Do Harry Potter movies and the likes promote witchcraft?

It sure is promoting witchcraft. If the author existed hundred years ago and she wrote all those books, chances are, she will be burned in the stakes. It may seem safe to children but they have effects on their lives. It promotes fear and the belief that these being are greater than what God can do.

No because real witchcraft is nothing like what is seen in Harry Potter. Harry Potter is more wizardry, not witchcraft. Witches do not do the kinds of things the students at Hogwarts do. My friends and I have all seen Harry Potter and have all read the novels, and none of us wants to be witches. If anything we just love the world of it. How it kind of plays off of reality, but it is not reality. That is another thing, PARENTS TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REALITY AND FANTASY! The characters in Harry Potter are WIZARDS, NOT WITCHES! Know the difference! I don't know how many times I have to explain to children and parents that Harry Potter has nothing to do with witchcraft. They are Wizards. For the record, I know people who are called Witches practice Wicca, and they are not really Witches, they are Wiccans, and it is nothing like you see in Harry Potter. Wicca is more like a religion, similar to Native American Spirituality and Paganism. If you use Wicca for good, then it is good and no harm will come of it, if you use it for evil, then shame on you. Wicca is like any other belief, faith, or religion, it can be good or bad depending on how you look at it.

I think it all has to be taken with a grain of salt. To say that Harry Potter promotes witchcraft is like saying Frankenstein promotes graverobbing. Just b/c it's talked about in a movie doesn't make it true. I think the biggest thing about these movies is that parents need to make sure that the kids understand that it is just acting...nothing more. I remember years ago my Nephew was hung up on Freddy Krueger. So much so that he was worried about going to sleep b/c Freddy might come after him in his dreams. I finally sat him down and had him watch the special features on the Freddy movie I had. It showed the actor, how his make-up was done, how some of the scenes were set up and done and so on. After that he wasn't scared anymore. He understood that it was just make believe. The same holds true for any movie. There may be some simularities in real life and the movie but that doesn't mean that it's all real. [b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~ **STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]

If you don't mind my saying it...what a bunch of hogwash...LOL. Number one, I do happen to be a Harry Potter fan..and I'm by no means a kid, but 53 years old, yet I enjoy reading stories like Harry Potter, in fact, despite my age, I love children's and young adult books in general. Yes, I've heard of religious fanatics condemning the Harry Potter books due to the "witchcraft" element in it, but like most fanatics, if they think the Harry Potter books are promoting children to study "witchcraft" they're wrong..kids aren't stupid and realize that the stories are merely that...stories. Also, these people don't have a clue about "real" witchcraft. I say this as I'm a follower of Pagan/Wiccan beliefs myself..so therefore yes I'm a witch. If those kids are claiming to be able to do anything even remotely similar to what is done in the Harry Potter type books or any witchcraft type fictional story then they are liars. Ask ANYONE who is a real witch and they will tell you that we can't fly on brooms--we're ordinary people who walk, take trains or buses or drive cars..if we fly its in a plane. We can't magically appear out of thin air or with the mutterings of a spell make our homes self-clean..we have to clean the old fashioned way like everyone else. Yes, we do spells, which in my mind is another way of saying a prayer...one of the features in most churches is to light a votive candle to say a prayer...well we use candles too, for our prayers (spells)--mainly for healing, prosperity or success...but never against anyone for harm as that is against our principles. Its unfortunate that people have so many misconceptions of what true witchcraft is....if they took the time to really read Pagan/Wicca principles they would realize the lies that have been told and propagated by the media and of course the Christian church itself...and like I said...if those kids are claiming they can do witchcraft a la Harry Potter style then they are full of it...that is liars. Sorry if I sound ranty..just gets to me when people don't know the facts like the religious organizations that condemn Harry Potter and claim it promotes witchcraft

Whatever tv show you are watching should be taken off the air for comitting and promoting the sin of ignorance! Witchcraft as the 'world' perceives it is built on the belief that witches are in league with the Devil. SHOW ME WHERE THE DEVIL SHOWED UP IN HARRY POTTER! These books are fantasy stories that incorporate the use of magic, which at one time was alive and real in the world, because people were so ignorant (!) anything that happened that the peasants didn't understand, was considered magic but because of the influence of Christianity and the Church was then called evil and people were branded witches. Wicca is the practice of witchcraft...........the using of energy, herbs and NATURAL elements to the greater good. The Devil has NO place in real witchcraft! There are always going to be those among us who will twist and warp something good into something evil and ugly. Fear is a great motivator to destroy, and stupidity is an even greater motivator to perpetuate prejudice and fear and ignorance. You should be ashamed of yourself and your countrymen for jumping on the band wagon of ignorance just because some narrow minded, sensationalist evangalist said so!

Hi hotsummer, I hate to get into this debate about witchcraft, really its wisecrft which comes from people who are wise. What I am trying to say here is that this is 2009 and people(christain) are still condeming witchcraft, I am also a witch but oh!! if I can only do magic, my house will be clen top to bottom with a wave of my wand and all my cooking will done in seconds, no more slaving over a hot stove, I don't know where you people are coming from. I think pyewacket has explained it all but in my opinion, forget Hatty Potter, its all good fun but what about these violent movies and video games? no one has mentioned them, please don't tell me it is hown after the water shed as we all know most kids do watch them, these violent movies are the cause of most vilence that goes on inm this world, kids think nothing bashing or stabbing someone, so why don't these so called christains do something about it instead of bashing Harry Potter? no because these so called 'good christains' turns a blind eye and maybe its their own kids are going on the rampage doing evil things. Tamara

I don't think Harry Potter movies promote witchfraft at all, no way! It's all in fun and not seriously portrayed at all. I think kids would be more caught up in the story and how it compares to the books they've loved reading rather than suddenly getting a desire to go off and find an eye of toad or head of newt or any of that crap. Even if a child DID get curious about witchcraft through these movies, a good Parent will explain it all to them properly. What could a child possibly do with what's shown in these movies anyway apart from pretend to wave a wand and utter some words etc?

