h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In some states in America they have decided to ban the famous Harry Potter books from being read because of the content of witchcraft.

I think it is anyone’s choice to read the books but there is a spiritual aspect to them that should not be over looked. I couldn’t sleep after reading the second book it was so scary and then my parents put the books in the bin and then I didn’t have any nightmares after that. Does any one agree that they are rather dark?

I totally disagree with banning them - they are describing a magical world - if you were to ban Harry Potter then why stop there?! How about 'The Wishing Chair' and 'The Magic Faraway Tree'?! Most childrens books contain an element of fantasy (to make a huge generalisation)



On the other hand, childrens literature is meant to entertain children - if the people reading it can't find any enjoyment in the book then they obviuosly shouldn't be reading it. It seems that the books are, however, overwhelmingly popular worldwide, and the people who *don't* like them are by far in the minority.

I don't think they're dark, although the last one did give me a thrill - I was turning the pages faster and faster to find out what happened - this is the *best* sort of writing - writing which gets you so involved that your heartbeat increases and you are unable to stop reading!

I don't think they should be banned, it you are scared by them, then stop reading.

BTW, if you want more people to comment, try posting this to <./>askh2g2</.> where more people will see it.

Tango

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Talking About the Guide - the h2g2 Community' to 'Harry Potter'.

This seems a good place for a debate about Harry Potter books.

Mina

True, but I would be suprised if many people are subscribed here. More people would see it at ask h2g2 and it could make for a very interesting conversation. (imagine the posibilities for topic drift! )

Tango

Yeah! Shift it over to askh2g2...g'arn Mina!

Nah, that's what Edited Entries are for, discussion about the subject.

Fine, i'll post a link from askh2g2 to here, instead. puh!

Tango

My grandson is in the church choir and as a treat they have been taken to see both Harry Potter films.



Alji the Magus

I went to see Chamber of Secrets (the second time around) with the Catholic chaplaincy.
As far as I can see, there is pretty much no spirituality in HP. If anything, spirituality is conspicuously _missing_ from the books, although this is understandable because the books are for children (among others). It says more about the sheer paranoia of the people in these states that they think _Harry Potter_ can threaten their children's religious beliefs, than about the books.
The story does get a bit scary at times, which is not to everyone's taste, but this is nowhere near as scary as books (or even children's books) get.
As people have said already, it's a matter of free choice. If it's too scary for them, they should exercise their right to choose, as they do with other books, films, music, TV, etc. and NOT READ IT!

As long as they don't try to prevent others from exercising their own right to read these books that should be fine.Unfortunatley there are always those that have to impose their own ideas and beliefs onto others.It's one of the reasons that I've come around to hating any form of censorship because I believe in the freedom of choice.Too often censorship is the beginning act of a dictarship.

Incog.

Very true, censorship is insulting because it implies that you can't make up your own mind about things. Not being able to make your own decisions is certainly one of the key things about a dictorship.

Tango

The thing that really does me in is that people claim Harry Potter should be banned because it promotes Witchcraft. There've been prominent ecclesiastical figures, especially in the USA, saying that it's promoting what real witches do (as upstanding Christians they have of course been to many a coven meeting... yeah right). I'm a 'real witch' and I've never lifted a club out of a troll's hand with my magic wand and dropped it on the great brute's head.

The closest thing to 'real witchcraft' I see in Harry Potter is the halloween celebrations. And the only thing close about those is that they have them.

It's just good fun, and pompous windbags (in a nice way) trying to get themselves more publicity and standing in the eyes of the community.

Researcher , if you think it's anyone's choice to read the books, why give your post such a title?
There is no spiritual aspect at all to these books. If there were, and Harry had owt to do with real witchcraft/Paganism/Satanism (please recognise the distinctions) wouldn't we real Witches/Pagans/Satanists all be attending Hogwarts-style academies?
I had a book which scared me when I was 10 or so. It was a lavishly-illustrated, told for *young* people, book of true ghost stories. It scared me for years even though it was taken off me the day I got it (I didn't object). I still have problems now, not so much nightmares as scary memories. I am terrified of true ghost stories but I love them, and continue to read them even though I know a restless night is in order. (I doubt I could read that book today. Yet my friends at the time were totally unperturbed by it.)

There is no scary, spiritual, magick-related reason why disposing of the books physically would do away with your nightmares, that is just a placebo.

Is it just me or does anyone else find the idea of disposing of books (by binning or burning) slightly disturbing?

Hear hear. "Fahenheight 451".

Anyhoo, It angers me that people try to ban books. You know some complete DOLT tried to get the title of Tolkien's "The Two Towers" changed, because it was offencive to victims of the 9/11 event?

absolutely.
In fact, I am surprised that no one has lobbied to get the US emergency phone number changed, in case it offends anyone.

Heh... would figure, but it would cost many, many lives to do so...

I'm disgusted at how stupid my own country-men can be...

Oh, mine aren't far behind.

There are good and bad people in Harry Potter, just as there are in real life. The people in the United States who want the books banned feel that the Good Lord has specifically made a rule against the use of magic and therefore anybody using it is evil, even Harry and Hermione.

Since magic and witchcraft are non-existent and impossible anyway, I don't think it will do anybody any spiritual harm watching H and H wielding their wands.

Well, I disagree on the existance of magic, but I do say quite catagorically that magic *as portrayed in the Harry Potter books* does not exist and to be honest, if it did, woohoo!