Answers to Ten Arguments Against Harry Potter



Editor's note: This following article was written by this CE viewer in response to the Gabriele Kuby article, “Ten Arguments Against Harry Potter” which appeared in this space last week.

Kuby Argument 1. Harry Potter is a global long-term project to change the culture. In this generation of youths, inhibitions against magic and the occult are being destroyed. Thus, forces re-enter society which Christianity had overcome.

Counter Argument: In this day and age, when science and pseudoscience is shoved down children's gullets, a little fantasy can be a fantastic relief. If kids believe that some kid with a wooden stick can get rid of the boogie man, society has bigger problems than Harry Potter. Any door can lead to the occult, if warped.

Kuby Argument 2. Hogwarts, the school of magic and witchcraft, is a closed world of violence and horror, of cursing and bewitching, of racist ideology, of blood sacrifice, disgust, and obsession. There is an atmosphere of continuous threat, which the young reader cannot escape.

Counter Argument: Hogwarts is appealing for just the opposite reason described. While it has its blemishes of racism and obsession, for that matter what part of society doesn't, it is a place for children. It is a place of belonging, truth, and direction. Today's schools and sports quickly strip the innocence of children making them grow up too quickly. I compare it to that tree we used to climb as a child. Yes we can fall and break our neck but it is the thrill of accomplishment and beauty of self reliance that makes attaining a few more feet so precious. In a society that doesn't even allow some children to even lose their innocence, i.e. abortion, Hogwarts allows the children to not just fail and be exposed to life's challenges and contests, but thrive at their accomplishments.

Kuby Argument 3. While Harry Potter appears in the beginning to fight against evil, in fact the similarities between him and Voldemort, the arch-evil adversary in the tale, become more and more obvious. In volume five, Harry is being obsessed by Voldemort, which leads to symptoms of personality disintegration.

Counter Argument: Are we not tested in life? We all can go down a seductive dark road. But to judge Harry's trip down the road to redemption just half way is ridiculous. If we stopped St. Peter's story at denial, he looks like a bum. As we continue his story he becomes a martyr, saint, and one of the greatest leaders in history. Which story would be worse if ended part way: (a) discovering we all have a tendency towards sin and a fascination with evil or (b) denying Christ, not just once, but thrice.

Kuby Argument 4. The human world becomes degraded; the world of witches and sorcerers becomes glorified.



Counter Argument: Hasn't the human world degraded itself already, in reality? It is just showing that you can rise above what's around you. Children need to know they have a shot in life. They know they can't change the world on a broom stick, but possibly with the kind of perseverance Harry shows.

Kuby Argument 5. There is no positive transcendent dimension. The supernatural is entirely demonic. Divine symbols are perverted.

Counter Argument – As far as positive transcendent dimension goes, I assume the meaning to be Truth. The truths that Harry learns are quite evident. Hard work, some self reliance, friendship, and trust can get you a long way in life. To go down the satanic route every time magic is mentioned, get's old. Children are as fascinated by magic as adults. Why do you think David Copperfield sells out? Do we truly think Mr. Copperfield is harnessing Satan's power to make an elephant disappear? Come on. To say divine symbols are perverted, I just flat out don't see that.

Kuby Argument 6. Harry Potter is no modern fairy tale. In fairy tales, sorcerers and witches are unambiguous figures of evil and the hero escapes their power through the exercise of virtue. In the Harry Potter universe there is no character that endeavors consistently to achieve good. For seemingly good ends evil means are being used.

Counter Argument – This shows lack of literary depth and breadth. There were magic heroes from the stories of Greek gods, to the Good Witch of Oz, to Gandalf, to a teenager named Luke Skywalker. So the last was a movie character, you get the idea. Most of the teachers are extremely virtuous, if sometimes misinformed. And besides Christ and Mary, who consistently endeavors to good? In other words, who is sinless? The beauty is they keep going. By evil means this goes back to the idea that magic is evil. Since magic does not exist in real life, kids know this (or should); ergo magic in fiction is just another tool at a person's disposal, such as a shovel.

Kuby Argument 7. A (young!) reader's power of discernment of good and evil is blocked out through emotional manipulation and intellectual confusion.

Counter Argument – Agreed, this is not a little child's book. It needs an adult's supervision, guidance, and explanation. This goes for the Bible as well. Hey if we are trying to explain some rough stuff, let's be fair. If you can explain the rough stuff in the Bible, then as a parent you have a duty to manage the rough stuff in a child's book. I am in no means trying to equate the two works. If you must substitute a Shakespeare work in place of the Bible reference in the example, to ease your indignity, so be it.

Kuby Argument 8. It is an assault upon this generation of youth, seducing it playfully into a world of witchcraft and sorcery, filling the imagination of the young with images of a world in which evil reigns, from which there is no escape, on the contrary, it is portrayed as highly desirable.

Counter Argument – Harry Potter seduces the youth of the world into literature. The key to the books is realizing you can take a stand against evil with the tools at your disposal. You do not have to wait to be a “Grown Up.” These books show the rules and regulations in the Hogwarts School and the penalties for breaking them. Kids are not used to penalties. How many times can they see the class bully put in detention? Schools are afraid to toss him, so wouldn't it be nice to turn him into a toad. This was said tongue in cheek; see Jonathon Swift for better examples.

Kuby Argument 9. Those who value plurality of opinion should resist the nearly overwhelming power of this peer pressure, which is being accomplished through a gigantic corporate and multimedia blitz — one which displays elements of totalitarian brainwashing.

Counter Argument – Don't you just wish the Catholic Church had this PR campaign?

Koby Argument 10. Since through the Potter books faith in a loving God is systematically undermined, even destroyed in many young people, through false “values” and mockery of Judeo-Christian truth, the introduction of these books in schools is intolerant. Parents should refuse permission for their children to take part in Potter indoctrination for reasons of faith and conscience.

Counter Argument – I would agree that there are too many important books to be taught in school to “waste” time with these. The same argument could be made for 99% of all entertainment today. Children are singing about pimps and drugs. I wish they were singing about bullies and the homework blues. There was once a great story teller, who used all sorts of parables to get his point across. He rarely referred to the protagonist as God, but the points of truth, faith, and goodness were made none the less. His name was Jesus.

Harry Potter is not the Bible, Christian Doctrine, or much less perfect. It is a wonderful children's story, similar in nature to stories about Hobbits literature. We must keep a watchful eye on what our children consume. I suggest turning on the radio today. You may go out and buy your child a wand of her own. Or at least preorder the next Harry Potter. Perhaps, write your own story. $36,000,000 made in one day could do a lot of good in this world. Isn't capitalism wonderful?

(Article response by John Clark.)

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