Harry Potter and the assault on ChristianityCharles Moore
The Daily News
Halifax NS
23/07/07
www.hfxnews.ca
Ah, here we go.. Another freaked out, terrified, religious person lambasting the Harry Potter series.
First of all, the title of this article: ".... Assault on Christianity," implying very incorrectly that JK Rowling had it in her mind from the outset to use a series of children's books to bring down a world religion. Yeah, I'm sure that's exactly what she was thinking as she sat in that little cafe with her baby at her feet, scribbling away the first book.
Charles Moore, the writer of this article (that must have got by a dead editor) says, "Potter advocates, disingenuously, pooh-pooh any linkage of Harry-mania to increasing popularity of Wicca and other forms of paganism."
First of all, what is a "Potter Advocate?" In the last 10 years in all the reading, travelling, surfing I've done, and that of my three children and my spouse and all my friends, none of us has ever seen or heard of any "advocates," of Potter in the negative sense that Moore implies.
Yes there are millions and millions of avid readers who devour the series and yes, there are millions of book clubs that discuss the book and yes, there are probably millions of little impromptu groups that talk about the series, but "advocates?" Come on! Nobody is out there building 'churches' to Potter or establishing anything that could remotely be associated with advocacy (the act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending; active espousal). Mr. Moore does what every new journalist is cautioned repeatedly to NEVER do: write garbage, forget to provide any sources, references or proof of any kind, yet call made up assertions fact.
Charles Moore presents no proof, no references no statistics; nothing at all to substantiate his claims that the Potter series is seriously screwing up children. The article is seriously laughable, unsupported scaremongering.
Where are Moore's stats to show that the ranks of Wiccans are growing? What other forms of paganism does he refer to? Does Moore understand the fundamentals of his own religion enough to know just how much of it is pulled from those "pagan" foundations? Doesn't seem so.
Not including the recent release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, over 325 MILLION copies of books in the series had been sold in 65 languages. "Deathly Hallows" is set to have a 12 million copy initial release (Wikipedia has an extensive article on all aspects of the Potter series).
IF, as Moore postulates with no substantiation, the Potter series were as coercive and damaging as all that, wouldn't one be seeing some cultural shifts towards what Moore deems negative? Wouldn't we be seeing millions of little goths eating guts and gutting cats in cemeteries?
IF it were at all true that the Potter series entices or encourages children into the so-called black arts, then, given the astronomical sales of the books in this series, there would be very noticeable, international shifts in the numbers of said children coming to these alternate, OLD faith/belief structures.
As for the black arts, how is it that turning water into wine or turning two fish and 5 loaves of bread into food for 2000 or rising from death after three days doesn't qualify as magic?
Why? Because none of these things happened as reported. See? Made up stories have been around for ages! More likely, the party thrower was encouraged to bring out the wine casks and the sermon attendees decided that they actually did have a bit in their pockets to share -a la "Stone Soup" and, if the last thing actually happened, the guy was in a short term coma. And, is it not black arts (or simple story-telling) to get rid of a redundant character by making that character rise into the clouds, never to be seen again (Mary) or to have your main player come back as a ghost to reinforce his directives?
The thing about kids, and what this writer absolutely lacks, is kids have an ability to recognize a STORY, which is why children have to be indoctrinated over a long time, via force, lies, coercion and fear, to believe and accept that stories (read:religious crap of their parents) are anything more than just made up. Children recognize made up stuff pretty easily, whereas adults throughout history have used make believe as a means to control, subjugate, pervert and undermine populations.
There is not one shred of evidence that JK Rowling's Potter series has done much beyond provide an excellent reading experience for millions upon millions of people. This ridiculous fear that the Potter series might cause a huge, predatory cultural shift does come with a precedent, however; the judeo-christian bible is a prime example of writers with agendas cobbling together bits of fact and pieces of possibly (not probably) historical information and putting it forward as truth in order to impose social control.
With the Potter series, however, there is no intention to do that. I'm pretty much positive that JK Rowling does not have it as a goal to take over the world. I think she's busy with her family and a few interviews.
I almost guarantee Charles Moore has not read any of these books and also that he has never heard or read an interview with Rowling. Had he, he would know that a strong subtext of the Potter series is the sheep-like quality of most humans (especially those who are 'religious') to follow the masses, never question and live wretched lives. Wikipedia has great information on the subtexts of the Potter stories and not one of them has a thing to do with indoctrinating children into Wicca.
Moore's article simply highlights the "believers'" propensity to go running off at the mouth, spouting un-researched, unsubstantiated and instantly disprovable garbage. I will also guarantee that nearly any Potter fan old enough to read Moore's article would have as their first comment, "bollocks."
As to whether articles like Moore's should see the light of day, absolutely. Such drivel is exactly the ticket for revealing the truth about religion in all it's silliness. Moore states, "The Harry Potter phenomenon is, whether deliberately or obliviously, part of a broad cultural assault on Christianity, not at all unique in today's contemporary literature and the entertainment media, which are increasingly anti-Christian."
This is crap, full stop. Moore hasn't provided any support for this statement at all. In truth and verifiability so, among the most devastating forces on religions (their so-called 'leaders' included) is writers and articles like these that reveal how utterly ridiculous, false, contrived and pointless religion is. "...The books' heroes' defy adults , break rules, and exemplify bold courage in the face of oppressive authority. Their "subversive" attitudes refute rigid right wing dogma.... This is the right wing's worst nightmare, because right wingers see the world – especially morality – in stark, simplistic black and white."[37]" This is what is terrifying to the religious class; that people - particularly children - think and question and challenge.
If christianity is THE TRUTH and THE WAY and THE LIGHT, how is it so very vulnerable to all these outside forces? It strikes me that adherents know the truth is not even close to what is presented and so must make every effort to challenge and fight anything that might shed light on the muddy, bloody trap that is religion.
Yes, thanks to Web 2.0, people are far more likely and able to broaden their understanding of religion and how it was established and why, how it is perpetuated and how all religions are so utterly perverted by their proponents. Intelligent people who've done their research (and only minimal research is necessary to reveal that religion is a scam) dismiss religion as negative, divisive and anachronistic. That is not attack or assault, Mr. Moore; it is reality.
Mr. Moore, go get yourself a comfortable chaise lounge, a nice tall drink and get yourself down to the beach, Harry Potter in hand. Spend the day in the sun reading this well-put-together series and then go on home. End of story. No agenda, no advocates, no black arts, subversion or chaos. Just a story. Period. Exactly what every kid who reads Potter knows.
