It's heading towards late, and i haven't done my homework.
I'm just now moving here from Xenga, because it will allow my to connect with my friends.
so yeah, let me show you what I've been working on.
The Harry Potter Debate;
What has Harry Potter to do with Religion?
Harry Potter, that magical series which has sparked the imaginations of children and adults of two hundred countries, and has been translated into sixty-two languages world wide. But in Pennsylvania and New Mexico, Christian groups burned burned copies of the books, along with other items and books, such as copies of Hercules and Ouija boards. In Maine when groups couldn’t get a permit for a bonfire, they took scissors to the books. Their reasons for such was that it promoted sorcery, the paranormal, Paganism, Wicca, and Satanism. Some do have reasonable fears, such as growing violence, scary scenes, mild language, in the later books. (Robinson, “Negative Responses”) Harry Potter actually was located in seventh place of The American Library Association’s 100 Most Challenged Books of 1990-2000. It was grouped in with other books such as The Goosebumps series, Bridge to Terabithia, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and I known why the Caged Bird sings. However, despite some groups’ beliefs, Harry Potter has nothing to do with Satanism, or Wicca, for these religions
Harry Potter deals with issues about the government, racism, superiority, parental neglect, desire, death, and evil, packaged in brightly colored covers, humorous characters, and a feeling of whimsy, adventure and magic. Harry Potter’s magic is the magic of fantasy stories commonly seen in television, classic stories such as The Wizard of Oz, and Halloween specials. Not once in the books does it give any reference to Wicca, Paganism, or Satanism, which it is accused of promoting.. It is ignorance caused by exclusivism in the Bible and misconceptions about Wicca and Satanism, which is the kindling to these book-burnings. However, by summarizing the two religions the fears of these Christians may be lifted.
Satanists, for example, are mainly a myth. There is the Church of Satan, founded in 1966 by Anton LaVey. Laveyians, as his group are sometimes called, don’t even really worship Satan as a deity, as it is often misconstrued, but instead worship defiance over deities. Satanists use the devil as a symbol of their defiance of the normal view of things in a Christian society. It is an individualistic religion, which refuses to demand “getting along, even in their own message boards, and believes in manipulation to achieve it’s goals. LeVeyian Satanists do not care to be compared to Wiccans. They find Wiccans to be hypocritical in the belief of harming none. (Barton)
Wicca, in turn, resents being compared to Satanists. While Satanism is about self-worship and defiance, Wicca is an earth-based religion where magic is not only about empowerment, but a form of prayer. Wiccans use various correlations and elements to achieve goals, but believe in following a moral code of “Harming None”. Wicca is a benign religion focused around the worship of the God and Goddess, however, multiple gods and goddesses from all religions can be invoked for different purposes. Wiccans also believe in the cliché, but still good Golden Rule, while Satanists reject it. The only correlation between he two is the occult, meditation, divination, and the use of energies. Wicca is a mix of old pagan beliefs, passed down family remedies, and a dash of the occult. Wands, athames, “cauldrons”, and pentacles are used for focusing power, mixing ingredients, and grounding power. Although both Harry Potter does use some such items, they are not used as a Wiccan would use them. Such items are used for ritual, not the flashy and instant responses as shown in movies and described in literature. (Holland)
However, part of the appeal of Neo-pagan religions such as Wicca is that it does bring in some of these ingrained ideas. Books of love spells, rituals, and communication with one’s spirit guides line the shelves of the bookstore’s New Age sections. Religions such as Wicca offer a way to gain a little control over one’s life. It’s also a very inclusive religion, allowing for different sets of beliefs and lifestyles. However, the book of Paul in the bible does the opposite.
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me” Most take this to mean that one cannot go to heaven without worshipping Jesus. Religious exclusivism is where a religion or person teaches or believes that their religion is the only legitimate one. Religious exclusivism was once the cause of the Spanish inquisition, where heretics, people who deviated from the majority’s practices, were hunted down, tortured, and executed. (Robinson, Religious Exclusivism)
Not that all Christians believe that way. Currently, the Catholic Church says that as long as you worship, you can still go to heaven. Many liberal Christians also believe along the same lines, even if they believe that they are closest to the truth. It is the pockets of conservative, or even fundamentalist protestant groups that still believe in their exclusive right to heaven because of their religion. They fear that if their children are exposed to something interesting that they themselves don’t understand, they’ll have failed as parents and Christians.
In a way, taking time to understand the parents is away to calm down such fights, but the parents who are concerned about their children’s reading habits should research what they are so afraid of. Harry Potter has little to nothing to do with Satanism or Paganism, but everything to do with being a child. If these parents took time to read the books, most of their fears would be alleviated, even more so if they look into Satanism and Wicca, as described here. Like the scary monsters at night, these fears can be banished with a little knowledge and light.
Works Cited
Barton, Blanche “From Our Former High Priestess”
The Church of Satan Oct 3, 2005
http://www.churchofsatan.com/home.htmlHolland, Eileen “The Wiccan Handbook”
Maine: Samuel Weiser, 2000.
McCuen, Barbara “Should Schools Ban Harry Potter for Promoting Witchcraft?” SpeakOut.com Oct 9. 2005
http://speakout.com/activism/issue_briefs/1319b-1.html Robinson, B.A. “Religious Intolerance in the Bible” Religious Intoreance.org Oct 3,2005
http://www.religioustolerance.org/intol_bibl.htmRobinson, B.A. “Religious Exclusivity in the Bible” Religious Tolerance.org Oct 3, 2005
http://www.religioustolerance.org/excl_bibl.htmRobinson, B.A. “Negative Responses By Christian Groups to the Harry Potter Books” Religious Tolerance.org Oct 9, 2005.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/potter2.htm
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