I have read Harry Potter books 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. it is supposed to be a children's book, but it talks about death and witchcraft, and for some reason children are reading it!

Some people believe it encourages witchcraft, and should be avoided for religious reasons. What's your opinion?

Well, let's just say I've got a friend who would never buy Harry Potter products for her kids, not even the pencil case. If I had kids (which I don’t just yet), I wouldn't either. Even if it is not aimed at promoting witchcraft or whatever else they contain, I don't suppose I need my kids, or anyone else's for that matter, attempting to practice or dwelling upon the contents of Harry Porter products (esp. books and films). Let's not forget that these are the formative and crucially impressionable years of these children. It is very important what they read, watch and listen to. This is why you meet some of their kids (white) saying they want to go into the University to study witchcraft and black powers. How incredible!!!. So, ahm.. , yes, where were we ? My opinion....... it might teach morally upright lessons, it might not intend to promote witchcraft but Harry Porter does not seem appropriate for kids, if you ask me.
Ra

It's not just about the lessons in Harry Potter (that sometimes life can be unpleasant and you have to fight 'evil').

It's about the fact that millions of children are [I]willingly[/I] reading several long novels telling one story, and they are not asking for pretty pictures. That's what's so unique about Harry Potter: children are reading willingly!

Harry Potter's books and movies have been known to have strong witchcraft and occult contents. With this in mind, it will be foolish letting kids have access to these materials, otherwise they will be initiated into witchcraft or might grow up with a warped or deformed forms of thinking.

Beware please, as witchcraft is a highly dangerous practice in this part of the world. A witch in a family (either young or old) can spell a lot of disaster and nightmares. They bring no good to their family.

It is my strong opinion that under no circumstances should children have access to any of Harry Potter's materials.

In as much as i dont believe in witchcraft, if i want my children to enyoy some educational fiction story books, i think i will prefer the fairy tale stories like Cinderella and the likes. I think Harry Potter should be for the matured mind.

i have read bks 1-4 and quite a number of other books that make Harry potter seem pale in comparison, however i would say that such books would not catch childrens' fancy the way Harry Potter does. I think the reason why there's so much of an outcry against it is 'cos its so popular however I agree that it is not suitable for children which might seem unfortunate since i guess the book seems particularly geared towards them. Does it encourage witchcraft? i don't know but i think kids below a certain age shld not be allowed to read such books. (Seun u say u've 1-5, correct me if i'm wrong but i think the films might actually be worse than the books )

I have read the books 1 to 5. In my opinion, the films are tamer than the books, because a faithful movie rendition of 'Harry Potter' would be:[list]
[li]Far too long[/li]
[li]Rated 18![/li]
[/list]

Your question reads Does Harry Potter encourage witchcraft?
It sure does, whether book or movie. I have watched two of the movies and read the book too. I found it interesting i must say, but then for the younger minds, it aint too good.

I think the reason many people in the West aren't concerned about whether it encourages witchcraft or not is because they don't believe in witchcraft in the first place.

well i do not hink tht harry porter encourages witchcraft. for crying out loud we r in d 21 century. and i do not believe in tht.
i think tht it is a good movie tht encourages kids to be free wif their imagination. it encourages them to explore and to think 3 dimensionally but it definately does not encourage witchcraft. if parents do not feel good bout tht, at leats they could watch the movir with the kids and just explain stuff to them bout the movie if tht would make them feel better.

kids are allowed to watch cartoons, but they r violent. cartoon characters are often shot at ( thought they never die) and kid get the impression tht if some one is shot at tht tht is ok. i mean tht is just not reality!! there are also cartoon characters tht strap them,selves wif explosives. so if it is ok for them to watch those then it is equally ok for them to watch harry porter.

i think tht tht is one great movie. althought i did not get to watch all three of them but i did enjoy them and i think tht it is a good entertainment for kids.

dis is all my opnion. feel free to rebuke.

if you say that, then what would you say about Lord of the Rings? Kids also watch that, don't they? Though I agree that Harry Potter has strong occult undertones.

Hey, it definitely does! I've read 1-4 (yet to read the 5th) though I don't dwell on them. It's just that I really love reading books. Please don't allow your kids read the book. I have cousins who really dwell on it and they go to the xtent of placing curses on me! How horrible please desist!

Yoruba people (I'm 100% yoruba by the way) place 'curses' on each other all the time in normal conversation. "Your life will not be good", "God will punish you", "You're calling me crazy? Your children will be crazy". Is that witchcraft?

I don't think it is difficult for an 8 year old child to figure out that the magic in Harry Potter is not real. As a good parent, your children will ask you if they are not sure. And even if they they try the 'spells' like your cousins, will the spells work? If the spells don't work, then where is the harm?

I love the books and films. There is so much fun and plenty to laugh about. there is the nice ol" good wins over evil endings. I believe the occultic and witchcraft opinions stems from the fact that we have a success and a bestseller here. I am a good Christian to be modest. Kids that turn out better in their classes always have better imagination through materials that they read. Lets stop fooling around too much... kids know better!. they know more about sex than you knew when you crossed over to adolescence. they watch films that you may not have seen. the concept is to teach a child in the way to go and when he grows he will not leave from it. harry potter wont enable him/her to become a witch neither will it let the kid fly. locking him up or not exposing him to information doesnt qualify as teaching in my opinion. Ofcourse, there are limits. certainly all things in life comes with limits even food does... but dont give me that witch escuse for a kid not to enjoy a well written story!.

though its purely religious fiction, i doubt if it would be "healthy" for the new genaration of kids to watch or read. though if i had a kid( goddamn it i'm just 16), i wouldnt allow that, if my kid is kind of "adventuruous". a book like harry potter would give him wierd idea's.

