Why Harry Potter Became The Most BANNED Book In America

[@Nerdstalgic]

Done with this one? Check out another one! kzbin.info/www/bejne/apTPZmZ5nrKFqqc

[@sr6826]

Lumos is Rowling's international charity to develop options for orphans that aren't orphanages. I donate every month. You could too.

[@sr6826]

@@locten4949 ❤

[@asdfasdf8659]

It was garbage book. I just poison with honey

[@brandonmunsen6035]

Did u just use the onion as a source.... yeah this channel has 0 credibility

[@brandonmunsen6035]

@@asdfasdf8659 you probably haven't read a book in years. Anyways. Were all entitled to our opinion but I'd say the vast majority of people would disagree.

[@Balsiefen]

The idea of people not being allowed to read these books is somehow unreal to me, an almost medieval level of ignorance. I remember reading them with my class in primary school, my year 3 teacher would gather us around, read a chapter to us each day and when we finished the books we sacrificed the fattest kid as a blood offering to the Horned One.

[@MrWhitesell985]

And Daniel Radcliffe was the horned one in the 2013 film horns

[@sertaki]

Those were good times.

[@SharkSalesman90]

Ahh my fellow witches and wizards

[@jessicasuchy7850]

I am reading this at 3am, and it was so wholesome until it wasnt XD

[@ashkitt7719]

Basically they see those books the way we might see books like The Turner Diaries.

[@Michaelonyoutub]

On the topic of harry potter getting kids to read, I literally was nearly failing english in grade 6 and could barely read, then in grade 7 my sisters offered to lend be their copies of the harry potter series to read for english class. I ended up binge reading every single book that was released at the time, and went on to read every other young adult series that my sisters owned. By grade 9 I had read all of the lord of the rings books and all of the released game of thrones books, fantasy was my favourite genre. I still to this day often enjoy spending an hour before bed reading something.

[@treebeard8475]

Literature turns your brain on man. Love that it led you to LOTR 😂 the pinnacle of fantasy. The legend of drizzit is what I read after LOTR. Very long series never finished

[@biite0siize0hersheyy]

That's funny because I was also failing English in 6th with a few other students and my school's solution at the time was to take us out of our original English class and put us in a small reading group. And it just happens the book we read in this group was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer stone.. I fell in love instantly and even had my mom buy me the book so I could read ahead of the group. I started excelling from that point forward and I've always credited J.K Rowling for my literacy

[@Thedarkknight2244]

That was Rowling’s entire intention. You played right into her wishes perfectly

[@Phlegethon]

It’s cause English class forces children to read idiotic useless plays from Shakespeare that devastates a generation of kids

[@RantRadio]

Bruhh.. I went through a rather unhealthy phase of reading Loads of Harry Potter fanfiction on Portkey based on new & different relationships between the existing characters. There's just something about Fantasy that engages my every being. Attempting to write a fictional fantasy series myself.

[@Flutters_Shygal]

Saying the drinking of blood of animals is normalized in the books is completely disingenuous. Yes, it happens in the series. But it is clearly portrayed as something horrible.

[@sertaki]

And let's also point out that there are plenty of modern and historical human cultures who drink animal blood. Heck, Lots of European cuisines include animal blood, see Black Pudding and a lot of Scandinavian and Slavic food. But yeah, those same Christians most likely look down upon these cultures anyway, so it just shows their bigotry on display.

[@ashkitt7719]

Some people believe that if something is depicted in media at all, even if it's the villain doing it, then it's normalizing the act or ideology.

[@ashkitt7719]

@@sertaki Isn't drinking blood a thing in Christianity as well? Especially the Roman Catholics who believe in the concept of transubstantiation as in the wine literally turns into Jesus's blood when ingested.

[@kaimagnus5760]

@@ashkitt7719 I cant speak for all factions, but in most protostant and chatholic denominations I know of, the whole "Blood of Christ" part of comunion was a metaphore for the salvation of God. So by "Partaking of the body and blood of Christ", aka Consuming the Waffer and Wine, you are sybolically renewing your salvation and your dedication to God. Now, having said that, what fringe groups do in their own congregations I couldnt even begin to speculate. The fact "Snake Churches" exist pretty much suspends my disbeliefe for the wacky nonsense that the religious can come up with.

[@har5814]

Drinking unicorn blood in Harry Potter is normalized? lol they don't even bother finish reading the entire book. And yeah, we have local food with cooked chicken blood on it😆

[@heyitsevan758]

I never understood this myself. I grew up in a Christian household, but my mom would read Harry Potter to me and I had the DVDs and the Lego sets. I had friends who weren’t allowed to watch Harry Potter because of the witchcraft thing, but I never saw it as anything more than pretend. I pretended to be a wizard like I pretended to be a Power Ranger or a Jedi. I never thought about becoming a Wiccan. I didn’t even understand what that was until I was an adult. It’s just crazy how people put this very loose association with a fantasy series to demonic worship and assume that that is where a child’s mind is going to go.

[@thawhiteazn]

I have cousins whose parents are pretty strict fundamentalists. They certainly weren’t allowed to read Harry Potter, but they also weren’t allowed to celebrate Halloween as well for the same reason. Every time my cousins post their kids dressed up for Halloween it makes me smile because I know their parents bullshit has not continued on to the next generation.

[@ashkitt7719]

@@thawhiteazn Wasn't Halloween designed as a way to get pagans to be Christian anyway? It's All Hallows' Eve ffs.

[@carlosemiralonso7997]

Well to be fair, a child's mind IS easy manipulable. And we have to go to the inimaginable to protect childrens from the despair of the real world. That being said, just that in real life is not such a thing as magic and Wicca and other fairytails.

[@Faceplay2]

Same for me. Even when I was to young to read my dad would Read Harry Potter the first book to me to help teach me how to read.

[@broccoliface3137]

yeah, they assume the children's mind will go to the same place as the adults.

[@BoyNamedSue4]

I remember when this was at its height. Our Pastor stood up in front of the church and told the whole building it was no different than the lord of the rings or wizard of oz. He ended by saying about the book burnings “and if Hitler did it. Maybe we should be looking to go in a different direction.”

[@robertharris6092]

Smart man.

[@Thanak6]

Slow clap

[@SlapstickGenius23]

What a Wise pastor!

[@nikhiliyengar1510]

Hitler also breathed oxygen. Let's not do that!

[@nevaehonrefni]

That's REAL religion right there

[@alecrambles3259]

I was never allowed to watch the movies as a kid cause of my mom. But watching them as an adult I can say I would have loved them as a kid… prisoner of Azkaban still the best

[@nematoad]

I always found it odd when people said they weren’t allowed to watch since it was such a fun part of my childhood

[@tristanmader4813]

PoA feels so home like and cozy. love the way its directed

[@RaiderAvian]

Same here. After watching it as an adult, I found the films interesting and whimsical. However thinking about if I had seen it as a kid, I would have been frightened at the darker scenes. It is not because I was easily scared, but very impressionable. I got nightmares from stories told by other kids or even at random things. Perhaps to avoid inadvertently scaring/upsetting some kids, the school may not keep Harry Potter books in their libraries, though take care to educate kids about fiction better. If a kid were to bring a book to school, they could be allowed, though would be told to not scare other kids in the event that would happen. and or taken care of accordingly Avoiding the problem is not the way to fix it.

