Despite not answering the original question…
estesbob, I think you have a Sirius problem.
In the Chamber of Secrets Harry lies and almost gets eaten by a 30 foot Basalik becuase of it. In the Sorcerers Stone he is caught breaking the rules and almost gets eaten as a Werewolf becuase of it. In Order of Phoenix he smarts off to teacher, gets tossed off the Quiddich team and his detention results in the Back of His hand having “I will not tell lies” carved into it over and over and over again.
I just read Sorcerer’s Stone. This did not happen in Sorcerer’s Stone.
Another puzzling fact.
Wicca has grown at incredible rates (espeically among teens) during the time HP books and movies have washed across the globe. Curious coincidence? Perhaps.
Yes. I once read an article that Wiccan books are prominately placed nexed to the HP books in bookstores. I do not know if that is true or not (it was a religious article decrying the books, not very neutral), BUT, this is hardly HP/Rowling’s fault. The two have nothing to do with each other.
Also, Tom317, in an earlier post, you asked why does it bother me that YOU do not like HP, and I will tell you, because, I cannot stand ignorance. It is just that simple.
Somebody else posted that Rowling does not go on about the true meaning of Christmas & Easter, BUT, she does not go on about any religion, she really doesn’t advocate any, BUT…the school breaks in the boarding school, Hogwarts, happen, specifically, at Christmas & Easter…the children are let off of school for these holidays. NOTE that they retain the names Christmas & Easter, NOT, Winter Solstice & Vernal Equinox or whatever pagan OR fictional name she could assign to it. It is a very Christian setting.
AND, speaking about Christmas, Ron, Harry’s friend, says that we here in the non-magical world do not have real gnomes. He has seen those; they look like, ‘fat little Santa Clauses with fishing rods,’ (not sure of EXACT quote). How queer that he would know of Santa Clause when he did not know of soccer (or, football, I am sure it says in every version BUT the US one).
Speaking of Ron, he comes from a family of 6 brothers and sisters, and two parent’s, still married. There is a blond only child who isn’t loved nearly as much as Ron (who is the second to last, right before his only sister), despite he having all the attention of his parents and the tutelage of his Aunt.
Also, I am re-reading the books for the new book (23 days!) & movie (THIRTEEN DAYS!!!) and, I noticed something right off the bat, Harry’s Uncle, Mr. Dursley, is very against what he cannot see/proove. He does not like the witches or the way they dress or the way they behave (though they are nothing but friendly or indifferent to him). Harry, on the other hand, has a Godfather, Rowling has said in an interview (I know I have posted this before), “It was probably a very quick christening,” because of all that was going on, and in a new interview, Gary Oldman, the man who plays Harry’s Godfather in the movie says that he has children & choosing a God-parent, “is not something you do lightly.” It seems to me that Harry WOULD have been brought up as a Christian HAD his parents survived. His Uncle whom he now lives with does not seem the type to tolerate religion. BUT, again, we don’t know how the 7th book will end. There is a wedding (alledgedly) in it, we’ll see what the ceremony is like.
AND, how do we even know that magic is magic and not an allegory for something else?
…And now I see you are leaving the thread.

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…Of course, if one IS going to complain about HP books, I would hope that they complain about all the main fat characters are bad/evil, though all the children commit gluttony… I don’t like that all the fat people are bad…