In case you ever wondered if former president George W. Bush had any deep thoughts on literature, here’s the answer to your question: he took it very, very literally. Apparently there’s no room for fantasy in the former president’s view, especially when it comes to children’s lit. Former Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer revealed that the president refused to give Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling the Presidential Medal of Freedom because her books “encouraged” witchcraft. The same argument given by close minded pro-censorship folks everywhere.
Noted Muggle/compassionate conservative George W. Bush was apparently a devout Harry Potter hater.
The former commander in chief wasn’t about to honor J.K. Rowling, the talent behind the book series, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom…and for quite the logical reason.
“People in the White House…actually object[ed] to giving the author J.K. Rowling a presidential medal because the Harry Potter books encouraged witchcraft,” writes former Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer in his book, Speech-less: Tales of a White House Survivor.
That’s right. Good ol’ Dubya and his administration dissed the mega-selling British author, refusing to let her join the ranks of James A. Michener, Harper Lee and John Steinbeck. (Guess he figured the Secret Service could handle any Avada Kedavra curse flung his way.)
Bush distributed 81 medals during his time in office, mostly to war-related allies.
[From E! Online]
While I am not personally a reader of the Harry Potter books, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: anything that gets kids that excited about reading is a great and wonderful thing. Most kids read here and there because they have to for school. But the Harry Potter books don’t encourage witchcraft so much as they encourage a lifetime love of reading. The kind of love that gets devotees to stand in line for hours to get their hands on a book. How often do kids really do that sort of thing anymore? Sure, they’ll stand in line for hours to get their hands on the hottest video game or newest pair of “it” shoes.
How great is it that there’s a writer so inventive that she’s brought back an extreme devotion to reading – against all odds. Kids have so many other things to keep them entertained and over stimulated. It’s so close-minded and ignorant to say that J.K. Rowling wasn’t deserving of the medal of freedom because her books talked about magic. It’s fantasy. Would the former president refuse to let children watch a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat if he were given the option? Because Harry Potter has about that much reality. It’s fun and entertaining, and should be honored for it.
Guess George isn’t aware that witchcraft doesn’t actually exist! Yes, it’s far better to give medals for being in wars than to give them for book learning. No one should be encouraged to read!
My christian friends wouldn’t let their children see ANY of the Harry Potter films. However, all were allowed to see The Lord of the Rings and Narnia because they were written by christian writers. Double standard much?
reminds me of Quayle chastising Murphy Brown for having a kid out of wedlock.
I guess the GOP can’t tell the diff btwn reality and fiction.
But they DO love fiction…right, Senator “I just have a wide stance” Craig?
What a dumb fuck.
What can you say about a man who is photographed with the book, My Pet Goat upside down, while pretending to read it to children.
Not much.
And Laura the Librarian reduced to a corner had no say? = )
And I agree, getting kids excited about reading is the goal. I used to lie in bed at night under the covers reading Nancy Drew. Those early experiences set me for a life of reading.
Actually, I don’t think the Narnia example is hypocritical because, as far as I’m aware, they were written specifically as Catholic allegories (never helped my Catechism along much though)
I don’t understand or agree with that mindset, but they’re doing what they think is best for their children I suppose.
But as for Bushie – he may have ruled over a regime that nearly financially bankrupted his country, showered blanket disdain on those concerned with the environment, began two unfounded wars…. sorry conflicts… peddled an anti-intellectual agenda, and made his office, and indeed his country, go from being one of the most respected to reviled countries on the planet – but at least he had his priorities straight; sorting hats and talking f***** BARN OWLS are the real danger to America’s children. 👿
EDIT @ Diane, I remembered that incident too 😉 Perhaps he thought it would be less damaging to their good little Christian heads? (non-Christians can p*ss off presumably, they’re headed straight to Fire-and-Brimstone land anyway)
You just KNOW he’s really a Deatheater!
Not a double standard Myma Jane, You can not compare Narnia and the Lord of the Rings, with Harry Potter, the message in these books differ form Harry Potter.
So AlaskaJoey ( I have enjoyed your comments in the past) If your logic is that you allow your children to read just anything, just to encourage our children to read, well then why not just hand them a Playboy Mag (just for the articles of course ;)) or a manual of how to manufacture drugs, or how to build a home bomb etc… ya know they are just learning how to read, get the point.
I know that witchcraft is considered fantasy, and I do not expect for most bloggers to understand why I consider these books poisonous literature I have my reasons. Anyway, why should she get a Presidential Medal of Freedom? What exactly did she do for man kind? Other than fill her money with millions in profit from her books sales. That is a reward in itself. And it is not close minded and ignorant, we just happen to have a different view on the matter.