[@pedrosantsaver]

Your mom's silly

[@spacecat8521]

why werent you allowed to watch the movies?

[@scarletjester7831]

My Grandmother, may she rest in peace, was a Catholic women. Here opinion towards the banning of Harry Potter was, and I'm quoting her, "That is the most dumbass thing I've ever heard". That was the first time I ever heard her say a curse word, it shocked little 6-7 year old me so I know she truly was angry at these actions

[@SirPotato_IV]

May her lovely soul rest in peace My own passed recently, I give you my condoleneces

[@kabochaVA]

“But was rebuked for his iniquity: the *dumb ass* speaking with man's voice forbade the madness of the prophet.” -- Second Peter 2:16

[@Craxin01]

She probably lived through WWII and equated this sort of thing, like burning books, with the Nazi party. Sad thing is, it was never defeated and is alive and well today, it just calls itself Trumpism.

[@scarletjester7831]

@@Craxin01 the only hint I can remember was she and grandpa were on honeymoon when Kennedy was shot

[@irispark1381]

My mother was very catholic. And she heard that these books are bad. But then she thought it's also kinda ridiculous cuz it's a children's book and just a story. She was conflicted. She came to ask the lil 13 years old me about my opinion on how bad/good/significant the influence these books had on me. And I had to convince her to let me read it and it's just a children's story. And she was convinced.

[@moogamooga2100]

As a devout Christian, I would imagine that if saying or reading “Avada Kedavra” actually somehow invited the Devil in directly… we’d be hearing a lot more of it on the news from the millions of Harry Potter fans across the world… 🤔

[@gnualmafuerte]

I would imagine that if praying or reading the bible actually somehow did anything, or if god even existed… we’d be hearing a lot more of it on the news too. And yet, you continue to be a christian. I don't see how abracadabra is any more ridiculous than amen, or how harry potter is any more ridiculous than the bible.

[@cantthinkofaname5046]

@@gnualmafuerte We have definitive proof that harry potter is a fictional story, not the same for the bible

[@blue1584]

@@cantthinkofaname5046 To be fair though, what other category besides fiction could the bible possibly be categorized as? I think even most christians recognize it as fictional stories that are meant to teach lessons and see it as a metaphorical sort of thing, not as an actual historically accurate telling of real world events. Because it’s certainly not a _nonfiction_ work, as half the stuff that happens in the bible is quite literally impossible.

[@rogerszmodis]

@@cantthinkofaname5046 anyone that thinks the bible represents real history has a severe mental illness.

[@cantthinkofaname5046]

@@blue1584 I know, what I meant is that there is no way to disprove the existence of a god.

[@saturnianrings3920]

I’m shocked. To think folks actually think saying leviosa or whatever will conjure Satan.

[@Atlinsmere]

That's preposterous! Everybody knows that saying Leviosa will lift Satan up, not conjure him!

[@Jonkenstonk]

Smh. People are weird

[@antacidchain3022]

it’s lev-e-oh-su

[@saturnianrings3920]

@@antacidchain3022 I Forgor💀

[@shroomer8294]

Christian fundamentalists: zero ability to adapt to the modern world.

[@AnneliseB23]

My second grade teacher (a catholic nun) read the first book to my class - usually one chapter a day. I don't think we ever finished it, but she encouraged us to try and read it ourselves because of the adventure and friendship.

[@frogpaintartist]

Good to hear of fellow Catholics with brains. I defended it often at my church, because it's 100% compatible with our faith if they would just look at it.

[@matthewsmith3078]

Harry Potter isn’t nearly as satanic as the Christians promised. There were actually a lot of Christian values in it. What a disappointment.

[@slightcurve98]

That’s because most Christian values are just commen sense they basically all just say be a good person

[@HGmolotov]

honestly if jesus caused his aunt to inflate out of spite I'd become a christian

[@matthewsmith3078]

@@HGmolotov You mean he didn’t?

[@HGmolotov]

@@matthewsmith3078 sadly, he did not. But John the Baptist did, hence why I'm a baptised agnostic

[@lococura]

*there were a lot of values in it.

[@MrGeekFreek]

Ned Flanders: And Harry Potter and all his wizard friends went straight to Hell for practicing witchcraft. *Throws book in fire* Rod and Todd: YAY!

[@ghostel9253]

THIS COMMENT

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

Classic. Just watched that episode

[@willlyon7129]

And Voldemort took over the world.

[@Emina927]

This actually was my family until I got to college and got the first book as a present from a random classmate xD

[@iso-didact789]

Little Girl: And then what, Jesus? Jesus: And then a whole bunch of assholes known as evangelicals decided that being a Christian meant the exact opposite of everything I stood for.

[@artman2oo3]

I’ve always said, HP has as much of a chance of teaching kids to perform witchcraft as the Back to the Future movies have to teach kids how to time travel.

[@rachelclapper9762]

That’s a great parallel

[@jackbeynon8980]

I like that

[@EliteProductions3129]

I've lived in Tennesee my whole life and I had no idea people were this opposed to Harry Potter. I mean, I had some friends whose parents wouldn't let them watch the movies, but had no idea there were groups were trying to ban the books.

[@sirelfinjedi]

I heard some grumbles in rural Mississippi. But i also know very few Christians who support such a ban. It's a pretty small but loud movement (like a gassy poo).

[@xblade149]

There was no ban in New Orleans. I went to catholic school in New Orleans and they never banned the books and the movies. We New Orleans catholic are rather chilled here.

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

@@xblade149 Not surprised how much the Louisiana Bayo still harbor Creole magic beliefs like Voudou...

[@sr6826]

Well you obs never went to vacation bible school

[@jessebianchi2631]

we have people who think "creationism" is more than a theory. i'm not surprised that anything in the buckle of the bible belt (tennessee) is a little bit insane. i think we still have snake handlers, for instance.

[@MrSilversurfer0515]

Dang I didn't realize that saying something in Latin was casting a spell an could summon Satan that's wild..... Imagine living in a time where people actually spoke latin! There must have been demons everywhere

[@TheAngryPheonix]

When I studied Latin in school there were demons up the wazoo. Big pain to deal with.

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

Demonologists in the past served as clergyman. Since Latin is the predominant language of the Church, it follows anything written about demons by these priests be in Latin...

[@rompevuevitos222]

Fun fact: a good part of spanish still uses latin words, so yeah, i'm from latin america and the only demons we have are politicians... WAIT A SECOND!

[@nicmagtaan1132]

i think its saying latin wrongly

[@jasonjungreis203]

I spoke Latin once and satan appeared in right in front of me. We chilled together for half an hour.

[@ranwolf7650]

"...Contacting the dead and conversing with ghosts, others in the spirit world..." you mean like prayer?

