I know of a local 8th grade class planning to make a Harry Potter field trip next week. One girl has opted out stating that she is a Christian.
A fundamentalist gentleman I know is very against Potter. When I asked if he watched the TV show “Bewitched” back in the 60’s (I know he did) and if it led him to Satan worship his response was that “kids will not recognize Potter as fiction.” I suspect his response reflects the current line.
It was the witchcraft. They are home schooling because they don’t want their children being exposed to things like evolution or anything else PC. Because after all, it is just a theory and they know the Bible is true. They consider themselves moderate politcally, that is why they voted for Bush instead of Buchanan. Besides, they didn’t think Buchanan could win. Thank god they were right about that at least.
Lok
I think a lot of fundies just attach more importance to books than movies. As pointed out there are a lot of children’s movies that have similar elements, maybe part of it is that they have given up on fighting movies. Maybe part of it is that the media made the popularity of the Harry Potter books to be A Good Thing because they encouraged reading, while children’s movies are usually blown off as mindless entertainment. Also, a fundie can tell his kids that it’s just a movie, it’s not real. If they tell their kids that ‘it’s just a book, it’s not real’ they might start questioning OTHER books, like the only book they see their parents read.
Whoah.
Badtz Maru, that’s deep. I never thought of it that way - that makes so much sense! I haven’t even read a Harry Potter book (if I’m going to be reading an 800-page story it’s going to be Solzhenitsyn’s August 1914 - The Red Wheel again, or any of another zillion things on my to-read list) but I’ve always wondered how people could object to something of a fantastic nature in a harmless children’s book. Now I kind of see where they’re going with that logic …
I don’t agree with it, but I see it now. Wow. Thanks for the enlightenment.
Hmmm… the link works for me. If you really want to see his page, try typing in www.boblarson.org into your browser. I checked his videos section, and he doesn’t have anything about Disney on offer anymore, although The DO’s and DON’T’s of Dealing with the Devil sounds like fun. (I always suspected Bob made a deal with the devil.)
Sorry this is off-topic. Let me make up for it by linking to How to Handle Harry, an hour-long Bob Larson “Talkback” show dealing with the Harry Potter books. Should be good for a laugh.
Here, you can listen to a beautiful rant about Harry Potter.
Haw haw.
I think a lot of the clueless folks out there who would raise a stink might have actually taken the time to read the books and realize that the main themes are not witchcraft after all, but the standard KidLit Plot Line #6 – Friendless Outsider Finds Special Talent[sub]TM[/sub].
I receive James Dobson’s Plugged In newsletter, which examines popular culture from their own perspective (some things I agree with, some things I think they’re way off base with, but it’s good to see what people think). The most recent ish had a piece about how the Harry Potter books opened up a dialogue with a neighbor and allowed this person to share to Gospel. Therefore, there was some “good” in Harry Potter after all.
They may not have been able to get advanced screenings of the film, and don’t feel qualified to talk about it. I’m sure they’ll review it, if the public’s response is as rabid as anticipated.
I’ll keep ya posted.
You’re giving them far too much credit – these are the same folks who protested Monty Python’s Life of Brian without even seeing it, remember?
Has anyone else wondered why Fundies don’t complain about CS Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia? These stories have got witchcraft, talking animals, fantastic adventures, time not working quite correctly (flows differently in one world than in another), goblins, giants, dragons, and other elements generally torn from the pages of pagan mythology as well. Really, if they didn’t bop you over the head with Judeo-Christian parallelism, they’d be just the same as the Harry Potter books. But since they do (bop you over the head, that is), they’re a Good Thing ™ - kids can learn about Jesus through the parallels of a giant talking lion - while Harry is satanic and a Bad Thing ™.
Sheesh. Makes me ill. If only fundies would read for the message and not let the details get so much in the way. Ick.
Snicks
Actually, some do complain about Narnia. The only reason we hear about the evil of HP so much is because it was such a hit. There’s plenty of other stuff that’s considered evil or a bad influence, but they’re quieter about it.
I’ve been listening to the Bob Larson rant, and it’s awful. I hate his voice.
Why on Earth would that deter them? Look at The Last Temptation of Christ, which the fundies protested without having seen it, or (as rjung mentioned) Life of Brian. We’re talking about people who don’t feel they actually have to see the movie or read the book in order to complain about its influence. They don’t think they have to argue from an informed position. All they need to hear is “It’s about witches” and that’s all she wrote.
