I became concerned: How could I possibly be so out of touch with popular culture that an 8-year-old would recognize and use 50 words I'd never heard of? I got the first Harry Potter book, a pack of Pokémon cards and Pokémon book, and a book on Animorphs.
I read the Pokémon book and was not charmed: it wasn't well written, and its use of violence to gain power over someone else-even a bad person-was antithetical to my view of Christlike behavior. I haven't had the courage to read the Animorphs book yet-the cover is too graphic-but Harry Potter is a charmer.
The first four books (the fifth is due out in summer 2003) in the Harry Potter series describe his adventures at Hogwarts, where he meets charming friends and dreadful bullies, and good and evil wizards. Harry and his two friends are portrayed as three ordinary kids with special powers, who get themselves into many scrapes. Through the power of wizardry and witchcraft, as well as their own scheming, they extract themselves from difficulties.
Millions of children identify with this orphaned boy-partly because he's so engaging and partly because he's had such a tough life. So shouldn't parents welcome their children's interest in the Potter series? After all, at least now kids are reading! Further, the books are well written and fun to read, with engaging characters. To many people this is reason enough to welcome each new book. And since Harry Potter is so engaging, and children enjoy him so much, why not encourage children to read the books?
For Christians, the issue goes beyond readability and heroes; they have a responsibility to help children decide appropriate guidelines for selecting any reading. Because the Harry Potter books are so popular-140 million copies in 47 languages, and now the second movie in a series has opened this month-we have an opportunity and a need to consider the issues that the books (and films) raise.*
This brings up a major theme in Harry Potter: power. How does a Christian stand up to enemies and friends? In the Harry Potter books we see a power struggle between Harry and his friends, between Harry and bullies, between evil wizards, and between good wizards and bad wizards.
Whether we are talking about "good" wizards, such as Harry, or bad wizards, such as the evil Lord Volde-mort, all either already possess various powers or acquire them in order to control others.
The two major power holders in Harry Potter are Harry and Voldemort, who killed the boy's parents. The interactions between them become increasingly violent, the most recent book (number four) opening with several violent murders.
In speaking of the evil Lord Voldemort, Quirrell, a character in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, says, "He is with me wherever I go. . . . I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it. . . . Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me."
The issues of power and the use of witchcraft and wizardry to control other people are problematic. The power to control other people removes their free will. The underlying argument in many instances is this: If you have the power to force someone else to do your will and you are on the good side, then it's OK to use this power.
2. Revenge
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, school bullies who have immersed themselves in the dark arts accost Harry and two friends. They make cruel remarks to Harry and his friends. In response, Harry and friends simultaneously cast hexes on them, rendering them unconscious. "Ron, Harry, and George kicked, rolled, and pushed the unconscious Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle-each of whom looked distinctly the worse for the jumble of jinxes with which they had been hit-out into the corridor, then came back into the compartment and rolled the door shut." Then Harry and his friends sit down and play games.
This spirit of revenge is diametrically opposed to Jesus' command to turn the other cheek. Should children take revenge simply because they have the power to do so?
3. Struggle
Some argue that Harry Potter is a metaphor for the struggle between good and evil. Harry Potter, a wizard, learns how to overcome his enemies through wizardry, not through the principles of good. In a sense, this is evil battling evil. Harry is portrayed as a victim, but in fact he is a victim with unusual powers that he uses on behalf of himself and his friends.
The argument that one is justified in using violence to overcome evil isn't new-wars have been defended by this philosophy. However, in the story of the great controversy, Jesus, the central character, was a meek man who prayed for His enemies, even forgiving those who put Him to death. Although Jesus had the power to blot out His enemies in an instant, He refused to do so, because of the principle of love.
4. Imagination
Obviously Harry Potter is a fictionalized, imaginary character. However, the books are so compelling and well written that he seems almost real. Can we assume that kids will know the difference between reality and fiction and respond accordingly?
Physically, the brain can't tell the difference between fiction and fact. It's only the evaluation of information that allows us to make that distinction. What goes into the brain stays there, and what is reinforced is recalled longer and better. So what do you want in your child's brain?
Indeed, there is some question about how well children, particularly younger ones, distinguish between the real and the imaginary. In an interview with Newsweek J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, said, "I get letters from children addressed to Professor Dumbledore [the headmaster of Hogwarts School]-and it's not a joke-begging to be let into Hogwarts. . . . They want it to be true so badly, they've convinced themselves it's true."
5. The Occult
Some Christians dismiss the objection that Harry Potter uses witchcraft, saying the books are only a creative use of the imagination. However, since children have been reading the Harry Potter books they've become more interested in paganism and the occult.
A spokesperson for the Pagan Federation, Andy Norfolk, told Associated Newspapers, "Parents should not be alarmed by their children's sudden interest in magic. Paganism is recognized as a valid religion. In no way is it a cult, and certainly it offers nothing untoward" (Aug. 4, 2000).