[@TheLastMillennials]

Praying to devil or god

[@10dvvks.d.r.tharun15]

lol u made a point

[@FLdancer00]

No, not like praying, God isn't dead because he's not a human.

[@dwarflord420]

@@FLdancer00 Then You've Obviously never read the works of Friedrich Nietzsche. One of his most well known book titles is indeed titled "God is Dead".

[@FLdancer00]

@@dwarflord420 God can't die, He was never alive, He's not a person. If you have a different view on "what" God is, that's something else. But in reference to this, it's inaccurate.

[@bmillz6243]

I’m a Christian and can say those who are against Harry Potter are wack and definitely don’t speak for all of us. I love Harry Potter.

[@thatoneguy6315]

same, i guess christians just get a bad wrap

[@longjumpingad3721]

@@thatoneguy6315 yeah it's sad. Sometimes I feel guilty when I say that im a Christian

[@Condog]

I’m a Christian and when someone first told me that there were people who wanted to ban Harry Potter I honestly thought they were joking, because I always enjoyed them and they very clearly teach good morals. Anyone who thinks HP teaches kids anything negative is either stupid, has only read/seen small scenes out of context, or is intentionally leaving out context.

[@rompevuevitos222]

Summed up religious parents

[@slowlorax3141]

Not only are the books not at all anti-Christian, but the crux of the series hinges on overtly Christian themes: good vs. evil, sacrifice, redemption, the power of love, the afterlife, etc. Like you said, people are intentionally leaving out the context. Looking at the series as a whole, there's no way to interpret it as teaching anything but traditionally Christian morals.

[@Megaspinosaurusrex]

@@rompevuevitos222 not all of them, only a minority that happened to be the loudest.

[@rompevuevitos222]

@@Megaspinosaurusrex Sorry i misspoke, i meant "Religious nut parents"

[@53ns3i]

Yeah well religious folk arnt too bright. Not thinking and doing research on any given subject is just not what church folk do.

[@micaiahflores1592]

It’s like saying to that point we should also ban animorphs From existing because that is a book series about 5 13 year old kids in an intergalactic war getting PTSD for five years, Cleaved inhalf Being a regular Occurrence

[@patrickiamonfire965]

Oh my god you’re right. We should start banning.

[@leinadreign3510]

Wrong reason. Animorphs should be banned because it could imply that humans are descendants from animals and not a creation of god. Therefore they imply that the evolution theory is true. Could be banned I guess ^^

[@HighPhilosophy]

Yeerk

[@doodlertoodlert8728]

You joke but I knew like six families from our church who personally didn’t let their kids read animorphs. I’m not sure if it was on the Actual banned list though

[@fluffyking94]

Oh I wouldn't be surprised if that was attempted at some point.

[@scottrawicz7613]

A priest I worked with and was friendly with, I told him about the other ministers and religious people calling Harry Potter Blasphemy. The Father said "It a children's book. Get over it"

[@knvids2812]

"Other minister" i've heard that somewhere...

[@bboy3lmo]

sounds like a lower-level priest. i always thought they tell all the priests about certain things

[@jabrak1]

My girlfriend's Aunt blames Harry Potter for making sister gay and turning her son against religion. Definitely wasn't because she was just gay and forced your kids to eat exclusively boiled food and their only entertainment at home was the Bible.

[@jabrak1]

@Prashanth Panicker And she didn't even season the food. People wondered my he was like 300 lbs growing up because the food at sucked. Turns out he would eat as much as possible anytime he left the house and stash food in his room lol

[@axelpatrickb.pingol3228]

I rather be living with Augusta Longbottom if a person like that exists...

[@Tsukiko.97]

I understand that all. In the early 2000's my mother was an Orthodox zealot but today she's is now a more humble protestant. Also not all but much of my food was boiled as a kid too. Too much. Funny thing is that she still thinks Star Wars is the devil's work. If I were to remind her that Harry Potter exists, my sister's favorite series of books, she would immediately go into her room and start praying. My mother is a good-hearted person, she gets all of her will through Jesus. This year she instilled said will into my younger brother who has been trouble hearted so to speak. Now my younger brother is a kind person but he seriously thinks that all life started 6,000 years ago, the Earth is flat and that there is no such thing as space or planets. It gets really annoying when my younger brother keeps forcing me to watch these tik tok videos of some stupid 16-year-old influencer talking about how the second coming of Christ is upon us. "MuSt wAtCh. WhY tHe 2nD cOmiNG oF JeSuS wILL hApPeN iN tHe USA, nOt JeRuSaLeM"

[@ashkitt7719]

Was she a Seventh Day Adventist or something? They often believe that people have a limited amount of vital energy and that it's sapped by doing or consuming anything pleasurable. So they eat shitty tasting food and abstain from sex and masturbation to extend their life. The people behind graham crackers and corn flakes believed such a thing.

[@rompevuevitos222]

Because religious people don't work on logic nor reason

[@tjsmith5276]

As I understand, J.K. Rowling was a teacher of the language arts before she wrote the "Harry Potter" series. Naturally she had dabbled in the world of witchcraft and wizardry. What she did was combine two worlds with which she was familiar to create something unique. Harry Potter is essentially a teaching device. It's all very fascinating.

[@joshbare4828]

As a person who identifies as Christian I have never saw the point in banning the books. For one, the spells in the books are clearly made up. If anyone seriously thought they were real then their grip on reality is certainly slipping. Secondly, as long as something gets kids to read and actually enjoy reading shouldn't that be considered a good thing? I've been a fan of the books since middle school before there were even movies. Instead of hindering our children we should be helping to cultivate their minds and imaginations. The world is a scary enough place without having to be afraid of what you are reading. On a side note: Similar "Satanic Panics" were all the rage in the 80s. Horror movies thrived off of that kind of publicity. D&D also came under fire for having devil's and demons in the game. Though they are clearly evil forces that you fight against.

[@SqquareLord]

The spells aren't real but they are based in languages such as Greek and Latin, so amazing when I'm trying to learn latin

[@jonasleibowitz6982]

Nah, eat slugs is definitely a real spell

[@rompevuevitos222]

@@SqquareLord I hope they never learn latin american spanish, the amount of words it shares with traditional latin would make you think we have been summoning demons this whole time, but instead we just got some demons imported from Germany, lol

[@odd-ysseusdoesstuff6347]

Harry Potter spells: Bastardized Latin Church: Ecclesiastical and Classical Latin So… the church is also a wizarding community?

[@brandonayong5823]

And yet Lockhart was allowed to be a best seller.. Smh xD

[@saturnianrings3920]

And the little Mermaid and Comic books and ect!

[@DigitalxGamer]

As a Christian, nothing embarrasses me more than seeing people say this kind of thing.... Well, other than whenever other "Christians" are discriminatory based upon things like orientation. These are the kinds of things that give us such a negative reputation. I look forward to the day where older, more superstitious and literal Christians kind of step aside for the newer generation, who are generally more knowledgeable and understanding...as far as I'm aware at least.