I wonder if you ever felt the urge to explore the witchcraft world. In past times women were burned at the stake because they were accused of witchcraft, when in fact they were women that had leaned to work with nature rather than trying to get nature to work for them. Remember it was a man's world and any infringement into their domain was not tolerated, and those healers that killed countless thousands with their stupidity and beliefs didn't want women that understood what was natural making them look bad. Read a bit of history, the male history is steeped in ruling with an iron fist and no questions asked, where as woman are the gentle workers that understood compassion and peace.

I think that Harry Potter movies just open the imagination to a whole different world of fantasy and magic. I can see where kids may try to dabble in witchcraft after watching the movies and especially after finding out that witchcraft really does exist in the world. I imagine that for most that decide to look into it, it will only be a phase in life. I know of many peopl who dabbled in witchcraft and them decided later on in life that it wasn't for them after all. I don't think that blaming a movie series on a person's decisions is right though. That woudl be like saying that a person watched a slasher movie and that is the reason that the person became a serial killer. All people make their own choices. If kids decided to try out the world of witchcraft after watching Harry Potter movies, chances are it was something that they would have done reguardless.

Yes and no, to me, Harry Potter does premote witchcraft and doesn't. On one side harry is all awesome and powerful, showing off what skills he has and what not. He runs around facing enemies and foes through out the whole movie. And at the end of every movie he triumphs over his nemsis. Projecting to lames everywhere that knowing how to cast an spell, and waving a little twig around in the air, will make you awesome. On the other hand it will also project to people watching the film, that it is just actors running around on screen, pretending to cast spells and what not, that it's just entertainment to those interested in the subject. Life is what you choose to make of it.

Hi hotsummer, It was a good discussion you have started. I'm a fan of Harry potter Movies and I use to see the movies often with my DVD. And I use to Imitate the spells when I was alone...! Seems wicked right but its truth... I do like that because I love Harry Potter very much. But I do just for fun...! May be children at young age also try to do the same thing...! So explaining them will be the real solution. I guess..!

Ok Harry Potter series may have taken the path to show witchcraft and magic but the final lesson that this story gives is that in the end it is truth and good that wins. So I think there is nothing wrong in taking such a concept to make a movie. When I saw those movies what I learnt best was that it does not matter even if you are a kid. If you have determination and truth on your side you can win. I think when the kids see this movie they may get bit interested by all that magic but along with that they learn about the good virtues that the main characters in the movie (Harry, Ron, Hermionee, Dumbledore, Hagrid) depict.

i dont think wichcraft exists so i guess it does nothing to support it....

i think in my own opinion it does really promotes witchcraft. But it is just purely and widely imagination of a writer that really has lots of magical things in her mind. But it really depends upon the minds of the people whether they will follow such or not.

Hi hotsummer...I don't believe that such movies promote things. I think that movie magic belongs in the movies and parents have a responsibility to say that there is such a thing as fantasy and that's what the movie portrays. I think that there are lots of things that happen in the movies that are just that - fantasy and we need to distinguish between the magic of Hollywood and the reality of life.

Some kids get too involved with TV and movies. Its the parents who need to make them understand that the movie are just fiction. Some kids have more common sense and don't follow the movies. There are always kids who imitate their superheroes. Its just the way humans are.

Purely the movie is only for entertainment. It's up for the parents on how they advice there youngsters in regards to the movies. And for the grown ups, I guess we are mature enough to realize what's right and what's wrong. Witchcraft is not bad, it depends on how you use it.

Hi Hotsummer. This is a very tricky subject. There is two power good and evil. We always teach the children there should be good which is the most important thing; however there need to know that there is evel outthere that trys to remove the good. We just need to teach them how to deal with evil when it trys to attack the good in them. I am an adult and I watch some of the Harry potter movies and I enjoyed them because I know the difference with good and evil. I don't believe there should be a school about how to learn witchcraft good or bad. But its just a movie and unfortunatly it whats sells. what I try to do is have my children read more mystery books where they can learn to solve problems and I educate them on the dark evils outthere. The answer here is educate educate.

Hello hotsummer, you are right! When an unevolved human sees something or hears something it gets renderd and formated into his/hers brain. After words the brain begins to scan the information and if decided keeps it and evolves it (this could happen under certain stress, like in horror movies). That's how interests are created. Now if the renderd information is somehow defective it could be fatal for the certain child causing horrible phcycological mutations and such. That is why parents (well at least according to me) should be very careful as to what there children see on TV and anywhere else for that matter. The children's mind is like a sponge. It will absorb anything it comes across.

people are freakin dummies.....if people think that watching harry potter movies is teaching are children to do witchcraft well then sign me up for hogwarts and give my wand because i was always taught that the stuff you see in movie isnt REAL. lol if there going to ever try an do away with harry potter because of that bull then might as well do away with disiney world because they say thats where the magic happens.............i think people need to get a grip and realize that every thing that they see on tv isnt alwys true.