When I read this, I was quite appalled. I can understand that some books are inappropriate for younger readers ("Helter Skelter" and some of the like), but A Harry Potter book having an "unsavory" hero?

Well, I'm more laughing than fuming at this news...

I saw this and I was like GIMME a break!!!

Since when are children not allowed to have an imagination? I thought that was the best thing about being a child. I mean, wouldn't they have to take out all fiction books in this case, since fiction books "aren't real" and you can't directly relate? And who says you can't relate to Harry Potter? They have the same problems we do as teens, they just have magic as a side item.

I say these guys are full of it, and I would boycott my school if it happened here.

Well, i think we can all agree that the reasons are bogus. I feel sorry for any kid who grows up only reading non-fiction books or books that are "relatable" aka only about school-life- sort of defeats the whole purpose of reading, for me anyway. But I'm curious on whether or not they banned other HP books or the Eldest trilogy or Narnia books. I'm sure it must just be someone's pathetic vendetta with the HP series.

The ideas they have behind the banning aren't valid. maybe if they implied the use of drugs(not potion) or something illegal like that i would understand but banning it because it is fantancy is just weird.

I agree that it is possible to relate to them because they are teenagers with the same problems and chalenges as us just combined with magic as well. We all face the challenges of love and growing up with tempers and arguing. We all face bullying/bullying people.

When I read they had banned Clifford the big red dog and Disney's Christmas Storybook I laughed. I grew up with these as a small child and I still read them. Disney is a major part in my life and they have wonderful stories to fantasise about being a Princess or a mouse with wonderful friends. Clifford is deffinately not an anti-moral charactor.

I, like Nimbus, wonder whether they will ban Narnia because it also is a fantacy but you can relate to it like HBP.

Its censorship gone mad again. What are these people so afraid of? I bet the same people who banned these books had a go at poor Noddy and Big Ears for living together.

The biggest question mark over the whole thing is why they wouldn't state exactly what it was about the book they thought would corrupt the minds of children. I understand your anger Janet. It brings to mind the old "book-burning" days of certain hard-line organizations in the past.

Why can't these do-gooders find something really useful to do with their time? Freedom of speach? Yeeeah, right!

I wouldn't even get mad if then banned Narnia: they, at least, are fairly un-realistic in that there is not one trace of love in the books, and that they relate very little in real life (sorry Narnia fans). But Harry Potter is something easily relatable to. The books all start and end in the real world, and the characters are all "real people", who feel emotions and have to make decisions like the rest of us. I'll be surprised that what their opinions are about books we "can relate to"...

banning.



one part of me is completely against the idea. i think it's silly that the (U.S.) government is so strongly for allowing authors to express themselves, yet once the book is published, they can just ban it. what's the point of even writing anything worthwhile anymore? in my opinion, the only things worth reading have to have at least one controversial topic.

on the other hand, who doesn't want to read a book that you hear got banned? if you really think about it: all these lists that they put up just make you want to read the things that are 'forbidden' even more to find out what makes it so 'bad.' i think this kind of thing happened in one of the HP books, ironically. it was when umbridge made the notice banning the quibbler.

oh, those silly government people!

Oh boy...

one of my favorite things to do as a kid was to spend a few hours getting away from reality in a good book.

i applaude jk for getting so many children interested in reading again so how can someone ban something that has been such a good influence on children!!

there are so many other books in curculation with issues in them so much worse than anything weve seen in any of the harry potter books they they have no problem with children reading them!!

it makes me so mad. what right do they have banning a child from reading a CHILDRENS book!!!

i think that the harry potter bookd deal with so many issues that i remember finding hard to grast as a kid. i remember reading the famous five series and looking back at how any dangerous or upsetting situation is just brushed over. you never get see how people actualy deal with these situations in real life. kids dont get a proper perspective if all we let them read is happy, things can never go wrong type of books!

Staying vaguely on topic (), I thought I'd post this excerpt from a newspaper (think it was the Daily Mail) that my cousin clipped and gave to me yesterday...I'd love to know what you guys think about it...

Oh, these people are full of it!!

Why are they so blind?!?!!?!??