Oh, man. I bet JK is just devestated that W doesn’t like her books. I guess she’ll just have to console herself with her millions of dollars and her millions of fans.
I bet Sasha and Malia are huge HP fans.
@Rae Sasha and Malia are huge HP fans, the current president said he read HP out loud to his daughters.
@Diane The My Pet Goat upside down thing was photoshopped.
@ a: No kidding!!
I am SO glad he’s not the president anymore. What a global embarrassment.
Thanks for the correction Celeb. It seemed to fit the dumbfounded look GWB always had = )
Good to hear that Sasha and Malia read HP.
~
Lying to the public, congress, media etc. in order to start an illegal and immoral war is more evil than all the witchcraft in the world put together.
What cheney/bush et. al. know about being a christian is one thing, talk as we tragically found out, is cheap.
These people did not practice their religion any more than anyone who never heard of it.
So wait, you can’t say Harry is the savior, Voldemort is the devil blah, blah…?
To me, it is a double standard. They still used the “evil” witchcraft to tell a story but said it was okay because it had clear message connected to Christ or whatever.
If it’s so important maybe Obama will give her one. If he doesn’t I bet we wouldn’t be as critical.. just sayin
Another reason to rejoice that he’s out of the white house. What a jerk off. The goal is to get the kids to read. When I was teaching, that’s all the kids wanted to read. It was fine with me…as long as they were reading..
HP is junk food on paper, LOTR is literature. GWB had to cater to whims and perceptions of the people who elected him.
@ HeavenBound – Maybe I would understand if you explained. Why do you consider these books poisonous literature? As a wannabe author, I am genuinely curious.
Narnia books are all Christian (Aslan = Jesus, etc.); in fact, C. S. Lewis has also written tons of books for grownups about spirituality. I don’t so much see a Christian allegory in LoTR, though…
Weren’t the Harry Potters on Laura Bush’s must read list? I think she listed them as her faves. I call BS on this story.
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/04/laura_bush_cant_get_enough_of.html
In the story above, the author calls her illiterate. So I guess if you are a Bush, you can’t win.
“HP is junk food on paper…”???????
Have you even READ the books? JK Rowling is an immensely talented writer and any reference to her work as “junk food” is wholly off the mark.
“Twilight” is junk on paper. If anyone gives that woman a medal, I’m moving to the moon.
Heavenbound.. why do you consider Harry Potter to be “poisonous”? I’m curious what are your reasons.
I stand corrected on the upside down book thing. I don’t think I’m wrong on the rest though.
Out of curiosity – did anyone else here watch “W” the Oliver Stone film with Josh Brolin – did you think it was a fair interpretation of Bush and Cheney and Co?
It’s funny what the right wing gets excited about: war, poverty, no problem. A little kid riding around on a broom, a threat to civilization.
@ Princess Pea & Minx
I think the reason why Heavenbound thinks the HP books are poisonous is because of the witchcraft and sorcery. Christians like my mom believe that it is a bad influence on children because it’s “evil” and influenced by the devil. I think the bible speaks against it as well. Basically, whatever the bible says goes….
I don’t know if she deserves a presidential medal of freedom quite yet. I’m pretty sure her best project yet is coming down the aqueduct… not necessarily a literary project. More likely a worldwide literacy/feminism campaign (two of her pet projects) that will surely catch all sorts of attention and quite possibly bring about something of a paradigm shift.
That being said, well, Bush is a toolbox. Nothing much more to be said than that. I bet Sasha and Malia LOVE the HP books and have dog-earred gold-edged signed-by-the-author edditions lined up in a row on their constitutional, liberated bookshelf.
Let’s not forget Jesus’ first act of witchcraft – oops, I mean magic – oops again I mean miracleworking – was conjuring up some alcohol.
@Heavenbound: “Poisonous literature”? These books encourage intelligence, resourcefulness, loyalty, compassion, friendship, altruism, honesty, tolerance, even forgiveness… all fairly Christian values, am I right?
Or is it all negated because Dumbledore is gaaaaaaaay?
Thanks, CB. I think it would be exciting to read HP with your kids. I can’t wait until my nephew is older so I can start reading HP to him.
@AlaskaJoey
Witchcraft DOES exist and is alive and well. Wicca and other earth based faiths are recognised by the US Armed forces. We dont fly around on broomsticks or have talking hats and invisibility cloaks (although we do have our scientists working on that) but there are witches and we do practice a craft.
