HP: Thoughts from others

I read this question from Anitha on the Above Rubies yahoogroup and related (except my children know that HP is wrong):

Please tellme the pros and cons of this much discussed series ofbooks. Most of my friends and children are addictedand except that I know in my spirit that the booksarent good...I dont have any concrete explantions tooffer them

Here are some replies that I thought were good:

It's all about witchcraft.. . we are not to have anything to with it. Bible is very against it. That is one book (and the movies), that I would never allow in my home. Alisa

we rented the first movie, and it met our standards :) so i let him read the book - but i flipped through the sequels, and like the author admits, they get "darker" and in my case, i found an unpleasant passage about Harry Potter's friend's treatment of his girlfriend, speaking disrespectfully about her, and being ashamed after "snogging" with her - it just made me feel like i sure would hate it if my son thought that was the way to behave. Also, i didn't like the "dementors" - Stephanie

1) J.K. Rowling's research for the books involved gathering information from real life books of witchcraft and sorcery. 2) Some of the spells and terminology in the book are factual. 3) A person who actually practices Wiccan found it hard to believe that J.K. Rowling did not practice Wiccan herself because of the books seemingly authenticity. Yvonne

If witchcraft is wrong, then it is wrong. Period. It is wrong to read about. It is wrong to watch. It is wrong to participate in. It is wrong. And to say that it is "fantasy" or "make believe" doesn't negate the fact that it is wrong. Would you let your children read a pornographic comic book (they do exist) and say "well it is fantasy and they are strong in their faith and know it's make believe, so what's the problem?" "Fantasy" and "make believe" do not change the fact that it is wrong. That our God says it (porn and witchcraft) is wrong. We are supposed to avoid even the appearance of evil. So make believe or not, we should have nothing to do with Harry Potter and the like. The power for witchcraft is real. Witchcraft is real. And that power comes from Satan. Just because Harry Potter is a novel and not a biography doesn't mean it is okay. The witchcraft spoken of in the HP books is very real. Satan is very real, and we should not wink at those kinds of things and say "it's just make believe". Kathy

And to address those who would say, "but your children read Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia!":

Yes there is a witch in LOTR. She is not Wiccan. NOR IS SHE THE HERO OF THE BOOK!!!! In Harry Potter the Witch is the Hero! If you want to be like the hero(s) of LOTR you will want to be simple, loving of the land, loyal, brave and stand up for truth and right in the face of insurmountable odds. (ie Sam and Froddo). In LOTR the "Evil" is evil. Angela

That was enough to bolster me - how about you?