Religious parents want Harry Potter banned from the classroom because it 'glorifies witchcraft'

[w0nderer]

Source: Telegraph uk

Religious parents at state schools have complaint Harry Potter glorifies witchcraft and want it banned from classrooms, the Government’s tsar has revealed, as teachers should refuse to teach the subject if there are concerns.

The Government's behavioural tsar has said some parents – particularly of Evangelical Christian and Muslim backgrounds believe the children’s book “normalises acts of magic” and that therefore it is exposing their children to the works of the devil.

Tom Bennett spoke of parents raising concerns as some Religious Studies teachers use the fantasy novel, which is not in the syllabus, as an example of a collection of books that tell a greater story, like the Bible.

Following his revelations, headteachers have said schools should address parents’ concerns regarding Harry Potter and move away from teaching the story of the famous child magician.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/12052212/Religious-parents-want-Harry-Potter-banned-from-the-classroom-because-it-glorifies-witchcraft.html

[merrily]

1. Don't even ask about Hallowe'en. I still can't look a Jack O'Lantern in the hole for his eye.

[w0nderer]

32. I'm askin i'm askin

this sounds like the kinda story that either starts

No Sh'' there we were (army story)
or
From what the police tell us it started when...(seriously drunk army story)

i do so prefer those to 'once upon a time'

[merrily]

41. Nothing that interesting, I fear. It's just that religious fundamentalists of all stripes

have a yooge problem with all things Halloween, costumes, jack o' lanterns, witches, everything. Took all the fun out of it for me, though I will still go to an Italian bakery for the "bones of the dead" cookies, made only during October for All Souls Day.

Mother Angelica, founder of ETWN (Eternal Word Television Network) did come up with a costume alternative-- learn a saint's story, dress as that saint on All Saints' Day and tell that saint's story to your class.

Now, I ask you, does that sound like a kid's fun fantasy of Hallowe'en?

[w0nderer]

46. sounds like the kind of 'fun fantasy' that makes me

have subversive ideas to mess with peoples minds 'pour le sport'

dress up as security guard (did this in a mall)...my now ex (wife) was dressed up as a man dressed up as a woman (double crossdressing)
and yes, people came up to me and said, "sir, sir, i believe that's a man dressed up as a woman!"

RF's have a huge problem with everthing not exactly fitting their little worldview

[merrily]

49. Any idea why these people were pointing out a cross dresser to you or to the "security guard?"

[w0nderer]

50. i was the 'security' guard

(dressed up as)

they seemed 'worried' which i don't get

i just brought up my radio pretended to have a conversation over 'headset' and reporting an illegal report/harrassment of customer (my wife the double crossdresser being harrassed by the person complaining to me)

offered them(complainers) to stay and wait for the police patrol


no one took me up on it strangely

one security guard (real) was laughing so hard he fell down

[merrily]

55. Sounds like fun!

[InkAddict]

65. Oh boy, here we go agin

I tell you that a lot of those "saints" had stigmata, and what could be more scary that palms and soles that bleed all by themselves. Mother Angelica was pretty scary, in fact. OTOH, in the '80s I had a neighbor, a frothing Southern Baptist, to have Casper, the Friendly Ghost book banned in the public elementary school library; she actually called up the librarian and principal (shaking head), so this kind of stuff is not new.

[merrily]

67. The issue was not

Apparently, everything we associate with Hallowe'en is Satanic. I've forgotten all the details at this point.

[LiberalElite]

2. They say that like it's a bad thing eom

[merrily]

3. No reason to teach Harry Potter in school. Nothing phenomenal about that series.

Didn't make kids eager to read again or anything.

My friend's little daughter wrote begging her parents' friend in England to mail her the next Harry Potter by the fastest means as soon as it was out in England, so she wouldn't have to wait. When they visited, she'd bring the book with her and read throughout the visit. No TV, etc.

[LiberalElite]

6. I was just

making a little joke.