My dad and stepmom, who are Bible-thumping Southern Baptists, also would not allow my little sister to read the HP books – based on the SB Convention’s annual platform/railing – or see any of the movies of course as well. And they used that old, tired rhetoric about witchcraft/the devil, blah, blah…however, one of my sister’s favorite shows, which they allowed her to watch every day, was old reruns of Bewitched – is that some messed up logic, or what? Of course when I asked about it, they both looked like deer in headlights and tried to argue it wasn’t the same thing – because one is silly? They are all just a bunch of cattle – and Heavenbound is one of them. Living in a constant state of fear, anxiety, and disdain for anything different than what someone else tells them is “appropriate”; completely unable to be objective and make up their minds on their own. Ugh…and to think they breed…
Chronicles of Narnia is a Christan allegory as has been stated before and has been widely analyzed in Christian literature. I’m sure even the author himself explained that to a certain degree. CS Lewis wrote many, many books that were Christian Literature. Screwtape Letters anyone?
LOTR is fantasy. I don’t understand why there is not the scrutiny for that series but I’m also not as familiar with it.
HP can be analyzed from a Christian perspective (and has been done–Finding God in Harry Potter) but not by the author herself. Because she has not done anything to encourage that interpretation, it has been treated as many fantasy books depicting magic have been by the Christian community.
That said, I think GWB is entitled to his opinion and there’s nothing stopping Obama from awarding the medal that many of you think she deserves. Maybe you should start a letter writing campain. : )-
Christians not only think Harry Potter is evil, but The Origin of Species as well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM0oBuhTLRI
Can we go a little lighter on the Christian generalizations, please? I am one of millions of practicing Christians that read all of the HP books. In fact, every single member of my household has read them and loves them. I’m pretty sure that none of my children has taken up witchcraft as a result. Oh yeah – I’m also one of the millions that don’t dispute Darwinism or evolution either. I wouldn’t allow my children to be taught creationism.
GWB is a moron, that is not in doubt. But his rigid, stupid position is reflective of a small group of Christians – mostly who make up the religious right that love this idiot. For the record, I’m a Republican too, but have no tolerance for W.
Regarding why LOTR doesn’t get the same bad rap: JRR Tolkien was a devout (went to Mass every day) Catholic and made it clear that LOTR had good vs evil / God vs the Devil symbolism. His faith was well know, as was the fact that he and CS Lewis were best friends. On the other hand, when Jo Rowling was asked about her religious belief, she’s given very nondescript answers like “I was brought up Church of E.” So because she has not endorsed organized Christianity, the narrow-minded morons attack Harry Potter.
@ MymaJane – I was hoping Heavenbound would answer because she implied that there is more to her anti-Potterism than the tired old “sorcery = the devil” thing. Especially considering her insistence that LoTR is okay.
I was wondering if there was more to it than the knee-jerk reaction. Heavenbound said: “the message in these books differs from Harry Potter.” I wondered what that meant, I guess.
Edited to add: Like the one Chris just gave. Thank you! I don’t agree with it (neither do you, obvs) but I understand a little better.
Heaven forbid (pun intended) the people who are against the HP series should read the books and make up their own minds. As with most banned books, the ones who want them taken away haven’t even read them to find out the content and context.
I believe that in the documentary that was made of J.K. Rowling that followed her around the year before the last H.P. book was published she said that she grew up Catholic and that she still is a practicing Catholic? C.S. Lewis belonged to the Church of England I believe not Catholic. J.R.R. Tolkien was Catholic.
Lewis and Tolkien are acceptable because they are male and they are known as “Christian” authors and the church has deemed them safe to read.
There’s probably a commity somewhere that puts stickers on things that say ‘Godly’ and ‘Ungodly’.
It would’ve been easy for Rowling to come out and say “wait a minute I’m christian”, but I think she probably wanted her books to be seen as works of fiction as opposed to religious fiction.
Anyway what value would it have added except to appease certain people who can’t think for themselves?
If you don’t like something, don’t flippin’ read it. I’m not holding a gun to anyone’s head, but please, don’t tell me what I can read. I think the HP books are so misunderstood. Most of the people who won’t read the books based on their principles, have no idea really, what they are about. I could care less whether or not Jo gets a medal, but for Bush to deny her one based on *witchcraft* is stupid. They are FANTASY books, people….FANTASY. She’s not telling you to go out and practice witchcraft or anything like that. My son’s 2nd grade teacher started reading book 1 to his class year’s ago and even though he was a reader, he became an avid reader. Reading opens up so many avenues. His vocabulary in elementary school off the charts. He’s a better writer now because of it. Those stupid *Captain Underpants* books I loathe, but if it gets kids reading, I’m all for it.
