A Poll! A Poll! A Real Poll!

[Alcuinus]

An inquisitive onlooker seeks demographic infor... ok it's a poll about Harry Potter

Something has piqued my curiosity of late concerning Harry Potter. I'll be frank. I really can't stand HP and Twilight, and it seems many people here also dislike Twilight. That's why it threw me for a loop when I found so many fans of HP on CAA. So I thought to myself, "are there that many HP fans here?" So here is the poll! what is your impression of HP?

note: This is not a debate thread on HP. It is not meant to spark a flame. If it does turn into one (in my opinion that is), I will lock this thread and perhaps request its deletion by the mods. I simply am curious about what the general position is on the forum.

Thanks!

[FllMtl Novelist]

I voted "like it but would reccomend it to only a few people". It was fine, but I'm not a huge fan.

So this is a real poll? Really? XD

[LadyRushia]

Well, you personally can't lock the thread. Only mods can. We'll make sure nothing gets out of hand.

I like Harry Potter for many reasons, the main ones being plot structure and characterization. Despite the later books being huge, absolutely nothing is mentioned for no reason. It's evident that Rowling planned things out very carefully. Even if she ended up doing things with the story/creating characters she didn't plan on having, she developed whatever it is she put out. That being said, there are some areas of the story that I would've liked to see more of, but the series still feels complete to me and nothing is underdeveloped.

[Alcuinus]

Well, you personally can't lock the thread. Only mods can. We'll make sure nothing gets out of hand.

Doh! foiled again XD

Thank you btw

[Okami]

I personally like it, but not so much that I would really reccommend it. My friends who would like it were already reading the series by the time I came around.

I grew up on Harry Potter...it's a small piece of me.

[Atria35]

I love it! I would recommend it to the vast majority of people. The story seems well-developed, the characters are dynamic, and the situations are... well, like anime, just on paper. Epic and awesome. Even now I can go back and see that there aren't that many plot holes, and that there are things in, say, the third book that become relavent in the sixth or seventh. All the elements that come into play are used to some extent, which can be hard for authors to pull off.

Now, Twilight.... I tried. I tried. But I just didn't feel the same way- which was a huge disappointment considering that I'd heard such good things about it from my friends.

[Radical Dreamer]

Reading the Harry Potter series was probably one of the best decisions I ever made when it comes to my choice in literature. XD The story is extremely well-written, and J.K. Rowling is a talented author who knows how to write compelling, relatable, and entirely realistic characters. It's a classic tale of the Hero's Journey, and Rowling does an excellent job leading the reader through the mysteries and reveals of each book.

Regarding what I feel your poll is most concerned with, I was increasingly surprised as I read the series at the amount of bad publicity the series gets from the Christian community. Yes, the story is about wizards, but the magic is clearly fantastical (and even powers of divination--reading palms and tea leaves, phony psychics--are often scoffed at by the wisest of characters), and the themes woven into the story really line up with Christian thought. Some aspects of the story even serve as parallels to Christianity. I found myself drawing parallels from many of the scenes in Harry Potter to my own relationship with Christ. So in that regard, I think Harry Potter is a book series that Christians should stop running from and start reading, because there's more to be found in this series than witchcraft and wizardry.

That being said, I would recommend it to most people. I probably wouldn't recommend some of the later books to children under the age of nine or ten, but that's only because the later books get darker and more intense along with the plot, and there are some intense scenes that may or may not sit well with a seven or eight year old that couldn't handle it.

Lastly, comparing Twilol with Harry Potter is like comparing spam with filet mignon. It's just something you shouldn't do. XD

EDIT:

Oh, also, moved to the Book Corner!

[ich1990]

As my opinion of the series has been extensively elaborated upon elsewhere, I will limit my comments to this: I enjoy the series, and would recommend the first three books to everyone. After those three, I would recommend the rest of the books to a few people, and the movies to everyone.

And Harry Potter shouldn't be lumped together with Twilight, even if you dislike both.

[goldenspines]

Put side by side, both the ideas of Twilight and Harry Potter are good ones, if you like that sort of fantasy stuff (witches and wizards are not too far away from vampires and werewolves). But, the execution (writing/story-telling/character development/etc...) is what divides them the most. And it divides them a lot from each other. Therefore, I do wonder at why you don't like either of them, unless you don't like fantasy in general (which is understandable).