It is a book, it is fiction it isn't an author trying to take over the world or anything! I'm pretty sure JKR isn't looking to become the Dark Lord or anything. They do celebrate Christmas in the book, which is a Christian holiday in case those people didn't notice...but O my gosh...MAGIC! It is evil! I pretty sure most people reading these books are aware that magic in that sense does not exist (unless you are one of those people who practice wicken{sp?}) So I don't know why these people are so upset by it.

This is what really "cheeses" me off. The schools and the governments are worried about kids not reading enough. Then they go and ban books because they are not realistic and that they are sending a bad message. Excuse me, who's sending the bad message? But I also agree that by banning it might spark the "rebels" to read it. If the stuck up old snobs that banned actually delved deeper into the story and looked at the moral issues that Harry has to put up with, it is by no means unrealistic. Sure the main idea is fantasy but being mocked because he's different, ever heard that before? If my library only had books derived from non-fiction I would walk out. What kind of message are you sending?

firstly, I'd challange ANYONE to find a book - any kind of book that does not have negative characters in it. (er ... the bible? )

secondly, these poor people are so ingrained in their religion that they lead such narrow lives. I feel a little sorry for them because they have missed out on the real-world, but then again, it irks me no end that they speak always as if they are the "enlightened ones". Considering their life experiences, I think that is not only extroardinarily arrogant (please excuse me becuase I dont wish to offend other VTM members), but also blindingly ignorant.

If these people who claim to be "closest to God" would expunge their churches great wealth, power and resources and use the proceeds to feed the starving millions and house the homeless, or rescue the unwanted children from their institutionalized misery, instead of attacking the right for a child to be a child by reading books encouraging their growth through imagination, then I would have far more respect for them.

I actually laughed hen I read this bit of news on the main VTM page. I thought it was kind of comical that any school district to go to such means as to BAN a book that, as much as they try to prove otherwise, is completely harmless.

As chengy said in the beginning of this thread, Harry Potter has tons of things that children can relate to: relationships, fighting evil (metaphorically, obviously), dealing with the death of a loved one, standing up for what you believe in, and it can even teach them about not being discriminative.

Relating magic to Satanism and the devil is such an old stereotype that people have to learn to get over. Let the kids read and enjoy the books, please!




_daviD

A co-worker of mine printed an article written by a man named Austin Cline in the middle of February. Here's an excerpt:

The only way I can see this guy Austin Cline making sense is that, in HP's world, almost every muggle is pretty much an unaware ignoramus, and those who do know about witches and wizards are afraid of it, such as the Dursleys. But Hermione's parents are cool with it.

Does he think that children will feel bad about being non-magical because of these books? I did read some posts on here once from younger readers, who, when they were little, cherished a hope that they would get a letter from Hogwarts one day.

I had to laugh, because when I was little, I adored books about the American pioneers, like "Caddie Woodlawn" and "Little House on the Prairie." I wanted to live in the past so badly! I used to shut my eyes and count to 60, hoping when I'd open them I'd be in the 1870s...but when I'd open them again, I'd see the lightbulb on my ceiling and know my wish hadn't come true.

But I think I got over it fairly well.

If children read HP and enjoy it so much that while reading, they can almost believe it's real, I think that says a lot for how well Jo Rowling creates that world! Some people "read" too much into things, especially when it comes to kid's books. There was another book moved in the library recently too, about 2 penguins, because people thought it had "homosexual overtones." Penguins?

What I don't understand with the Pope and other Vatican officals is that Pope John Paul II,RIP, made a statement that there wasn't really anything wrong with the Harry Potter series. Now we get Pope Benadict XVI and he says they can lead to the devil.
I am at a Catholic school, when HBP came out I was worried that it would be banned from school because a seventh-day adventist school banned it but I went to school after reading the book and found our librarian had spent all weekend reading it and had created a quiz. If you won the quiz you got a voucher for a book store. i don't understand.

I was one of the people that wanted to recieve a Hogwarts letter but I'm over it now and I understood I was reading something from JKR's imagination and put it into my own,

I think I better before I go completly

Caity

These are all excellent points being made.

So okay, Jo does make overtones to the muggle world being pretty uninteresting, but heck, compared to the wizarding world what else could she do, plus its essential because of Harry's relationship with his Aunt and Uncle and his need to be accepted into the new world.

