Updated July 7, 2005

Whirlwind of Controversy

Many thoughtful families are caught in the whirlwind of controversy over the wildly popular Harry Potter series of books by Joanne K. Rowling. That is, are these series of novels just harmless, imaginative, children's adventure stories or do they condition young readers to be more open to the occult and serious witchcraft?

It is not easy to answer these questions. Strongly pro-family spokesmen have come out on both sides of the issue.

A clue might be that the establishment media and entertainment industry are ecstatic about Harry Potter. The almost universal enthusiasm from the generally anti-family mainstream media should cause families to pause and at least take a careful look at all the arguments.

It is hoped that the following material will provide quality alternative food for thought to help parents and others to discern the best response to Harry Potter.

Michael O'Brien on Harry Potter

We especially direct you to the essay by Michael O'Brien in which he carefully analyzes the Potter phenomenon from a Christian perspective and points out the differences between the Harry Potter series and J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and C. S. Lewis' Narnia fantasies. Lord of the Rings has a wizard as a main character, there is also magic, lots of monsters and constant battles between good and evil.

O'Brien's essay is an education in morally sound versus morally dangerous fantasy literature for children. The work goes beyond criticizing the Potter series and stirs the conscience to reflect more seriously on the loss of traditional faith and the danger posed by the secular entertainment media. O'Brien acknowledges the Potter series is a creative, imaginative and powerful drama filled with enticing ideas. However, the allure created, according to O'Brien, heightens the danger that the crude and morally confused concepts will be assimilated and put into practice - especially by some of the more vulnerable in the target audience of impressionable children.

Other Resources

Other helpful articles from reputable sources are also listed below.

There are surprisingly very strong emotions on this topic. Hopefully, readers will emphasize reason and thoughtful, unemotional consideration of what are the most compelling arguments and what is the best course of action in response to the Harry Potter phenomena.

Resources:

Harry Potter Controversy Carries Over to Vatican Radio
LifeSiteNews.com August 15, 2005