Religious debates over Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling stem largely from assertions that the Harry Potter novels contain occult or Satanic subtexts.

This opposition comes from branches of Abrahamic religions, with some members of Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox Christians, in addition to Shia and Sunni Muslim faiths, arguing against the series.

In the United States calls for the books to be banned from schools have led occasionally to widely publicised legal challenges, usually on the grounds that witchcraft is a government-recognised religion and that to allow the books to be held in public schools violates the separation of church and state.

Religious opposition has also surfaced in other nations. The Orthodox churches of Greece and Bulgaria have campaigned against the series, and members of the Vatican hierarchy have voiced opposition.
The books have been banned from private schools in the United Arab Emirates and criticised in the Iranian state-run press.

Much of the criticism is from Christian groups, especially those of a fundamentalist tendency, who believe the series' alleged pagan imagery is dangerous to their children.

So, if you have read the series, do you think it promotes Pagan religions

If you are Pagan, do you think that HP series does the belief system credit.

... or is it just a yomping good yarn?

Good one Belushi

I dont know why I didnt think of this

It's just a good story. Read them all, saw the movies. Just a fun series.

I'd like to view myself as religious, but I see no reasoning behind shunning Harry Potter. If you do that then you'll have to do the same for every pagan clothing company, car company and food company. It would be endless. Besides, entertainment doesn't promote paganism--similar to how games don't promote violent behavior.

which one got killed this week ?
i seen 1 of them did on the knews

I am going to disagree with this so much, I am going to start another thread in the Tech section ....

(and the guy that got killed was due to be in the next film. got stabbed in london outside a nightclub)

Back to HP please

I was interviewed for a job at a local school in Walsh Colorado, and I was asked how I felt about the Harry Potter Books.

I believe they wanted to ban them from their school, and because I express an opinion that I did not think anything was wrong with them and I don't believe in banning books, that I was not hired.

But do you really think they should have asked that question in a job interview? I was a little surprised by the question.

JB

yeah, thats a weird question

I think I might have been very wary of the question when it was asked. I might have said, I had not read them.
Then they cant bust your butt either way then ... lol

But it is a strange question to ask, considering the popularity of the series.

Religious opposition has also surfaced in other nations. The Orthodox churches of Greece and Bulgaria have campaigned against the series, and members of the Vatican hierarchy have voiced opposition.
The books have been banned from private schools in the United Arab Emirates and criticised in the Iranian state-run press.

Much of the criticism is from Christian groups, especially those of a fundamentalist tendency, who believe the series' alleged pagan imagery is dangerous to their children.

*************************************************************

......."Alleged pagan imagery is dangerous to their children"?

Errr...wouldn't crucifixion of god's son be a little dangerous to children...wouldn't most of the violence, and veiled and not so veiled threats, attached to the stories in the bible, be more harmful to children?

The only 'danger'I see to children from reading the Harry Potter series, would be the fact that the characters, (mainly children) have the capacity for free thought....which is not overly encouraged within many religions.

It is simply a story, in this case a series. Fundamentalist got up in arms ove The DaVinci Code as well. But as we all can attest to, the Bible is 100% accurate. Uh huh.

Has anybody actually developed magic powers after reading Harry Potter?

Besides me that is

Well I developed a boil on my arse from sitting too long reading them, does that count?

If you think Christianity is not a cult or that they don't practice the casting of spells here is a binding spell posted in another thread by Morningsong.

I have been accused of being a witch by the local churches in my town who actually believed that I was casting spells and doing who knows what, just because I advertised for free tarot card readings in the local paper.

Read this spell and tell me if it does not sound like witchcraft to you:




That is a binding spell. I know, I have done binding spells myself. I know a spell when I see one.

You will discover that Christians justify their witchcraft and spell by making the claim that they work for the one true God who gives them the authority and the power to do these things.

And of course they also make the claim that when I do a spell, Satan is source.

How rude.

They think they own God.

JB

The Da Vinci Code (wasnt half the book Angels and Demons was), The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, Alice through the looking glass and a raft of other books have not been banned and yet promote spells and "alternative" religious practices

It is interesting that in the final book, the author (who is allegedly a practising christian) put in a lot more overt christian references.

No Jeannie..christians DON'T cast spells on anyone...and you VERY WELL know this , Jeannie.

No...Christians don't cast spells....but Christians DO bind and cast OUT spirits in people...in the NAME of JESUS... to see them set free... and not bound up any more..cause we LOVE and CARE enough about people.... to see them set free.

That's the Love of Jesus in a Christian....that wants to see the captives set free!!

For instance....let's say some one has a spirit of addition to heroine.... well.... spirit filled christians bind and cast that spirit of drug addiction OUT of that person....so that person can be SET FREE,and NOT BOUND UP in drug adiction anymore.....but we pray and do this ONLY in that Name that has Power .....that Name of JESUS!!

Here's Another example.....

Let's look at A spirit of abuse.....that is passed on that from generation to genenration in a family.....where a father for instance, beats his children and wife...cause his father,and his father before....all did the same thing.

Well..in this case,for instance.... That spirit of abuse , has also become a generational curse.....which is a spirit that is passed on from generation to generation.......and Chrsitians have BEEN GIVEN AUTHORITY in JESUS NAME, to CAST that abusive spirit of abuse OUT of a person..and break that generational curses OFF a person....and OFF his whole family ...to keep abuse from further happening again.

But NO...we do NOT cast spells ON a person!!

And I would kindly ask that you stop twisting words from now on , Jeannie.
Thank You.

One more thing Jeanie.....

I love you as a person......as I also love people from every walk of faith...and walk of life...even if they don't agree with me.

My muslim friends, my japanese friends , my hindu friends....all know I am a christian, and love and respect me, as I deeply love and respect every single one of them.

But NONE of these precious friends of mine, from many different faiths, would even dream of coming on a board... and feeling it their duty to speak against christianity.

Point is..sharing one's beliefs is one thing....but speaking against another's beliefs ,is quite another.

Nuf said.

Praying this will stop.

I did not accuse you of doing any black magic. But a binding spell is a binding spell. It is a spell just the same Morningsong. It does not matter in whose name you do the spell.

You were casting a spell towards (or on) "the lost" or whoever you consider to be "the lost," (and the subject at hand was Oprah who was being accused of turning against Christianity)

Of course you are assuming that the person is somehow under the influence of "spirits" and your spell is to bind these evil spirits. Okeee Dokeee... but

I don't know why you keep denying that you are doing spells and magic. That you do it "in the name of Jesus" does not change anything. A spell is a spell.

I firmly believe that spells should not be done towards or on people (or their so-called spirits) without their permission. For anyone to pray that Oprah or anyone else find her way back to Christianity without their permission is not right (and won't be effective anyway.)

Perhaps you just don't realize it. You can call it a prayer if it makes you feel better. But to assume a person is influenced or possessed by bad spirits and bind them etc... well that is spell casting if I ever saw it.

JB

I like both of ya

Morningsong & J.B.


Dont force me to use my Harry Potter witchcraft on you two

I suppose I just feel a bit of a double standard here and I admit I am taking it out on you.

I don't really care what you want to believe, for yourself, but I do think it wrong to pray for people to change their belief or their thinking or to come back into Christianity or to get saved ~~ without their permission. That is just not right in my opinion.

JB