[@Miruble82]

Agreed

[@davidolinger3948]

I still haven't met a single Christian who actually thinks this wildly, but I also know some parents who don't let their kids read Harry Potter but that's more for the maturity, as they also don't let their kids watch SpongeBob lol

[@AlexTenThousand]

I honestly do not consider all these post-Lutheran imbeciles to be Christians at all, they have strayed so far from the Sacred Scriptures that all they talk about is hatred and mistrust towards anyone who is different from you, they've walked all over the message of love and coexistance that Jesus literally died on a cross for.

[@moogamooga2100]

Same.

[@sertaki]

@@AlexTenThousand I fear it's not for you to decide what people call their religion. But I agree, as an atheist look at this, they definitely do not seem to be a good example of what Christianity seems to be based around. To be a fair, a lot of this crap is very much linked with Christian Nationalism, which is really just plain old extreme Nationalism hiding behind a nice exterior to point to when criticized and which abuses this to retruit people and justify horrible crap.

[@dylanwestrand9507]

I wish reading and watching the books and movies would really help you turn into a wizard because if they did I would be a truly powerful one by now.

[@0fficialselena__90]

RIGHT!!! I Would love that and who knows what we are capable of to be honest like I’ve read the books and watch movies when I was much younger and I always loved it and pretend I’m a wizard 😭

[@fantasyalover4782]

I always wanted the Invisible Cloak to be legit. reality is such a b!tch.

[@theShadeslayer]

I’m a Christian, banning Harry Potter is stupid, terrible, and honestly sad. Like any group, Christians have people that misunderstand things and give the whole group a bad rap. Ugh.

[@e.bthepirate9783]

Like when at some point people called pokemon "Demons" lmao

[@zuluecho5886]

@@e.bthepirate9783 or pat Robertson’s dnd fearmongering

[@hackman669]

@@e.bthepirate9783 I remember back in the early 2000s when the Pokemon craze was at its height. My friends said the same thing about Yu-Gi-Oh and Digimon!!! Remember when they used to make real tv, before Disney+ and streaming?

[@goodnewsmedia2629]

@@hackman669 I remember that also until Disney plus came along

[@collinlloyd1200]

Lol my childhood! Wasn’t allowed to read or watch them as a kid “it’s witchcraft!”….Finally got around to watching them a few years ago and I’m pretty bummed that wasn’t a part of my childhood.

[@Craxin01]

Be happy you read them as an adult. They may be classified as young adult, but there's a lot of fully adult things kids don't notice in them. They weren't around when I was a kid, but I'm 42 now. Read them anyway and I was glad I did, they were quite good.

[@HirstMovies]

The films suck they ain’t that good the books are much better

[@ToomanyFrancis]

@@HirstMovies I've never read the books, they're on my list, but we all know how that goes. Aren't the movies considered some of the best film adaptations ever? Right up there with the LOTR trilogy?

[@HirstMovies]

@@ToomanyFrancis I wouldn’t say so there’s so many things WRONG with them. Like SO many

[@cantthinkofaname5046]

​@@ToomanyFrancis They are really good movies, but a lot of people are understandably upset that lots of things got cut because the film would be too long if left in

[@TheAlliejoy]

As a born and raised Christian I have watched the movies and read the books and I dont see anything wrong. If you want to go hating on books/movies then good for you, waste your time.

[@FilmscoreMetaler]

Why can't everyone just be not stupid? :/

[@dukeofdenver]

I grew up in a highly Christian household and my parents were always fine with it Banning it is ridiculous

[@10dvvks.d.r.tharun15]

yea

[@goodnewsmedia2629]

Seriously what is wrong with this world and harry potter

[@aaronnantz2289]

It's how this world is now thuer trying to make everything g religious or guy or Trans or anything they think that's not Amy if that should be gone this world is long from gone now I don't see the human race lasting another 5 years.

[@bboy3lmo]

in a way it is kinda ridiculous because not all kids will figure it out or at least something nearby to hear it

[@BeautifulMadeline]

Now cover His Dark Materials, that had a far bigger impact in catholic schools, Mine and other schools banned that

[@amberp8835]

An absolute favorite series of mine. Still bitter about how the Catholics ruined the movie ending but love the bbc/hbo adaptation.

[@meropedurwood5514]

@@amberp8835 Yes, the TV show is amazing. 😍

[@sertaki]

Those are amazing books, and I am not surprised they were banned in Christian schools - the author very much wrote with the desire to offend the Christians with his story. But really, why shouldn't we have some Atheist fantasy books that actually are aggressive about their stance? We have plenty of Christian ones.

[@atharvadeshpande4749]

I am gonna be that guy and ask why does it offend so many Christians, so much? I am not a Christian so I just don't really understand the outrage that much. Like I know some things about Christianity but not everything so I don't understand what exactly His Dark Materials books do against Christianity. Is it because the religion that is shown in the series is a bad one similar to Christianity?

[@dragotyranniraptorex6460]

@@atharvadeshpande4749 it’s been a long while since i read the books, so i dont remember the names of the magic and shit, but the energy or some shit wasnt flowing around the world properly, and the spirits of those who have died could not be returned to the cycle or life. there was a scene where they were being set free to release their energies back into the world again, but a pastor or priest protests, saying it is against gods will to leave what he has created, despite it being more like a blank purgatory than anything near heaven

[@taylorsly2392]

“They don’t have to burn the books, they just remove them.”

[@IffyJottere]

That's the one thing Bradbury didn't see coming when he wrote Fahrenheit 451: it wasn't necessary to burn books and literature to get to his dystopia, they just made mass media more appealing than the "stuffy old alternative" of the written word. In short, they don't even have to remove the books, they just distract us from them. J.K Rowling, whatever you may or may not think of her as a person in light of her recent controversial statements, was a powerful voice in giving books some of their old power back, and I respect that aim, even if she's gone loony and decries a cause I back. Also, props to your Rage Against The Machine lyrics. "...while arms warehouses fill as quick as the cells! Rally 'round your family, pocket fulla shells!"

[@mistermack4987]

"While arms warehouses fill as quick as the cells.."

[@jaidora]

I know J.K. Rowling has been in a very terrible down spiral but the books are good. Separation of church and state, fiction and fantasy brings creativity, this debacle is going back in the Puritan era.

[@unclem7816]

Eh? You've fallen for the propaganda pal.

[@Silverizael]

It's just sad that so many of our authors, directors, and actors turn out to be horrible people. I loved the Ender's Game series and it's view of acceptance of other people. To find out that Orson Scott Card actively was a part of and funded efforts to remove my rights and hated my existence as a LGBT person was sad. I still love the books and think they stand in opposition to the person who made them in their messaging. To some extent, I say the same is true of the Harry Potter series, though it doesn't have the same sort of specific messaging that Ender's Game does. Either way, I doubt the characters in HP would be transphobic bigots like JK Rowling is.

[@PantheRed97]

Terrible? She is one of the most caring people ever. She went from billionaire to millionaire by donating her money. Just because she doesn't agree that a person can change their sex at will doesn't mean she is bad.

