Dear God,

What is your opinion on the Harry Potter series? It has really encouraged reading in children, but it encourages witchcraft. Thanks!

- Crystal

Crystal,

Well, I’m glad that you’ve asked the question in the form that you did. It shows extraordinary discernment on your part.

Yes, it is true that the Harry Potter books do encourage the deplorable practice of reading by children. Oh, how I abhor the sight of children reading, reading, reading, with their bedrooms filled with books when they could be out doing something productive, like working in Nike shoe factories in Indonesia.

On the other hand, as you point out, Harry Potter books do encourage witchcraft. While the benefit of witchcraft promotion can never completely outweight the implied license to excessive literacy, it must be admitted that the Harry Potter books are not wholly bad.

The key is responsible parental guidance. It is fine to allow children to have, and even to read, Harry Potter books, so long as an excitement of the impulse to read does not interfere with the practice of hexes, charms and magical cures. Children should be exposed to reading in measured doses, so that they know how to deal with it when they are out on their own as adults. So long as the kids get a little bit of hocus pocus every night before bed, they’ll be okay in the end.

- God

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 at 2:17 pm and is filed under All God's Advice, Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.