Robin Norell

There is an email going around email circles that "warns" about Harry Potter.  I am enclosing it for your information - first is the email I received, and following that is my educated response.
 
 
THE EMAIL THAT IS CIRCULATING:
This information is written by a Pastor...

FYI Harry Potter Books?


This is the most evil thing I have laid my eyes ... and no one seems to understand its threat. The Harry Potter books are THE NUMBER ONE selling children's books in the nation today. Just look at any Barnes & Noble or Waldenbook storefront. Go to Amazon.com and read the reviews. Hear the touting by educators and even Christian teachers about how "It's great to see the youth so eagerly embracing the reading experience!"


Harry Potter is the creation of a former UK English teacher who promotes witchcraft and Satanism. Harry is a 13 year old 'wizard.' Her creation openly blasphemes Jesus and God and promotes sorcery, seeking revenge upon anyone who upsets them by giving you examples (even the sources with authors and titles!) of spells, rituals, and demonic powers. It is the doorway for children to enter the Dark Side of evil.


I think the problem is that parents have not reviewed the material. The name seems harmless enough... Harry Potter. But that is where it all ends.


Let me give you a few quotes from some of the influenced readers themselves:

"The Harry Potter books are cool, 'cause they teach you all about magic and how you can use it to  control people and get revenge on your enemies," said Hartland, WI, 10-year-old Craig Nowell, a recent convert to the New Satanic Order Of The Black Circle. "I want to learn the Cruciatus Curse, to make my muggle science teacher suffer for giving me a D." [A 'muggle' is an unbeliever of magic.]


Or how about the REALLY young and innocent impressionable mind of a 6 year old when asked about her favorite character:


"Hermione is my favorite, because she's smart and has a kitty," said 6-year-old Jessica Lehman of Easley, SC. "Jesus died because He was weak and stupid."


And here is dear Ashley, a 9 year old, the typical average age reader of Harry Potter:  "I used to believe in what they taught us at Sunday School," said Ashley, conjuring up an ancient spell to  summon Cerebus, the three-headed hound of hell. "But the Harry Potter books showed me that magic is  real, something I can learn and use right now, and that the Bible is nothing but boring lies."


DOES THIS GET YOUR ATTENTION!! If not, how about a quote from a High Priest of Satanism:


"Harry is an absolute godsend to our cause," said High Priest Egan of the First Church Of Satan in Salem, MA. "An organization like ours thrives on new blood - no pun intended - and we've had more applicants than we can handle lately. And, of course, practically all of them are virgins, which is gravy." [Since 1995, open applicants to Satan worship has increased from around 100,000 to now...  14 MILLION children and young adults!]


It makes me physically ill, people! But, I think I can offer you an explanation of why this is happening. Children have been  bombarded with action, adventure, thrills and scares to the point Hollywood can produce nothing new to give them the next 'high.' Parents have neglected to see what their children are reading and doing, and simply seem satisfied that 'Little Johnny is interested in reading.' AND... educators and the NEA are PUSHING this crap with NO WARNING as to the effects or the contents.


Still not convinced? I will leave you with something to let you make up your own mind. First the URL to read some background of what I have given you: http://theonion.com/onion3625/harry_potter.html <http://theonion.com/onion3625/harry_potter.html>  ( Harry Potter Books Spark Rise In Satanism Among Children ) Click on this site to see children from Winter Park.

And finally, a quote from the author herself, J. K. Rowling, describing the objections of Christian reviewers to her writings: "I think it's absolute rubbish to protest children's books on the grounds that they are  luring children to Satan," Rowling told a London Times reporter in a July 17 interview. "People should be praising them for that! These books guide children to an understanding that
the weak, idiotic Son Of God is a living hoax who will be humiliated when the rain of fire comes,... while we, his faithful servants, laugh and cavort in victory."


My hope is that you will see fit to become involved in getting the word out about this garbage.

Please FWD to every pastor, teacher, and parent you know. This author has now published FOUR BOOKS in less than 2 years of this 'encyclopedia of Satanism' and is surely going to write more.