I can understand kids wanting to get their letter from Hogwarts, or wishing they had magical powers. But it's akin to wishing you had a magical wardrobe you could walk through to get to the land of Narnia, or a miriad of other fantastical stories that are out there for kids.

Goodness me, I don't believe any of us would learn to read or write if we never had a ccess to things that made us want to read because of the escapist values in the stories!

If they want to remove them because because they encourage a fantasy life, they would need to remove the entire fiction section. That would leave us with reference books, biographies and historical records. What an exciting library. Just the thought of it makes me want to go and check out a book on the proper care of roses.

I recall checking out books as a teen and pre-teen that would make some adults blush if read out loud. One book I recall is the Stand by Stephen King. There were some pretty graphic sex scenes in there and the book was on the schools shelf. I am not trying to say this one should go but if they are concerned about mild Harry Potter, they really need to see what else is on their shelves.

Just my two cents but then again I thought GOF was only a PG and did not deserve the stricter PG-13. So my definition of mild is quite different from others.

You know, when I read the article, it really burnt me up. I lived in California for over four years and came to know people there as very open minded and for the most part, easy going. I was reall surprised that this ban was carried out in that area.

I almost laughed when the spokesperson said it didn't encourage reading in children. What other book, in recent history, has children lined up outside a bookstore till wee hours of the morning waiting for a 700+ page book? Children of all ages mind you! What are the reasons behind this?

It seems to me they are afraid of what they do not know. Like so many times before in History, some people just can not acept certain things as it goes against their personal belief system. People are blinded by their own personal emotions and make irrational decisions based on how things make them feel. How selfish is that?

Well, books, movies, video games...they all do the same thing. Who doesn't want to open a wardrobe and find a magical land beyond? Who doesn't wish that the Enterprise was real and we could just fly off and be at the other end of the galaxy in seconds? Who doesn't wish they were Indiana Jones, discovering lost treasure and ancient civilisations? Who wouldn't want to see the beautifully visualised concepts of the different worlds from the Final Fantasy series?

Everyone wants these things...no one wants to be "normal". There's nothing wrong with having a healthy fantasy life, just so long as it doesn't infringe on your grip on reality, of course. Reading books isn't going to make anyone dissatisfied with their lives to the point where they're going to top themselves because of the sheer inanity of their lives.

Of course, the main critics of these things base a lot of their opinions on things gleaned from the Bible or other religious texts which are....guess what...books. So how can they criticise elements of reality in fantasy books without also criticising elements of "reality" in religious stories? Does anyone actually believe that the world was created in seven days? Does anyone really believe that someone can turn into a pillar of salt? Does anyone really believe that it's possible to feed five thousand people with a couple of loaves and a few fish?

Don't get me started on this, I'll be here all day.

All I can say is that I am very, very glad that I happen to live in a country where church and state are not inexorably intertwined and that religion plays a very, very small role - if any - in censorship decisions. Children grow up so quickly these days and they'll find out soon enough what a messed-up world this is that we're living in where unfortunately animals don't talk, and we can't visit the stars and there isn't any Father Christmas and there aren't any hidden lands in wardrobes - but there are suicide bombers and pedophiles and rapists and murderers...is that any better for them?

Of course not. So let kids read whatever they want to. Let them fantasise as much as they want to. Let them be kids as long as they can be. Childhood is a very precious time and it will never come again - don't take it away from them and turn them into mini-adults before their time.

I still say it's all down to something very simple....jealousy. People just can't stand to see someone else being successful.

this lends some insight into my situation i am a senior in high school and in our library we have all the HP books except the 6th one. which i found odd considering we have at least 2 copies of the others. Now reading this i wonder if thats what happend at my school becuase we have no copys period of the half blood prince. Honestly i think it is the stupidest thing to ban books period. Becuase all your doing is denying kids that amount of information, and just about everytime a book is banned from a school it is for the dumbest reasons one could possibly think.

I doubt most of them have ever even so much as glanced at one. Someone says 'magic' and all of a sudden it's paranoid torch-led book-burning sessions like something out of the ergot-mad Salem era. Honestly. It's like we're still living in the Dark Ages...which were called 'Dark' for a reason, and it had nothing to do with the lack of light

Hey ya'll, just thought I'd chime in...

