When I was reading the article for the post below I found this one written by an anti-Harry Potter Christian.

This is what struck me first:

    When I was a witch, I performed rituals. I evoked spirits. I called entities. I cast spells, burned candles, concocted brews. The only thing I didn’t do was fly on a broom, but I probably would have figured it out if given time.

Wow! If you read the 100 things about me page there is a comment that I would like to learn to fly on a broom. I wonder if she’d teach me? I’d sell the technology needed to reverse gravity and make millions too.

Then there is a comparison to that list and what happens in Harry Potter, complete with page numbers in case you want to read the “bad stuff” yourself.

    Though it’s all dressed up as sweetness and light, the first Harry Potter book has rituals (for example, the Sorting Ceremony, pp. 117-122); spells (Hermione casts the full Body-Bind spell on Neville, p. 273); spirits and other non-human entities (Voldemort inhabits Quirrell’s body, pp. 293-295, and the myriad ghosts of Hogwarts); candles (thousands floating above the tables at Hogwarts, p. 116); and brews (Professor Snape’s potions class, pp. 136-139).

Ok, let me try. The Catholic Church has rituals (mass), spells (anointing with oil), spirits and other non-human entities (angels and demons), candles (lots of ’em), and brews (monks used to brew beer – ok, that one’s weak). Can we conclude that the Catholic Church that the author of the article attends is evil?

She does conclude that maybe Harry Potter isn’t an express to trip to hell for everyone.

    Not everyone who reads Harry Potter will be harmed spiritually. While I do see danger in the books stimulating an interest in the occult, I’m the least worried about children who are protected by the sacraments….

Protected by the sacraments? Smacks of magic to me.

I do have friends who won’t read the books for these reasons. I’ve always been entertained by Christians who see a demon beind every tree because I grew up a church with lots of them. I just wish they were so focused on Christianity’s message to help the poor and spread justice that they were too busy for this kind of stuff.