[merrily]

35. No jokes allowed. The Harry Potter series is series!!!11!!

[w0nderer]

33. Let me add this for you

since many people are deficient in the detection range

here you go (the top two lines of your post at least)

[merrily]

36. Thanks! (Did J.K. Rowling alert?)

[w0nderer]

38. Not that i know LOL

i'm sure J.K. R, understands sarcasm

It's some of the members on here I'm less sure about.

[merrily]

43. Tell me about it.

I have had two hides in the last couple of years. One, I got because I really, really want to say "Fuck you" to a poster.* No surprise.

The other I got because I posted I was tired of elementary school kids taking advantage of taxpayers when they (the elementary school kids) should be "out there" creating jobs. I added the sarcasm emote, but removed it because I thought having it there insulted DUers. I got a hide. Only two of the judges seemed to think honestly that it was a serious, right wing post. Whoever they are, I hope they are still alive, well and safe. The others who voted to hide did so because they didn't like my leftism and the absence of a sarcasm emote gave them an excuse. That was evident from comments like "leftier than thou."


*Now, I love him, so life lesson learned.

[Person 2713]

51. Have the parents looked into exorcism ? Sounds like the daughter is hooked

and has succumbed to the spell of those books !! Maybe try the TV again to get her away from reading

[merrily]

54. I don't think she is still reading Harry Potter (nor is Rowling still writing the series.)

[Person 2713]

56. Prayers do wonderous work

[haele]

64. Rowling did the screenplay for a wizarding world movie coming out this spring.

And a two-part play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" (Harry Potter 30 years later) that is also coming out next year.
I'm really interested in the trailer I've seen for "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", her movie set in Muggle New York City in the 1920's.
The movie's in the dallies (final editing), and preview test audiences have indicated that it's better than the Harry Potter movies.

Haele

[potone]

74. Well, exactly.

When are school administrators going to take a stand against this type of thing? Literature is about imagination, not just mirroring the world as the reader knows it. It is these parents who need to go to school.

[Proserpina]

4. If the Brits want to ban their most succcessful author in schools

who are we to argue otherwise?

And Harry Potter isn't at all anything like Wicca, or devil worship, or any other generic "witchcraft" as ever known or practiced anywhere in the world. It's totally areligious--not even Church of England or Presbyterian.

It's fiction. It's not even very well written fiction. The only value it has: kids will willingly read it, thus improving their reading skills, which is the whole point of school.

And there's some shallow moralizing that can come of childish analysis....

a·re·li·gious
ˌāriˈlijəs/
adjective
adjective: areligious

not influenced by or practicing religion.
"the sexual mores of today's secular and areligious culture"

[liberal N proud]

5. I remember when Harry Potter first came out

Some friends (at the time) were horrified that we were allowing our children to read Harry Potter.

I would tell them, at least they are reading.

[Divernan]

9. Bunch of mother-fuggin muggles!

When HP first came out, I bought them for my adult kids but read them all first myself!

What great books and characters. Made a weekend trip to NYC to see Harry/Daniel Radcliffe on Broadway in The Cripple of Inishmaan. He did a fine job. That was also the weekend I saw Kenneth Branagh's starring role in his production of MacBeth at the Park Avenue Armory = talk about a weekend of culture overload!

[smirkymonkey]

84. I know, my 11 year old niece is totally into the books and is reading her

way through the whole series. She is completely absorbed when she is reading them. I think it's great. That is how my love of reading started, by reading books that completely took me out of myself into a different world.

[Locrian]

7. theres a lot worse in the bible than hp - n/t

[LuvNewcastle]

10. You've got that right. A LOT worse.

[RKP5637]

26. Damn bible is a horror show! If anything should be banned, it's bibles! n/t

[Vinca]

8. If that's the case, they better also ban the Bible. Seas parting and all that witchy stuff . . .

[PADemD]

12. Not to mention turning water into wine.

[w0nderer]

15. walking on water

turning a stick into a snake...woa..wait they do that in harry potter TOO
ummm durn
reanimating dead....um kinda do that too in harry potter
ooh snap
well at least they don't heal people magically or magic food onto the tables for a whole bunch of peopl....oops

[sarge43]

25. Talking scrub brush

Any of that in Harry Potter?