Most of ya'll that know me know that I'm a Christian, and everything that goes with it.

So I'd just thought I'd say that I've only ever met one 'Christian' who had something against Harry Potter, and...well, to be blunt, they're not exactly representative of the average Church-goer. The elders and pastor at my church are all Harry Potter fans, and why not? They're good stories.

The media likes to show the far-left/right of whatever, it's been done with Islam, Christianity, and countless other things. It's one of my pet peeves, the media is. So when you hear on TV and in the papers, "Christians think...." and some outrageous story, just be sure to take it with a grain of salt. Not all Muslims are fanatics, and very few Christians claim that in the name of God Harry Potter is evil.

I would agree that not all Christians are against Harry Potter. You all know how obsessed I am with it! I think that people are incorrectly making assumptions about the book based on their own fears. I'd say that's their problem for not checking it out before passing judgement. QQS is right, the media does like to latch onto any sensationalism that a group of people, be it Christian or otherwise, spits out there and passes it off as the view of the entire group.

I've contacted the journalist who wrote the article. She's supposedly sending me a list of all of the banned books. I haven't heard back from the school. It seems that an Ohioan isn't too important to reply to in regards to a California School Distrist Book Banning. Sigh. I didn't get the feel that they banned the book based on any religious stance either. It was a character stance. I think it was quite bogus.

Not all books are worth reading. Not all characters are perfect. I still don't think that they should be banned. As I said, I don't think that anyone has a right to ban a book. Let them keep it out of their curriculum, but I don't think it should be put on a blacklist.

*cries*

Aw no, you guys have just got to be kidding me.....

No?

Right...okay then....well, this is another thread I'll be biting my tongue on in the future then.

Happy debating, folks

I know Christians (I'm one myself) who honestly think Harry Potter is bad. They won't say it outright, but when I tell them I read Harry Potter a little shadow passes over their face. Weird, but they haven't read it, so that would explain it. To tell the truth, the 'wizard boy with round glasses' who has to battle this most evil wizard sounded a bit dorky to me before I read the books. Turned out I was wroooong, but it just shows how you litterally can't "judge a book by it's cover/publicity/other people's views".

I honestly don't see why it makes a difference if the earth was made in seven or seven gazillion days. Whether God made everything in one day or not, it doesn't change the wonder of it to me - time changes nothing.

Being a Christian means I believe in miracles. That's just me. What can I say if I just don't need evidence for everything? (I'm 100% fine with it if someone does, it's absolutely a personal thing). So a miracle over trillions of days and one that happens in seven is the same thing to me. A book about a boy writing a Transfiguration exam while being honourable, brave and loving is the same as him writing a Maths exam. In these two instances, time and magical ability are irrelevant in my opinion.

Isn’t it fun to be so diverse in beliefs and still be united in Harry Potter? Heheheh.

I was looking further into this book banning, to see if I could find any mention of any action going on to restore the books to the school, and I came up with some other interesting information.

Lol* MacBeth and Hamlet is ok!

Doesn't that explain everything?! Not that I don't love those plays, but they are scarier than HP has ever been. But then - who in their right mind will ban Shakespeare in the 21st century? Hopeless, there is no other word - oh wait there is, a few actually, but they all have four letters...

Touching on Michelle Dessler's and passerby's comments, I thought about something else--

When you think about it, the Bible has some pretty questionable content, doesn't it? There's a considerable amount of violence in that book. Maybe kids should have to get parental permission to read that, too.

I mean, consider that there's a lot of stoning, crucifying, beheading, general smoting of unbelievers and worshippers of the golden calf...you've got Lot's daughters making babies with their own dad, Cain and Abel populating the world--but who did they marry? You've got people turned into salt, the drowning of the entire world except for one big ark...betrayals, a man driven to kill his own son (saved at the last minute, but he would have done it)...and...feeding many people with a couple of fish, and if that isn't a kind of magic then I don't know what is!

OK, I'm being facetious. I'm not trying to offend anyone! But the Bible's got some seriously strong content, doesn't it? Yet most libraries have it available to anyone to check out. Why not Harry Potter? Given the feeble criteria these people have used to ban HP, it could be applied to just about any book--even the Good Book!

