Nov/Dec 2000

Media Source

Harry Potter: Should You Be Afraid of This Boy?

Harry Potter: Should you be afraid of this boy?

Let's say your kid has a new best friend and drags him home for the parental once-over. Seems nice enough. He's bright and funny and talks of laudable traits such as loyalty, friendship, and unconditional love. But then he starts carrying on about goblins and magic and the wizard that murdered his parents. Yow. What do you do?

The boy, of course, is Harry Potter, star of the biggest literary phenomenon to strike childhood. And lest you've just crawled out of a cave, here's the 411 on Master Poh-tah (as they say in the United Kingdom):

The saga chronicles Harry's life from age 11-17. In the first book, we learn that the series' evil wizard, Lord Voldemort, murdered Harry's parents. The infant Harry escapes the attack, but not without sustaining a scarring wound in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead. He spends the next 10 years with his unloving aunt and uncle. On his 11th birthday, he discovers that he is really a "wizard of great fame," and he's spirited off to Hogswarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Well, it doesn't take a wizard to divine these books' appeal. They are splendidly written with massive doses of humor and imagination (for example, characters in paintings hop from their broad-brushed world for strolls in ours). Harry is a likable sort of Every Kid, who is courageous, athletic and loyal. His world is filled with ghosts, dragons, guardian entities, books of spells, mind reading, shape-shifting, flying broomsticks--you get the idea.

And it's this fantastical side that's mostly the trouble with Harry, say a good number of concerned Christians. "I believe the Potter books represent something dark and sinister under the guise of entertainment for children," wrote Daniel Zanoza in the Chicago Tribune. In Rowling's stories, ordinary people are called "Muggles." They have no knowledge of witchcraft and are portrayed as either inferior to magicmongers like Harry or else simply incapable of experiencing the fun and heroics of their wizardly counterparts. When children hear of the gallantry of Sir Lancelot, they strap pizza pans over their chests and "play knights." What boy hasn't mimicked John Wayne's raw courage? It's hard to imagine that Harry's broomstick rides and triumphs over evil through sorcery wouldn't engender a strong curiosity in such things. But Joanne Rowling, who authored the Potter series, doesn't think so. She told Newsweek [July 10, 2000], "I shudder to think that any child picking one up would get three chapters in and think, 'Oh, yeah, this is the lesson we're going to learn this time.'"

Proponents of the Potter books point to other fantasy novel series that Christians do accept, primarily C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, with its magic and witches and such. But as John Andrew Murray, author of Think About It: Understanding the Impact of TV Violence, points out, the works "are as far apart as east is from west." The primary distinction involves authority: In Lewis' stories, good power flows from the character of Aslan, who represents Jesus. In Rowling's tales, magic is inherited and strengthened through training and intellect. There is no source that defines morality; there is only instinct and personal preference.

Popular Christian sage Charles Colson disagrees. He says: "The magic in these books is purely mechanical. Harry and his friends don't make contact with the supernatural world." And as such, the fantasies should be viewed as mere tools to tell engaging morality tales. Colson notes that Harry and others "develop courage, loyalty and a willingness to sacrifice for one a nother --even at the risk of their lives. Not bad lessons in a self-centered world."

Indeed, Rowling confirms that "the theme running through all of these books is the fight between good and evil." Not only that, but evil is always depicted as heinous, and good always prevails. She adds, "I do think the Harry Potter books are moral books."

Dads with kids aching to meet Harry and who wisely turn to trusted resources may, however, find themselves in a tangled thicket of conflicting opinions. Focus on the Family's Linda Beam says, "It is best to leave Harry Potter on the shelf," while World magazine critic Roy Maynard claims that "Rowling...keeps it safe, inoffensive, and non-occult." Perhaps the best solution is to do your own judging. Read each book yourself first, and then consider your child's sensitivity to imaginary worlds and his willingness to listen to your guidance. Be aware that most Christian pundits agree that the violence, occasional sharp language and intense confrontations render the stories unfit for children younger than 10. Know, too, that the books grow darker as they progress and Harry ages, with the latest, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, depicting death of one of Harry's friends.

And, as you ponder Potter, don't forget to invoke a bit of true "magic" --the kind performed on bended knees and beginning with the words, "Dear heavenly Father..."

--Bob Liparulo

No More Lost Notes: Cool Tech

For everybody who has ever glared ruefully at a pile of notes from church sermons, work meetings or school--who'd rather toss a match at the pile than sort through those chicken scratches--Seiko comes to the rescue with SmartPad (seikosmart.com; about $200). Jot a note on an ordinary pad of paper and the device instantly transmits it to your Palm-type organizer, using an infrared port. You can transfer your notes to a desktop computer, where they can be printed and even e-mailed to your buddy who said he was sick but really went fishing Sunday. Try to refrain from doodling a frownie face with horns; he knows he was naughty.

Sound Picks:

Lyrics-R-Us See For Yourself, by Kyle Matthews (Benson). Gotta wonder why someone with such obvious musical talent would have spent years writing songs for other Christian artists. Others such as Point of Grace, Grover Levy and Bob Carlisle, sure, but still others. He doesn't need them, as this recording demonstrates. Through touching ballads and upbeat jammers, Matthews proves he has the stuff to play alongside them, not just play de Bergerac for them. Still, there's no doubt the man's a killer wordsmith: "Walls that armies must defend/Some kept out and some kept in/On, the vicious cycle spins/'Til we make room," he sings on "Make Room," which ponders the place needing more room for people: Earth or our hearts? Good thing he's not making us wonder anymore.

Holy Love Songs Love & Freedom, by BeBe Winans (Motown). BeBe has always performed extraordinary feats of groove and inspiration with his vocals. On this album, more than ever, he sets that oh so smooth voice a'dancing on a carpet of rich instrumentation and exceedingly meaningful lyrics. Most of the cuts are love songs--clean and respectful melodies to the ones we love. If you're looking for a pleasing soundtrack to a romantic dinner or one that'll soften your heart for a talk with God, this is it.

Good Reads

Model Prayers Your Kingdom Come, by Michael Sullivant (Cre ation House; $12.99). Written as a companion piece to musician Craig Smith's moving musical homage to the Lord's prayer (also titled Your Kingdom Come), this baby stomps the usual books of this sort, which tend to be nothing more than bloated liner notes. Sullivant smartly gives each chapter a title and topic from the only formula of prayer attributed to Jesus: "Our Father" is the first chapter, "Which Art in Heaven" the second, and so on. Digging deep into the meaning of say, forgiveness, he explains why it's important enough to be part of the "model prayer"; he gives examples of ways to expand our own prayers around this issue; and he does it all with an exuberance and insight befitting a musical accompaniment. With or without the CD, this book's a must-read.

Yuletide Storytelling Focus on the Family's Christmas in My Heart, Volume Nine, edited by Joe Wheeler (Tyndale; $12.99). These 15 Christmas stories are perhaps even better than the delightful ones of collections past simply because they're so fresh (after all, it took nine volumes for literary historian extraordinaire Wheeler to uncover them). Perfect for yuletide storytelling, each blend heart-wrenching want with heartwarming grace--such as in "Carla's Christmas Gift," where a song reunites a family on Christmas. Written with eloquence and reverence, these stories make a great holiday gift to kin and kindred.