A Lexington County public library is poisoning the minds of area children with occultic films which promote witchcraft and “reject God’s Word,” according to a Midlands right-wing advocacy organization.
Of course we’re talking about the wildly popular Harry Potter series, which the group Columbia Christians for Life believes is “presenting to [children] as “good” that which the Bible says is ‘evil’ (i.e., Witchcraft and Wizardry).” The group told supporters via email Wednesday evening that the Cayce-West Columbia Branch Library has been showing the Harry Potter films throughout the month of July, “despite citizen complaints to Lexington County Library officials, and informing two Lexington County Council members.”
It seems the group believes children who follow the adventures of Hogwarts’ young witches and wizards will grow up to become spell-casting Satan-worshippers themselves… You know, in the same way that watching Dexter turns people into serial killers or CSI turns them into crime-solvers.
Asking supporters to call and email Lexington County Council members demanding they put an end to the Witch-a-thon and decrease the library’s funding, Columbia Christians for Life indicated that any council member who disagrees should be voted out of office. The group backed up their demands and proved God’s apparent dislike for the Potter series by including several Bible verses from Deuteronomy and other Old Testament books:
“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire (which, in the Harry Potter series, could be accomplished by a simple shield charm), or that useth divination (one of Harry’s least favorite classes at Hogwarts), or an observer of times (sounds like Hermione’s time-turner), or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer (such as Gilderoy Lockhart), or a consulter with familiar spirits (hopefully fire whiskey), or a wizard, or a necromancer.”
The anti-Potter group doesn’t seem to have actually read the text or researched the theme of the books, which author J.K. Rowling has explicitly refuted as “anti-Christian.” In one interview, Rowling even acknowledges that the series deals extensively with Christian themes such as [SPOILER ALERT] Harry’s noble self-sacrifice and subsequent resurrection… Sound familiar?
The Hogwarts calendar even includes breaks for the Christmas and Easter holidays, indicating that Rowling’s witches and wizards are Christians themselves. ”I go to church myself,” Rowling told MTV. “I don’t take any responsibility for the lunatic fringes of my own religion.”
Incidentally, if you’re interested in brainwashing your kids into little sorcerers by watching the Harry Potter films at the library, the next one is playing on Monday at 5:00pm.
This group sounds like the Taliban. What next are they going to demand, that we stone people to death for having premarital sex?
“one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire (which, in the Harry Potter series, could be accomplished by a simple shield charm)”
This is a reference to human sacrifice. If you can protect yourself, it’s no longer sacrifice, and so would not be evil. Pay attention, guys.
“This is a reference to human sacrifice. If you can protect yourself, it’s no longer sacrifice, and so would not be evil.”
Dufus falls short again, if it is not a sacrifice then it is not evil? ah man, my score for being ignorant just went out the roof.
“It seems the group believes children who follow the adventures of Hogwarts’ young witches and wizards will grow up to become spell-casting Satan-worshippers themselves… ”
No one from the group is quoted as saying they believe this. The article states that a spokesperson says the movie is “poisoning the minds” of children but the title of the article says “indoctrinating”. I wonder if anyone from the group used either of these words. Sounds like the author does a lot of inferring what he wants the reader to believe, not what the group is actually saying.
Personally, I let my kid read the books and see the movies and because no child is forced to watch the movies at the library, I don’t see a problem with presenting them. So, my argument is not that I agree with the group, it’s that the author of this article is dripping with disdain and rather than present a valid opposing view, chooses to mock and ridicule. What a waste of time reading this drivel.
Yeah, you’re wrong. They should be mocked until the End of Days. What they do is evil in and of itself. They are no better than Muslim extremists. Different religion, same philosophy.
The solution for all this is simple. If you do not want your children to be exposed to the movies, don’t let them attend.
However, you do not have the right to ban others from them.
Unfortunately, we are not dealing with rational people who belong to groups like this. It’s their irrationality and fear of anyone not like them that drives their anti-social behavior.
Also, the juvenile nature of the title of the article suggests that the author of the article may be a pre-teen. If this is the case, then I apologize for the harsh review and will take in to account his still-under-development writing skills, but I hope he’s not getting paid to write this stuff.
“Support Palmetto Public Record by making a contribution. “
It’s stuff like this that make me embarrassed to be a S.C. native.
Sounds like an average day in the backwards bible belt of the USA.
I’m glad the author of this article included the part about Harry’s sacrifice and resurrection. As a teacher, I have seen so many parallels between this series and Christianity. Perhaps the Columbia Christians for Life needs to read the books and be taught how to compare texts before they start saying children who read them will become evil! If anything, Harry Potter will teach children to be better neighbors!
Teacher, what chapter in the Bible can I find the hogwarts?
Here is some real parallel reading.
http://www.bible.com/bibleanswers_result.php?id=244
How about if you don’t like Harry Potter you don’t send your kid to go see it and leave everyone else alone?