With the Lord of the Rings there are two things that set it apart from Harry Potter as far as I’m aware (I’ve never read HP and I’ve no ambition to).
1 – It is obviously set outside of real modern times and therefore the opponents may feel it’s less easy for children to imagine themselves as a legitimate part of the action. But more than that it is very obviously based on very prevailent and evident myths and legends pertaining to a very early period of English and Celtic history before the “light” of Christianity was spread through the Roman Empire.
2 – JRR Tokein was an academic, and could infuse his arguments with an aura of authenticity which could impress the chattering classes. Plus, in the 1950s, I think everyone was a bit more concerned about “Reds under the beds” than fairies in the forest.
I don’t think it’s sexism that singles Rowling out by the religious right. Dan Brown gets it too… but deservedly in that case. The man learnt even less about Art History than I did. (again, please remember I haven’t read the latest, so I’ve no idea whch artistic genius he’s misappropriated and misinterpreted for the gullible)
Gee, I bet ole Du(m)bya never saw “Snow White” or “The Wizard of Oz” either. If I remember right, both those movies had witches in them. In fact, Glenda was a good witch. Now was that encouraging witchcraft or wasn’t it?
To Ling: JKR didn’t spill the beans on Dumbledore until after the seventh book was published. The right-wing loonies have been ranting about Harry Potter since “Sorcerer’s Stone”.
I find it sad since the HP books really inspired a lot of kids (and adults) to read instead of watching TV or playing video games. Considering Laura Bush was a librarian, you’d think it would be a positive thing.
Let the kids read , then will take care o witches and the Devil but until then let the kids read whatever they want to read while they have interest in it.
GWB is entitled to his opinion. He didn’t order the burning of the books, he just doesn’t personally endorse them. Get a grip.
Diane, that photo? Is a fake. http://www.snopes.com/photos/politics/bushbook.asp
Second, who would believe anything some little pushed-aside have-not who’s all sour grapes would say about his former boss? How credible is he? He and Scott McClellan should cry in each other’s cheerios.
@ voodoobetty – oh, I’m very aware of Wiccans and others in the same vein. I just meant the type of stuff in the book (transfiguration, flying, mind control, etc.) isn’t real, it’s fiction. And getting mad over fiction is just silly.
@Heavenbound- because Playboy and bomb building books are not for children. That’s why I wouldn’t give them to children.
What? Witchcraft isn’t demonic enough for an Illuminati?
“But as for Bushie – he may have ruled over a regime that nearly financially bankrupted his country”
Oh, Mairead – have you been paying attention to the money Obama has been/is spending? HYPOCRIT! And it will be the undoing of us ALL!
You and so many like you are so blinded by hate of any Republican that you are completely blind to what the democrats are doing. You are falling in with the plan just FINE!
There’s a number of recipients of that medal during Bush’s time in office that I wouldn’t want to be listed amongst (George Tenet, L. Paul Bremer) and in the face of that I’d say J.K. Rowling won’t mind waiting to get it from Obama instead if she’d so aspire to.
Yeah, it’s much better to be praised by a mobster. I wonder where Obama got all his money.
I mean, being a simple community organizer and all.
The reason of the delay in my answer is because I was running some errands. Anyway, the reason I come to this blog is for Celebrity-fun-numbing entertainment, and I find the majority of you guys witty and funny. I laugh a lot at the comments you guys make.
If I want to talk about politics, religion, world culture, I go to the pertinent blogs or to my friends and family, there is a place for everything.
I will not expand in this thread, because of course if I have a different point of view I am ignorant, and don’t have the ability to think, I am a bible-thumper, blah blah blah….. Well, I happen to think in 3 different languages and I absolutely love literature and poetry and I am all for education so your assessment of me is, well, not accurate. Am I going to defend my beliefs in a Celebrity Blog, Nope, no need. I now who I am and what I believe in.
And to: Princess Pea, Minx, Ling and MymaJane, Voodoobetty Just answered you. Years ago I met a group that Know about this subject, (witchcraft) and they are REAL, and they actually like the fact that people think that what they do is pure Fantasy and make believe. Actually an ex Wicca witch said that Roland depicted very accurately in her book, what witches do. You would have to do your on research on the subject. As for me I will continue enjoying CB and what you think of me is non of my concern.
