about from the recollection by society as a whole that most of them do 99% of their thinking and speaking from within it. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/31 "2003-06-25T22:48:02Z")
**Priam** , isn’t “fundament” a type of candy? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Priam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/32 "2003-06-25T22:55:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\ ***Priam** , isn’t “fundament” a type of candy? > > 😉 \*\* If thats true, it better not be chocolate. If it is, I don’t wanna know. The image… the horrible image. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/33 "2003-06-26T01:26:47Z")
**tom~** , I only just now realized I had linked to the same site you did! Great minds, perhaps? (I flatter myself) ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/34 "2003-06-26T02:02:11Z")
What I want to know is, what unit is a Mgb? Mega-giga-byte? Or perhaps they meant to say MGD, and they want a palette of beer for a frat party… ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/35 "2003-06-26T03:31:49Z")
If I can interject here, if the check was not yet deposited (in other words, still in the store and available) why not just take the books back, destroy the check, and tell them to go on their merry way? ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/36 "2003-06-26T03:33:00Z")
An MGB is a small British car. I don’t know what they’d use it for measuring for, but you know those British. Weirdos, the lot of em. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/37 "2003-06-26T04:28:10Z")
Re-Balaam’s ``` I've read Screwtape. I recommend it. It's rather like SchoolHouse Rock, Beakman's World(the 90's version of the also excellent Mr Wizard). You know that it's purpose is educational. But it's dressed up so well and staged so cleverly that it's still very enjoyable. One of the letters makes the point (Polycarp, Gobear, myself and others have repeated it) that people can fall into the trap of worshipping some constructed thing rather than God. Getting your victim to fixate on their 'righteous' hatred of other sects(the cite says that Kennedy burns in hell for following the "Roman Whore") and to worship a symbol, or text rather than the God behind them are methods Screwtape enthusiastically endorses for keeping souls far from God. Vanilla- Wow! To me, the word fundie just doesn't fit you. H4E is my idea of a fundie. 'I have the one and only truth! You're all going to hell! The Bible is the inerrant and literal word of God'. OTOH, you've clearly indicated an ability to think for yourself. ``` ---
**Author:** ![sotally\_tober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@sotally\_tober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sotally_tober)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/38 "2003-06-26T04:41:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Gaspode \* > \*\*How about some HP/Draco [slash?](http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1355420) > 😃 \*\* :eek: :eek: :eek: _mumbles to himself_ …see no evil… ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/39 "2003-06-26T04:48:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Guinastasia: \*\* **Priam** , isn’t “fundament” a type of candy? Mmmmm… _Candy-ass_. Count me as another who thinks it’s a cheque scam. That being said, 'struth that some fundies have a hair up their collective ass about Harry Potter, which most would agree is pretty silly. God send none of them ever picks up a copy of _Groosham Grange_, which is, in my humble opinion, a vastly superior literary effort, published months before _Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone_, and _also_ about a young man with a troubling home-life who ends up going to an unusual school which is steeped in magic, hermeticism, and alchemy, along with his new friends, a slightly thick boy and a preternaturally bright girl. _Groosham Grange_ is like Harry Potter without all the goody-goody nicey-nicey bollocks. It reads like the sort of thing that Roald Dahl might have written in collaboration with Mervyn Peake. It’s dark, and screamingly funny. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297/40 "2003-06-26T04:51:25Z")
> [@](#): > > If I can interject here, if the check was not yet deposited (in other words, still in the store and available) why not just take the books back, destroy the check, and tell them to go on their merry way? That is only a workable solution if the check had not been deposited. Many retailers require the cash and checks to be placed in the Night Depository before the manager goes home. I worked for a chain that wanted a deposit receipt from the bank, but that meant that we could hold only the Saturday receipts in the safe on Sunday. Every other day of the week the money and checks were out of the store within a few minutes of opening. A Monday sale with a Tuesday return would very rarely find the check still in the store unless the customers barged in as the door was unlocked, Tuesday morning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-is-evil/184297.md?page=3)