 

THIS IS MY RESPONSE:
 
I must admit, I was quite dismayed to have received the recent email regarding Harry Potter. It was, at the least, loaded with nothing but opinions (mostly those of children), and at the most a most despicable lie.  I am a Christian, educated (college degree), protective mother, and an avowed Harry Potter fan.  As such, I would like to fill you in on some facts.
 
1) Most disturbing about the email was the "quote" by JK Rowling.  The email only contained part of the complete (disgusting) quote posted at the website link included.  This quote is 100% fabricated and a lie - there was no interview with JK Rowling in the month of July in the London Times newspaper. She did not say these things, they are total lies to make people believe something that is not true. 
 
2) The only response I have read that JK has made in regards to the lack of Christianity in her books is "then don't read them." If you truly believe you want to read only books that talk about and honor Jesus, then these books are not for you. But never once in any of the books is Jesus or God mentioned in either a negative or a positive light.  It is simply not an issue.  Conversely, however, there is no worship of Satan either. These are a bunch of kids going to school. In the wizarding world, there is a very bad demon, and they do try and keep him "out of power," but that is the extent of any true "power" issues.  In fact, the following review can be found on Amazon.com:
From Beliefnet
There are some Christians who view these two activities as a contradiction--who think that Hogwarts is worse than hogwash, and that the magical scenarios of J.K. Rowling's imagination are inherently un-Christian. I would counter that, instead, these books have the potential to be profoundly Christian if readers can see past the medium (magic) to the novels' deeper messages about self-sacrifice, the triumph of good over evil, and the glorious possibility of human redemption. (Beliefnet, July 2000)
 
3) To quote a group of children about their impressions of Harry Potter would be to question the mindless millions that watch Nickelodeon channel without the guidance of their parents, or listen to various rock groups whose lyrics are not acceptable as opposed to the ones that are - they are going to get out of it what they want to, based on their moral upbringing and their parental guidance!  This is a case of parents who neglect to give their children a good moral upbringing, to learn right from wrong, and to be well-adjusted human beings. I hardly think the parents of the child who said that "Jesus died because He was weak and stupid" are strong Christians, nor have they raised their child to follow in Jesus' footsteps. When Nickelodeon channel is watched WITH your children, or music listened to and discussed WITH your children, you can interpret it together, guide them, and learn from it.  If you allow them to be mindlessly led by it, you are leaving it up to their own interpretation, which generally they are too immature to properly make.
 
4) The quote from the High Priest Egan of the Satanic church - do you really believe he would say "practically all of them are virgins, which is gravy?"  Do you really think he would say that? And besides, what does this have to do with Harry Potter? This is more a sign of our times - after all, prayer isn't allowed in schools any more, remember? The TV shows about vampires and evil characters, the scary movies, the rock groups that promote "evil" - none of those have anything to do with the increase in involvement in Satanic cults, right?
 
5) MANY, MANY educators, Christian and non-Christian, are praising the Harry Potter books because they are so well-written, interesting and fun that they have encouraged millions of children to read!  These children, many of whom never had an interest in reading before, are not only reading the Potter books, but anything they can get their hands on.  The reading level of these books is at least that of a high school level - even my husband had difficulty with the vocabulary and grammar. Think about it - a craze in America led strictly by a book!  Not a TV show, or a movie, or even driven by commercialism - just simply a book!  It's unheard of in our recent cultural history!  Yes, unfortunately the commercialism will follow, but for now, they have nothing but a book.
 
6) The "magic" and "wizardry" in these books is very simple, and mostly quite harmless.  They are not incantations recited in a foreign language, they are one word commands for things like illuminating their wand, etc.  The higher magic comes in only during the fight of good vs. evil, which is very black and white here. There are the bad guys and the good guys, and it's pretty obvious which are which.  There is no devil worship. The email indicates that the books lists spells and cites sources with authors and book titles.  Hello people - this is fiction! There are no such books - these are fictional books that JK Rowling has made up as part of a story!   And do keep this in mind - it is just a book, a work of fiction!
 
