Okay I have to write about this because it happened to me again this weekend. Those of you that are fellow Harry Potter fans will understand what I am going to rant about here. I am sick and tired of defending my views on Harry Potter. I am a Christian, I attend a Methodist church every Sunday and read my bible daily, but I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan! To me it is a ficticous book that I enjoy immensely and nothing more. It no more makes me want to become a witch or practice the dark arts then say listening to music does. Now let me tell you who I had to defend myself against and then I will tell you my views on the topic, like it or not!
We had a garage sale this weekend, since tropical storm Barry decided to visit our garage sale last weekend. Our day had gone really well for most of the morning. By 10:00 I had already made near $60.00 and it was only getting busier. Needless to say I felt pretty good. Then in walks this older woman, crucifix dangling around her neck. Wearing the most atrocious dress I have ever seen with a look on her face like she just got done eating a very sour lemon. I leaned over and whispered to my mother that she looked just like my first grade teacher. We giggled and forgot about her almost instantly. Well she made her way around the garage mumbling wonderful little insults under her breath. After about 10 minutes I was finding it rather hard to bite my tongue much longer and then it happened. She had made her way to the pile of books we had there. On top of the stack sat three Harry Potter books that I was discarding (since I had just recently purchased the full box set of all 7 books hardbound and deluxe editions). She made a huff and started to walk away. I thought maybe I had escaped the storm that I felt must be coming. NOPE..not in the least she was just revving up! She looked at me and asked, as sweet as can be, "how much are you selling your books for?" I answered that all books were .10 or the whole box for $15.00. She said "I will take all the Harry Potter books, I need kindling for my fire." Well, now the first thing that popped into my head was "you mean old bitch" but I have better customer service skills than that. I replied a quick and cool "I am sorry but our books are being sold for reading not burning, I will not sell them." Now it wasn't a storm I was facing it was a hurricane. She brought her shoulders up, puffed out her hugely sagging breasts, and said "they are not fit to be read. I can see the work of Satan himself in you already." And she started to walk towards me. Now I am getting gawks...stares...and my mom tugging on my arm to sit down. I can see my 7 year old son staring up at me and knew I couldn't lose my temper in front of him. No, I had to show him how to handle situations like this properly. I stood my ground and simply replied "Well, then you may want to leave since your crucifix is rather offensive." She gasped and grabbed at the cross around her neck. "You will be damned to hell you bet my words." She ranted. I chose to ignore the comment as I walked over and picked up the books. I think she thought I was cowering away from her, boy was she sadly mistaken. She chose this precise moment to start quoting the bible quite loudly and blessing my house. Now I am trying not to break out in laughter. So what could I do? What would you have done? I have a lunatic spouting off verses I probably know better than she does and damning me and my family to hell. LOL What I did next was probably quite cruel and rather mean of me but hey it was worth it. I started quoting Harry Potter, not scary verses, nope most of the wonderful Dumbledoreisms that have the same sing songy manner and good messages as many of the bible verses she was now shouting in my garage. She stopped, her mouth dropped, and she said "Where are those from? The bible? A pastor? Obviously you have heard them from some great religious leader." I cracked open the book laying in my hand and read her the entire passage of Dumbledore explaining death to Harry. Her jaw remained open. Her eyes filled with tears. And she walked away! Point won for Harry Potter and JK Rowling!! 
"It is important to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then can evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated." Albus Dumbledore
I decided to write about this story for several reasons today and not merely for amusement (although I do think it is rather funny). I find that a lot of people like to live in a little safe shell of their life, never venturing out any further than the safe little boundaries they have set upon themselves. Here this woman felt she was safe within in her bible. She had strong views about these books that she had never picked up. I am sure her list of damned people include those that enjoy certain movies, music, and video games as well. How sad I think it is that she is so sheltered in her own little world she doesn't open her eyes to the joy she could be experiencing. Books do not cause children to worship Satan people.
Let me now discuss Laura Mallory, the woman in Georgia, fighting to get Harry Potter books banned from school libraries. This woman is nuts, she contradicts herself every time she speaks. In one instance she claims that there needs to be more God in schools, okay so if this is true than it needs to be across the board (all gods all religions). Then she goes on and on about how some people view witchcraft as a religion and there is, in this country, a separation of church and state. Okay, so does anyone else see the hypocrisy in this statement? She wants more God in the schools but only if it is HER version of God. If we go by the "separation of church and state" statement than that means her God too!
She also makes claims that her daughter read the first book and said to her (now this an 8 year old child!) "This book makes me want to worship Satan." Okay, now this is where the mother in me is saying "Oh Please". I have never seen an 8 year old speak like that in my life! What child do you know would ever utter that phrase? And if they did I think it is pretty obvious they need therapy more than they need a book taken away.
What I would like to see is a good strong case that the books have in fact caused a rise in the worshipping of the devil. A clear, calculated, scientific formula for that. I would like to see them take religiously devoted people, have them read the books, and see then where their loyalties lie. I, personally, feel there is absolutely no grounds to stand on here. So I did some research. Here is what I found:
NSRI & ARIS Data
(there is no data on satanism at this time) According to this data there is no significant rise in Wiccan believers and there certainly is not a higher number of Wiccan believers than Christians.
Laura Mallory has absolutely no basis for her accusations.
***
My views, I believe, are quite clear. Like I stated I am a Christian woman, not exactly God fearing (since I believe there is nothing to fear) but I am a Christian. My beliefs are just that, mine. My salvation is not anyone's concern. I will worry about my immortal soul you worry about yours. I will not try to "save" anyone or push my views on you! I do not believe that is the intention of any deity, no matter what your belief system is, to split up the different sects. All religions have one thing in common, they all believe in peace! If you read any religious doctrine you will find that the messages are the same. Most of the gods, including the one that I personally believe in, want us to enjoy our life, not seek out and destroy those who challenge your belief. Basically you believe what you believe and let me be!
Harry Potter is a BOOK written by a Christian writer. This writer has brilliantly hidden within her books mythology, history, and yes even religious undertones. Harry Potter, himself, can be viewed as a savior type of figure. There is an evil, much like the Satan-Devil characters of the bible, who is evil through and through. The good must now conquer over the bad. Children feel a connection in Harry Potter, not because he or JK Rowling are asking them to, but because he is the embodiment of what they want to be. All children and adults want to be that hero. They want to believe that good will always conquer over bad. That the better you are on the inside, the more you love (which is a HUGE message in the books) the better your life will become. Believe in something good. That is what Harry Potter is to children, not a dark figure to be revered and praised, a good guy caught in a stuggle against the forces of evil. Is that not what we are taught in Sunday School? "Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble." As quoted from the bible. Harry is here to save humans from the tortures of the Death Eaters and their leader Lord Voldemort. He is here because he is a light in a very dark time. Yes, there is darkness in the books, there needs to be so that the light and good can be seen so clearly. My grandmother has always told me a simple little phrase I live by everyday "If you never go through the bad the good wouldn't seem so good!" How true that is...even in fiction.
No comments:
Post a Comment