alone?!?!

[4jesus247]

hi! my mom is a huge christain and wont let my read harry potter! i have tried to obey but i am very tempted! Am i alone in the world and can u pray for me?
thanx! i really appricate it!

 

[lizardbit]

How about telling her it is just a book. It is fantasy. If she is depriving her child of reading, she is depriving her child of an education. Books help to expand the child/reader's vocabulary and help to educate the individual. If she can not get past the idea of witch craft in a book, there is something wrong with her priorities (no offence). There are worse things in the world than reading a book that has fantasy, witch craft and imagination.

Try talking to her about it. I had to read the first HP book in Grade 9 english (which got me hooked) so depending on where you are and how old you are, you may have to read one anyways..

 

[4jesus247]

i have talked to her about it she said i could read almost any book but that one!

 

[TheDandyMan]

I should think any book that's part of ciriculum would be more than appropriate.

 

[HeatherJay]

As much as I love HP, I think you should respect your mom's wishes. She's only trying to do what she thinks is best for you...she's not just doing it to be mean. And the Harry Potter books aren't going anywhere...they will be around long after you've moved out of your mom's house. And look at the bright side...by that time maybe the series will be complete and you won't have 2 year waits between books. Your mom loves you and is doing what she thinks is right. Respecting your mother is more important than reading some silly book. Welcome to CF...we're so glad to have you here.

 

[HeatherJay]

i have talked to her about it she said i could read almost any book but that one!

You're mom is quite right that there are LOTS of other wonderful books that you could read in the mean time.

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

If Harry Potter is REALLY that good, they're worth waiting to read. In the meantime, pick up Lord of the Rings, the Narnia series, the Prydain Chronicles (Lloyd Alexander)... oh, and the Xanth novels (Piers Anthony) are MUCH cooler than Harry Potter by a long shot. Ditto for Terry Pratchett's Discworld.

 

[TheDandyMan]

If Harry Potter is REALLY that good, they're worth waiting to read. In the meantime, pick up Lord of the Rings, the Narnia series, the Prydain Chronicles (Lloyd Alexander)... oh, and the Xanth novels (Piers Anthony) are MUCH cooler than Harry Potter by a long shot. Ditto for Terry Pratchett's Discworld.

Also try the Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan. The whole series is nearly 9,000 pages long. But, it gets incredibly boring in the later books. I haven't picked up the sixth one for about a year, and I'm on page 600-something. But, it'll keep you busy for an incredibly long while.

 

[TrueQ]

Well, if you get desperate you could start quoting H. P. Lovecraft around the house and see if she decides to go with the lesser of the two evils. The chant from Call of Cthulhu really freaks out people who don't know where you got it from. If she is so Christian she won't let you read Harry Potter, she might just decide to try an exorcism though.

 

[Lady_Firehawk]

Ia! Ia! Cthulu fhaghn!

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

Welcome to the Dark Ages. Boy, am I glad that Europe's cultures have evolved past that stage, and are now quite secular societies.

BTW, hand your mom a dictionary and show her the meaning of FICTION.

 

[HeatherJay]

Disrespecting her mother is not going to get her anywhere as far as being allowed to read HP. You guys are right, it's just a book...and it's not worth fighting with your mother over.

 

[stonetoflesh]

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah-nagl fhtaga...

This reminds me of my childhood struggles with my parents in the early 1980s... All my friends and I were big into Dungeons & Dragons, but my parents absolutely forbade me to play-- the anti-D&D hysteria/crusade was in full swing, and my parents bought into it hook, line, and sinker. They didn't bother observing my friends and I at play, and seeing that we weren't pursuing the occult, killing people, worshipping the Enemy, etc. or any of the other horrible things attributed to D&D's influence. I went ahead and played anyway, which may not be a good example for you, but consider this: I gained so much from roleplaying games in terms of developing problem-solving skills, teamwork, interest in medieval history, wanting to read more novels, etc. and have never once felt an inkling of the evil that the inquisitors said D&D manifested.
Granted, your situation is different; maybe you could suggest that you and she read it together, and discuss it regularly-- what the characters are going through, how a biblical perspective might have influenced their actions differently, etc. I think that if my parents had taken an active role in my hobby, rather than just dismissing it as "evil" my experience would have been all the more rewarding and enriching. (This is what I plan to do when I have children!)