[@Silverizael]

@@PantheRed97 Yes, it does? What you said is like saying about Orson Scott Card "just because he doesn't agree that a person can change their sexuality at will doesn't mean he is bad". Which is both wrong and also misrepresenting the biological facts. No one is changing their sexuality or sex. That just is what those are for those people. The scientific community is directly at odds with claims from the likes of Card and Rowling. There is tons of scientific evidence showing the biological reality of trans people and the genetic, structural, and hormonal differences from birth that make them trans.

[@rebeccawilson6044]

@@Silverizael Can you please stop?..

[@brohiddlesby7010]

What makes this especially hilarious is Harry Potter’s often read as an allegory for Jesus.

[@hackman669]

Yeah right.

[@jasonjungreis203]

Harry Potter literally has bible verses in it.

[@serban8298]

Harry Potter is a Christ-like figure!He sacrifices himself for the greater good and the good of others!

[@khanolval9848]

He might be J.K Rowlng is Catholic so this could be true

[@kurth6840]

A mom stopped letting her kids play with me. When see saw me with the books. People are crazy.

[@karencamp741]

I had some of my daughters friends parents not let their kids hang out with my daughter because she was allowed to watch Harry Potter and wear Harry Potter stuff.

[@landconn1397]

That’s so stupid and horrible! Hope the kid doesn’t adopt the same mindset

[@DigiPen92]

That's really messed up.

[@dstinnettmusic]

Imagine being a fundamentalist who thinks children’s media is undermining the kingdom of God rather than a means of teaching morality and friendship, something that Jesus would love. “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”, Jesus in Matthew 15:11 -this post was brought to you by the Episcopalian Gang

[@swyjix]

The semi reformed gang concours.

[@elipetrou9308]

Maybe the bible did have some good points after all. Honestly I think if Jesus say what some christians were doing he’d abandon ship pretty damn quick

[@ashkitt7719]

I remember a local Episcopalian Church had a Harry Potter themed Bible camp so this makes sense. And for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Anglican equivalent to the Pope, he's basically what bougie liberals think Francis is. Like he said God is an enby because they're beyond earthly concepts such as gender.

[@metronicmagician1816]

As a Wiccan the idea that Harry Potter would be pushing people to do witchcraft is hilarious to me. They’re just some fun kids books that can’t hurt anyone. Now the author is another story.

[@nude_cat_ellie7417]

What’s wrong with the author?

[@nude_cat_ellie7417]

@Lapis Rune how is saying a woman is a woman anything but factual?

[@w1nterdays]

@@nude_cat_ellie7417 when the female person isn’t, in fact, a woman. Lemme guess, are you a terf too?

[@nude_cat_ellie7417]

@@w1nterdays what? I don’t even know what a “terf” is. What I know is women have vaginas and men have penises. Pretty simple.

[@mikkihesson3509]

@@nude_cat_ellie7417 its not simple at all, and itll cause a TON of arguments generalizing ppl like that. bc now men can have a vagina and women a penis and the wolrd is going to hell in a handbasket not bc ppl want to be who they feel like but bc ppl dont even know what they are arguing about anymore and its being taken WAY too seriously. when you get into the world of genders it gets ridiculous. which is what jk rowling is under fire for, she doesnt hate trans ppl. but she does stand up and say "we are women, and you cant just slide in and be what i am just bc you SAY you are, its our term." and im onboard with that fact. there is nothing wrong with being a drag queen, or transgender, or straight, or gay or whatever you are but everyone seems to want to wash away every other term but man and woman and they talk about it as if wanting something makes it a cold hard fact. i hate it for everyone, but there are more than two genders now and it should be that way to preserve who you and i are as well, not just to pander to the transgender community. im not "cis" i didnt wake up and decide i needed a new term. im a regular straight woman as i was born to be and those are my terms. no matter how much money you throw around you dont get to buy your way into being a woman like i am. dress up however you want, present yourself to the world however and nobody is saying we hate you for it. in fact i love the world for being more inclusive and less hate driven. but when it comes to being a woman, sorry but thats OUR term. man dressed as a woman? there is already a term for that, a drag queen. not a thing wrong with that but ppl want to rid the world of its diversity in exchange for "equality" that isnt equal at ALL. you can be trans all you want, but i dont think someone with a dck should be able to walk in and use our bathroom. that opens the door to whatever man wants to walk in and claim he feels like a woman whether he does or not and you cant call it out when its a lie just so he can go in and invade a womans space. THAT is jk rowlings stance. i DO think there should be an array of terms and ppl should embrace what they are. its not exclusionary to create your own gender like the trans community have done and they are almost ashamed of their own selves for trying to hide who they are in my opinion. it almost goes too far and makes the term "trans" a bad thing even tho thats their own term. be a trans woman or man all you want, but trans is what you are. love yourself for who you are. its getting insane and im not afraid to speak up about it. thats the beauty of freedom, you can say youre a woman, i can say no youre a trans-woman and at the end of the day it doesnt even matter. be who you want to be but im a woman get your own term is what i say. we can all say whatever we want and it shouldnt matter if someone is "offended". i say get over it. i will never hate on jk rowling bc i agree with her wholeheartedly. i would say a very large majority of ppl DO, they are just afraid bc of cancel culture. the world gets hung up on saying shes transphobic, no she isnt. she just isnt laying down and giving up OUR term. be like if wiggers got to say the term they ACTUALLY want to be called. wont ever happen. i say this is the same. you cant take terms away from others and just appropriate them bc you want to. facts are facts, and sorry but im not sorry to say if you started out life as a man you retain that male privilege. women have worked hard to get where we are now and i say nobody can just buy their way into our struggle. deal with your own. and im just speaking generally here, i say everyone can say and be whomever they want but you are what you are even if you dont like it. i can say im the queen mother but that doesnt make it a FACT. doesnt change my freedom to say it if i want, but the rest of the world isnt going to just go along with it. this will be the end of the human race. we will tear each other apart over who wants to be called what and its ridiculous.

[@TomFoxArts]

I'm a Christian myself, and I love Harry Potter. My momma loves Harry Potter. It never made sense to me why others though it was something more than a fantasy book series. If you ban Potter, you should probably also ban Narnia and LOTR.

[@DarkAngelRabbitX3]

I remember my mom buying the dvd and making it a big movie night for me and her just bc my mother’s friend at the time was against it with her church trying to get it banned. 😂 thank u mom for that pettiness

[@sangeetamukherjee]

I love your mom for her pettiness.... 🥺🥺♥️♥️♥️

[@roxanne_]

Sounds like something I would do 💀

[@fabycho6791]

As a child I wasn't allowed to watch or read anything with magic no Disney movies no Lord of the rings or even Barbie movies I remember someone giving me a sweater with a printed unicorn and my mom literally erased his horn and wings with acetone

[@sertaki]

That is truly bananas.

[@roxanne_]

Thats crazy and to be completely honest as someone who is conflicted on being a Christian, I would literally not be a Christian if I were in your shoes.

