Harry Potter...A new angle

**Rat Faced** · 07-16-2005, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by vidcc

There have been many what I would call silly attacks on the Harry Potter book series by "extreme" religious groups. Some have even had book burning events.

But a new approach has risen to try to get the books out of schools and school libraries here in the USA.

They are arguing that the books accurately depict witchcraft and wiccan religions and as both have been granted recognised religious status in the US (and are tax exempt) then the Harry Potter books should be banned because they promote religion.

Do you think this has any "meat" to it?

Is the Bible not allowed in US schools?

As to Harry Potter being wiccan, can someone point me in the way of that school?

I seem to have missed something of my religious education

**Peerzy** · 07-16-2005, 01:23 PM

All the violence, sex, drugs and George Bush on tv and people are worried about a book about a boy wizard which is fictional

**Busyman** · 07-16-2005, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Peerzy

All the violence, sex, drugs and George Bush on tv and people are worried about a book about a boy wizard which is fictional

George Bush on TV? Fuck are you talking about?

**vidcc** · 07-16-2005, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Biggles

Vidcc, are US school libraries not allowed to stock any books at all dealing with religious themes? It seems to me that if that is the case then an awful lot of classic literature will get the heave ho ... or is this some madness that has not been thought through?

I don't know what exactly the standard is, where the line is drawn but the argument used is that if the Bible is not allowed then a book that portrays or pushes witchcraft should not be allowed.

Below is part of the transcript of the show I got the subject from
(scarbourough country)

SCARBOROUGH: Do you think—some are out there saying this book should be banned, it should be burned. Are you among those?

MATRISCIANA: No

I think what I take issue with is, it is a book on a very accurate portrayal of witchcraft. Warner Brothers said of movie number one that it was accurate portrayal of witchcraft. And, certainly, the lessons that are taught in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are all about the occult, paganism, a lot of things that are taught and practiced by witches.

And we have got to remember that, in 1986, the Supreme Court did make witchcraft a legal religion in the United States. It is an IRS tax-exempt religion.

STEVE ZEITCHIK, “PUBLISHERS WEEKLY”: Right.

MATRISCIANA: There are Wiccan chaplains in the military, so it very definitely is a bona fide religion. And so for this now to be...

SCARBOROUGH: And you are just saying that these books push the religion.

Steve, let me ask you, do you think “Harry Potter” pushes the occult? Do you think it pushes witchcraft on unsuspecting 6-year-old, 7-year-old, 8-year-old kids?

ZEITCHIK: Well, a couple of things.

First of all, I don't think it does that.

I mean, I think, Caryl, you are totally right to say that there's accurate portrayal here, but it's certainly not of witchcraft, as much as it as accurate portrayal childhood. I mean, people steal and lie and thieve in childhood, as they do in real life. And to the degree that this book reflects any kind of untoward or vulgar activity, as you put it, it's merely reflecting the ambiguity of the world as we know it.

And I think that's probably why so many people relate to it. So, no, I don't think it promotes witchcraft at all.

MATRISCIANA: Well...

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you, Caryl, I have got a 14-year-old boy that is going to want to see the next movie that comes out. I took him to—I guess he was 10 when the first one came out. Am I being irresponsible as a parent?

MATRISCIANA: No.

I think the issue, what I take issue with is that this book very accurately portrays obviously a religion. And it is being read aloud in our classrooms across America, when other religious books have been banned from the classroom.

SCARBOROUGH: OK.

MATRISCIANA: So that's my issue and that is my concern.

SCARBOROUGH: So, you are saying you can't read the Bible, which promotes Christianity, but you can read “Harry Potter,” which you say pushes witchcraft?

MATRISCIANA: Well, it's a very, very accurate portrayal of witchcraft. It also encourages the children to go into Wiccan Web sites in the classroom. The teaching aids that come along with it do encourage children to learn more about witchcraft.

And, certainly, if they are allowed to do that, in all fairness, on all religions, then let's have that in the classroom. But are all religious...

SCARBOROUGH: Well, Steve—what do you say to that, Steve? If this book promotes the occult, if it promotes witchcraft, then why are we letting our kids read it in school?

source Reading the transcript it appears she is either for removing Harry potter from schools or allowing the bible...I think she would prefer the latter

**vidcc** · 07-16-2005, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Rat Faced

Is the Bible not allowed in US schools?

Not in State schools... separation of church and state... government shall not establish a religion....

**Rat Faced** · 07-16-2005, 08:24 PM

Seperation of Church and State applies here too, however the Bible and Koran etc are available in school libraries.

Dont know about now, but we were given a copy of the Bible or whatever other religious book we wished, from whatever religion, when we started secondary school.

You have to be able to look at the different Religions in order to teach Religious Education, something thats is taught in the UK.

Although its mainly so you dont do daft things like have Pork if you invite a Jew to dinner etc, not pushing a particular religion.

**Peerzy** · 07-16-2005, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by Busyman

Originally Posted by Peerzy

All the violence, sex, drugs and George Bush on tv and people are worried about a book about a boy wizard which is fictional

George Bush on TV? Fuck are you talking about?

As in the shambles that is the US government.

**vidcc** · 07-16-2005, 09:01 PM

@ Rat

Obviously you know more about the Wiccan religion than I do, however do you think that Harry Potter could be classed as a religious book as is being implied?

I confess to not having read a Harry Potter book...Had to sit through one of the movies though.