Teachers are reportedly receiving complaints that teaching the Harry Potter books in classrooms exposes children to "witchcraft and Satanism".
Tom Bennett, a school behaviourist consulting with the Government, has claimed concerns from parents, particularly of religious backgrounds, that the popular series of novels works to "trivialise acts of magic". Speaking at an event held at London's City Hall, Bennett stated, "Harry Potter deals with the occult. There are many, many parents who are uncomfortable with their children discussing or looking at or reading anything at all do with the occult.
For many parents, particularly of Evangelical Christian backgrounds, and sometimes of Muslim backgrounds, the occult is not something which exists in fiction and fantasy, the occult is something which is a very living, live part of the faith. Many parents, particularly if they are Jehovah's Witnesses, will ask their children not to be exposed to books which trivialise or normalise acts of magic. It's part of witchcraft and Satanism.
They say they'd rather their children weren't exposed to literature or fiction which normalised or trivialised or even applauded or encouraged what they would regard as witchcraft."
Uh huh.
Well it makes sense that these parents would not want their children exposed to the magic in Harry Potter books, and the be able to compare it to the pathetic parlor tricks performed by the hero of THEIR favorite book.
Seriously, walking on water, cloning loaves and fishes, raising somebody from the dead?
I've seen that Criss Angel guy do those first two several times, and I learned that last one in my CPR/First Aid class.
I think these parents are just angry that J.K. Rowling had a more fertile imagination than the old primitive fools who compiled the stories of the Bible.
Here is an Op-Ed from Politico Ted Cruz wrote last night. He is furious that he could not get the gov't shut down because of Obamacare, the Iran deal, and Planned Parenthood. I'm not sure who is doing more damage to the GOP, Cruz or Trump.
ReplyDeleteWhen I’m traveling this country, people often ask me why Washington isn’t listening. Over and over again, from coast to coast, they ask me how Washington can be so tone deaf to their volcanic frustration with the failed tax and spend policies that have absolutely crushed them. Well, I am listening to them, which is why I cannot and will not support this massive crony Christmas gift—a bill that effectively forfeits our massive Republican victories of 2014 and cements Obama’s priorities for nearly the full remainder of his term.
Since taking control of the Senate, Republican leadership has joined hands with a majority of Democrats to thwart their own caucus’ efforts to stop the Obama agenda 24 times. During each of these 24 votes, this so-called Republican majority successfully passed legislation with a majority of Democrats in support and a majority of Republicans opposed. This is why I have said that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is the most effective Democratic leader in modern times.
Leadership is employing this tactic to pass a one-trillion-dollar-plus spending bill at the last minute in a matter of days without giving the American people a chance to debate whether it advances their ideals or their best interests. It’s all or nothing. Take it or leave it. They will countenance no debate on whether we should continue to fund Obamacare, or Planned Parenthood, or the disastrous Iranian nuclear deal. There’s one light switch to fund the government, and we can turn it either on or off.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/12/ted-cruz-spending-gop-surrendering-to-obama-213448#ixzz3ugrQYxHU
Cruz is such a creep. He'd rather cost his precious taxpayers another 24 billion, risk our credit rating, add dollars to our debt, and not pay the government's bills than actually do something for us. It's OUR tax dollars, Teddy, and we want to pay for public schools, roads, bridges, police, librarians, and keep the lights on and the air clean. Just go away, you evil man.
Delete[expletives inserted here] how ignorant and childish. It's f.i.c.t.i.o.n. - FICTION. As are fairy tales. Have any of these fools protested against a Disney movie lately? Or any other children's stories?
ReplyDeleteAlso too, have any of these protesters READ any of the Harry Potter books? They are the classic "good, with a lot of hard work, overcomes evil." Just can't do it with magic, must say prayers instead.
RAinNC
Not much better this side of the ocean. These kids were studying world religions. http://gawker.com/virginia-school-district-cancels-classes-after-teacher-1748639593
ReplyDeleteI read the Harry Potter books and loved them. First off, the author was brilliant in her writing, and second, the characters were endearing. It showed that the real world is similar in that there are kind good people and there are evil people, who can be found in whatever sphere one finds one to be in. The magicry, in my view, wasn't the focus of her books, but how one's circumstances might incite them to either be bitter, or better in life. Harry was my little hero. What kid in this life would overcome and put himself on the line for his friends like Harry did? Very few. He could have whined and demanded sweet revenge like Tom Riddle, but chose the better road. In my view, there are many correlations between christian conduct and what Harry and his friends, with the sweet Weasleys, showed. I think these parents are overreaching in their fears. Fear and paranoia, that seems to be the mood people are in these days.