[w0nderer]

27. Been a while since i read it

does it have to be on fire too? can't remember actually

there is a car and human beating tree?

[jtuck004]

20. The walking dead back to life. Like little Jesus' Zombies. n/t

[yellowcanine]

21. Not to mention Joshua "stopping the sun" and Elijah stopping the rain.

Lots of witchy stuff there.

[RKP5637]

28. Damn bible is written by a bunch of drug induced nuts in many cases. n/t

[homegirl]

61. Book of Revelation

being a great example.

[yellowcanine]

63. And Ezekiel......

Clearly an LSD trip.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+1&version=NRSVACE

[cemaphonic]

66. I've long been disappointed that the traditional artistic depiction of angels

are either appropriations of Cupid, or are medieval knights with wings. Yet the bible frequently describes them as freakish alien monstrosities.

[RKP5637]

70. Exactly!!! n/t

[blackspade]

11. Nice to know that we don't have to corner market on stupid.

[RKP5637]

29. Damn, the US is slipping. The religious crackpots will try to outdo this one. n/t

[Nihil]

13. Hmmm ...

> some Religious Studies teachers use the fantasy novel, which is not in the syllabus,
> as an example of a collection of books that tell a greater story, like the Bible.

Wonder if that was due to most kids finding Harry Potter more believable than the Bible?




> “We're talking about evangelical protestants, non-indigenous expressions
> of Christian faith, imported Afro-Caribbean Methodism.

So, it's not your normal RC/CoE folks but the very cult-like imports anyway ...
closed-minded morons who only want *their* particular sect to be taught rather
than what actually happens:

modern RE is not about advancing or supporting any one faith.
It’s about discussing matters of faith.

[w0nderer]

18. For a while they called RE

(at least where i was)
Moral/Ethics and Belief Systems

[muriel_volestrangler]

44. There was a recent court ruling that the RE exam was unfairly excluding non-religious views

Education secretary made ‘error of law’ on new religious studies GCSE – high court

Parents challenging the government’s new religious studies GCSE, which they say relegates non-religious worldviews, have welcomed a high court ruling in their favour.

Mr Justice Warby said the education secretary, Nicky Morgan, had erred in asserting that the GCSE, due to come into effect in September next year, would “fulfil the entirety of the state’s RE [religious education] duties”.

That assertion was, he said, in breach of the government’s duty to ensure that the wider school curriculum ensured knowledge was conveyed “in a pluralistic manner”, and information was given about atheism and other non-religious viewpoints.

The ruling was a victory for three families, supported by the British Humanist Association (BHA), who claimed Morgan had taken a skewed approach and was failing to reflect in schools the pluralistic nature of the UK.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/nov/25/education-secretary-made-error-of-law-on-new-religious-studies-gcse-high-court

Which makes me think the head-teachers who say in the article 'oh well, use something other than Harry Potter, to keep the fundamentalists quiet' are doing a bad job.

[w0nderer]

47. All avenues of thought should be explored or at least

the teachers should introduce the concept of exploring/investigating other systems of belief or non belief

--edit spell correction subject 'though'>> 'thought'--

[tanyev]

14. So if I keep practicing saying Alohomora, I really will be able to unlock things?

Cooool.

[gregcrawford]

16. As comedian, Ron White observed...

... you can't fix stupid. What's sadder than this pitifully asinine crusade is the fact that these mental defectives were allowed to breed at all.

[NurseJackie]

17. "Goodnight Moon" is another one. "GOODNIGHT MOON" for Pete's sake!! :-/

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Pagan moon worship is the cornerstone of both the occult underground and feminist revolutionaries. Goodnight Moon will groom your child into addressing the moon as a person, or "goddess." This will lead to nighttime blood sacrifices while reading Susan Faludi books. Goodnight salvation.

Link.

[Turbineguy]

19. Normalizing acts of magic?

Excuse me, but......

[jtuck004]

22. I know...it would be funny if the consequences weren't so tragic. n/t

[TNNurse]

23. I cannot decide

if I am grateful that all the ignorant crazy religious people do not live in the USA or sad that they are everywhere.