Angelgirl:

In as much as I dont believe in witchcraft, if I want my children to enyoy some educational fiction story books, I think I will prefer the fairy tale stories like Cinderella and the likes. I think Harry Potter should be for the matured mind.

Men people never change, Harry Potter imparts good morals and that is what you are depriving your kids of if you stop them watching it.

I quoted the above becuase he mentioned Cinderella, we all tend to think that the things we grew up with as a kid were better but really they were not at all!

Cinderella is a story that is full of magic or I dey lie?

Red Riding Hood had a wolf that eat people!

But those are okay abi? Because we grew up with them?

Harry potter is for the next generation and I will happily let my kids read them.

Even when as kinds we all watched the cartoon shows that had high levels of violence and such, please you people should have a reality check and realise that we all watched such stuff when growing up and it did not harm as long as they had a good moral theme.

I feel you Viera,
Most of the repondents probably grew up reading all the ladybird series. What are fairies and what do they practice if not magic..
I wonder why you wont let your kid watch harry potter but let them watch Disney cartoons
Aladdin was all about Magic and genies, Beauty and the Beast is about magic, so was Little Mermaid and any Disney you care to name.
The only one that comes to mind without Magic is Tarzan, even Mulan had families talking to there dead ancestors (necromancy).
Yet I dont hear anyone complaining about disney..
Heck Shakespear had aa lot of magic and spells and yet you odnt complain about that one? Go read the Tempest again and tell me if Prospero wasnt a wizard with a demon at his service.. Or what did Puck the fairy do in a Midsummer Nightsdream?

I don tire jare...

I agree with the last 2 posters.
How will kids perform witchcraft by watching or reading books ?
Sleeping Beauty-- Slept for 100yrs under the spell of magic
Sesame street-- Count Dracula was mesmerizing kids with magic.
Jack and the beanstalk- Magic beans.
Pot of Life ( Nigerian TV series)- Full of spells.

Some won't let their kids read Harry Porter but will let them watch most of the Disney cartoons. Double standards i say.

I think we should be more open minded about certain things in life.

i cant agree less with u guys... ther's nothing that bad in harry porter series my children wont watch......
i see nothing absolutely wrong in the film.... all the witchcrafts u guys re complaining about ain't gonna have adverse effects on children except for those who are evil from birth (may we not have those ones as our children :amen)
a good kid will want to be like harry & his friends not like malfoy, sirus black e.t.c.

ok can anyone here tell me how you know when witchcraft is real?

legs:

ok can anyone here tell me how you know when witchcraft is real?

Sure mate, let me know when you're free. I'll take you to my village.

There is an offer of 1 million pounds to anyone who can prove the existence of magic, telepathy or supernatural.

No one has won it yet!

Ra:

legs:
ok can anyone here tell me how you know when witchcraft is real?

Sure mate, let me know when you're free. I'll take you to my village.

Ra, you are not doing well for tourism development in your village, are you?

It's ok to be sophisticated and all that. We have to be careful of situations as they really don't come in such clear cut images. Pray for discernment and revelations. We need God to know what to do in situations like this.

It's fiction...
But you have to be careful with what you feed kids with at a young age.

yes he does. I hate harry potter.

i think seun should have a "i don't know" in the poll section because i don't know.

legs:

ok can anyone here tell me how you know when witchcraft is real?

Can someone still answer this please!

yep, and we should not allow our kids to watch most television shows - any sexual relationships between adults is fake and does not describe the real complexities of life. Also, kids should not watch any disney movies or fairy tales - those too are fake and could initiate our children into witchcraft. And our kids should not atch cartoons - too much violence between those power rangers or captain planet - they may grow to think they should use their physical might against others. No more video games for children, they should learn that everyone has a good chance of succeeding in life. We should not allow our kids to hear "success" stories - these present an inaccurate picture of life and make kids think that if they work hard they will succeed - plenty of people work hard with very limited success.

Harry Potter does encourage withcraft! These books are teaching children to cast spells and vexes on others as well as to have them to be changed into other images. I remember not too long ago how when a Harry Potter book was being released children where sleeping in front of books stores to get the book. That is idolzing! We need to teach our children the truth so they can be set free.

Yeah! I agree, so do ALL Disney movies, ALL fairy tales, MOST children's stories. Additionally, MOST television stories promote sinful behavior - kissing your boyfriend or girlfriend, having sexual thoughts, magical beings - idolatry and witchcraft.

The best thing for our kids is to keep them locked up in the house where they will see, hear, and speak no evil and the only time we allow them to leave are the times we shuttle them to church. Further, we must be careful in church so they are not influenced by the materialism of the world, pastors in their Jeeps while other people suffer, the clothing people wear - heck We should keep kids from church, there are lots of unGodly activity there too

SO, yeah, the best thing is to just keep them locked up in the house. Yeah. . .I think that will do.

I mean, its not like parents are smart enough to teach children not to take something literally. Look at the number of kids who believe in Santa. Parents are useless. They let videogames, movies, books, other people, tv, and the rest of the world control their kids. Its really NOT the parents fault when a child does some things. I mean, no responsibility for educating children should be placed on the parents! Parents should have to speak once, and the children OBEY. That is what it says in the bible.