ReplyDeleteI came away from her books with the lesson that all the magic in the world cannot overcome love.
DeleteI would bet you agree that the people who DO decide to go on shooting sprees are dejected and rejected by someone or bullied into a craze. Sure those people have imbalances that went undetected. But imagine if EVERYONE in the world said only kind words to all. Imagine if all hateful liberals on blogs stopped lying and bullying. Imagine how different the world would be.
ReplyDeleteThere are DISGUSTING comments and lies said about this family, comments that would possibly make an even slightly unstable person do drastic things.
The Palins restraint and maturity is a testament to a great upbringing. That cannot be denied.
Go back to the shrink, Alicia. The sessions already attended did absolutely no good.
DeleteAre you so deranged that you can't even post your comments on appropriate threads?
9:54 AM-
DeleteBoy are *YOU* brainwashed by Palin!
ROFLMAO!!
Where's that pic of Scarah holding up the FU Michael Mooee sign, the DWTS clip of Bristol wanting to give the world a big fat middle finger? That police tape of drunk and cursing Palins crashing a party and attacking other guests (with Palin grandchild there to witness it all. Those both show the Palins acting with such ... How did you put it again, ...restraint and maturity?
DeleteHarry Potter is about the universal fight between good and evil. In the end good wins, though many good guys died for the cause.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, what's the difference between spell magic and pray magic?
I remember 25 years ago when my 3rd grade daughter had Jurassic Park along on a family trip, and her aunt (a Kentucky RW church-goer) was aghast that that book had shown up in her daughters' public school.."it's about evolution!" They hate Potter as well. My husband's sisters sent their kids to private schools, so none of them dated before college, and they all married really late, except for the one girl, who dropped out of college because her somewhat older boyfriend didn't want to wait until he was out of med school for sex, so insisted she drop out and get married. First child was 10 months later, and she never went back to finish.
ReplyDeleteAll my husband's relatives are nuts. They own guns, have small kids around, some go to church but all pretend they can be Christians and support the GOP's hatred of anyone not white and male and American, whatever that is, and love of torture and killing. It makes it tough to go back, so we don't go often.
There are MANY young people who hated reading until the Harry Potter books came out and they got immersed in the stories and characters. The books are well written, the plots and characters are well-developed, and young people can relate to the many challenges the characters experience.
ReplyDeleteIf the 'Harry Potter' series can get children enthusiastic about reading, it accomplishes what millions of teachers, librarians and parents were previously unable to do!
When the Potter books first became almost insanely popular, a bunch of crazy Fundies decided to have a book burning in my hometown. It was to be held in front of the ultra-fanatic fundie church. They advertised like crazy and claimed to be expecting hundreds of people to show up in support of their "cause" of banning the series.
ReplyDeleteThe day came and the only people who showed up were a few of them carrying the books they were going to burn, a whole bunch of news media and many hundreds who showed up to ridicule them and taunt them about how stupid they were.
They waited and waited for "their own people" to show in support and finally left without even lighting the fire. The laughter as they left was heart warming. A few more ignorant idiots educated by the more intelligent people in the country.
The only book I've ever seen in real life that looked like a classic wizard's tome (and wasn't a prop or anything) was an old 18th century Bible.
ReplyDeleteI feel badly for the kids. Shows like "Bewitched" and "The Jetsons" along with some magnificent works of fiction will be ignored. Reading is so important to a child's development, and good fiction causes them to use their imaginations and expand their horizons in a way that non fiction just can't do. They're stifling their child's development and learning skills at a time when it should be nurtured.
ReplyDeleteI used to drag my kids to libraries and slog through books of all sorts until they found one that spiked their imagination. Time well spent because I knew they would actually READ a book they chose themselves. We used to take blank graph paper and they learned to make their own crossword puzzles, along with Scrabble and other games.
Isaac Asimov also wrote a wonderful book explaining a LOT about the Bible.
ReplyDelete"Asimov's Guide to The Bible"
goes from book to book explaining the geographical, historical, political, and biographical influences on each.
Very educational.
I learned so much from reading that book that when I finished it I said,
"well I'll be damned."
;)
I find it very funny that evangelicals are so opposed to Harry Potter, because at some point it became very obvious to me that J.K. Rowlings totally ripped off the Christianity storyline. Dumbledore was God, Voldemort was Satan, Harry was Jesus, the Order of The Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army seemed very disciple-like, and Peter Pettigrew made a pretty good Judas. Also, the whole Nagini/parseltongue thing seemed very Garden of Edeny to me too. It was an epic battle of good and evil with love conquering all. I really don't see what the big deal is, except J.K. Rowlings is a much better writer than whoever wrote the bible, so maybe it's a jealousy thing.
ReplyDelete