For the most part, I think we’d all say that Harry Hating has had its day and life has moved on. Of course, most of us probably still occasionally deal with people who think Harry Potter is corrupting children. That belief isn’t much of a headline anymore, but it does still exist.
And because it still exists, it still pops up in public places from time to time. After a couple of such take-notices, Sean P. Dailey over at the American Chesterton Society wrote a delightful little rant on the subject. A delightful little rant in and of itself might not be noteworthy enough to make a whole post about, but when the rant includes some solid geekery on Tolkien’s works and a fascinating point about Dumbledore’s rig with Snape–arguably the one thing in the series a socially conservative Christian does have good reason to object to–it seems worth linking for the interest and enjoyment of the pub.
Every last member of the thinning anti-Potter crowd would take umbrage at a few lines of this article, of course, but rants are for the people who agree with them. And since we’re all sitting around drinking magical drinks in Dumbledore’s brother’s bar, I’ll not hesitate to raise my butterbeer and cheer Mr. Dailey’s words.
Charlie on 
Tom on 
Moe W on 
Steve Morrison on 
Moe W on 
Arabella on 
Red Rocker on 
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ll join you and lift up my glass and cheer Mr. Dailey’s words as well, especially when he questions whether the Harry Haters even read The Lord of the Rings or the Silmarillion. You would think that the whole Harry Potter is influencing people (especially the young) to witchcraft argument would go away, but it won’t. There are still too much misinformation out there and too many people commenting on a series they probably never read. I enjoyed Mr. Dailey’s thoughts. I find them (and others like it) encouraging.
I suspect Harry-hating on “spiritual” grounds will never go away, because it’s too enjoyable. Also because they can wring sensation and fearmongering out of it, and use that as a power trip. Harry-hating for these purposes is not rational and reason will never break through, nor is it wanted.
I’m sure glad to be in the Harry-lovers group. I would much rather find the good things in anything than rant about the bad things.
Of course I can’t find anything bad about HP.
There will be little chance of persuading those who feel very uncomfortable with the use of the words witch, wizard and magic in a literary setting or any setting for that matter to change their uninformed bias. As has already been observed, many or most Harry Haters have never read what they quickly berate, I know by experience……I was one of those a few years ago……until I picked up the first book and actually read it after my daughter watched the first movie at a church youth group sleepover. I followed along with all of those in the Christian media giving their points of view on the elements of witchcraft and magic in HP, but was taken aback by the fact that many of them admitted to not having read the books or at best only the first book.
After watching the first two movies and then reading SS, CS and POA I was astonished at the lack of understanding by the detractors of the tradition within English mythic (fantasy) literary scholarship through Tolkien, Lewis and others and how Rowling’s work followed in the same tradition, along with a Christian theme throughout all seven books.
So, I too have come a long way from the “other side” of the Harry Haters to giving talks on the Christian themes within HP with youth groups and presentations at eight Harry Potter Symposiums.
I have to give a big “high-five” to Travis for his help in this area along the way.
The “seekers” of knowledge when searching for the truth will never be disappointed.