My curiosity has peaked. I personally love the books and I do not think that they are "evil" as I have heard some people say (not on here). I understand that some people believe any thing speaking of magic or sorcery is evil. Some people say because that is what their religion tells them.

I have also noticed that not everyone in the same faiths share the same views on this.

So I guess what I am asking is does anyone here feel they are evil? Is it because of religion reasons? Has anyone read the books and felt this way? Can you please explain your view point of it.

I am truly interested in the reasoning why some people feel this way. I do not want to cause any hurt feelings in this thread or any attacks on anyone's religion or beliefs so please be nice everyone.

i love them. i think they have great morals and a great message, and that people who say they are evil have not given them the chance and it is usually only due to the fact that they are witches and wizards.

uhm, i should add that it's because harry and the crew are wizards... not the people who think they are evil :giggle

uhm, i should add that it's because harry and the crew are wizards... not the people who think they are evil :giggle

:lol

I consider myself a christian. And I do not under any circumstances find the Harry Potter books evil. They don't talk about Satan, God, or heaven and hell. Which to me omitts them from any sort of religious binding. They are a fairty tale, and a good one at that! I think they show good morales. There are good and bad guys... the books are about love and loyalty to friends...following your dreams. I don't see how anyone can possibly be offended by them.

they are not evil under any circumstances

They are EVIL because they are so damned addictive!!! and that ending, sigh, the redhead (the whole familiy) should have been sacrificed.
and hermoine's hair!!! the work that she must have to do every morning to wash it. Magic i say, where is that good hair day spell!!!

I have them all. I love the books and the movies. I see it as entertainment, nothing else. I am so over the "they are evil" thing.

I am a born again believer and I have read the book. I know the difference between fiction and fact. This is just a story. A good story. Would I let my child, not until they are older and understand the difference.

Actually they have a lot of religious symbolism in them, besides other nods to classic literary works. It's a shame people don't actually notice most of it. It's like LOTR and Narnia, full of magic talk but also stuffed full of religious symbolism and themes. It's all the uneducated religious zealots who can't see it.

My curiosity has peaked. I personally love the books and I do not think that they are "evil" as I have heard some people say (not on here). I understand that some people believe any thing speaking of magic or sorcery is evil. Some people say because that is what their religion tells them.

I have also noticed that not everyone in the same faiths share the same views on this.

So I guess what I am asking is does anyone here feel they are evil? Is it because of religion reasons? Has anyone read the books and felt this way? Can you please explain your view point of it.

I am truly interested in the reasoning why some people feel this way. I do not want to cause any hurt feelings in this thread or any attacks on anyone's religion or beliefs so please be nice everyone.

I am curious too!!

Actually they have a lot of religious symbolism in them, besides other nods to classic literary works. It's a shame people don't actually notice most of it. It's like LOTR and Narnia, full of magic talk but also stuffed full of religious symbolism and themes. It's all the uneducated religious zealots who can't see it.


Glad to see I am not the only one. I wanted to let some more people post before I got around to this. In fact I am almost done reading book 7 (again). I started over from the beginning not too long ago.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine's Mom had said the books about Harry Potter are evil (not the first time I have heard this) and I thought to myself it was an interesting thought. We were helping my friend move so it was not the time to ask questions.

But I am now going to re-read The Chronicles of Narnia. I am intrigued enough to make the comparisons. I have found many relifious symbols in Harry Potter. Not that by any means do I think that J.K. Rowling set out to do this.

I also find it has a lot of political parallels too. The whole "Pure Blood" thing is no different than Hitler. And "Magic is Might" is all about govt rule.

Anyway glad to see I am not the only one thinking about these things.

By the way what is LOTR? thanks.

The differance between Narnia and HP is that Narnia was written by C.S. Lewis a VERY famous Christian writer in his day. I don't know of any Christians that would dislike Narnia because the whole thing is a reference to Christ and his resurrection.

As for HP I LOVE the books I think they are a wonderful flight of fancy and that they have gotten kids to read that would not have other wise.
LOTR = Lord of The Rings famous classic series the man that wrote them was a linguist and actually invented many different languages while writing the books.

LOTR = Lord of The Rings famous classic series the man that wrote them was a linguist and actually invented many different languages while writing the books.

:duh:duh I have this book series and have not read them yet :blush I need to though. I hear they are amazing books.

Anyway back to the discussion. I agree about Narnia being written by C.S. Lewis and the fame that has gone with that.

Actually they have a lot of religious symbolism in them, besides other nods to classic literary works. It's a shame people don't actually notice most of it. It's like LOTR and Narnia, full of magic talk but also stuffed full of religious symbolism and themes. It's all the uneducated religious zealots who can't see it.
:truesign some people just won't get out of their box, and look at the bigger picture! She even talks about it in some of her interviews.

Both HP and Narnia and LOTR are all very religious in parts. But it's covert, and can be ignored if you see it. The people who have trouble, I think, don't see it.

And yes, this last HP was rather political in some of what it did, I thought. But then, all of them have been to some respect.

It's fiction. It's influenced a lot by what the author knows / wants to impart / feels.... Intertextuality at its finest.

But, we've gotten a tad OT. I don't, personally, know how HP can be found as "evil" simply because it has witches and wizards in it. However, I don't really know how people who find it evil, feel about it, so I'm open to / curious for their opinions so I can better understand, at least.