Witches celebrate their positive portrayal in Harry Potter: "For once, the witches aren't ugly old hags," says Michael Darnell, who has been practicing witchcraft for 25 years. "For once, they're the protagonists rather than the victims."
Such comments should alarm Christians. We need to ask ourselves some critical questions: Is there a war between good and evil? Is the occult real or only imaginary, as some argue?
Does Satan attack us only in the garb of ugliness, or does he come with charm and enticements as well? Children need to be able to answer these questions for themselves.
A related concern is how the Harry Potter books and films deal with life after death. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the evil Lord Voldemort's magic wand is able to bring Harry's dead parents, and others of his victims, to talk to Harry. The Bible unequivocally teaches that the dead know nothing.
How to Choose
I've had teachers ask me for a list of "acceptable" books. My response is to give them a list of principles to ascertain that. No one can or should read all children's books and then tell parents or children what to read. We make people weak when we make their choices for them.
To help decide what is acceptable, here are some questions that should be asked:
If a story is imaginary, does this mean it is OK to read?
Does the fact that a book includes a few positive philosophical statements justify its reading?
Will knowing the difference between right and wrong enable one to ignore the "bad parts" of a book?
Is reading Harry Potter or similar material a matter of right and wrong, or is it just good fun?
As you read, keep in mind that humor disarms one's sensitivities. The repetition of exposure to violence or the occult desensitizes us to evil and human suffering.
Everything we read, watch, hear, or do influences us. For me, one of the biggest issues in Harry Potter or Pokémon is that of influence. We need to ask: What is the overall influence of what I read and see?
The author of Harry Potter says that the books will get increasingly dark. This is evident as the plot develops through the successive books. I, along with Harry, closed my eyes to avoid a horrifying mutilation, combined with gratuitous violence and murder, at the end of the fourth book. How could a children's book end like this?
Remembering that the conflict between good and evil is largely a battle for the mind, consider how these books (and various other media) influence your thinking. Does violence and wizardry desensitize one's mind? Is Satan real or imaginary? If a book is fun, is it OK? Is there an evil side to good? Is there a good side to evil? This series indicates that there is a good side to wizardry.
Establishing Principles
1. The first issue is our use of time. In Christ's Object Lessons Ellen White says our time belongs to God. She says we're under an obligation to employ it to His glory: "Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time" (p. 342).
2. Does the reading material fit these principles that Paul enumerated in Philippians 4:8? "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."†
3. Should Christians choose revenge or offer grace? Jesus said, "But I say, don't resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too" (Matt. 5:39).
4. How are we to relate to our enemies and our friends? Do we try to gain power over them, or do we treat them with respect? "Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!" (verse 44).
5. Does imaginary witchcraft or wizardry and other types of behavior by literary characters influence the reader's mind? "It is a law both of the intellectual and the spiritual nature that by beholding we become changed. The mind gradually adapts itself to the subjects upon which it is allowed to dwell" (Ellen White, Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, p. 331).
Cautions
Often people who find fault with the popular media are marginalized and ridiculed before they've had time to think through or defend their positions. Since this is the case, take care in what you say about Harry Potter. If you are going to criticize the books or their author based on quotes from the books or the author, be careful that your arguments are sound and the quotes factual.
I recently received a widely circulated e-mail that contained vulgar words attributed to J. K. Rowling. The source was said to be an Internet site that claims to be a major news site. However, the site is satirical and often anti-Christian-it had invented a fictional story about Harry Potter. The e-mail used this story to condemn the books.
This sort of attack harms thoughtful Christians and others. Sincere people who repeat such allegations do nothing to help people learn the facts or support a case.
But above the debate are two broader issues for parents and teachers: Is it their role to control others' choices? And what responsibility do parents and educators have to protect children? To the first I say: Teach children how to make principled decisions.
And to the second: Make principle-based decisions yourself in order to help children learn to think for themselves.
But whether Harry Potter comes to your home is a decision that I'll leave to you.
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* From Detroit Free Press Aug. 23, 2002 (www.freep.com/features/books/jk23_20020823.htm).
† All Scripture quotations in this article are taken from the New Living Translation.
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Anita Oliver writes from La Sierra University, California, where she is chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education. This article, which appeared in the South Pacific Division's Record, for December 1, 2001, was reprinted and updated with permission.
WO YEARS AGO I ATTENDED A convention in which the speaker gave us a sheet with many names listed on it, asking us if we recognized them. There were such words as Dumbledore, Potter, Pokémon, and Hogwarts. Almost none of us did. We were then told that our students would.
Harry Potter is a nerdy kid in need of friends. His mean-spirited Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Cousin Dudley have belittled and severely mistreated him throughout his childhood-they're raising him because his parents were killed. While living with these relatives, Harry receives a message that he is to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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