Banned Books: Harry Potter

When I first told my mother I had been reading The Hunger Games, she looked at me with a rather puzzled expression. Not much later, though, my dad chimed in and asked me whether I was going to read Harry Potter. I mimicked my mother's features, struck by shock. Ever since my youth, my mother (and father, admittedly) had silently forbidden us to read the books or watch the movies. My bewilderment only grew when my mother told me it was fine with her if I read them. We were older now. We would be able to take the scariness.
You might think I immediately rushed to the library to start reading. You are mistaken.

Now it was my turn to doubt the morals of this books. I'm religious, so how could I read a book about witches and wizards? In the end, I decided to see for myself whether this series was any good. To my delight, they were.

Justification: Understandable, but not justified.

Anthem: Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap

Rating: *****

Risk: XX without parental guidance in extreme cases.


Review: Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows. *sighs*

The following contains spoilers for the entire Harry Potter series.

Occult/satanic and Religious viewpoint

I'm going for a combination between 'occult/satanic' and 'religious viewpoint' here, because we've already handled both in-depth for The Hunger Games, and because the connection between the two is very close in this case. In a very obvious nutshell: the Harry Potter books are accused of promoting satanism because the characters use magic, spells, and fortune telling. Another complaint is the defiance of death. Multiple religious parties take various stances on the morality of the books and their author, J.K. Rowling. The debate even has its own Wikipedia page on which you can read about everyone's opinions. Mine you already know, reading this blog. I loved the books for their symbolism, morals, and story-telling. Because so many arguments and viewpoints can be pursued online, I want to discuss this story in a different manner.

So you think the Harry Potter books are evil? You're afraid your child will turn away from God because of them? Listen closely.

I completely understand your fear. I think every religious parent, whether Muslim, Christian, or Buddhist, is afraid their child might fall from grace. The thing to remember is that you raised your child. You are the primary reflection your child has of the faith of their upbringing. Shower them with love, make them familiar with your religion at an early age, but don't fret. Don't push too hard, for the harder you pull on the leash, the more forcefully your child will pull back. Raise them in a loving, God-fearing family and their faith will be strengthened for the rest of their life.

Now that your child is eleven, bombarded with TV shows and movies, it defies all logic and picks up a book. To your dismay, though, the book is one you do not agree with. It's not Christian. It's not pure and peaceful. It even contains magic! So you tell your kid to wait another year for the book. Maybe he/she will forget all about it, right?

So now your child is twelve. "It's been a year," it says. "I'm old enough now." You stick to your promise and hand them the book. What harm can be done, anyway? But you lie awake anyway. You joke with a nasty undertone while your kid's reading the story. Yes, he/she visits church every Sunday, listening attentively to the preacher. Your child asks you questions about their religion, curious and pursuing the truth. He/she goes to a Christian school. Has friends in abundance. He/she is open with you. Talks with you. Your child has morals more solid than your own, and never curses.

But you worry because of one simple bundle of paper. One that might contain more good messages than you credit it for.

In English class, they have to read a different book. Your child complains on end about the lousy ethics in the novel at the dinner table. With great distaste, he/she struggles through it. In the assignment you are asked to read through, he/she expresses his/her dislike for the main character and his awful lifestyle.

Dear parents,

An awful book doesn't raise your child. You do.

Sincerely,

Sennett Young

Violence

I wouldn't recommend the Harry Potter series as a fifth birthday present. There's a significant amount of violence in the books a child might find scary. However, if you're worried about the immorality of violence, don't forbid your kid to read the series at an older age. Harry, fifteen years old, hears he is the only one who might be able to kill Voldemort. His reaction is one of deep sadness at the thought that his life will contain such violence. Also, note that all violence originating from Harry's allies is in self-defense or defense of others and that they do not use the Killing Curse.

Anti-family

antifamily
(ˌæntɪˈfæmɪlɪ)
Definitions
Collins English Dictionary
adjective
opposed to the family unit

I don't understand this one. Except for the revelation that Dumbledore is gay, there's no remotely controversial stance on family or sexuality. Ron even comes from a family with so many kids they can barely afford to look after them. If that isn't conservative, I don't know what is.