Yeah um...... a few years ago we had a "disturbance" in our house....so a minister came and "blessed" the home and tried to "Rid the evil".

He threw out my ouji board, spell books and HARRY POTTER BOOKS!

His reasons- "They are books written about witchcraft. Witchcraft opens a portal to another dimension, and that dimension is the one we are trying to close right now. This portal- is the root of all evil. If you keep this portal open, you will be vulnerable to all sorts of evil things which will consume you. I know it's hard to believe.. but these are the sorts of things you would learn about in church".

Err whilst I do believe there was an evil sort of presence in my house, I don't believe my Harry Potter books were the cause!


** My spell books were bought at a local bookstore, and they were ones about love. "How to make the hot guy in gym class fall inlove with you"..etc etc. Not exactly evil.

But yeah- that's what he said.

I had written a nice long post but I've removed it cos I know it may offend some christians, IMO it's a fair arguement .... but I don't want to upset anyone.

Actually they have a lot of religious symbolism in them, besides other nods to classic literary works. It's a shame people don't actually notice most of it. It's like LOTR and Narnia, full of magic talk but also stuffed full of religious symbolism and themes. It's all the uneducated religious zealots who can't see it.

I was totally just thinking of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. C.S. Lewis was a devout Christian, and the Biblical themes in his books are very strong, and beautiful and inspiring, even if they are set in a context of fantasy. J.K. Rowling delivers some incredible messages on good and evil, perservereance, and friendship. I think the books are amazing, and I am Catholic myself.

Yeah um...... a few years ago we had a "disturbance" in our house....so a minister came and "blessed" the home and tried to "Rid the evil".

He threw out my ouji board, spell books and HARRY POTTER BOOKS!

His reasons- "They are books written about witchcraft. Witchcraft opens a portal to another dimension, and that dimension is the one we are trying to close right now. This portal- is the root of all evil. If you keep this portal open, you will be vulnerable to all sorts of evil things which will consume you. I know it's hard to believe.. but these are the sorts of things you would learn about in church".

Err whilst I do believe there was an evil sort of presence in my house, I don't believe my Harry Potter books were the cause!


** My spell books were bought at a local bookstore, and they were ones about love. "How to make the hot guy in gym class fall inlove with you"..etc etc. Not exactly evil.

But yeah- that's what he said.

I am really sorry you came into contact with such a weirdo, and if those were your main impressions, no wonder you aren't Christian. I might be (atheist, agnostic? I believe that you said you were one of them) too if that's what I had seen of organized religion. BTW, I would love to hear the argument you deleted, if you wouldn't mind PMing me. I think you are bring up amazing points.

I 2nd the thing about them being evil because they are so addictive. I hate that the series is over, I want more. Its like a drug!

Most of the "OMG EVIL" folks tend to be zealots who have no idea what the book is about. Many actually think they explain how to cast spells and other stupid crap. I remember back in the day (showing my age here) when a woman i know freaked out about her son playing Dungeons and Dragons (the paper version) because it was evil and all about spells and stuff. She seriously had NO idea what the game was like, she just made a rash judgment based one what other uninformed people told her, rather than asking someone in the know. She actually thought that players had to cast spells and call upon demons. Seriously. When I explained to her that all you do is roll a die and if its above a certain number you win a fight, if its below you lose the fight she didn't want to believe it. I even showed her the rule book and told her to tell me wherein there it says you have to participate in any sort of witchcraft. She refused to even touch the book. It was more fun for her to look down on people and pass judgment than know the truth I guess.

They are EVIL because they are so damned addictive!!! and that ending, sigh, the redhead (the whole familiy) should have been sacrificed.
and hermoine's hair!!! the work that she must have to do every morning to wash it. Magic i say, where is that good hair day spell!!!
OMG They are and if you find the bad hair day spell please let me know i think I need it most days.
I consider myself a christian. And I do not under any circumstances find the Harry Potter books evil. They don't talk about Satan, God, or heaven and hell. Which to me omitts them from any sort of religious binding. They are a fairty tale, and a good one at that! I think they show good morales. There are good and bad guys... the books are about love and loyalty to friends...following your dreams. I don't see how anyone can possibly be offended by them. I am a christian as well and I don't think they are evil as long as you taken them for what they are....fantasy. I read them sometimes to my kids (the parts that noone is being killed and all that) and they do pretend and that is fine by me. I think they teach them the same thing as Lion King and Peter Pan do to be loyal and loving and remember you are loved kind of stuff. I think it also shows that blood isn't always mean family which is good becuase of the way militarty life is. Sometimes we have our family and then we have our Military family. KWIM???

Actually J.K. Rowling actually has said that many of the names (especially those of the four founding wizards of Hogwarts) she got from Saints. So quite a bit of the religious symbolism is intentional.

I know C.S. Lewis was a very famous Christian but his books still contain magic and I'm sure that it set some people's panties in a wad. A lot of people forget that Tolkien was a devout Christian and friends with C.S. Lewis as well. Tolkien's LOTR are much darker than the Chronicles of Narnia and speak more about evil magic/sorcery/witchcraft.

All three authors talk about magic, both good and bad. So really I think it is silly that so many zealots freak out about the HP books being evil.

Thank you all for your inputs. I was really hoping someone could explain that "evil" thing to me. But I am actually glad to know that it seems most everyone here has looked into the books/movies first, before passing judgement.