What's your take on "Harry Potter is the source of all evil"?

I find it frustrating when I hear about people trying to ban the book because it teaches children things. I live in the UK and a big story last year I think was an american school librarian tried to ban Harry Potter from the library! What's the deal with that??!! JK Rowling is an awesome writer, she is so talented! I remember the first time I read the book, before it was a worldwide hit... I was hooked. Harry's character (which most children play on playgrounds over here) is the one that is a true friend.. And it shows that if not in the books but in the films to. Children have always pretended that a broom is a horse.. Why not a broom now? It is never said in the books that harry jumps of something high to fly. He always kicks off from the ground. Also he is not allowed to do magic out of school... Many of the younger ones around where I live believe they cannot even try it yet. They haven't get their letter yet. By the time they should 'recieve' their letter they will have realised that Harry Potter is not real and is just someone's imagination. They will know it is not true life. It is just a story. I think Harry potter only stimulates children's imagination. Nothing else.

I adore the Harry Potter books and movies, I'm also Wiccan...The two are not tied together in the least! I've been Wiccan much longer than the books have been out, but it doesn't make me like them any less. Are they fun and pretty cool? Definitely, and some kids might think they can actually do what these kids do, obviously they can't. I think it's teaching kids to have an imigination, and these people parading around saying these books should be banned from school, etc. (they tried banning them at my high school years ago) need to sit down and realize there is nothing in these books 'teaching' children anything but to have fun, some little life lessons, and be creative!

I loved the books and enjoyed them more than the movies. They are fiction and should be taken at that. The movies were great and had good action and special effects. I really don't see any different in comparing them to some of the Walt Disney movies. I didn't have a problem with my kids seeing these movies when they were pre-teens when they first came out. My kids didn't think anything unusual about them. In fact, they came to me and asked me what was evil about them. We had a talk about fiction and discussed the movie. As long as people can realize that fiction is fiction and not reality then there should be no problem.

I never could understand this. Harry Potter is nothing more than a story. How could anyone possibly think that it is anything more? I have long been a fan of Sword and Sorcery type stories, and have read them nearly all my life. I see absolutely nothing wrong with these stories, and I fail to see how they can be construed as anything more than entertainment. In what way is that any different than The Hobbit? That book was in the schoolroom shelf when I was in second or third grade. The whole idea is completely ridiculous, and I think people could surely find ways to occupy their time rather than expending all this energy on something as silly as this.

If "Harry Potter is the source of all evil" is a direct quotation from something somebody has said, then I have to ask the following. Was there no evil before Harry Potter, then? Was everything all love and peace and kisses and hugs and fuzzy-wuzzies? Harry Potter is a work of fiction. If the condmeners can't understand that and can't convey that concept to their children, that's their problem. There is no evil promoted in the Harry Potter series. Contrarily, Harry Potter is a series of stories about good vs. evil and good winning over evil. My $0.02 at the moment.

Parents must be beside their children while watching Harry Potter. It's not bad to believe in magical things and witchcraft. I believe this things really exist. It's normal to give children some glimpse of reality but with the supervision of parents.

well I totally disagree with you it is not the problem with Miss J.K. Rowling but the problem with the children because now a days story writing is going backward and as Harry Potter is a fictional story then the reader has to imagine all those things in his mind if people think that way they will be more imaginative and good thinkers if not then it mean that no one should read any kind of book and not watch Hollywood movies cause most of them are also fictious like Spider-Man , Hulk , Armaggaddon ,e.t.c.

some parents (and probably half the people complaing about harry potter aren't paretns themselves) must think children are stupid, I certainly knew from an early age (around 6/7) that what I read in books was not real. Don't they teach the difference between fiction and non-fiction at school these days? It's not like the books tell everyone to go out and practice witchcraft because it's so great. And do these people think that even if a child believes in it and wants to try it....that it will work and there will be children all over the world casting spells on everybody? It's just laughable really. People will complain about anything

I find Harry Potter a good read for children. There is nothing evil about it. The same people that cry it is evil, probably tune in to Bewitched everynight. I think children are smarter then given credit for most of the time. Children can distinguish between fiction and reality. Even though the later Harry Potter movies and novels get a little darker and might not be suitable for very small children, there is nothing evil about them. I think it's bogus people would believe it glorifies witchcraft. It is just a story and a very well written one at that.