[duhneece]

24. Maybe they can burn them, like 'my' city Alamogordo did

"A bonfire of Harry Potter books have been burnt on a bonfire in New Mexico, by people accusing the fictional boy wizard of being the devil.

JK Rowling's novels were burnt alongside other items considered to be the work of the devil, including horror books by Stephen King, ouija boards and AC/DC records.

Eminem CDs and copies of Disney's Snow White film were thrown in a dustbin.

Protesters denounced the burning as "ignorant"
The congregation of the Christ Community Church in Alamogordo in southern New Mexico heard an anti-Harry Potter sermon in which Pastor Jack Brock claimed the character taught children to take up wizardry...."


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1735623.stm

[RKP5637]

30. Harry Potter is a lot less dangerous than what many pastors preach and brainwash flocks with. n/t

[PatrickforO]

39. Ironically, yes, it is.

I can remember long conversations my kids had with me about Harry Potter. How good wins in the end. The banality of evil. The different characters - how someone like Snape could be both a serious jerk and still be a good guy. There's so much in that series and reading each book was an incredible experience for all of us.

To my mind Rowling is right up there with Tolkein, CS Lewis, Lewis Carroll and those few others who created different worlds in their writing. Our world would truly be the poorer had Rowling not written these great books.

In the meantime, you have these so called Christians that we're all supposed to respect and look up to (or at least that's how I was raised) are telling us idiotic shit like the world is 6,000 years old, and that natural disasters and diseases are God's punishment for all kinds of twisted stuff. Twisted and evil. Funny how you 'know a tree by its fruit,' isn't it?

[RKP5637]

42. Well said! Christians, so many twisted and evil. Generally when some get up and start talking

today their message evolves into hatred for one or another with bizarre justifications. Just listening to some of the R presidential hopefuls is chilling.

[duhneece]

48. Eloquent. Elegant

You said so much in so few words. I am surrounded by that mentality...we even have THE ALEC 'Star' as our state rep. I am pissed enough, inspired enough (by many at DU) to run against her, though I have a slim to none chance of winning. I can raise issues she supported with my more-Democratic-Progressive-Liberal pov.

[PatrickforO]

71. Good luck to you!

Too bad you're not in Colorado. You could primary that empty suit Bennet from the left! But, we have Morgan Carroll, who is a progressive firebrand and she's challenging Mike Coffman.

...Coffman is more machine than man now, twisted and evil...

[duhneece]

72. Thanks. I'm sure I'll keep DU up to date nt

[Coventina]

31. I sure hope the "Oz" books and the "Mary Poppins" books are included in the ban.

Both of those series are full of "witchcraft."

[PatrickforO]

34. NO!!!!

Sorry, but you're not going to foist your religious bullshit on the rest of us. You don't like Potter? Then don't have your kids read it. But I WANT my grandkids to read it because neither of my two children ever read much of anything until the Potter series came out and then they both became 'readers' because of these fine books!

I'm sorry, but take your religion and celebrate it all you want. But NOT at my grandchildren's expense.

[DetlefK]

37. And the difference between the Bible and Harry Potter is?

The difference is the name of the death-defying, miracle-performing boy with a complicated family-history.

[w0nderer]

40. One is still under copyright and reads a lot easier

the other has been used as the excuse for hundreds of wars :-p

[RKP5637]

45. Exactly, religious wars in the name of their god. I recall in my youth in church singing

"Onward Christians Soldiers" and it was always a WTF to me. I had to go to church with my family since my father, a known politician, thought it was good for his career. I had many WTF's!

[MosheFeingold]

52. Makes as much sense as

Censoring Charlie Brown, which was the story yesterday.

Schools are pretty stupid in their overreaction to all things. Not sure what happened to common sense.

I blame the lawyers, and I am one.

[w0nderer]

58. since i don't have webspace currently

much as i dislike the 'source site', the image is probably something that should be printed out and handed to a LOT of people,
(not directed at you, just figured you might get a laugh from it)

i know i could use one myself every once in a while when i forget my 'balance'

[sinkingfeeling]

53. Isn't the Bible full of magic happenings, too?

[SoapBox]

57. Ditto.

You said it for me.