Oh, and Ike: There was an article on this very topic in our paper yesterday (in the Religion section, of course); to give them credit, they quoted Christians on both sides of the debate (however, the accompanying photo was of an anti-Potter fundie author, who’s written a book (of course) about the evils of Ms. Rowling’s creation).
By the way, Ross: no offense intended by the use of the term “fundie”. I’ve known lots of fundamentalist Christians (growing up in Oklahoma will do that to you), and as far as I can tell, you’re one of the best of the lot.
Indeed – older versions of Jack Chick’s infamous “Dark Dungeons” tract have the standard Vaguely Seedy Born-Again Christian Guy urging people to burn “occult” works “including those of Tolkein [sic] and C.S. Lewis, both of whose books are found in occult bookstores.” Never mind that they were both devoutly Christian (Tolkien was Catholic, so to Chick that doesn’t count, I guess) and that shows in their work!
[digression]
Incidentally, I read an essay on Lord of the Rings once where the author concluded that, despite the influence of Tolkien’s beliefs, the book shows an “unhealthy” spirituality because it’s construed as an imaginary history of our world, and because he invented a whole creation myth for Middle-earth, the author concluded that Tolkien was saying Christianity isn’t enough – “spiritually barren” I think is the phrase he uses. Which just convinces me that the author doesn’t understand Tolkien very well at all. (He also claims at one point that the Christian parallels in LotR were probably due to the influence of Lewis, which leads me to believe he didn’t do enough research before writing his essay…) This has nothing to do with magic or witchcraft, but it bothered me nonetheless.
[/digression]
I guess what worries me the most is the “mark” that’s on his head. Are all of the “magic” characters marked? What does it mean? Is the mark obtained or dispensed somehow? I am very uneasy at the thought of marked foreheads seeming commonplace, everyday, or desirable.
Maybe this is a spoiler, if you haven’t read the series…
The mark is a scar left by an attack from an evil warlock. Harry’s parents were killed, and he was left with a scar on his forehead (lightning bolt-shaped, as it happens). Harry is the only one with such a mark, although other characters recognize him by its presence at times.
It turns out later that Harry’s great ability as a magician is somehow related to his parents’ willingness to die protecting him. I think, anyway. 
That was how I interpreted it.
Once the scar is explained, it doesn’t seem to be much of an issue.
HTH, miatachris
~karol, who loves the books and is afraid the movie can’t do them justice
Whoof! No wonder the fundamentalists are pissed off about these damn books…never noticed that before…Jesus of Nazareth’s “great ability as a savior” is due to his parent’s willingness to let him die!
There are other aspect of the Harry Potter novels that might alarm parents a little, the violence for one. After all, the villain killed Harry’s mother and father and gave Harry that scar on his head (it is not a birthmark). So in essence, the books are a very extensive revenge plot that deeply covers Harry Potter’s period of training and experience needed to take on the villain.
I stopped reading Mad now that the magazine is riddled with advertsising.
Oh, you mean the other Usual Gang of Idiots!
I’m guessing that since Sepetmber 11th, there’s been a lot less of the “me-me-me grab the media spotlight” going on in all camps, especially the religious one after Falwell and Robertson’s comments on that darkest of days.
RRRRGGGHHH! Have you even read the books? Read the books! This is how misinformation gets spread. See bodypoet’s explanation, then read the books.
And what, exactly, is wrong with marked foreheads? Gorbachev has one. What’s the big deal?
Thank you, bodypoet, for your kind answer to my questions.
If I may be permitted one last question, for what do the letters “HTH” stand?
Well, since you specifically asked about Montgomery, AL…
Any objections to Harry Potter won’t have a chance to be heard this week. Harry Potter himself could manifest on the steps of the Capitol building, moon downtown, and fly off on a broomstick down Dexter avenue without getting on the front page.
From now until Saturday, there is only one topic of conversation, and nothing gets discussed, printed, or shown on television unless it somehow ties in.
There are only two religions allowed in Alabama this week. No one cares if you are a Fundamentalist, Wiccan, Methodist, Unitarian, Baptist, Jehovah’s Witness, Christian Scientologist, or Satanist. The battle lines are clearly drawn, no quarter is asked or given, and the hyperbole runs roughshod over all.
For this, my friend, is the week of the Iron Bowl.
Mundane matters pertaining to heaven and hell just have to wait.
–jack
(I really wish I was kidding. Really.)