Aren't people just weird?

Just to explain the bread and fish thing. In the Bible there is a clear difference between miracles done by God and Jesus and 'supernatural' happenings that are not God-inspired. Magic in any form, unless done through God Himself, is considered sin. This includes fortunetelling and other practical magic, such as levitating etc. God is seen as the only truly Good force - anything else is tainted and therefore not pure. Purity and Goodness is in a sense the same. Even healing and driving out demons, when not done through God, is seen as evil/impure. A 'miracle' performed in this way cannot be lasting.

Remember also that the Bible is an historical account. Even though not always completely accurate, it is still based on real life. The metaphors in the Bible describe real life - there are no downright fabrications. Well, that's what we Christians believe, anyway. So if magic is condemned there, it is condemned in real life, not in fantasy.

Magic in the real world is seen as a sin by Christians. But Harry Potter isn't the real world, so to me it's not a sin to read the books, or enjoy them. Other people, who may not be Christians but who are just against magic in general, don't see it this way. That is where a lot of this problem comes from.

In my opinion, the main problem though, is people who are against the books without ever having read them...

I understand your points, Capricorn, and I do thank you for your well-thought argument. I didn't mean to say that miracles and magic are the same thing--though to some people, they are.

My reference was based mainly on the idea that the Bible is respected and revered by millions worldwide, yet is packed with violence and tales of sexual misconduct--but libraries always stock it, and access to it is not forbidden to readers under the age of 18.

I really only referred to the Bible since it's a book we are all pretty familiar with--not as a religious point. Sorry I didn't clear that up--I should not try to post at 2 in the morning!

I just really meant to say that if libraries are going to ban books, or restrict access to them, they should have clearly mapped-out guidelines as to what is considered to be 'appropriate' reading material for the underage reader. There shouldn't be one set of rules for a book like the Bible, and another set of rules for Harry Potter. Not everyone sees the Bible as an historical reference--some see it as fiction. It depends on the perception. Therefore, it isn't fair when someone complains about Harry Potter because it is fiction, and gets its use banned or restricted.

If Harry Potter is restricted, then as Michelle Dessler said, kids shouldn't be able to read The Chronicles of Narnia, nor the Wizard of Oz series, etc., which are wonderful works of fiction referring to magical events. And if a different irate parent, say, perhaps, a Hindu or Buddhist parent, wishes to complain about the Bible, their wishes should be respected as well and access to the book should be restricted. This is an argument that is bound to come up if libraries do this--I don't know why some of them cave so easily. And I can't believe librarians feel they have the right to ban books! They above anyone should respect the public's right to know.

Yeah, no sorry, was I a bit hardcore? I shouldn't post immediately after a long day's classes.

I understand, I actually tried to fill on to your argument from a Christian point of view - not my most successful attempt. Yes, the Bible is a human story - therefore it deals with human triumphs and failures. It's the lessons we learn from others' conduct that matter, though.

Just like Narnia and every other fantasy story. The metaphor for the power inherent in humans is just magic in this case. Some churches believe animals don't have souls - so why hasn't anyone complained about fables yet? They also give the 'wrong' impression, don't they?

Anyway, I agree whole-heartedly with you. Who the are librarians really? What qualifications do they have to make decisions about what other people's kids may read? It's so out of touch, that words can't describe the arrogance of it.

It's just not done in the 21st century - I can't explain this further without ending up with a (admittedly very bad) thesis.

That's cool Capricorn, I totally understand where you're coming from.

As for librarians, I thought of being one once. You have to have a Master's degree in Information Sciences in the US in order to to be one. To be a librarian at a school, you have to also have a Bachelor's degree in education. It's a lot of work. But it just seems so weird to me, because librarians should understand the laws governing censorship better than anyone. It seems to me that this particular librarian's assessment of the HP series was based on personal prejudice, not informed consensus. She thought she had the right to decide what was relevant reading for the pupils at her school. Her reasons for banning the series were entirely feeble! I hope that school district rethinks her contract! lol

I know how you feel, Capricorn.

