COMMENTARY
Mad About Harry
Our readers seem to be absolutely mad about Harry Potter—both ways. They love him, or they hate him.
By Mark Moring | posted 11/22/2005
 1 of 3
Last week, Russ Breimeier's commentary, "Redeeming Harry Potter," noted a number of redeeming themes worth applaud in the books and movies about the boy wizard.
We only received a few e-mails in response to that commentary, but a couple of them were so vitriolic in tone that I cited them in our weekly CT at the Movies newsletter. My intro, titled "There's Something About Harry", quoted one reader who implied that we were among the "deceived elect" because we dared to find some good things in Harry Potter. Another accused us of "supporting the magical arts," adding, "I guess next you'll start endorsing homosexuality or perhaps bigamy?"
Hmm. We didn't need to come to our own defense. Many readers did, though a few also thought we'd gone off the deep, dark end for saying anything positive about Harry and his world.
Anyway, here's a sampling of what some of our readers said—divided up into the pros and cons.
The Pros
In light of criticism you've received, I would like to state that what you do best, in my opinion, is rise above the stupid, predictable, and confining rhetoric of both conservative and liberal points of view. I appreciate how your reviews assume that your readers possess both faithfulness and intelligence; and, how individual believers are assumed capable of wise decision-making using CT's insights as helpful, but not instructive, tools in their own media discernment process.
Evangelicals have some of the most overworked knee joints. We react without becoming educated so often that people think we are a part of a faith whose primary mission is to oppose things. When my mother taught 7th and 8th grade at a Christian school back in the 1980s, she was fired for reading stories about witchcraft. Her chosen book? The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. When she told the superintendent it was by C. S. Lewis, he said, "Then none of his books will be tolerated in this school." He was clueless. Thanks for all your help in finding decent films to take my family and church groups to see.
My wife and I loved your common sense article and agree wholeheartedly with it. Enough of the legalism.
I am thankful that Harry Potter created an interest in my children for reading. No other series, including Narnia, has done that for them. It's tough to get the emerging generation interested in novels, but these books have done it for many. The key issue here is helping your children process both fantasy and reality.
Harry Potter is a story! Who believes that it's reality?! If people have no more faith in their children's ability to separate fiction from fact, then they really do need to read Harry Potter together. For my son (now 12) and I, the books have made for some very interesting discussions. The books can open up an honest, serious discussion between children and their parents. Most people I've talked to that oppose these books have not even read one of them; they base their opinion on what others have told them. Now, how is that for thinking for oneself?
These people who wrote to tell you that you were the "deceived elect" seem to have missed the point that dedication to Christ does not mean they have stepped into a turn-key existence where they are no longer required to think, challenge themselves with differing opinions, and decide what is really appropriate and true in their lives. There are believers of Truth, and then there are True Believers. What I like about your reviews is that you are open-minded and honest. Your faith is quite palpable to me as a result. You aren't afraid to stretch and question. I, for one,will keep reading your reviews, whether or not you are damned to hell.
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