7) Censorship - this country was founded on people looking for freedom! The freedom to make their own decisions about their lives, not have the government tell them what to believe, how to worship, and what to read!  Censorship is tantamount to communism, and ESPECIALLY as homeschoolers, should be one of our biggest fears in life! This is why we homeschool - because we don't want to go along with the masses, we question the norm, and make our own decisions!
 
8) Harry Potter himself is an EXCELLENT role model for children!  He is totally un-self-centered, generous, thinks nothing of putting himself in danger for the sake of his friends, is a good student, and other than being a procrastinator (as shown mildly in book #4), has no other major faults! I have no problem with my children emulating Harry!
 
 
What concerns me most here is the fact that the people who initiated this email are ignorant of the Harry Potter books - they obviously have not read them, have not quoted reliable sources, and have made up actual lies.  And these lies are being spread to people like you and other parents who have not read the books.  I know of no intelligent person who has read the books (whether they personally liked them or not) that think they are EVIL.  Before we go and help the authors of these ignorant emails by spreading their word, we need to research and investigate the topic in further detail. Otherwise, other parents might be influenced to a degree that they not allow their children to read these books. If the parents themselves have personally read the books and come to the decision that they prefer their children not read the books, then I truly and utterly respect their decision - they are the parents and it is their decision.  However, if the parents have not read the books, they will be led by the "recommendations" of these crackpots, and then I think it's a shame and a loss for all concerned.
 
Please forward THIS email to every pastor, teacher and parent you know.
Robin Norell

Billy or Nancy

Robin,
 
Almost all of the quotes used in the Pastor's message came from the article in the Onion (the link was included in the message). You did a good job of defending the attacks on Harry Potter but probably should have mentioned that the Onion is a satirical e-zine and that the article used as a source for all those quotes was completely a parody - any truth included in it was purely accidental!

Billy
Family Unschoolers Network
http://www.unschooling.org
FUN Books
http://www.FUN-Books.com
Featuring the new John Taylor Gatto book!

-----Original Message-----
From: Robin Norell [mailto:rnorell@...]
There is an email going around email circles that "warns" about Harry Potter.  I am enclosing it for your information - first is the email I received, and following that is my educated response.
 
 
THE EMAIL THAT IS CIRCULATING:
This information is written by a Pastor...

FYI Harry Potter Books?


This is the most evil thing I have laid my eyes ... and no one seems to understand its threat. The Harry Potter books are THE NUMBER ONE selling children's books in the nation today. Just look at any Barnes & Noble or Waldenbook storefront. Go to Amazon.com and read the reviews. Hear the touting by educators and even Christian teachers about how "It's great to see the youth so eagerly embracing the reading experience!"

Let me give you a few quotes from some of the influenced readers themselves:

"The Harry Potter books are cool, 'cause they teach you all about magic and how you can use it to  control people and get revenge on your enemies," said Hartland, WI, 10-year-old Craig Nowell, a recent convert to the New Satanic Order Of The Black Circle. "I want to learn the Cruciatus Curse, to make my muggle science teacher suffer for giving me a D." [A 'muggle' is an unbeliever of magic.]


Or how about the REALLY young and innocent impressionable mind of a 6 year old when asked about her favorite character:


"Hermione is my favorite, because she's smart and has a kitty," said 6-year-old Jessica Lehman of Easley, SC. "Jesus died because He was weak and stupid."

Still not convinced? I will leave you with something to let you make up your own mind. First the URL to read some background of what I have given you: http://theonion.com/onion3625/harry_potter.html <http://theonion.com/onion3625/harry_potter.html>  ( Harry Potter Books Spark Rise In Satanism Among Children ) Click on this site to see children from Winter Park.

[email protected]

In a message dated 00-09-17 10:14:08 EDT, rnorell@... writes:

<< Still not convinced? I will leave you with something to let you make up
your own mind. First the URL to read some background of what I have given
you: http://theonion.com/onion3625/harry_potter.html
<http://theonion.com/onion3625/harry_potter.html> >>


The Onion is a total satire/humor site. I don't know whether this came from
The Onion, or whether a minister read something from The Onion and took it
for serious writing instead of HEAVILY off the wall sarcasm.