[@Anna-B]

As a catholic, banning Harry Potter makes no sense

[@vaavet710]

As a human being from earth and a savage mf at sundays , banning harry potter makes no sense

[@dylanwestrand9507]

I think it makes sense. They are very scary books; I’ve been rereading the series and each book gets more terrifying.

[@brookea9718]

Agreed. The vast majority of Catholics know that it is inflammatory nonsense screamed by attention-seeking people.

[@vaavet710]

@@dylanwestrand9507 you are right , they are so spooky , lets burn them

[@shadowlitten547]

Yes

[@TheMoldyWater]

I remember in my mum's church the minister gave a sermon about the dangers of witchcraft, and the potential for harry potter to corrupt our youth. It was around then I began questioning whether or not organized religion was for me. It was not.

[@matthewtapia1669]

That is a good start to getting free from religion "live free die hard" .

[@charleslee3676]

I remember when Pokémon was declared as “evil” by one of the churches I had to go to as a kid.

[@MercuryBubble]

Same! My mom grew up with the pastor so he'd visit and have dinner with our family. He saw me with pokemon cards and said they were "demon tarot" and told my mom we should burn them

[@gravetiger9333]

My thought in this is: if you're going to have a problem with HP, then you have to have a problem with things like LOTR and Chronicles of Narnia.

[@elipetrou9308]

*an even bigger problem

[@ValentineBaby21490]

The Chronicles on Narnia wore written as a parallel to the Bible, Harry Potter is full of dark magic pretending to be good. Thay are not the same.

[@Flappergothpunk]

Or eragon and the black cauldron

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

Growing up with Harry Potter in the midwest was interesting. My catholic school didnt ban it, but there were Baptist schools near me that did, which we thought was hilarious. It was weird hearing about book burnings in History class in the past, but to see a version of it in the present was both insane and a "stupidity" I was familiar sadly with.

[@hackman669]

Interesting, so modern Catholics are more enlightened than some Baptists.

[@blade8989]

Amazing. You’d think if people were so offended by them, THEY’D JUST NOT BUY THEM!

[@africanchick23]

you'd think so! But their response is to force other people not to buy or read them. if they don't want to read it, no one else can either.

[@nerdynobody574]

@@africanchick23 god i that that is an accurate statement

[@sangeetamukherjee]

At 8:47 "I like every other kid who have read Potter , tried to cast every other spells in the book and yet surprisingly after soaking up every other word, it didn't turned me into a witch or wizard.....I just became *BETTER* " - This one line sums up everything !! ♥️

[@a35362]

Of course the books are about finding out the authority figures aren't an authority on anything: they're evil or incompetent or cowardly or clueless or they believe that 1 - Witchcraft is real and 2 - Muggle children can perform it by reading books you can get in any bookstore.

[@sertaki]

I wonder how many of those outraged folks really just don't want their kids to read anti-autoritarian literature while performing their best Umbridge and Dursley impressions.

[@SharkSalesman90]

@@sertaki yes lol

[@ashkitt7719]

I wish I was able to do witchcraft solely from reading Harry Potter.

[@hackman669]

@@ashkitt7719 The ban on Harry Potter makes me want to, at the very least, understand witchcraft and its practices just to be informed about this religious group.

[@ziltch2150]

I’m literally binging the movies right now

[@girlynoob325]

Same! And reading the books!

[@friedegg3732]

cringe pfp

[@mr.goblin6039]

I’m surprised that people STILL think Harry Potter promotes witch craft or whatever. This is so dumb.

[@christianbjorck816]

That is not the problematic thing I would say. For me that grew up reading the books I moved on to other books and could see a lot of flaws in the Potter books later on (like being a tad progressive and raising a spoiled generation that just think you don’t really have to work to succed, you are entiteld to get everything handed to you because you are ”special”), but others never moved on. The only books they have ever read is Harry Potter, they defend it like it is scripture and define their entire world view after a children’s book. I don’t think the problem lies so much on the books per se, but on the readership that never grew up. There is so much wonderful literature so why limit yourself?

[@mr.goblin6039]

@@christianbjorck816 That happens with a lot of other stuff, not just HP. Like, fandoms in general have it's toxic and obsessive fans.

[@christianbjorck816]

@@mr.goblin6039 Sure, that is true. But Potter I do find more excessive and not just a few exceptions. A majority of Potter readers seem to have embraced the millenial entilteld mindset, which isn't that weird as the books have a lot of progressive elements. Star Wars fans are vocal for example, sometimes rightfully so, but they don't seem to use Star Wars as a political tool or full base for their world view. They also seem to watch more movies than just Star Wars (not talking about the more modern Disney Wars here, as it seems to be almost a full time job to keep up with all the things they keep pumping out lol). Star Wars, the trilogy, just for an example, also seems more thought through and gives the viewer (especially children) some important life lessons compared to Potter, which is a tad too reliant on mystery and magic-can-solve-all-your-problems. Or another example; Avatar the Last Airbender. I think if I ever have kids that is probably what I will have them watch instead of Potter. It has magic basically, but it's not the focus per se.

[@MelchVagquest]

They should ban all rats because they could be Peter Pettigrew.

[@JakeRuzi]

You’re saying this like banning rats is a bad thing

[@MelchVagquest]

@@JakeRuzi But what about Remy?

[@liquidnation9992]

Reminds me of that time when D&D has this exact same situation back in the 80’s

[@PrincessStabbityPLS]

When I'm looking for reading recommendations, checking the list of things hated by people who burn books is my go-to.

[@ashkitt7719]

Turner Diaries tho

[@GabrielKnightz]

Video games, DnD, Rock music and on and on it goes. We live in a time where entire groups of people from across the world (where one is too many) still believe that the earth is flat. Should you really be surprised by the wilful idiocy of people anymore.

[@petkostoychev9067]

To all the religious fanatics - Harry Potter didn’t push me away from religion. Intelligence did.

[@babitagupta6921]

I heard that the book Eleanor and park was also banned from school libraries due to the usage of improper language. The irony is that books like fifty shades of grey don't even near the topic of ban.

[@wireboar7321]

It's just stupid, they jump on hp cuz they can at least understand the words, give them something that requires them to have a brain like dune or tombs of atuan where there's real bodily and psychological harm and they'll run away

[@8-bitgames321]

Y'all ever think that one of the facts that harry potter was so popular was that it's restriction made it so much more enticing?

[@kaizenkltr]

"Were u just reading a Harry Potter novel?" The priest asked calmly.

[@lizardinaspaceship]

I grew up in the hyper-religious American south (TN) in the late '90s/early 2000s, and I remember several of my friends and classmates as a kid in elementary and middle school not being allowed to read the Harry Potter books or watch the movies because their parents told them the series "promoted witchcraft." Many of these kids were so brainwashed by their parents they seemed almost AFRAID of the books whenever someone mentioned the very words "Harry Potter," as if a demon would hop out of the pages and drag them to Hell or something if they so much as read a single chapter...it was very strange and sad. There were so many parents who were outraged that we even had the books in the school library.

