# Harry Potter & the book-burning fundamentalists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 23, 2002, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495 "2002-10-23T08:25:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jeevmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@jeevmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevmon)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/21 "2002-10-24T13:14:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by everton \* > \*\* > Isn’t that always the way? It doesn’t just apply to Christian Fundamentalists either - practically nobody who burned Salman Rushdie’s infamous novel had read it. When asked to justify this behaviour logically I usually find the response is along the lines of “No I haven’t seen/read this, _and I wouldn’t want to either because it’s immoral_”. \*\* Very true. Had any of the protesters actually, you know, seen “The Last Temptation of Christ”, they would have realized that the scenes with Christ having sex were part of a temptation/dream/hallucination that was being shown to him to prevent him from achieving his destiny, a temptation that he ultimately rejected. And the temptation was not sex per se as much as it was normality, domesticity, and family. For “Last Temptation” and “Satanic Verses”, at least, I have always maintained that there was something far more insidious going on there. For example, consider this passage from “The Satanic Verses”: " ‘We will make a revolution,’ the Imam proclaims through him, ‘that is a revolt not only against a tyrant, but against history.’ For there is an enemy beyond Ayesha and it is History herself. History is the blood-wine that must no longer be drunk. History the intoxicant, the creation and possession of the Devil, of the great Shaitain, the greatest of lies - progress, science, rights - against which the Imam has set his face. History is a deviation from the Path, knowledge is a delusion, because the sum of knowledge was complete on the day Allah finished his revelation to Mahound. ‘We will unmake the veil of history,’ Bilal declaims into the listening night, ‘and when it is unravelled, we will see Paradise standing there, in all its glory and light.’ " Show of hands all those who think that this passage is NOT about the Ayatollah Khomeni, so we can slap you around a bit. I always believed that the caricature of the Imam (one of a long line of rather unsubtle but nevertheless entertaining caricatures that Rushdie uses in his novels) was the main reason for this book earning the author a fatwa. Similarly, in “Last Temptation”, the scene that always stood out for me is one where Jesus, now living the life of a normal man with a family, comes across Paul preaching in the square about the miraculous death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul, of course, was not one of the original 12 apostles, and wasn’t there when the resurrection happened. When Jesus calls Paul out on this point and accuses him of preaching falsehoods, Paul essentially tells him to stuff it because he’s giving the people what they need, and that the resurrection story is the only one that gives them hope. He ends by telling Jesus that he’s glad to have met him, because now he can forget all about him. For those preaching today, this scene is a huge problem. It doesn’t have the kind of sleaze appeal that “Christ had sex” does, but it is a far more dangerous idea. Just my .02 cents. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/22 "2002-10-24T14:04:26Z")
burning may be out. The fundamnetalists I know, and I know a lot, would just advocate not bringing them into the house (the books). I found Life of Brian to be boring, not unGodly. Though I do turn on some Courage the Cowardly Dogs becasue of their depictions of demons, and I tell my son why. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/23 "2002-10-24T14:39:05Z")
I think the reason the sort of actvities mentioned does not happen more often is that it is much harder to burn a television show than a book. With a book all you need is a match and they can be burned any time, whereas with television shows you have to wait till they are actually on which may not be convenient. I think the reason Harry Potter gets so much grief is that it is targeted toward children and is wildly popular. In our culture , protecting the children, is a motivation more likely to engage masses of people than protecting adults. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/24 "2002-10-24T14:45:08Z")
ak! That would be I turn OFF Courage, not on. ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/25 "2002-10-24T14:46:13Z")
So what’s so bad about _Pinocchio_? ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/26 "2002-10-24T14:52:46Z")
**vanilla** , for some reason your original post of ‘turn on’ actually made sense to me…😉 (re: showing kids the idea of demons etc…) Sorry. Pinocchio? It has a lowly woodworker giving life to a wooden boy - i.e. playing God. It is contrary to Biblical teachings and creationism. (Probably the same as A.I. or even Blade Runner.) This might not be _the_ reason, but its _a_ reason. ---
**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:** [October 24, 2002, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/27 "2002-10-24T17:25:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skammer \* > \*\* > > That’s pretty ironic, considering the fact that Tolkien was a pretty devout Catholic and played a big part in the religious awakening of C.S. Lewis. \*\* But your hardcore fundies don’t consider Catholics to be Christians, at best. At worst, they think that the Pope is the Antichrist. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/28 "2002-10-24T18:02:36Z")
Hmm… I’ve always wondered what they think the [Anti-Popes](http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/a13.htm) were. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/29 "2002-10-24T20:27:22Z")
Speaking of C.S. Lewis, IMO, C.S. Lewis is a great writer and his works include _The Chronicles of Narnia_, a fantasy series that includes mystical characters and (gasp) witches. Ok, yes, the White Witch is a symbol of evil, but there are other fantasy characters that are not. Somehow, I read these as a child and did not want to become a witch, (or a lion, or try to enter other worlds through my wardrobe.) I have never heard of any group burning Shakespeare before. Is it because of _Macbeth_? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/30 "2002-10-24T21:05:17Z")
