Scores of American Christian parents believe that the Harry Potter books are a door to sorcery and the occult. Fearing that their children will turn into warlocks, witches, or sorcerers if they read the books, these parents refuse to let their children check the books out from the public or school library. My Evangelical ex-daughter-in-law was one such parent. She refused to let her children read the books, whereas their father had no problem with them doing so. These grandchildren, ages seventeen, fifteen, and twelve, are voracious readers, as are our other grandchildren. We encourage them, as we did their parents, to read, read, read. So far, most of our grandchildren have advanced (high school, college level) reading skills. Polly and I are delighted to see their love of books.
When the Harry Potter books first came out, I was still an Evangelical pastor. I was somewhat concerned with the content of the books, so I had Polly read them first. The books passed the Polly Test with flying colors. Our younger children read the Potter books several times over the years, and our grandchildren have now read these very same well-worn copies.
While Polly and I were hardcore, devout followers of Jesus, when it came to what we allowed our children to read, we were indifferent liberals. Our older sons can testify to the fact that they were allowed to read books that many homeschooling Evangelical parents would have disproved of. This contradiction baffles me to this day. I don’t know why we let them read whatever they wanted to read, but we did. And, as best I can tell, they are better off because we did. Of course, a few Evangelicals likely will say that the Gerencser family’s rejection of the one true faith is directly connected to our liberal/secular reading habits. Books ruined us!
When I deconverted in 2008, I received a letter from a former parishioner that told me in no uncertain terms that books led to my loss of faith. Knowing my voracious reading habits, she told me that I needed to return to reading only the Bible. If I would do so, she was sure my faith would return. I did not heed her advice.
I am happy to report that none of our six children or thirteen grandchildren has turned into witches, sorcerers, and wizards.
Were you allowed to read whatever you wanted? If not, what books were on your parent’s banned-books list? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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I’m reminded of a sign that hangs in a local pub of mine
“I’ve read that drinking is bad for you…so I’ve given up reading “.
Yes, I was allowed to read whatever I wanted. And I’m sure that my reading was an important part of growing.
I never did understand the objection to Harry Potter. Kids who do a lot of reading are pretty good at distinguishing between make-believe and real life.
As for books causing loss of faith — there was one particular book that I read, that caused me to start questioning. That book was the Bible.
My parents were very strict with other things, but for some reason they never cared what I read or what music I listened to. After my dad remarried though his ultra-religious wife who taught sunday school insisted Harry Potter was evil and a sin to read. I thought the idea so bizarre all these older adults were up in arms over it when their whole generation grew up reading the old gruesome fairy tales that spoke of witches and much worse stuff. They seem to have forgotten. I remember their being witches in a Bugs Bunny cartoon but no one objected to that either. When I was visiting family the Harry Potter movie came on the tv late at one night and dad stayed up to watch it since his crazy wife was asleep and he loved seeing the flying car! He saw the movie was fun and nothing to worry about and asked me not to mention to her we had watched it.
Some would argue that Bugs Bunny was the beginning of my corruption, but it had nothing to do with witches…
“Read only the cult literature, then you will believe in the cult again.” Can’t beat that logic.
I was allowed to read anything but Chick tracts and the related Christian comic books. My mom banned those from the home.
Ha- ha ! It makes more sense just to let the kids read the books,and then talk to them afterwards. Because kids love to ask ” why? “. Why and how do things work. Instead of panic,which only helps to drive the kids to take matters into their own hands,right ?
“I was somewhat concerned with the content of the books, so I had Polly read them first.” Oh…sure…sacrifice her soul first. 🤣🤣🤣
My father, who was also a very conservative preacher, didn’t limit what I read. I could read all types of books. I guess he thought his god was bigger than anything a human could write. Knowledge was not bad and could be used by god. He read many things, including the Koran and books covering many different religions. It never impacted his belief in god.
unfortunately that open attitude didn’t apply to other areas. Knowledge was good, but gods way was everything and there are just certain ways you must live, believe, and behave.
alas, I did not become a wizard, or a fighter, or a thief, or a cleric when I played D&D either. No real spells, darn it!
My mother prohibited me from reading all kinds of books when I was young. She even complained to our public school about the librarian reading us “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” – having been informed by a nutty charismatic friend of hers that it was evil because there was a witch in the title. Never mind that the entire series, which I later read as an adult, was an extended Christian metaphor.
When I was a little older and got immersed in everything Tolkien, she was concerned but didn’t outright forbid it. In high school, I read many books she would not have accepted if she’d known about them.
She was wildly inconsistent in the things she allowed us to read or watch. For example, The Wizard Oz was apparently OK despite the witches involved, because she had grown up watching it. Some years we were allowed to go trick-or-treating; other years it was off-limits because Satan.
I can’t remember ever being told I couldn’t read something. My grandma and mom read voraciously, so I presume that’s why they didn’t object to my reading. TV and movies were a different story! I can only think that my grandma was completely unaware that I watched “Bewitched”, “Addams Family”, and “Munsters” as she never would have approved.
Our fundamentalist Christian school did black out portions of books in their library. I remember large sections of “The Diary of Anne Frank” blacked out, so of course my friend picked up a copy at the public library to see what was so bad. Anne was just talking about normal adolescent sexualoty and puberty.
My father-in-law was raised Catholic and who went to seminary but didn’t get ordained as a priest because he knocked up his girlfriend and their families made them get married. Years later, he married an evangelical woman and got pulled into that sphere. That 2nd marriage only lasted a couple of years, but he still carries that conservative Christian culture war bullshit around with him. When his grandkids were young, they were all starting to read Harry Potter, and he started on the anti-HP bandwagon about witchcraft and all. We asked him if he had read any of the books, and he admitted he hadn’t. We gave him the 1st book and asked him to reserve judgment until he had read it. He went on to read the other books and never made a culture war comment about Harry Potter again.
Books definitely helped with my deconstruction.
The Roman Catholic Church, in which I grew up, has its Index, which is a list of books banned for lay Catholics. But many parents were unaware of its existence, let alone which books are on it. I don’t think most priests or nuns even knew which books were verboten. My parents, to their credit, never tried to keep me from reading anything.
But you know, maybe the fear of Harry Potter books is justified. After all, at tender age I read “The Fountainhead” and “Atlas Shrugged” and became a Libertarian.
Never heard of either book, but just looked them up. Thanks for putting ideas in my head! lol Going to look for copies of both books. I like books that make me sit back and think.