But this thread is mostly about Harry Potter.
I enjoyed most of the Harry Potter series. I thought the last three books were rushed, but overall, the series was brilliantly written. J.K. Rowlings strongest point was her ability to write characters' personalities by showing you instead of telling you. She used very little "explaining". In fact, she often developed Harry (who is the main character and needed to be developed quite a bit) by having him describe other characters and how he saw them.
I'm not expert writer though, that's just my opinion. XD

In conclusion, I would recommend the books. I wouldn't push them on anyone (that's not really good to do with any book, really), but I would give them a thumbs up if someone asked be about them. ^_^

[MomentOfInertia]

I liked it but wouldn't recommend it. Because everybody already knows about it! and if they were going to read it they would have by now.

[Alcuinus]

Therefore, I do wonder at why you don't like either of them, unless you don't like fantasy in general (which is understandable).

To answer in reverse I love fantasy. I don't care for magic but fantasy and fantasy creatures is altogether fascinating to me. My problem with HP is its ties to the occult. I find the evidence of them being channeled disturbingly significant enough to cause concern:

"I have a very visual imagination. I see it, then, I try to describe what is in my mind's eye." (The Associated Press, Sheila Norman-Culp, New York)

[quote]"The character of Harry just strolled into my head… I really did feel he was someone who walked up and introduced himself in my mind's eye" and "I was staring out the window and the idea for Harry just came. He appeared in my mind's eye, very fully formed.â€

[TGJesusfreak]

Regarding what I feel your poll is most concerned with, I was increasingly surprised as I read the series at the amount of bad publicity the series gets from the Christian community. Yes, the story is about wizards, but the magic is clearly fantastical (and even powers of divination--reading palms and tea leaves, phony psychics--are often scoffed at by the wisest of characters), and the themes woven into the story really line up with Christian thought. Some aspects of the story even serve as parallels to Christianity. I found myself drawing parallels from many of the scenes in Harry Potter to my own relationship with Christ. So in that regard, I think Harry Potter is a book series that Christians should stop running from and start reading, because there's more to be found in this series than witchcraft and wizardry.

I agree. it al depends on ones point of view. Will you see the bad in it because it says "wizard". Heck LOTR has wizards. It's what it portrays. The storyline is griping and the characters are awesome. I voted "I like it but would reccomend it to only a few people" because most of the people I know would hate it XD

[goldenspines]

To answer in reverse I love fantasy. I don't care for magic but fantasy and fantasy creatures is altogether fascinating to me. My problem with HP is its ties to the occult. I find the evidence of them being channeled disturbingly significant enough to cause concern:

Now that all seems like that should be fine and good, however, once one learns that this "mind's eye" is a phenomenon described in the book as an occult practice things turn a bit uncomfortable. (quoting www.goodfight.org):

I think it's disturbing enough along with the saturation of wizards and magic and the official HP products produced (teaching children real occult practices) that it should be avoided.

A lengthier article (the one I quoted) can be found on goodfight.org

According to the article, Twilight may have been channeled as well.

I apologize if I have said anything offensive (I have not done so to the best of my knowledge but I srsly don't want this to turn into anything ugly )

Ah, okay. That makes some bit of sense. Except, you are basing your opinion of the book off of another's opinion of the book, not on the actual book itself (not to mention, they seem to be basing their opinions off of quotes not found or seen in the actual books). Had you read the books yourself, I would have understood your opinion a bit better. I do encourage you to read the Harry Potter books for yourself someday to form your own opinion on them.

[Atria35]

To answer in reverse I love fantasy. I don't care for magic but fantasy and fantasy creatures is altogether fascinating to me. My problem with HP is its ties to the occult. I find the evidence of them being channeled disturbingly significant enough to cause concern:

Now that all seems like that should be fine and good, however, once one learns that this "mind's eye" is a phenomenon described in the book as an occult practice things turn a bit uncomfortable. (quoting www.goodfight.org):

I think it's disturbing enough along with the saturation of wizards and magic and the official HP products produced (teaching children real occult practices) that it should be avoided.

A lengthier article (the one I quoted) can be found on goodfight.org

According to the article, Twilight may have been channeled as well.