My memory is hazy but I’m pretty the basic facts of this story are true. John Lennon, while in the Beatles, made a statement that they (the beatles) were more popular than Christ. Now I’ve heard the interview and he clearly didn’t think that it was a good thing. But the fundies took the statement out of context and a huge tempest in a teacup ensues. One thing that happend was a radio station in Alabama(?) organized a Beatles protest and a bonfire of Beatles albums. After the bonfire the station was knocked off the air after a bolt of lighting struck the station. I worked in a movie theatre in Oklahoma when The Last Temptation of Christ was (not) being released. We had hundreds of phone calls and letters telling/warning us not to play the film or they would not come to the theatre ever again (most callers)or come and throw black paint on the screen(a few callers) or come and shoot the employees and burn the place down (one of the callers). They all also promised never to view any movie from Universal studios again. I would then ask the callers if they had E.T. on video and when they said yes I told them to throw it out because that was from Universal. ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/31 "2002-10-24T21:17:55Z")
Course, there is [The Gospel According to Harry Potter.](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0664226019/qid%3D1035493804/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/103-6126145-1873436#product-details) Sua ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/32 "2002-10-24T21:40:38Z")
I met my priest at the Bronze, the Buffy website. He was a big fan until the last couple of seasons (which pretty much sucked, in my opinion). He’s about as conservative as they come, but he liked the themes of taking a stand against evil that Buffy and Angel portrayed. Until they all started boinking like bunnies. StG ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/33 "2002-10-24T21:46:06Z")
LOL, That was exactly my thought, too, Avalonian. ---
**Author:** ![NutWrench](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nutwrench/32/20193_2.png) [@NutWrench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutWrench)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/34 "2002-10-24T22:23:02Z")
[Spellcasting 101: Don’t try this at home](http://www.theescapist.com/random.htm) ---
**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:** [October 25, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/35 "2002-10-25T01:51:00Z")
The thing about the Narnia books is, they are based on Christian theology. Aslan represents Christ. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/36 "2002-10-25T05:49:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > **This sort of thing happened with Star Wars (that annoying talk aboiut “The Force”, you know) and about D&D Role-Playing games.** Indeed. Take a gander at the last two panels of [Jack Chick’s most infamous tract](http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp). Not to mention the panel 3 rows above the last, where Jack Chick’s mouthpiece preacher commands his readers to “gather up all your occult paraphernalia like your rock music, occult books, charms, Dungeons & Dragons material. Don’t throw them away. _Burn them!_” ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/37 "2002-10-25T07:31:34Z")
One of my favorite Web opinion writers is Tamara Baker of American Politics: here was her take on this: _Harry Potter and the Frothing Fundies._ [http://www.americanpolitics.com/20010402Baker.html](http://www.americanpolitics.com/20010402Baker.html) After Fundies captured Harry, they are ready to burn him: (the funny/scary set up is spot on RKR style) > [@](#): > > Suddenly, a bright light hit the altar. Harry’s bonds and tape fell > away. A man in wizardlike white robes stood next to Harry, his hand > protectively on Harry’s shoulder, the way Harry had always imagined his > father doing. He looked very much like Professor Dumbledore. His face, > like Dumbledore’s, was obviously normally of a kindly cast, but now it > had a terrible look upon it. > > The crowd stood stock-still. If the man in white was a comfort to Harry, > he certainly was not to the cross-wearers. They looked like Harry had > looked not long before. > > The man in white lifted his hand, then spoke. “As My Son said in Mark > 9:40, ‘whoever is not against us is for us.’ This young boy is not > against Me – and never was. I cannot say the same for most of you.” > > He then took Harry by the hand. “Come along, Harry. I’ll take you back > to Hogwarts. I’ll let these self-alleged ‘followers’ of Mine figure out > for themselves who it is they truly worship.” ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/38 "2002-10-25T07:48:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\* > Indeed. Take a gander at the last two panels of [Jack Chick’s most infamous tract](http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp). > \*\* Wow. I never got to do real spells when I role-played. Must have had the wrong DM. 😛 _[hijack my own thread]_ I asked this question before in a pit thread about Chick Tracts, (no reply) so I’ll ask it again: How many people, worldwide, really read and believe these tracts? He seems rather radical and wide of the mark, even for a CF. Thanks… ---
**Author:** ![jeevmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@jeevmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevmon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/39 "2002-10-25T13:04:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\* > Indeed. Take a gander at the last two panels of [Jack Chick’s most infamous tract](http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp). > > Not to mention the panel 3 rows above the last, where Jack Chick’s mouthpiece preacher commands his readers to “gather up all your occult paraphernalia like your rock music, occult books, charms, Dungeons & Dragons material. Don’t throw them away. _Burn them!_” \*\* That is one of the scarier things I’ve read in a while. Good thing I only had a small breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495/40 "2002-10-25T16:28:33Z")
> [@](#): > > John Lennon, while in the Beatles, made a statement that they (the beatles) were more popular than Christ. Now I’ve heard the interview and he clearly didn’t think that it was a good thing. But the fundies took the statement out of context and a huge tempest in a teacup ensues. Some time back, I saw an old video of the interview, and it seemed unavoidably obvious to me that he was not bragging or in any way saying that it was a _good_ thing that our pop-culture “celebrity of the moment” fixations had caused the Beatles to be bigger than Jesus. In fact, it was pretty close to the spirit in which a clergyman might rant to the congregation about the evils of a society in which the Beatles were now bigger than Jesus, aside from the absence of any reverence for Christianity itself. He was saying that it was a rather ridiculous phenomenon. At least that is how I remember it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-the-book-burning-fundamentalists/133495.md?page=3)