Just a thought, hope everything works out well...

 

[SuzQ]

As a mother myself, first question: how old are you? You don't have to answer, but I don't reccomend Harry Potter for anyone under 11-12 years old. I allowed my son to start reading them at 11. He has also read the Left Behind series for kids, all the Chronicles of Narnia (we BOTH love), as well as Tolkien.

With the Harry Potter series, though, there ARE a lot of scary, dark, & disturbing scenarios for some children who read it. When you're a little bit older, like pre-teen, you are better able to recognize the point of the stories & the "mystery solved" aspect.

Secondly, I agree with HeatherJay - obeying your parent is first & foremost. (As it's a COMMANDMENT in the Bible, too. ). However, if you know you can handle HP, than I would ask your mom if the two of you could chat about it. My son (who is now 13) and I have a very open relationship about this stuff. It's BECAUSE I don't automatically say "no" that he's not "tempted" to go behind my back. Ok, so now you're asking, "Ok! ok! How do I talk to my mom???" Here you are:

As a Christian, I was VERY concerned about the witchcraft aspect of Harry Potter. However, I looked around at some resources to better be able to discuss it with my son & try to apply "biblical" teaching to some of Rowling's metaphors, etc. There's a BOOK FOR PARENTS, written by a Christian author, called, "Looking for God in Harry Potter" by John Granger.

If you have a Family Christian store near you, your mom can find it there. If not, show her online at Amazon: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1414300913/ref=ase_havegadgetsco1-20/103-0721493-1109449

About the book:
"Granger (no relation to fellow brainiac Hermione), a homeschooling Christian father of seven, initially resisted when a friend encouraged him to read the Harry Potter books. But Rowling's novels, sprinkled with literary allusions and strong biblical values, won the classicist over quickly, and he became an avid spokesperson for the series. This book transcends the responses of some other Christian writers (those in support, like Connie Neal, or in sloppy accusations, like Richard Abanes) to offer a serious literary and Christian appraisal of the first five books. Granger begins with the thesis that all humans are "wired" to respond to "stories that reflect the greatest story ever told," including that of Harry's struggle against evil. The best part of the book is Granger's lucid commentary on Rowling's use of language—the insights into character names alone are worth the price of admission—and his keen awareness of word play".

It's an EXCELLENT resource for Christians who struggle with their kids wanting to read Harry Potter, or begging Mom and Dad to see the movies! Bottom line: LET them! - Just have good Christian discussion with your children about it.

 

[stonetoflesh]

If Harry Potter is REALLY that good, they're worth waiting to read. In the meantime, pick up Lord of the Rings, the Narnia series, the Prydain Chronicles (Lloyd Alexander)...

These were staples of my childhood fantasy reading, I can't remember how many times I've read these! Always loved the "Choose Your Own Adventure"-type books too...

Try David Eddings' Belgariad series also, IIRC it's pretty wholesome stuff.

 

[HeatherJay]

These were staples of my childhood fantasy reading, I can't remember how many times I've read these! Always loved the "Choose Your Own Adventure"-type books too...

Try David Eddings' Belgariad series also, IIRC it's pretty wholesome stuff.

Ahh, Choose Your Own Adventure...I loved those, too (child of the 80's here, too). They don't make them anymore, I don't think. And wasn't it the most frustrating thing that you could never find your way to the ending that you really wanted??? Or was that just me? LOL.

 

[I_are_sceptical]

As much as I love HP, I think you should respect your mom's wishes. She's only trying to do what she thinks is best for you...she's not just doing it to be mean. And the Harry Potter books aren't going anywhere...they will be around long after you've moved out of your mom's house. And look at the bright side...by that time maybe the series will be complete and you won't have 2 year waits between books. You're mom loves you and is doing what she thinks is right. Respecting your mother is more important than reading some silly book. Welcome to CF...we're so glad to have you here.

I agree completely. When I was under 18 I didn't much like taking orders from my parents, especially the ones that clearly made no sense, but I am older now and see things a bit differently.

And trust us, the series will be in print for a very, very long time. You don't have to worry about missing it because you have to wait a few years.