I apologize if I have said anything offensive (I have not done so to the best of my knowledge but I srsly don't want this to turn into anything ugly )

No, I don't find this offensive. I just find it interesting- you see, the people on this site have not quoted or cited anything from the books to back up thier stances, instead relying on the interpretations of other people, who are quoting yet more people about the books. And not including any specific quotes or examples at all. In any journalism class, you will be told that this is Bad Reporting. It would be completely unacceptable unless you were writing for, say, the National Enquirer.

But as a writer, I have had dreams that inspired me, like when I had a dream about wandering through a forest (I wrote a short story on that), and sometimes I have inspiration that just nags me until I write in down. This seems to be a common phenomena for writers- I cannot count the amount of times I have heard similar words.

The 'mind's eye' is a common reference for when someone sees something in their imagination- when they can visualize something, but the event is not physically happening in front of them. I don't remember word-for-word what is in the books, but it's a common enough phrase that I would not be surprised if it popped up. I use the same terms for when I imagine the next scene in a story- I almost don't see anything with my physical eyes because I'm so involved with my imagination.

There's also the 'witchcraft' thing, and that it teached them the occult- it's not quite accurate. What happens in the books is not similar to any occult practices. It's really very similar- pretty much identical- to the magic and witchcraft found in Chronicles of Narnia and LOTR. But few would accuse those of being occult in content/origen.

Unfortunately, I don't find this article compelling or well-researched, and think you might want to find a better site about it. Or, read the books and form your own opinion. However it work out.

[Alcuinus]

Ah, okay. That makes some bit of sense. Except, you are basing your opinion of the book off of another's opinion of the book, not on the actual book itself (not to mention, they seem to be basing their opinions off of quotes not found or seen in the actual books). Had you read the books yourself, I would have understood your opinion a bit better. I do encourage you to read the Harry Potter books for yourself someday to form your own opinion on them.

Thank you much for the advice It is true that my opinions are based on the reviews conducted by other people (I only point to this particular one because it was easy to find and expressed my deepest concern for the book... ok I'm lazy XD;; ). However, I think it is equally valid to form an opinion of a book or movie based on reviews conducted by people other than myself; that's what they're there for. Also, I have not read the books myself and I thus reserve only the opinion that it is "disturbing enough" to avoid.

[Nate]

Anyone who thinks there is any connection whatsoever between Harry Potter and the occult needs to read this article immediately:

http://www.theescapist.com/spells/

My knowledge of Harry Potter is limited, although I did see the first movie, which was really good...although it was also the movie that made me realize I am a horrible evil person. But that's a story best left untold. I kind of want to see the other movies, but I'm far too lazy. So I like Harry Potter a bit, but I'm not big into it I guess.

Also, RonxHermione forever. HarryxHermione fans can cram it!

[Alcuinus]

No, I don't find this offensive. I just find it interesting- you see, the people on this site have not quoted or cited anything from the books to back up thier stances, instead relying on the interpretations of other people, who are quoting yet more people about the books. And not including any specific quotes or examples at all. In any journalism class, you will be told that this is Bad Reporting. It would be completely unacceptable unless you were writing for, say, the National Enquirer.

I see. I think it is valid to use other sources, however. My goal is to simply say, "This person has researched it. Please see what they have to say". Furthermore, the quotes from that site are from Rowling herself, the absolute best interpreter of her books.

But as a writer, I have had dreams that inspired me, like when I had a dream about wandering through a forest (I wrote a short story on that), and sometimes I have inspiration that just nags me until I write in down. This seems to be a common phenomena for writers- I cannot count the amount of times I have heard similar words.

The 'mind's eye' is a common reference for when someone sees something in their imagination- when they can visualize something, but the event is not physically happening in front of them. I don't remember word-for-word what is in the books, but it's a common enough phrase that I would not be surprised if it popped up. I use the same terms for when I imagine the next scene in a story- I almost don't see anything with my physical eyes because I'm so involved with my imagination.

That is true and I implied if not said as such. I said it was disturbing when you understand how she understands the phrase. If indeed she understands the term in the realm of the occult, it only then becomes a potential problem.

There's also the 'witchcraft' thing, and that it teached them the occult- it's not quite accurate. What happens in the books is not similar to any occult practices. It's really very similar- pretty much identical- to the magic and witchcraft found in Chronicles of Narnia and LOTR. But few would accuse those of being occult in content/origen.

