some say harry potter is evil
@easymoney75503 (1702)
United States
April 10, 2007 6:36pm CST
ok before everyone starts yelling at me let me just say i love harry potter and so do my kids and i dont think this lol. my kids went to church the other day and my oldest was talking about the new book coming out. well she came home from church very upset. i dont go with them i drop them off. they want to go so i let them. i dont go personally though unless it is an event and parents take the kids that sort of thing. its a good church only about 14 people all together go there and i know everyone. any ways she told me they told her harry potter was evil and it was the devils book etc. that she should not read that kind of stuff it is bad. well i tried to explain some peopel dont like magic and spells and take it to heart when books like this come out. i was talking to a family memeber and my aunt over heard us talking and got into the conversation and started in about how the books are being banned from alot of schools and such. she is penecostal however you spell that. she started praying over me saying i was going to hell for letting my kids read it. what are your thoughts and have you heard this before?
7 people like this
22 responses
@Impervious (1147)
• United States
11 Apr 07
These people kill me. IT IS A STORY.... A figment of someone's imagination. As with most other things it has only the meaning that a person applies to it. Evil no, not by any stretch. But there alway's has to be someone somewhere that spoils the fun for the rest of the class.
@jollsjlupin (43)
• United States
16 May 07
I completely agree with you. I really can't believe all the protests and bans on these books. These books are meant to provide kids and everyone else with a sense of imagination, adventure, and excitement. These books also teach the power of friendship and the power one person can have. I think it teaches many good morals. It is absolutely ridiculous that some people have to find something to complain about. Sometimes it seems these people aren't happy unless they have something to attack.
@DavidReedy (2378)
• United States
11 Apr 07
These people are nuts. Would they have us ban Mallory's Le Morte D'Arthur or the Canterbury Tales? Should we do away with everything that's fantastical? The next time these people start running their garbage-filled mouth tell them about this book you know that's filled with stories of adultery, homosexuality, incest, murder, slavery, betrayal, and demons--the Bible. People who spout this kind of nonsense about Harry Potter being evil, are people who are living in fear. Christians are supposed to be messengers of Love, mercy, forgiveness, and Joy. The people who have nothing better to do but point their fingers--THEIR kind of Christianity is what turns people against religion, God, Christianity, and Christians in general. By the way, I know a minister that's read all the Harry Potter books and really enjoys them.
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
11 Apr 07
I've heard people calling it evil, trying to ban it etc. Most who condemn it haven't even read it. That's what irritates me. If they read it they might find out they are great stories with a lot of good lessons to teach kids. Lessons about loyalty, friendship, family and so many more. My thought is for those of us who live in the USA that we have a little right called freedom of speach, that also means we have freedom to read what we want. These others should realize that.
@JashleyB (1441)
• United States
11 Apr 07
I have heard about this. Actually, every time a ew book comes out I start hearing about it. I think it sucks. It's ust entertainment! They shouldn't be worried about books like that. There are so manyother books out there tat kids shouldn't read. They aren't going to take magic that seriously, but the other things in more adult books they might read, they probably will.
2 people like this
@pearl1003 (668)
• Philippines
13 Apr 07
I guess it depends on what religion you are in... or what beliefs you live by... Here in the Philippines, we fancy magical world. Kids love watching fairytales on t.v. and even grown ups like it so much. I love reading the book Harry Potter and if Harry Potter's character is evil, i don't think so. He is just a character from someone else's imagination brought to life through the books and the films that came out. I've heard about this evil thing from my 8 year old niece in New York City... She said that her dad prohibited her to read the books and watch the films. He just told my niece that it is evil... and i respected his dad's point of view, we have different religion after all.
@battlecrossgirl (22)
• United States
11 Apr 07
I do NOT think the Harry Potter series is evil, but I have family members who don't want anything to do with it because of the magic and witchcraft. I have always thought it was amazing how much Harry Potter books are like the Bible. I mean they have two sides good and evil (God and the Devil/Dumbledore and Voldemort). Each side has a group of people following their teachings. Everyone has a choice of who to follow. It is the basic concept of good and evil. I know some people don't like things that concern magic and witchcraft, but this is just a story, no one is saying for anyone to worship Harry Potter. The people who think it is evil can keep it from their own children, but they are making them miss out on a very good story.
2 people like this
@shomomo (850)
• Israel
11 Apr 07
I think that this is what happens when you believe in fictional things like god and religion.
I really think that religion can make people go insane, just look at all the wars that happend they are all because of religion.
If you read harry potter you won't go to hell because there is no such thing as hell and even if there was such thing as hell god would know not to make such a foolish decision as to send someone to hell just for reading a book.
1 person likes this
@Qaeyious (2357)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I don't remember which chat room was "discussing" it when the first book came out, but there were many participants accusing Rowling of teaching witchcraft to innocent children.