Lynda

There are several of these going around. I "filed" them right along with
the segment on Politically Incorrect where Falwell says that the hole in
the ozone layer is a myth, and that the purple Teletubby is gay and that's
why "it" has a triangle. It is scary to me that these people are put in
any contact with children!

Lynda

----------
From: Robin Norell <rnorell@...>
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:@...;
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Harry Potter warning
Date: Sunday, September 17, 2000 7:12 AM

There is an email going around email circles that "warns" about Harry
Potter. I am enclosing it for your information - first is the email I
received, and following that is my educated response.


THE EMAIL THAT IS CIRCULATING:
This information is written by a Pastor...

FYI Harry Potter Books?


This is the most evil thing I have laid my eyes ... and no one seems to
understand its threat. The Harry Potter books are THE NUMBER ONE selling
children's books in the nation today. Just look at any Barnes & Noble or
Waldenbook storefront. Go to Amazon.com and read the reviews. Hear the
touting by educators and even Christian teachers about how "It's great to
see the youth so eagerly embracing the reading experience!"


Harry Potter is the creation of a former UK English teacher who promotes
witchcraft and Satanism. Harry is a 13 year old 'wizard.' Her creation
openly blasphemes Jesus and God and promotes sorcery, seeking revenge upon
anyone who upsets them by giving you examples (even the sources with
authors and titles!) of spells, rituals, and demonic powers. It is the
doorway for children to enter the Dark Side of evil.


I think the problem is that parents have not reviewed the material. The
name seems harmless enough... Harry Potter. But that is where it all ends.


Let me give you a few quotes from some of the influenced readers
themselves:

"The Harry Potter books are cool, 'cause they teach you all about magic and
how you can use it to control people and get revenge on your enemies,"
said Hartland, WI, 10-year-old Craig Nowell, a recent convert to the New
Satanic Order Of The Black Circle. "I want to learn the Cruciatus Curse, to
make my muggle science teacher suffer for giving me a D." [A 'muggle' is an
unbeliever of magic.]


Or how about the REALLY young and innocent impressionable mind of a 6 year
old when asked about her favorite character:


"Hermione is my favorite, because she's smart and has a kitty," said
6-year-old Jessica Lehman of Easley, SC. "Jesus died because He was weak
and stupid."


And here is dear Ashley, a 9 year old, the typical average age reader of
Harry Potter: "I used to believe in what they taught us at Sunday School,"
said Ashley, conjuring up an ancient spell to summon Cerebus, the
three-headed hound of hell. "But the Harry Potter books showed me that
magic is real, something I can learn and use right now, and that the Bible
is nothing but boring lies."


DOES THIS GET YOUR ATTENTION!! If not, how about a quote from a High Priest
of Satanism:


"Harry is an absolute godsend to our cause," said High Priest Egan of the
First Church Of Satan in Salem, MA. "An organization like ours thrives on
new blood - no pun intended - and we've had more applicants than we can
handle lately. And, of course, practically all of them are virgins, which
is gravy." [Since 1995, open applicants to Satan worship has increased from
around 100,000 to now... 14 MILLION children and young adults!]


It makes me physically ill, people! But, I think I can offer you an
explanation of why this is happening. Children have been bombarded with
action, adventure, thrills and scares to the point Hollywood can produce
nothing new to give them the next 'high.' Parents have neglected to see
what their children are reading and doing, and simply seem satisfied that
'Little Johnny is interested in reading.' AND... educators and the NEA are
PUSHING this crap with NO WARNING as to the effects or the contents.


Still not convinced? I will leave you with something to let you make up
your own mind. First the URL to read some background of what I have given
you: http://theonion.com/onion3625/harry_potter.html
<http://theonion.com/onion3625/harry_potter.html> ( Harry Potter Books
Spark Rise In Satanism Among Children ) Click on this site to see children
from Winter Park.

And finally, a quote from the author herself, J. K. Rowling, describing the
objections of Christian reviewers to her writings: "I think it's absolute
rubbish to protest children's books on the grounds that they are luring
children to Satan," Rowling told a London Times reporter in a July 17
interview. "People should be praising them for that! These books guide
children to an understanding that
the weak, idiotic Son Of God is a living hoax who will be humiliated when
the rain of fire comes,... while we, his faithful servants, laugh and
cavort in victory."