Actually... that was expounded on by one of the sources I can't site XD]link[/URL])
Lastly:... I srsly don't like the magic in LOTR or Narnia XDDDD... but I dislike C.S. Lewis mostly for his universalist inclinations >.>




On another note: man... this is becoming a debate I just know it >.>
I feel a lock coming on XD ... all I wanted was a percentage out of curiosity

[LadyRushia]

The magic in Harry Potter and in most anime, manga, and video games, is a plot device. Plot devices are way less important than themes and characters. Everyone has their own convictions about stuff and that's cool, but I find that more often than not the things that Christians make a stink about the most, the things they claim are the most dangerous and scary things in the world, are often only seen that way because they have not taken the time to understand something. Living off of hearsay and fear isn't beneficial to anyone. If we, as Christians, truly believe in the power of Christ, then I think we would all have the ability to read a book or watch a movie/TV show without being harmed. Then, we would no longer be taking anyone or anything out of context because we'd be thinking for ourselves as opposed to believing whatever we hear.

I recommend reading this article and looking around on this lady's website. I quite like the middle ground she takes because she addresses both sides of the issue and notes the importance of people's convictions and life contexts.
http://www.connieneal.com/chapter-four/page-one.htm

[Alcuinus]

...more often than not the things that Christians make a stink about the most, the things they claim are the most dangerous and scary things in the world, are often only seen that way because they have not taken the time to understand something.

but... if that's the case... hentai and homo anime and manga should be fine? no... we make a big deal about something not because it's dangerous... not because it's scary... but because we see it as displeasing to God... not to us. If I believe (as some may not) that portrayal of magic is as displeasing to God as the practice itself (something He calls an abomination) I am to act on that... I srsly hope the vast majority of people are not as shallow as to call something wrong just because it's dangerous. :S

[Nate]

The problem is that the magic portrayed in Harry Potter, D&D, Narnia, whatever is not like magic in the real world. It's completely made up and has no basis whatsoever in reality.

Not trying to belittle your convictions, I'm just saying you can't really compare fictional magic and real magic. It'd be like thinking toys actually act like they do in Toy Story, or judging real cats based on the movie Cats and Dogs. They're not realistic in the least.

[ich1990]

Now that all seems like that should be fine and good, however, once one learns that this "mind's eye" is a phenomenon described in the book as an occult practice things turn a bit uncomfortable. (quoting www.goodfight.org):

I think it's disturbing enough along with the saturation of wizards and magic and the official HP products produced (teaching children real occult practices) that it should be avoided.

"In the Author’s mind there bubbles up every now and then the material for a story. For me it invariable begins with mental pictures. This ferment leads to nothing unless it is accompanied with the longing for a Form: a verse or prose, short story, novel, play or what not. When these two things click you have the Author’s impulse complete. It is now a thing inside him pawing to get out. He longs to see that bubbling stuff pouring into the clean jam car. This nags him all day long and gets in the way of his work and his sleep and his meals. It’s like being in love."

-C.S. Lewis

I respect your opinion, and I don't think you should watch or read something that disturbs you. I do think you have the writing process entirely wrong. Seeing vivid images of your characters and having a compulsion to get them out on to paper is part of the normal creative process. If there is anything supernatural about it, it is God's creative stamp on our soul.

[Alcuinus]

The problem is that the magic portrayed in Harry Potter, D&D, Narnia, whatever is not like magic in the real world. It's completely made up and has no basis whatsoever in reality.

Not trying to belittle your convictions, I'm just saying you can't really compare fictional magic and real magic. It'd be like thinking toys actually act like they do in Toy Story, or judging real cats based on the movie Cats and Dogs. They're not realistic in the least.

I understand they are different... but by definition and your own admission, they are the same to a degree. They are different in degree but no one says "that's not magic"... if they did they admit it has appearance of such. For instance: If I went up to the theater and saw a Cats and Dogs poster and said "hm... that's a funny looking camel" pointing to the cat, you would think I'm nuts... because it's a cat. Therefore I see no reason to call it anything else.

I respect your opinion, and I don't think you should watch or read something that disturbs you. I do think you have the writing process entirely wrong. Seeing vivid images of your characters and having a compulsion to get them out on to paper is part of the normal creative process. If there is anything supernatural about it, it is God's creative stamp on our soul.