I think many people can't see past terms such as witch and wizard without thinking negative thoughts. Those who think Harry Potter is the source of all evil are just blowing things out of proportion.

I believe its completely stupid that people think that and there are a lot more children's books that are more offensive than Harry Potter. It's only because its so popular that people care at all. I love the books myself and the witchcraft is really mild compared to other things that children are exposed to. I think what's important is what the children learn from the characters and that it instills a love of reading for some. I think you are right and that if the children don't know the difference between fact and fiction than its the parents fault and they should make sure their child knows its not real.

I think it's silly that anyone would try to ban a children's book because of wichcraft. I'm not worried about it, though, because to ban it would be a violation of the first amendment - an offense that wouldn't fly for very long. As for why they do it, they take their religion too seriously. They see evil around every corner. Harry Potter is not the only book about wizards out there - they're only targeting it because it's popular. In my opinion they should lighten up and pull that stick out of their backsides. Sometimes I can't help but wonder if people like that ever grew up mentally. I mean, as far as I know, only children truly believe magic of that kind exists. If their so adament about doing away with the books for that aspect alone, then perhaps they believe a little too much in a childhood fantasy. Lastly, just because a child reads Harry Potter, that does not mean he or she will want to become a Wiccan, Witch, or Satanist. By the time they hit 11 or 12, they'll start realizing all of this is makebelieve and will probably cease to pretend to perform magic. Furthermore, books about magic are rarely, if ever the reason people decide to join the Wiccan (or similar) religion(s). It's the mindset and beliefs that lead them into it. If your kid grows up reading Harry Potter, and then one day decides they want to become a Wiccan, chances are it's not because of the book. Finally, to those who believe Harry Potter is evil, my advice is: read the book to gain a better understanding of what you're criticizing, realize that it's only a children's book not meant to advocate the practicing of witchcraft, and afterwards, go hunt demons elsewhere, because short of a boggart or kappa, there are none to be found in a Harry Potter book.

Its a little far fetched to say HP is evil but i do not always think its such a good message to be promoting to kids. Young kids are at an impressionable age and if their brought up to believe its cool to do witch craft and later persue it to do it in real life. I wouldn't want my kids to be given this impression but each parent is different and its up to their judgement what they do and don't let their child. I believe that it is the parents right to decide and not be dictated by society to be told how to bring up their children.

That's just ridiculous... kids are not THAT foolish, and if they are their parents did something wrong.

I have gone through all the series. Personally i think children would try to imitate those said in that book. I have seen many kids enacting themselves as harry porters. It maybe good or it maybe bad.

I don't think the books are evil. I think it is great that so many young people started to read! Face it, when most people read books it is for fun...to take you somewhere else for a while. Isn't that what Harry Potter does? Make you imagine a whole different world? I read a lot of paranormal books so the Harry Potter books don't bother me at all!

If Harry Potter wasn't so popular, people could care less. They only care because it's main stream and they can kick up a lot of controversy and recieve attention by calling out Harry and his friends for his 'wicked' deeds. It's nothing more than a story about the battle of good and evil. It's sort of like Star Wars if you want to think of it that way, they just use magic. I want to point out though, not every Witch is Wiccan. There are Witches who practice magic and they are not Wiccan. They could care less about deity. They just pratice magic. Then, there are the Wiccans that are Wiccan that could care less about magic. Some just don't care for it. Other Wiccan's practice magic and worship god. I just thought I'd point out that some witches are witches just for the sake of magic. :)

You will always get people like you are speaking of that disagree with something so they label it evil. I remember when they thought Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner was teaching violence to all children. How many of you watched these cartoons growing up? How many thought they would try a few sticks of dynamite? People place judgement on all kinds of stuff that is harmless good clean fun. CBS Nightly News is a worse influence than any fiction book. Should we ban the news? If a parent decides they do not want their child reading the books or watching the movies then it it is their choice but don't force that on to other people.

I agree with you. The people that criticize these books have probably not read them. I find each one of them quite entertaining. And I have read each and every one of them to my granddaughter and she is now reading them herself. I think they give children the chance to strengthen their imaginations. And in this day and age, that is a good thing.

In my opinion, Harry Potter is not evil. The youngest children who read it may be influenced by the book, but one thing that helps stop this from becoming a dangerous problem is the lack of Harry Potter toys avalible for sale. The author of the series did never intend for this to happen. Many of the facts in a Harry Potter book are hard to believe .