My hope is that you will see fit to become involved in getting the word out
about this garbage.

Please FWD to every pastor, teacher, and parent you know. This author has
now published FOUR BOOKS in less than 2 years of this 'encyclopedia of
Satanism' and is surely going to write more.





THIS IS MY RESPONSE:

I must admit, I was quite dismayed to have received the recent email
regarding Harry Potter. It was, at the least, loaded with nothing but
opinions (mostly those of children), and at the most a most despicable lie.
I am a Christian, educated (college degree), protective mother, and an
avowed Harry Potter fan. As such, I would like to fill you in on some
facts.

1) Most disturbing about the email was the "quote" by JK Rowling. The
email only contained part of the complete (disgusting) quote posted at the
website link included. This quote is 100% fabricated and a lie - there was
no interview with JK Rowling in the month of July in the London Times
newspaper. She did not say these things, they are total lies to make people
believe something that is not true.

2) The only response I have read that JK has made in regards to the lack of
Christianity in her books is "then don't read them." If you truly believe
you want to read only books that talk about and honor Jesus, then these
books are not for you. But never once in any of the books is Jesus or God
mentioned in either a negative or a positive light. It is simply not an
issue. Conversely, however, there is no worship of Satan either. These are
a bunch of kids going to school. In the wizarding world, there is a very
bad demon, and they do try and keep him "out of power," but that is the
extent of any true "power" issues. In fact, the following review can be
found on Amazon.com:
>From Beliefnet
There are some Christians who view these two activities as a
contradiction--who think that Hogwarts is worse than hogwash, and that the
magical scenarios of J.K. Rowling's imagination are inherently
un-Christian. I would counter that, instead, these books have the potential
to be profoundly Christian if readers can see past the medium (magic) to
the novels' deeper messages about self-sacrifice, the triumph of good over
evil, and the glorious possibility of human redemption. (Beliefnet, July
2000)

3) To quote a group of children about their impressions of Harry Potter
would be to question the mindless millions that watch Nickelodeon channel
without the guidance of their parents, or listen to various rock groups
whose lyrics are not acceptable as opposed to the ones that are - they are
going to get out of it what they want to, based on their moral upbringing
and their parental guidance! This is a case of parents who neglect to give
their children a good moral upbringing, to learn right from wrong, and to
be well-adjusted human beings. I hardly think the parents of the child who
said that "Jesus died because He was weak and stupid" are strong
Christians, nor have they raised their child to follow in Jesus' footsteps.
When Nickelodeon channel is watched WITH your children, or music listened
to and discussed WITH your children, you can interpret it together, guide
them, and learn from it. If you allow them to be mindlessly led by it, you
are leaving it up to their own interpretation, which generally they are too
immature to properly make.

4) The quote from the High Priest Egan of the Satanic church - do you
really believe he would say "practically all of them are virgins, which is
gravy?" Do you really think he would say that? And besides, what does this
have to do with Harry Potter? This is more a sign of our times - after all,
prayer isn't allowed in schools any more, remember? The TV shows about
vampires and evil characters, the scary movies, the rock groups that
promote "evil" - none of those have anything to do with the increase in
involvement in Satanic cults, right?

5) MANY, MANY educators, Christian and non-Christian, are praising the
Harry Potter books because they are so well-written, interesting and fun
that they have encouraged millions of children to read! These children,
many of whom never had an interest in reading before, are not only reading
the Potter books, but anything they can get their hands on. The reading
level of these books is at least that of a high school level - even my
husband had difficulty with the vocabulary and grammar. Think about it - a
craze in America led strictly by a book! Not a TV show, or a movie, or
even driven by commercialism - just simply a book! It's unheard of in our
recent cultural history! Yes, unfortunately the commercialism will follow,
but for now, they have nothing but a book.