Ah... I seem to have failed to explain what channeling is XD
What you are describing is natural and God given... channeling, however, is receiving demonic insight like what Buddhist do (The "mind's eye" described in the book).

EDIT: GAH! double post. Oh well... posts have been back to back anyhow XD

[Nate]

I understand they are different... but by definition and your own admission, they are the same to a degree.

I didn't admit they were the same. o.O

Fictional magic has characters chanting pseudo-Latin and shooting fireballs and lightning bolts from their fingertips. Real magic is nothing like that. There is nothing you can invoke to let you shoot lightning from your fingers.

They're nothing alike; they just have the same name is all. But that's a common trend. For example, the three letter word, you know, the "a-word." It was originally used to mean donkeys and burros. Now it means a butt. Butts are not like donkeys at all, are they? But they share the same name.

Fictional magic and real magic are like a donkey and a butt sharing a common name.

Wait, that's a terrible quote! Don't ever let me make analogies again.

[Seto_Sora]

WOW! O.O :O Am I the only one, beside my brother, who hates the story? (no bro, I promise I am not fanning flames )

SDG

[Alcuinus]

[quote="Nate (post: 1405380)"]I didn't admit they were the same. o.O

Fictional magic has characters chanting pseudo-Latin and shooting fireballs and lightning bolts from their fingertips. Real magic is nothing like that. There is nothing you can invoke to let you shoot lightning from your fingers.

They're nothing alike]


lol quite... um... interesting...
well... I was hoping for a more varied sampling of opinions of HP on CAA but alas, this has inevitably turned into a (albeit civil) debate... but I srsly didn't want that to happen.

In answer to you, nate, I honestly don't think you believe there is only a name similarity between fictional magic and the actual thing. One very simple example: pentagrams. even still, you refrain from using the word you (kind of) mentioned because of it's connections today... so... in that case we should avoid magic?

To mods: the thread has lost its purpose and intent and has turned into what I desired it not to... Thus, after Nate responds, please lock the thread. Thanks

[Nate]

Nah, there's plenty of people who hate Harry Potter. It's not uncommon. It's just you'll find a lot less people here who dislike it. I can think of...maybe one or two other people on this site who don't like Harry Potter.

Because remember, this is an anime site. So by and large, we're more accepting of the kind of story and fictional world Harry Potter has than other Christians would be. I'm sure many of the same Christians who hate Harry Potter (not including you guys in this, obviously) would also decry anime as evil Satanic Japanese ultra-violent porno cartoons. The things kind of go hand-in-hand to a degree. I even remember one person saying that the jutsu stuff in Naruto could totally be done in real life too. He was wrong of course, but a lot of his misunderstandings come from the fact that ki is actually a real thing in Asian culture.

And, much like how fictional Harry Potter magic is completely different from real magic, the fictional Naruto ki is different from the actual concept of ki as understood in Asia.

I'm digressing a bit. The point is, again, that as we are Christians who are also anime/manga fans, we're more accepting of fictional worlds like Harry Potter. So while you're not alone in your hatred, you are going to be in the minority here.

EDIT:

even still, you refrain from using the word you (kind of) mentioned because of it's connections today...

No. I refrained from using it because doing so would be against CAA's rules. I say the word all the time in real life, and on other sites, and on IM. If CAA would let me say the actual word I would've said it. But it doesn't, so I didn't.

Also, the pentagram was originally a Christian symbol, which represented the five wounds of Christ (two in the hands, two in the feet, and the spear wound). Further, not all fictional magic uses pentagrams. In fact, very little of it does. I can think of maybe one, two anime or movies that actually uses pentagrams for magic purposes (and even if they do, it still isn't realistic, any more than someone using faith to literally move a mountain would be realistic to Christianity).

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

From what I remember, pentagrams aren't even featured in the books. Nor is anything close to resembling real witchcraft.
I think the books are enjoyable but that J.K. Rowling needed to lay off the adjectives. She loves them too much.