If we ban books, then we're no better than Hitler who burned them. Banning books amounts to breaking just about every freedom in the First Amendment in some way; I didn't realize that libraries had the power to do so.

Obviously there are things that older children can comprehend that younger children shouldn't be exposed to; movie ratings show that, the fact that if you're not 17 you can't buy an R rated ticket, etc.

But it's the parents job to be sure that their kids aren't reading things that are inappropriate for their ages.

I realize how fortunate I am to have parents who never tried to stifle me, particularly things that don't agree with our religious beliefs. I searched 'Harry Potter' on the ALA site passerby provided, and found a lot of the books that I read as a part of my school curriculum, and loved.

Ah, it makes me angry, how many things are wrong in this country despite the careful planning of the Founding Fathers to make sure otherwise.

I didn't really mean academic qualifications , I understand you need those, I was talking about the personal prejudice thing. What moral qualifications do they have? (If I can call it that.) Sensoring basic stuff like sex, violence etc is fine, but this isn't like that. As far as I have gathered magic is PG rated - meaning that parents should decide. So on what moral ground can librarians step in and take that decision themselves? If the government (or someone with legal authority) had to do something, why not just put an age restriction on the books?

But the bottom line (on which we at least agree straight forwardly, phew) is that this whole magic thing is way too blown up.

This was a rash decision, no doubt.

Oh, QQS posted while I was typing. Hmm yeah, it's heart breaking really - democracy is still not instinctive in most people - I find it hard myself sometimes. But logically there is no other way.

Also, just to keep from jumping on all of these poor librarians: It's the school boards that are banning the books from the libraries (regardless of whether some agree with the decision or don't agree). The school boards are petitioned by parents who have some dislike of HP and a movement goes through and is made. Blah, I say! BLAH! The school board is made up of politicians, parents, administrators. . .And it just grieves me to see that they feel that they have to go so far as to challenge a book. Crazy.

Yes, some books should be kept out of the hands of the young. I can think of plenty I wouldn't want my kids reading until they're emotionally mature enough to deal with the content. (Heck, there are books that I've read that I think my own mother is too young to deal with! ). I don't plan on letting my children actually read the HP series until i feel that they are old enough to understand some of the thematic issues it brings up, but that's a family decision. I'm actually glad that I have such a love for these books that I'll be able to (re)read the books with my kids and talk with them about it. I think parents do need to be responsible with what they're letting their kids read and when. I DON'T think that a school district needs to try to take that place.

Yes, the Bible does have some strong morality issues betwixt its covers! I feel that this is another reason that parents need to be avidly involved in what they're children are reading and exposed to. If my kid sits down to read Genesis, you'd better believe I'm going to be there to discuss what he's reading! There's some tough issues there . . .slavery, incest, war, murder. I don't think that a kid should be left alone with that kind of stuff swimming around in his head! They need constant dialogue so that they can determine what's wrong and what's right and why.

I think I read in one of those articles (it may have been the one on the Christian college, sad to say), that they actually took part in a book ripping. Oh, come on, people! Did that make them feel better? Did they accomplish anything? Gack.

Do you think that books should come with ratings like movies do? I know they categorize them into age groups, but other than that there isn't any type of rating system. What do you guys think?

That's an interesting point, Janet!

While I tend to be on the side of less government involvement (sp?) in private affairs, I could see this might be one instance where it could be helpful. After all, the ratings system for films is meant to protect children from objectionable content--but--allows young people to see 'R' rated films if they are with a parent or guardian. That is right and good, as it allows the parent to decide if their child can handle that film. Also, of course, a child could watch any film in the privacy of the family home, but parents can forbid or lock up certain films--again, placing the responsibility for what a child is exposed to back into the hands of the parents, where it should be.

So if books had age ratings as well, a parent could decide for themselves if their 8-year-old was emotionally ready for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Some 8-year-olds might be, some not. If they thought their child could handle it, they could give permission, or buy the book for use in the home.

But yeah, it would have to be straight across the board! Every book, not just books dealing with magic would have to be read and judged. I remember reading Catcher in the Rye in middle school. I don't think I was really ready for that book. I read it because there were lots of naughty words. lol But I didn't understand the basic underlying themes. Looking back now, that book probably didn't really belong in a middle school library.

