The Harry Potter books written by J.K. Rowling have sustained consistent attack from the Christian Right because of how they portray witchcraft. According to Christian critics, the Harry Potter books encourage children to accept a view of witchcraft that is benign, even good, and thus will lead them to adopt some form of paganism or Wicca. Christians naturally object to this and thus protest the presence of Harry Potter in schools, libraries, and society generally.
According to Karen Gounaud, president of Family Friendly Libraries, the Harry Potter books contain “a great deal of symbolism, language, and activities honoring witchcraft.†This perspective is shared by many Christian critics of the Harry Potter books who see them as nothing more than attempts to popularize witchcraft.
Richard Abanes writes in his book Harry Potter and the Bible:
“The whole attraction of the occult is power, excitement and entertainment, each of which is represented in the Potter series. Rowling’s books, at the very least, will desensitize children to the dangers of occultism, which in turn may create in them a general sympathy toward a spiritually detrimental set of beliefs. For some children, the Potter series may even spark a desire for genuine occult materials and paraphernalia.â€
Christians argue that the Bible is unambiguous in its condemnation of witchcraft and demand that followers of God completely disassociate themselves from the practice of magic. The Harry Potter books make witchcraft and the practice of magic seem appealing and fun; therefore, parents shouldn’t allow their children to read them.
Background
This particular issue is the source of most Christian Right complaints and protests against the Harry Potter books. Christians who express nothing but disdain for the separation of church and state when it comes to the government promoting Christianity suddenly become staunch defenders of the principle, arguing that schools are inappropriately promoting religion when students are encouraged to read Harry Potter.
Regardless of whether they are hypocritical or not, though, it would matter if they are right because schools can't encourage students to read books that promote a particular religion. The American Library Association listed the Harry Potter books as the most challenged books in America in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. It was second in 2003 and disappeared from the list in 2004. Most people tend to regard censorship as a bad thing, but if the Harry Potter books really do promote witchcraft then perhaps there haven’t been enough challenges.
On the other hand, if the Christian Right is all wrong in their assessment of Harry Potter, then it is their efforts to suppress the books which should be challenged. If the Harry Potter books don’t promote witchcraft, but merely include witchcraft as part of the fabric of a fantasy world, then complaints are less about the books themselves than about something else â€" the larger secular culture, perhaps, where books about witches and wizards are more popular then the Bible or Christian literature.
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