[LadyRushia]

but... if that's the case... hentai and homo anime and manga should be fine? no... we make a big deal about something not because it's dangerous... not because it's scary... but because we see it as displeasing to God... not to us. If I believe (as some may not) that portrayal of magic is as displeasing to God as the practice itself (something He calls an abomination) I am to act on that... I srsly hope the vast majority of people are not as shallow as to call something wrong just because it's dangerous. :S

I didn't mean to say that being convicted not to read something means that you have to read it anyway because otherwise you're not understanding it or whatever. What I meant was that a lot of times we look at something with very little information and say "Oh! This is bad!" or "Oh! This is this way!" when that's not always the case. That's why it's so important to remember that when it comes to disputable matters, God convicts each person differently. I'm not telling you to go against convictions that God has given you. That would be a sin on my part. God's guidance should be the deciding factor for things like this and we stand strong in Him even if we reach different conclusions. I'm sure that you, like almost everyone else on this site, have brought these sorts of matters to God many times before in order to figure out what He would have you do.

[quote="Romans 14:1-8"]1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One man considers one day more sacred than another]

All I'm really saying is that we should follow this method when it comes to things that the Bible isn't clear about, such as reading a fantasy story that has magic in it. As long as it isn't "I'm not reading this because my pastor/this website told me all about how bad it is!" then I see no problem. God is the one who should be telling us these things first and foremost. If you have brought the matter to God and God has said to you that it's not right for you to read Harry Potter, then don't do it.

Here's another example. I personally am not convicted about the vast majority of fantasy series/anime/manga. More often than not, God has shown me things about Himself and about Christian life through these stories. Horror movies, though, are different for me. I get little "warning flags" just from seeing trailers (and all of this comes from my life context and my tendency to dwell a LOT on scary things if I see them and worry about them way more than I need to). However, I know there are Christians who can handle horror movies just fine. In fact, there are some on this site. Neither of us are in the wrong in this case either because it's a matter of personal convictions.

[Radical Dreamer]

Yeah, I thought this might be the problem you had with this series. I doubt I'll be able to change your mind single-handedly about anything with my posts, but I would very much like to encourage you to do some more research into this series, and not from sites that all have the same bias against it. For instance, check out this article from Christianity Today, which compares HP and Twilight, but also says some uplifting things about Harry Potter:

The "question" of Harry Potter - good fun, or evil vehicle for witchcraft? - has circulated through Christian culture since the first movie introduced the boy wizard to the mainstream in 2001. Eight years later - years that have brought the series' conclusion and Rowling's admission that her Christian faith deeply influenced her work - many evangelicals still oppose the book's positive portrayal of witchcraft and wizardry, fearing it gives curious children an entry point into the occult.

Christianity Today magazine has weighed in on the controversy; I personally believe the books are not only harmless, but can also deepen our faith by engaging our hearts and minds in an epic story that explores some very biblical ideas, a la Tolkien and Lewis. The series' conclusion relies heavily on Christian imagery (I'll stop there to avoid spoiling Deathly Hallows' incredibly powerful finale), and in the end, we see that the spells and potions are merely plot devices to depict themes of good vs. evil, the importance of sacrifice, and the power of love. Even the Vatican has stepped out in support of Half-Blood Prince, giving the film a surprising two thumbs up to its treatment of adolescent love.

I'm only echoing other people (even the entry I linked) when I say that the magic portrayed in Harry Potter is nothing but a plot device, something like the technology of the fantastical world in which they live. This would really only be apparent to someone who had read the books, however. Since the articles you linked never actually quote the books themselves, but only an (I would say) inaccurate opinion of the books, I think it'd be a good idea to take a look at them yourself before you make any solid opinions about what they actually contain.

Another interesting article for you to check out:

http://www.outofur.com/archives/2006/07/protesting_pira.html

And lastly, and possibly most importantly, Romans 14.

If, at the end of the day, you've researched both opinions and read into the books yourself and you think "Whoa, this is making me feel very uncomfortable," then listen to your convictions, because everyone's are different when it comes to non-essential matters of our faith. But still, I strongly encourage you to read the books and do the research yourself. If you've watched Star Wars, or if you've ever played a Final Fantasy game, or a Kingdom Hearts game, or Chrono Trigger or a Mario game where the titular character shoots fireballs from his fists, and you weren't offended by that, then I honestly do not think the Harry Potter books would offend you. XD

[Mr. SmartyPants]

but I dislike C.S. Lewis mostly for his universalist inclinations >.>

Don't talk smack about other people's theological/magical beliefs when your theological/magical beliefs have absolutely no real foundation for existence either. You're just as wrong as everyone else is.

>_>

I like Harry Potter. It's a fun cozy series that I need to finish. Oh and Emma Watson is beautiful.