Issues Index

Does Harry Potter Promote Wicca or Witchcraft? Is Harry Potter a Pagan Book?
The Harry Potter books written by J.K. Rowling have sustained consistent attack from the Christian Right because of how they portray witchcraft. According to Christian critics, the Harry Potter books encourage children to accept a view of witchcraft that is benign, even good, and thus will lead them to adopt some form of paganism or Wicca. Christians naturally object to this and thus protest the presence of Harry Potter in schools, library, and society generally.

Is Harry Potter a Christian Allegory? Does Harry Potter Teach Christianity?
When Christians talk about the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, it’s most often to complain about them - for example, their use of magic. A few Christians, though, argue that the Harry Potter books are not only compatible with Christianity, but in fact contain implicit Christian messages. They compare Rowling’s books with the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis or the books by Tolkein, all works imbued with Christian themes to one degree or another.

Was Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) A Nazi? Why Join the Hitler Youth?
The question of Joseph Ratzinger’s involvement with Nazi Germany and the Hitler Youth is important. Neither Ratzinger nor any member of his immediate family joined the NSDAP (Nazi Party). Ratzinger’s father was critical of the Nazi government and as a result the family had to move four times. None of this is remarkable, however, because the same happened with other German Catholic families. There is reason to think that Joseph Ratzinger has been less than fully candid about his past, though.

Harry Potter & Women: Are Women Treated Equally in Harry Potter Stories?
Because of the popularity of the Harry Potter books, parents should care about how J.K. Rowling portrays gender roles, the nature of men and women, and family. The Harry Potter books could either promote the idea of equality between men and women or they could promote a culturally conservative vision where women are secondary to men and masculinity is judged according to traditional stereotypes.

Do the Harry Potter Books Promote Immorality and Immoral Behavior?
The Harry Potter books have come under fire from different critics for many reasons. Perhaps the most serious accusation is that it teaches immorality by telling children it’s OK to act immorally on behalf of some cause that is perceived as more important. Thus, it is argued, Harry Potter teaches kids to accept moral relativism or moral egoism rather than the moral absolutism of traditional Christianity. Does Harry Potter promote immorality? Is Christianity based on moral absolutes?

O’Bannon v. Indiana Civil Liberties Union (7th Circuit Court, 2001)
Is a massive monument displaying the Ten Commandments constitutional and secular when it includes other legal documents from history - like the Bill of Rights? To what extent does the religious nature and significance of the Ten Commandments override the secular aspects of other near-by displays?

Books v. Elkhart (7th Circuit Court, 2000): Ten Commandments Monument
Are the Ten Commandments a secular or a religious document? Just how far can a government go in displaying the Ten Commandments? Can large, expensive monuments to the Ten Commandments be erected on public property by arguing that they played a role in the development of secular laws and, hence, that the monument itself is secular?

DiLotero v. Downey Unified School District (9th Circuit Court, 1999)
Can a school refuse to publish or post a paid religious message if it allows other paid messages and advertisements? Can the school refuse to publish or post any paid messages at all in order to avoid having to include religious messages?

ACLU v. McCreary County (Supreme Court, 2005): Ten Commandments Displays
Many Ten Commandments monuments in America are decades old, but various local governments put up new displays as well. McCreary County, Kentucky, put up a Ten Commandments display in the county court house. After it was challenged, the county added several more documents referencing religion and God. In 2000, this display was declared unconstitutional. The court noted that the County selected only documents or portions of documents expressing favoritism towards certain religious ideas...

Van Orden v. Perry (Supreme Court, 2005): Ten Commandments Monument in Texas
Court houses and public parks all around the nation have had Ten Commandments monuments of one sort or another erected in them. Many Ten Commandments monuments were erected by the Fraternal Order of Eagles in the 1950s and 60s. One six foot tall monument was placed on the Texas state Capitol grounds in 1961. According to the legislative resolution accepting the gift, the purpose of the monument was to 'recognize and commend a private organization for its efforts to reduce juvenile delinquency.'