6) The "magic" and "wizardry" in these books is very simple, and mostly
quite harmless. They are not incantations recited in a foreign language,
they are one word commands for things like illuminating their wand, etc.
The higher magic comes in only during the fight of good vs. evil, which is
very black and white here. There are the bad guys and the good guys, and
it's pretty obvious which are which. There is no devil worship. The email
indicates that the books lists spells and cites sources with authors and
book titles. Hello people - this is fiction! There are no such books -
these are fictional books that JK Rowling has made up as part of a story!
And do keep this in mind - it is just a book, a work of fiction!

7) Censorship - this country was founded on people looking for freedom! The
freedom to make their own decisions about their lives, not have the
government tell them what to believe, how to worship, and what to read!
Censorship is tantamount to communism, and ESPECIALLY as homeschoolers,
should be one of our biggest fears in life! This is why we homeschool -
because we don't want to go along with the masses, we question the norm,
and make our own decisions!

8) Harry Potter himself is an EXCELLENT role model for children! He is
totally un-self-centered, generous, thinks nothing of putting himself in
danger for the sake of his friends, is a good student, and other than being
a procrastinator (as shown mildly in book #4), has no other major faults! I
have no problem with my children emulating Harry!


What concerns me most here is the fact that the people who initiated this
email are ignorant of the Harry Potter books - they obviously have not read
them, have not quoted reliable sources, and have made up actual lies. And
these lies are being spread to people like you and other parents who have
not read the books. I know of no intelligent person who has read the books
(whether they personally liked them or not) that think they are EVIL.
Before we go and help the authors of these ignorant emails by spreading
their word, we need to research and investigate the topic in further
detail. Otherwise, other parents might be influenced to a degree that they
not allow their children to read these books. If the parents themselves
have personally read the books and come to the decision that they prefer
their children not read the books, then I truly and utterly respect their
decision - they are the parents and it is their decision. However, if the
parents have not read the books, they will be led by the "recommendations"
of these crackpots, and then I think it's a shame and a loss for all
concerned.

Please forward THIS email to every pastor, teacher and parent you know.
Robin Norell

Tracy Oldfield

Can I add to this, to anyone who may be formulating a response to
rebut this attack on Harry Potter, (which I must be one of the few
remaining people who haven't read any yet) that there is no such
newspaper as the 'London Times' there's The Times. JFYI

Tracy

Susan Halpern

About the email on Harry Potter. . .
This would be funny if it wasn't so sad and scary. Hard to believe people
are so unattached and paranoid!
BTW did you notice that the reference material cited was from the Onion? As
you may know that is a enews satire site, usually pretty funny too! I think
this "pastor" mistook it for a real news report! We definitely should
forward a copy to them.

I think Harry Potter series is wonderful; some of the best crafted writing
for child or adult that I have seen in years. Personally I'm already
anticipating number 5.

Sue H.
Newbie homeschooling mom of Sam 8 and Anna 7.

[email protected]

In a message dated 00-09-17 15:59:07 EDT, you write:

<< Can I add to this, to anyone who may be formulating a response to
rebut this attack on Harry Potter, (which I must be one of the few
remaining people who haven't read any yet) that there is no such
newspaper as the 'London Times' there's The Times. JFYI >>

In England, no doubt that's hugely true. <g>

But here the Plain-Old-Times is more likely to default to the New York Times,
and so that's why it would be specified that way in American writing. (I'm
not trying to be obnoxious or argumentative, I just can't help it
sometimes...)

Sandra

Tracy Oldfield

still, the other part of this is that it's not the London Times, but the
English or British Times. The well-known paper that's actually
for London only is the Evening Standard. 
But now I'm being pedantic. for a change *grin*

Tracy

Robin Norell

Billy -
 
Thanks for the clarification on the Onion e-zine - I wasn't aware of its nature.... but I'll be aware of it for the future!
 
Robin
 :-)
 

[email protected]

In a message dated 00-09-17 18:49:09 EDT, you write:

<< still, the other part of this is that it's not the London Times, but the
English or British Times. The well-known paper that's actually
for London only is the Evening Standard. >>

Okay. Pedantia well taken. <g> (You and I and all our friends voting as a
bloc couldn't stop it, though, and it will BE "the London Times" in the U.S.
forevermore, I bet...)

Tracy Oldfield

At least I'm edjumacatin' someone... LOL

Tracy (*waving at Sandra!!*)