Of course the Kennedy’s made their fortune on bootleg whisky and illegal operations, and had a couple of son’s assasinated by the mob, of which they were a part but tried to leave behind – but HEY! they’re ROYALTY because they have MONEY and knew the right shameless lies to tell to make the republicans look like the bad guy.
Dianne, it may be past time for your meds, dear.
Alaska – it looks like you’ve already taken yours.
I’m not shocked. The GOP has been hijacked by the religious right. One reason I stopped supporting the Republicans (I consider myself an independent now) is for this very reason.
Religion needs to stay the hell out of politics…or start taxing the churches if they want to stick their nose in regarding political matters.
Diane, the post concerns HP books, JK Rowling, and the previous president’s opinion about such.
Ranting about our current president, and the Kennedys, paints you as a bit of a kook.
By the way, hypocrite is spelled with an “e” at the end not “hypocrit”.
Honestly, I am more than a little stunned that Laura Bush had no comment on this. She is a bright woman, a librarian, due to that it would follow that she could/would explain to him that these are considered fictional works, much like Huck Finn, The Yearing, Ramona Quimby, etc. I highly doubt a child would read these books and turn all satanic. Any person who did would have done so regardless of the book they read or didn’t read, because they were likely sick to begin with.
Cheyenne: I knew that. sorry. It was a bad joke.
@Dianne – I sure have!
Dianne,
What on gods green earth are you blathering about? Does it have any relation to the subject at hand, Harry Potter books, JK Rowling?
Man, no offense but your last post is pretty off the charts. Might I suggest you visit a site called TheWeeklyWorldNews.com I suspect they are right up your alley, so to speak.
The article states ‘people in the White House’. It doesn’t mention Bush himself. Why is everyone skipping over that part and going straight into anti-Bush rhetoric?
And dr bambi, you shouldn’t scold Dianne for ranting about off-topic subjects without mentioning the anti-Rep people who are doing the same thing.
I remember they banned the books from my elementary school.
My mom tried not to let me read them either.
I love her but man is she ignorant.
She told me the other day that if I didn’t let her take my 14 month old daughter to church to see a play that she would end up a “devil worshipper.”
This same woman hasn’t taken me to church since I was seven. Before that it was once a year.
My little girl doesn’t have the attention span for church yet. All she wants to do is run around!
I love Harry Potter. I think real witchcraft (aka Wiccans) get a bad rap. So many people assume it’s slaughtering people/animals and worshiping the devils.
But Harry Potter is just fantasy. Good vs. evil.
I still don’t understand how it is “poison?”
People often fear and loathe what they are ignorant of and don’t understand. The Harry Potter series is completely innocuous fantasy- I’ve never been able to understand why so many [primarily religious] organizations get so up in arms over an obvious work of fiction that’s meant as nothing more than harmless entertainment.
And as JayBird said, sometimes getting kids to read is enough of a challenge in and of itself, and I’d much rather them read Harry Potter as opposed to sitting in front of a television where they can be exposed to things way more detrimental than stories of makebelieve wizards and witches. Even the news is loaded with violence, death, war, etc.
Why is everyone so upset? It is just a book.I am not into the whole HP thing it just never struck my interest,but there is no reason be so judgemental. If a person chooses not to read it due to their religious purposes,what is it to you?If you want to read it then read it. Did crazy ass Bush try to ban the book or something?Why is this even news? We have a new President now so since he reads HP to his children then let him honor her.
@ Cat, I did say regime in my first post. But you’re right, we don’t know who opposed the honour, or indeed why. Of course it’s possible that Rowling’s name was one of a number considered and rejected for a number of reasons. But the reason being given in this report was due to accusations of encouraging sorcery, which is what I was railing against.
@Dianne and Cat. Let me make myself clear on this,:I don’t give two s*its about the Democratic or Republican parties. I don’t live in the US so it makes no odds to me whether you think I’m one or the other. I’m neither. My politics are centre left, of which I makes no bones and for which I make no apologies.
What DOES concern me is the Government’s (the whole shooting gallery) attitude towards foreign policy, the environment and to some extent the economy, because they directly and indirectly affect my country. “When America has a cold, the rest of the world gets pneumonia”.
But as a non-US citizen, your media (left and right) have always given the impression that Republican presidents meant tax cuts and/or less public and Democrats meant more public spending with less reduction on taxes.