My comment was that at least in the United States they were always teaching witchcraft -- at least once a week I remember having to take a spelling test.
@naka75 (795)
• Singapore
16 May 07
I tend to think evil arises from the state of mind. If the author of Harry Potter wants to turn every child into evil devils then the book could be evil. But on the contrary, it is now that those who scream evil are the ones who are are the true evil themselves, since they cannot accord themselves to advancement of humanity nor allow the young generation a piece of imagination.
@helpmehelpyou (534)
• Canada
16 Apr 07
i can't get over it, a book thats evil. the nechrinomicon is the book of evil. are we living the times of hitler again? books are meant to envelope the reader in a sense of otherworldness, is that a word? taking a child on a ride thru the sky much like peter pan did in the book peter pan. it's all imaginary, what of rocket man, that was imaginary 40 or so years ago, now we have palm pilots and rocket packs and green vehicles. it was just someones imagination back then and still is to this day that opens a childs mind to those things impossible to some and possible to others, it's just a story for heavens sake
@jolmartyn (129)
•
11 Apr 07
I enjoy Harry Potter, Children have had a tremendous amount of enjoyment from them. They are well written, generate a lot of imagination, have plots and twists in them. They have values. They show friendships, loyalties, families. Traditional values. They also show evil, and evil acts too. It is very safe, children will not be led into witchcraft this way, adults will be the ones to corrupt children not the other way round. You only have to turn on the news to see evil at work. Leave Harry alone!
@suzzs02 (631)
• United States
18 Apr 07
i have never hear anyone say that, but i have to say
my family loves it also.. i guess i would think they
were crazy, but have different beliefs so to tell the kids,, but i guess some things you cand do anything about but try to let your kids have there own opinion after u tell them yours,, and i myself
have not seen any of them only bits and pices but my
nephew has them all and his momma bought them for him....thanks for the post.
suzzs
@LouisJ (488)
• Turkey
13 Apr 07
i can't see how they could be said to be evil books. i mean the main character is fighting against evil for gods sake.did any of those who say even read the books? as far as i know it teaches you not to give up when life gets bad,like harry who lost all his parental figures but still tries to do the right thing.if my aunt did that i would have slapped her.
1 person likes this
@cowboyzfan (718)
• United States
11 Apr 07
It really depends on how religious you are. A lot of my family doesn't like it.
@Sarah1977 (495)
• United States
11 Apr 07
I am a Christian, and I do allow my kids to watch the Harry Potter movies, although I don't think I would let them read the books. I know that it seems like it doesn't make any sense, but hear me out.....Movies are short, and when they are over, they are over. Books seem to "penetrate" the brain much more then movies do, at least with my kids. Some kids become obsessed with magic due to these books, which is actually evil. The bible tells us to stay away from all types of magic, psychics, etc. I don't believe that watching a fictional movie is harmful, as long as you explain to your children that it is not okay to practice magic. I bet that the same Christians who say that Harry Potter is evil probably have nothing against movies like "The Wizard of Oz", which also has a witch and spells in it.
@mobyfriend (1017)
• Netherlands
11 Apr 07
I think it is wrong of your aunt to judge you. She can make mistakes too.
However I should not let your children go to church if you don't go yourself. They could be telling your children anything and you would have no control over it. And they have upset your child without confronting you with it. How low can you get. Instead of warning the child they should have talked to you.
@phantomopera6 (95)
• United States
11 Apr 07
I'm LDS and actually the same sort of thing happened to me. I thought that the Harry Potter books were exceptionally well written and I love the story. JK Rowling is amazing. When I went to Church several people there felt that it was evil because it delt with witch craft, and magic. Most of the people who felt this way were also opposed to watching shows like Charmed and Supernatural. A lot of the reason why people are like this is because they don't know anything about it. People can judge anything as long as they have no knowledge about it. Your daughter needs to remember that if she isn't practicing the witchcraft, or allowing those kinds of evils in, then she isn't doing anything wrong. Books and tv weren't ment to be evil, in my opinion. I don't think that JK Rowling had the idea that she would try and turn everyone evil. If she did, then she is brilliant. I would have never guessed. I think that if people took the time to read, or learn about what they are talking about, they would feel differently.
@ebookworm (8)
• Philippines
11 Apr 07
whoever said this book and that book is good? it's an opinion not a scientific fact. people should try to see for themselves if something is really good or evil. anyway, books like this are taken differently by different people. it all depends on how you see things. there's both good and bad people in the harry potter book. it could depend on which side you'll be. if you read such books and try to mimic the evil things they do then it's not good for you so don't read (you must be a psycho then, try seeing a psychiatrist) but if you only want to know the story and want to enjoy it at that, well no one should stop you from doing so