[@spoon4956]

Religion trying to control people for a stupid reason. Even some Christians believes that minecraft is demonic. I guess they don't like people using their imagination or something. What's next, legos?

[@franzeder5402]

@@spoon4956 I dont wanna know what those Christians inhale

[@spoon4956]

@@franzeder5402 holy water vapes lmao

[@willlyon7129]

I’m looking at you Becky Fisher, and i hope she doesn’t lay a finger on His Dark Materials, Lord of the Rings, and Percy Jackson.

[@JuwGus]

As a religious Christian myself, I am certain that these bannings are completely stupid. I am surprised that there even are such fanatic people that would do this. But well, some people use religion to spread homophobia so I shouldn't be that surprised.

[@guthrie_the_wizard]

Have you read the Bible? It’s pretty hateful stuff if you actually read it. Ex (of many): If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭20:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

[@JuwGus]

@@guthrie_the_wizard Yeah, it totally is. The Bible was written by people with their own little mindsets, so I don't give attention to the Bible because of that. I just believe in God/Jesus because it gives me hope.

[@fiona_6714]

As an actual wiccan, I find it VERY funny that people tried to say that harry potter was wiccan. Yes, it has some broad similarities but my religion is NOTHING like anything that happens in those books lol

[@kingradovidv4524]

I suppose the only similarity is both are fantasy

[@Legendofzedia]

@@kingradovidv4524 you woke up today and chose disrespect 😂😂😂

[@ghostel9253]

@@kingradovidv4524 bro not cool

[@liam63458]

@@kingradovidv4524 legend 😂😂😂

[@irishcacodemon7131]

@@kingradovidv4524 my man 👍

[@Dd1bl21]

Man I wish Harry Potter was a part of my childhood, I adore it now as an adult, but I guess watching the chamber of secrets while being a small kid with anxiety problems was probably not the best introduction to the Potter world 😅

[@ZS.Bonsai]

And governments wonder why people do not trust them. Any government that makes laws because they're afraid of some hocus pocus, let alone a children's book, should not be taken seriously.

[@olivercuenca4109]

This isn’t governments, this is mostly churches and local communities.

[@defectivepikachu4582]

@@olivercuenca4109 that still managed to influence the government

[@mark1eyeball]

Comic books went through something like this back in the '50s

[@shortangel333]

Heres the moral of this story we call life. People are stupid. The End

[@justalurkr]

Most of the series seems to be permanently at the top of Amazon charts. I don't think the ban is working out.

[@DeadCardinal]

I’m so glad I got to grow up with the Swedish cover arts for the Harry Potter books

[@fireaza]

It makes me sad to hear that in the 21st century, not the 12th century, people believe magic is real.

[@trumpetbob15]

I remember listening to a podcast from a Dutch Catholic priest where he went deeper into all the symbolism of Harry Potter - from the character names to the types of wood used in the characters' wands (yes, those weren't random choices by Rowling). I found it very interesting and the host being a priest lent it an additional weight cause he had researched all these historical connections I was never aware of.

[@andrewstrait4379]

As a Christian, I find the irony of Christians opposing Harry Potter to be hilarious. There's so much hypocrisy there with the arguments that Christians use to ban these books because a lot of these arguments could be applied to Christian theology. The double standards get to me as well. We are not okay with Harry Potter but will allow Lord of the rings and Chronicles of Narnia? Doesn't make any sense.

[@AJxxxxxxxx]

I remember when I was a child and finding out that the books were banned in Texas I was so confused, I kept asking my teacher why and everyone just kept telling me because the state sees it as evil, the fact that it was taboo made me want to read it even more to figure out what all the fuss was about it, this was in the early 2000s after 9/11

[@DrekiTech]

To be fair, if witchcraft were real, I totally would have picked it up because of Harry Potter.

[@RanOutOfSpac]

If it lets me shoot magical lasers, abso-frigging-lutely.

[@annevaleriedemition1020]

Ohhh bad🙁

[@ValentineBaby21490]

Witchcraft is real. I think that's the problem with America is they think all of this dark magic is either a thing of the pass or doesn't exist.

[@miscielrossvillegas6307]

You know what boggles my mind to this day? My Christian school banned Harry Potter from their Libraries yet allowed Gossip Girl and Twilight to fill a shelf. That pissed me off to no end.

[@koosjedokter659]

Such a great and interesting video! I thought it would be about the writer and how some people are "cancelling" the book!

[@Altar360]

In general most of not all claims by the religious that some art or fiction is somehow Demonic or Satanic are eye roll inducing. In my time, it was Pokemon. Before that, it was Hello Kitty and Rock and Roll

[@sertaki]

What is it today? Maybe the modern wave of inclusive kids cartoons? Or anime? Or is it just ... still Harry Potter? :D

[@ashkitt7719]

@@sertaki Nah, the complaints about anime are that it promotes MAGA ideology and as one hater said, "Anime fans are filthy unwashed White weebs gathered in small spaces." Just prior to that statement she said that the Covid pandemic should be used as a justification for making anime illegal out of the belief that anime conventions in particular are "superspreader events." I should also point out this person has said she has schizophrenia and repeatedly said in a Telegram group that she would like to commit some form of terrorism with the intent to commit suicide by cop. Apparently she is not a fed despite her glowing brighter than ten million fireflies. She is just very disturbed.

[@orangexlightning]

This has been going on forever. Dungeons and Dragons, Video Games, Anime, Books, Movies, Metal. Every time these people are exposed to literally anything, they lose their minds thinking that it's the spawn of Satan. It's physically painful to watch these people go on full blown religious rants on music or fictional things that have literally zero correlation to religion or if anything tends to ALIGN with their ideologies. How laughably they take things out of context too. "This person did a horrible thing!" Yes...because they're the villain. It's amazing how much these people have zero clue what the heck fiction and entertainment are. Amazing and painful.

[@xblade149]

Thats crazy I went to a catholic school and they never banned harry potter books or the movies from schools. Granted I've lived in New Orleans and New Orleans catholic are kinda different

[@BeautifulMadeline]

The His Dark Materials series was banned at mine.

[@xblade149]

@@BeautifulMadeline yeah of all the catholic schools I went too they never banned any harry potter books or movies. Now my grandmother thought harry potter was evil but my parents were like shut up. Me and my parents are catholic by the way and we love harry potter especially me since I grew up with it in the early 2000s

[@amberp8835]

@@BeautifulMadeline well that series was a more direct attack on religion so I get that one. Love the books though.

[@hackman669]

@@amberp8835 Weird how one religion talks dirt about another belief system simply to justify itself. Come on people I thought America and the West were enlightened societies?

[@conservativehufflepuff]

Here's some irony for you; Harry Potter sparked my interest in the Bible as a kid. I would read something in Harry Potter and be able cross reference it in the Bible.

[@OrcBro]

YAY! Tyler voice :D Missed you, mate!

[@jameswilson3370]

Laura Bush was very vocal of how much she loved the Harry Potter books.