On the specific issue Dianne attacked me on – I was going by what was widely reported in that in the final years of the Clinton administration, there was a budget surplus and under Bush’s reign it was turned into a huge deficit. Even Alan Greenspan said so:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296930,00.html
Others contend it was all smoke and mirrors of course: http://www.craigsteiner.us/articles/16
I was going on what was given as common knowledge in the liberal and conservative media.
I am sorry Anna, but I have read your posts in the past and you have the most naive comments dear, do some research before you comment.
Yes, Yes, if it makes you guys feel superior with your seudo-intellectualisim, we are all afraid of what we do not understand *eye roll*. Funny that I find Independents/Demos the most intolerant people of all. If others do not agree with your point of view, we are all: closed minded/ignorants and then you fry that with right-wing-conspirancy theories. Can someone be original and come up with another theory?
**what a snoozer*
JK Rowling in the same sentence with Michener, Harper Lee, and Steinbeck? They wrote American literary masterpieces, Rowling writes fantasy kid’s books. Get real, people.
it is about witchcraft even if its for kids, if you are happy for your kids to watch this thats fine, but if you are not thats also fine why cant people be allowed to have a choice.
These books are wonderful. the movies are not really accurate representations of the books.
Maybe obama will give her a medal. if not I’m sure she wont be crying herself to sleep any time soon.
I will say that I’m surprised the reason wasn’t “She’s a Brit, not an American.” That would’ve made sense, and been honestly defensible.
It makes me sad that we can’t have peaceful discussions about religion and politics. It’s good that we’re all passionate about our own positions, but I wish we were better able to listen to each other without condemnation. I am often very interested in what other people believe, and why.
@ Heavenbound: I hope you don’t feel that I was attacking you or your beliefs in my posts. I certainly never meant to.
I very much enjoyed the books when I read them and enjoy reading them over again now that I’m older and seeing the progression in the story and such.
I was in her target audience when the books first came out: the tween set. I was eleven and Harry was eleven so it made sense. My mom is very big into reading so my sisters and I were always those nerds who sat in line waiting for the books to be released to the public.
I will say this: I was never inclined to believe that any of the stuff that Harry and his friends did was real or ever could be real. The point of a fantasy book is to take you out of the real world and place you in a fantastic world where fantastic things happen.
This book took a person from the real world and placed them in the fantasy world which I think is what freaked out the people who fear witchcraft. Their children could now imagine that there really was a secret world that coexists with ours in which fantastical things happen. That’s just my guess.
I, personally, even as an eleven year old, never thought I would be able to do any of the things described in the book. Why, one might ask? Because I knew it was fiction.
I think you need to be clear with your children about what is real and what is made-up. I think it is difficult for younger children to separate that kind of thing.
I believe that people think that those who speak out against Harry Potter are ignorant because they tend to have not read the books, therefore they are literally ignorant of what is actually in the books. I feel that it is beyond silly to discourage your children from reading something that you haven’t even glanced at yourself just because of “what you’ve heard” about the books.
I notice that the few people who have expressed opinions against the books have not addressed Ling’s comment earlier about how “These books encourage intelligence, resourcefulness, loyalty, compassion, friendship, altruism, honesty, tolerance, even forgiveness… all fairly Christian values…”
Are those not Christian values? And are those Christian values thoroughly negated just because a child is able to see these values through the eyes of a child who can close a door with the flick of a small piece of wood?
I feel that you can definitely interpret Harry Potter using a lot of Christian allegory and Christian values. Or you can not do that. I think if J.K. Rowling had said it was Christian allegory, the witchcraft haters wouldn’t have said a thing. But because she hasn’t expressed any real opinion about it either way, they are more comfortable just banning it and not giving it another thought, rather than reading it and deciding for themselves whether or not Harry Potter books encourage sacrificing animals or whatever it is witchcraft haters believe.
Princes Pea:
Non taken, you are one of my favorit commentators in this sight. It’s all good girl 🙂
May I suggest that if you haven’t read the books, it is entirely irresponsible to comment on them. Otherwise you open yourself up to the accurate description of ignorant, because you’re reacting to what you’ve been told, not what you have experienced.
PS: Heavenbound…you can’t spell worth a tiddlers tit!
haha cant believe this prick, but im not going to fall into the bush-was-stupid attitude, The point here is that a lot of people thinks in the same way, what a shame, we’re still living in the last century.
Heavenbound–Were you talking to me? You wrote “Anna.”
If you are speaking to me, could you explain what I need to research?
A presidential medal???? Are you fucking kidding me? For those stupid books??