[smirkymonkey]

85. Oh yes, but that is all TRUE!

[all american girl]

59. I guess someone has a hard time understanding Dumbledore's very simple message...

LOVE WINS

[matt819]

60. IT'S FUCKING MAKE BELIEVE!

These people are crazy. Like the people in North Carolina who objected to a solar farm because it would suck up all the sun and their plants would die. It used to be that the crazies were on the fringe. Now they're everywhere. Like the walking dead. Or the zombie apocalypse.

[w0nderer]

62. whoooaaa wait what

someone actually thought a solar farm would suck up the sun ????


shouldn't be surprised, after tech support i know the stupeeed it burns!

[DeadLetterOffice]

78. It's always been everywhere; now it gets (massive) publicity. n/t

[TexasProgresive]

68. Maybe they ought to read the new book by Connie Neal.

It's scheduled to be out for Christmas. I read one of her earlier books that worked through the 1st 4 books of the series, The Gospel According to Harry Potter: Spirituality in the Stories of the World's Most Famous Seeker Westminster John Knox Press 2002

http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-According-Harry-Potter-Spiritual/dp/0664231233/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450358673&sr=1-6&keywords=connie+neal
In this inspiring consideration of the spiritual themes in the popular Harry Potter series, well-known Christian author and Harry Potter fan Connie Neal explores the world of magic and mystery created by J. K. Rowling alongside the stories and grand themes of the Bible. Contrary to those who reject the series as a threat to the Christian faith, Neal demonstrates how the lessons in Harry Potter not only echo many of the stories in the Bible but reinforce the central messages of Christianity. This revised and expanded edition explores all seven installments in the Harry Potter series.

(This book has not been prepared, endorsed, or licensed by any person or entity that created, published, or produced the Harry Potter books or related properties.)

[redwitch]

69. Also glorifies friendship, loyalty and battling evil.

The horror!

[classof56]

73. My advice? Don't let kids read the Old Testment.

Yahweh was one grim reaper, wreaking havoc on the just and the unjust, with lotsa smashing of babies' heads against the rocks going on amidst the slaying of every man, woman, child and animal in those city-states the Israelites invaded and destroyed. Even David's so-called "cursing psalms" are rife with graphic descriptions of violence. As a one-time Biblical scholar, just a word of caution. Personally, I'd take Harry Potter's wizardry and magic anytime.

Cheers.

[DeadLetterOffice]

79. Oh, I dunno...

Reading the books of the Christian Bible at a youngish age (10-12) was a big part of my personal "This is SO not for me!" revelation about Christianity... But then I was precocious.

[truebrit71]

75. Proving that religious fucktardery isn't just confined to Murrka....

.... bunch of fucking morons....IT'S FICTION YOU DUMBASSES!!!!

[prouddemfromaustin44]

76. Ugh, religious fundies are ridiculous

It's just a children's book! Don't like it, don't read it.

[randys1]

77. Morons

[Kalidurga]

80. "There are many parents who are uncomfortable with their children discussing

or looking at or reading anything at all to do with the occult."

Unless they are doing it within the confines of religious indoctrination using the bible as their fundamental guide to the occult.

[tavernier]

89. Harry Potter is as far from occult

as Bill O'Reilly's books are from reality.

[muntrv]

81. So does Bewitched.

[cemaphonic]

82. I thought the "fundies being ascared of Harry Potter" thing was last decade?

I wonder if they know that people still play Dungeons and Dragons?

[bigwillq]

83. Someone is always offended by something.

Sad.

[daleo]

86. Don't the Bible and Koran glorify acts of magic?

Miracle, magic, magick, whatever.

[raptor_rider]

87. What year is it??

The eff?!?!?!

[leftyladyfrommo]

88. I think I just saw where Huck Finn

was getting banned again somewhere. Mark Twain would be so proud.

I liked the 1st couple of Harry books because they were so creative and imaginative and fun. But then they got too dark me.

I just believe in banning books.