[@katla_phc]

Someone a crossover of two of my favorite things (nerdy stuff and analysing the sociopolitical effects of religion in America)

[@vixenrevitup]

I grew up in a Christian household and my parents did not let me and my twin sister read or watch the Harry Potter series when it first became a hit. I’m proud of my Christian upbringing and wouldn’t change it for the world, so I’m not attacking those values. I understand entirely where my parents were coming from and, heck, neither of us would have wanted to indulge the franchise anyway because we only liked animal stories. My mom didn’t want us watching Pokémon either, but it was too hard to keep that away from us because Pokémon are basically animals with powers. Anyway, when Avatar: the Last Airbender came out, I was fourteen, so my parents had lost their control over most of the shows we watched. I became obsessed with it, and it inspired me to read fantasy novels. Thankfully, Twilight was not one of those books! Despite this newfound love of fantasy in my teenage years, I only recently finished the Harry Potter movies and will soon be reading the books. I enjoyed them very much. It’s a hard choice but I think Goblet of Fire was my favorite film! Not sure if that’s a popular opinion, though. I don’t know much about the way the fandom thinks about each film! I may have missed out on the series as a kid, but as a 29-year-old adult, I’m content. I know my salvation is secure because I believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for my sins. I can watch and read fantasy stories without tarnishing my faith. I don’t believe in witchcraft but can enjoy a story about it, just as I can not believe in some of the references in A:TLA but enjoy it immensely. My religion does not damage the experience. Please don’t hate on people with Christian backgrounds, comment section. We have every right to practice our religion without it being seen as negative. We can enjoy what you enjoy. A fandom is a fandom and everyone has a right to be a part of it without criticism.

[@TH3F4LC0Nx]

I remember my parents not letting me read these books when I was a kid for religious reasons. Now I'm a bit beyond the age range they're intended for, so I guess I'll never experience the magic.

[@OrbinHD]

You are never to old for Harry Potter, especially considering how dark the series gets from book to book.

[@gatst7680]

Imagine these people seeing something like Shin Megami Tensei lmao

[@saltykjb8070]

I know many that have read it at an older age and still loved it. I would just give it a try.

[@gatst7680]

@@locten4949 lmfao

[@alflyle9955]

If you have kids, read the books out loud with them. They will enjoy them and you likely will as well. My kids learned to read from Harry Potter books and my sons from Calvin and Hobbes, which they really enjoyed.

[@Mattznick]

Wow i can't believe that even in 2021 this is still a thing happening. I remember in middle school i started reading them for book reports and everyone else in my class started reading them after me.

[@TechnoL33T]

Ironically, book bans are exactly the thing that got me into controversial subjects. XD

[@sertaki]

I bet Barbara Streisand can sing a little song about that.

[@thepokekid01]

I remember when it happened with Pokemon... and then Yugioh... and then Potter, and apparently as far as I know in terms of pop-culture it started with Dungeons and Dragons and also continued on to Magic the Gathering.

[@Addazed66]

I always found it kinda ironic considering how full the Bible is of blood magic.

[@adams13245]

That, and God drowns the entire world... because, according to him "They were wicked... or something." He also: Lies to the first man and woman about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Helps Abram rape a slaves cause he desperately needs them male hiers. Adoption what's that? Kills a man for pulling out of his brother's widow. And those are just in Genesis. In Exodus he messes with a man's mind, punishes an entire country for the sins of said man, and slaughters all firstborn babies of said country. Or, and demands the Israelites bling out the arc of the Covenant. Cause the sum of all morals just has to have his rules carried in a blinged out box!

[@Darkmaiki]

A Historia Civilis fan!! The music at 1 minute at the end tells me everything I needed to know!

[@redrasegarden]

I had,at the age of 9 or 10, asked my mom when I first heard of them if I was allowed to read them. Got the first 4 (what was out at the time) for a birthday.

[@chantzgaming]

Glad to hear you’re still here cleanprince

[@davidmorgan6282]

When I was six, I went to the scholastic book fair with my mom who told me that she heard Harry Potter was a really good book. But 300+ page book is terrifying for a 1st grader so I asked if she’d read it with me. She agreed and we read books 1-4 together up until my 4th grade year which we both loved. I credit this series and that time with my mom for my love of reading. P.S. Feel free to steal that story and tell it on your dates. It’s a really pant melter. Also P.S. my family is extremely religious and devout… never had any issue with these books. Those book banning types are friggin nuts.

[@mobbs6426]

The other side of it: "I think women have vaginas" "We must ban this fictional story about a young wizard learning magic spells and systematically losing his father figures!" Seems like a logical progression

[@justinwhite2725]

4:50 lol. As a someone who has studied Wicca, there's nothing in Harry Potter even remotely related. HP is fiction. That said, it did increase interest in witchcraft, and a lot of people were drawn to witchcraft from it. A lot of people thought the book was a real depiction and had to unlearn Harry Potter before learning real Wicca.

[@jennierubyjanes8574]

I find it incredibly baffling that they had to go out of their way just to band these books just because it encourages children to do these bad deeds and that they are apparently "witchcraft" and "satanic". Seriously? Then what are the parents there for then? Do they not know how to teach their children right from wrong? Are they unable to teach them because they're too lazy to do it themselves so they have books and tv do it for them? All stories have evil and antagonists in them to make the plot more interesting, if not then the authors wouldnt earn money because it makes it boring. There are so many great books, comics and movies that have violence in order to make itself a hit, like Marvel and many more. Plus, the Harry Potter book and movie series grows along with the audience, it cant stay "kiddie" forever. Did you, parents, think that it would become as popular as it is today if the witches/wizards' wands from the books and movies sprout out flowers that would make them instantly kind? It would be a laughing stock. It goes beyond just being a beloved book series, it was honored to the point that it has a day declared as "International Harry Potter day(May 2)", a holiday. What other book series was able to do that, huh? If you dont want your kid to watch or something that "encourages" violence in it, then dont buy them the Harry Potter books, keep them away from it. Its as simple as that, we dont have time to deal with your simpleminded-ness. Heck, me and my entire family, even distant, are god-fearing but we all love Harry Potter, especially the fam's younger generation because its part of our childhood. Give them barney, Disney, or something because there are lots of people of different ages and backgrounds that enjoy the Harry Potter series. This is so stupid, I cant believe this is even a problem.

[@Phlegethon]

I always found it annoying how English teachers year after year taught the same useless Shakespeare plays instead of books students would actually want to read

[@serban8298]

I wouldn't say Shakespeare plays are useless, but I agree that people should leave snobbery aside and appreciate the value of books like Harry Potter too!

[@NetzwerkgemeindeDresden]

I‘m a church leader from Germany. The books are still very controversial inside of the church. I myself reading them now for the first time. Just reached part 4. I can understand both sides, for I have been there. Thanks for this respectful video!!!

[@jean-pierremartinez1234]

It’s sad my parents didn’t let me read/watch this series when I was little. Anyways, I love Harry Potter so much now! :) ❤️

[@robertgronewold3326]

Better late than never. I had a friend in school who wasn't allowed to read the books as a teen. I literally told him to just check out the books from the school library and keep them in his locker. His parents never knew. haha