Oh, and thanks for clearing it up about the school board vs. the librarian. I was wrong there!

VividGreen--No one could say it better than you have right here.

Is Harry Potter fantasy? Of course. But the characters are so real! Harry is not the perfect hero--sometimes he's stubborn, jealous, and rash. He's also brave, caring, and loyal. He's human. He's a young person with an enormous responsibility on his shoulders--one he did not deserve and doesn't want. I think Harry can help young people, because almost everyone faces having to do things they don't want to do. Anyone who has been through that can identify with his emotional rollercoaster ride.

Well, we can rest happy that these incidences of repression are very rare--rare enough to make the news! I don't know about the school libraries in my town, but the city library doesn't just carry Harry Potter--they carry about 10 copies of each book, because they are so popular! I truly believe that HP is the classic children's series for this era.

In this country, libraries are controlled by local government, so if anything were to be banned, it would be down to the local councils who would be under pressure from the voting public to restrict access to certain books. Thankfully, there isn't the same sort of feeling about magic over here...possibly because 'Magick' and other such "natural" belief systems are as old as the hills and are part of culture here...it's not such a big deal as it seems to be elsewhere. I can't think of an instance where any book has been banned here. I remember there being huge fusses over the publication of some - The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie springs to mind - but generally, any fuss is because some celebrity doesn't want their private life splashed all over the bookstands.

Talking about 'Catcher in the Rye', wasn't that book found on Mark Chapman, the guy who shot John Lennon? Are they afraid that it might incite someone else to go out and shoot someone? Because I would argue that if someone is unstable enough to want to kill someone else, they could be set off by anything. Millions of people have read that book and they haven't gone out and shot anyone, have they?

Has anyone ever read a Harry Potter book and then gone out and committed a Satanic act? Has it made any one less religious or moral than they might otherwise have been?

I highly doubt it.

When it comes down to it, the authorities probably fear the voting public far more than anything else. Angry people won't vote for them, then they get thrown out of what they most want - positions of power and authority. That's the only motive in book banning - not for the 'moral crusade' of protecting young minds from corruption. I've never heard such a load of rubbish in my whole life. Boy, this thing really gets my goat...I don't know how the people who live in these communities cope with it.

hmm....that is very strange i think that the teachers or someone should read it over and well i think they would change there mind. but if it is against a reiligous theme or something close i would understand but this no way there crazy ( hahaha i mean it )

Might I post this little bit, as an attempt to show that there is indeed things that actually point to religious things in the books, not going with the devil, but rather against him. Sorry if it is long.

Mmm. Interesting.

Personally though, I think if people really want to see something in a book, they'll see it.

I doubt whether many people here have seen a film called 'ClosetLand' - Alan Rickman and Madelaine Stowe are in it and it's not easy viewing by any means. Basically, it's the story of a woman in an unnamed country who is ripped from her bed in the middle of the night, taken to a prison of some sort and subjected to physical and mental torture to try to get her to confess that the children's books she wrote weren't merely children's stories, but were actually veiled attempts at usurping and undermining the government, supporting the insurgents and so on.

There was nothing whatsoever like that in the story - it was just a kids story and she argues vociferously that they are merely stories and it is up to each individual person to look at them and interpret them as they see fit. The big thing is though that it was never intended to be interpreted that way - it suits the interrogators purpose to assume that they do though, so that's what he does.

The moral - people will see whatever they want to in a book, film, painting or whatever. No one can stop anyone else doing that of course, but it doesn't mean that the author had any such interpretation in mind when they wrote/painted/made whatever is being interpreted.

I see the books as good, moral, uplifting stories of the power of the human spirit, the strength of the mind and the support of having people around you who care for you - and nothing more. If people want to attach religious significance to them, well, whatever floats your boat I guess. I don't see it that way though.

I agree with both of your points. I don't see the books as religious, but I thought that bit was a good argument against those who believe Harry is "the Prince of Darkness" or whatever. There are a lot of different interpretations for books, it's just how you see it.

Like most everyone in here, or at least the two people before me, I believe the books just show the common battle of good versus evil. It deals with common moral issues and problems in everyday life. The magical part is just the setting it all takes place in.