You can come indoctrinate my kids anytime!

The boy came home from school this week with a banner that stated 'Thank you, God' and some pics of things he's thankful for on it. AND he explained to me that God is invisible and HE made everything in the world.

I am severely uncomfortable with this since it is not supposed to be a religion-affiliated school (all schools were here in NL until about 10 years ago) and those ideas do not reflect our family beliefs. I explained to the boy that lots of people believe different things and that is okay, and I told him what I believe. If he repeats it to his teacher and she corrects him, I will be enraged.

Ah yes, the Harry Potter conspiracy again. You can tell it's really an evil series of books because of the way they celebrate Christmas and Easter. Everyone knows those are really pagan holidays!

Ok, you can come and indoctrinate my whole family if you like. (Just don't bring the flying monkeys, they'll make a mess:))

This kind of nonsense is the reason that I have so many days when I'm embarrassed to say I am Christian. *sigh*

Ah, I've had a similar tirade in front of me. While working at a convenience store a few years ago, a lady walked up to the counter with a Pepsi. She was going to buy a Coke, she told me in a huffy way, but they had Harry Potter on the label. You know, she said, that's the Devil's work, that Harry Potter story. (Meanwhile I am going um-hm, and wondering if my oldest daughter was finished with her copy of The Goblet of Fire, because the SmileyDad and I were patiently waiting our turns to read it)....she went through a long speech about goodness, wholesomeness, family values, you name it. I waited, I was there all night anyway. Then she bought a pack of Malboros and a 6-pack of Bud (for my husband, she says, as if I am anywhere near caring) and stomped out triumphantly. Okaaaayyy.....as a Potter-loving household with parents of two different religions and family tree branches in quite a few more (my g-g-g-grandmother may have been a gypsy, not that it's a religion, but must have been fun), I turn a deaf ear to anyone preaching anything at me. I'm ok. Wicca is ok. Whatever, people. There is enough negativity in the world already, don't need to add to it. Right? We learned it in kindergarden....be nice to each other.
----T

And THAT is why, I must get my children out of this state. Didja read about the State Superintendant proposing to remove textbooks with all references to Evolution, and replacing them with those that support intelligent design? Yeah. I'm serious.

The thing that I don't get is this:

1. The perception of a higher being or beings is practiced by many religions, cultures and faiths.

2. The perception of this higher being as God and the Opposite of the Devil/Satan is a christian belief.

3. To believe in the Devil/Satan means you must also believe in the Christian God.

4. Wiccans (and several other faith structures) do not believe in the Christian God.

5. Ergo, Wiccans, (and other faith structures as references in point 4) do not believe in the Devil/Satan/Christian forms of Evil.

---

So how are the non Christian faith structures and their adherents going to bring the 'evil' of the 'devil' or 'satan' onto some kids at a library, just by reading a book?

I'm confused. Especially because I know many wiccans have a problem with the harry potter books for their portrayal of witches/wizards/magic as concepts that adhere to fairy tales as opposed to reality.

Additionally, the books are an example of faith, belief and the power of good vs evil, wholly moralistic arguments that should be investigated by youth.

And dammit, they're a nice diversion.

(not arguing against your post, more against them crazies what try to ban books)

Andrea, you forgot to confess to snacking on the innocents.

Macarena--LOL! Right! I wonder how much insulin I'd need to take for an innocent?

Rachel, yeah, I know. Obviously logic has little to do with it.

For the rest of you--excellent! My indoctrination program is proceeding apace. I knew the goody-two-shoes act would work in my favour! Aha! Ahahaha!

Harry-Potter-loving-Christian here.....

I think that what is comes down to is people are nervous/afraid of things/beliefs that they don't understand. And when people are nervous/affraid it seems that attacking those from another 'group' makes them feel better.

I wish that people could just have enough sense to learn about the beliefs of others. I'm not saying that they have to agree with them, but the world would be a much better place if we all took the time to get to know each other.

Sorry for rambling and I hope some of that made sense.

You know, I saw that so-called "news story" the other day, and I thought of you. I said. "Hm. I must remember to tell Andrea that she's evil."

All this is is a woman looking for her 15 minutes in the spotlight. If she were truly all distressed about the whole Harry Potter phenom, why did she wait until NOW, for Jeebus' sake? All she has succeeded in doing is making Southerners look idiotic, as if we are all bible-thumping fundamentalists who are so afraid that the written word might warp our impressionable children. There's an antidote to that happening, lady! It's called "PARENTING!" And, if you actually DO that newfangled thing called parenting, your children are able to discern *for themselves* what is fantasy and what is reality! But, then of course, you have the whole conundrum of having children who have free will and can rationalize things for themselves. And that, sadly, is something a lot of fundamentailsts *don't* want.

As a person who loves the written word, I hate this. I also hate it as a Christian, because it paints the rest of us with the same intolerant brush. And as a mother, I can see sense in monitoring what your kids are reading, but as long as it's not something that's harmful to them, why ban it? Because it has fantastic elements to it? Then how do you explain most Christian parents telling there children that there's a fat guy that delivers toys (that he's made with the help of magical creatures) every winter to good little boys and girls? It's the hypocricy that kills me.

Obviously I was in full rant mode, and meant to say "their children" not "there children." Sorry -- this whole things angries up my blood something terrible.

well guess i won't be reading your blog with aaron in the room anymore**

** just kidding of course!!

i'd say the indoctrination is going very well, i keep coming back here for more and more and more

whatever "it" is must be in the writing

oooh sumbliminal messages

maybe if i read the archives and skip every 5 words a different message comes out

now i know why you love to write!!

Yeah ... I'm with other Christians here who've said that all this stuff does is make Christians look stupid. My pastor goes on an anti-Harry-Potter rant every so often. I get so tired of pointing out the difference between fantasy and reality, the difference between "witches" in the HP world and Wicca, the difference between Wicca and "satanism" ... some people just aren't interested in reason, only in irrational scare-mongering.

I grew up in a fundamentalist Evangelical church, so if you want me to explain the Wicca=Satanism arguement to you, I could. It would require me to remember some pretty frightening Sunday school lessons, which could be potentially traumatizing for me since I'm just now getting over it. I would do it for you, though.

I also have to say that I giggle just a little bit when I imagine a bunch of Wiccans in a candle-lit room chanting, "Wingardium leviosa!" Swish and flick, people. It's all in the wrists.

This is why Andrea doesn't follow the blog rules!

According to this, in 1902, your diabetes would have marked you as doubly (or more) evil: "The sufferer of diabetes is informed that his illness is caused by sexual licentiousness and excessive defecation. Fortunately, he can be cured by wearing flannel clothing, vomiting frequently and using suppositories carved from bars of soap."

"caused by sexual licentiousness and excessive defecation"

!!!!!

Well. Well!!!

If only it were all that simple!!!

*blinking in astonishment, going to bed cuz I can't top that*

Casey, I did too, so I get it--it still bugs me, though. Obviously.

Macarena, how did they know?

I can sorta see the logic in the diabetes cure. I mean, I can see how wearing flannel clothing could solve the "sexual licentiousness" problem. Flannel nighties, flannel lumberjack shirts ... yup, not getting too much action there.

Ah, Wicca, the ancient religion of magic wands, broomstick-based tournament sports, talking hats, haunted paintings, and pig-latin spellcasting.

Can you imagine the heart attack people would have if Harry Potter really did have Wiccan rituals in it? "Chapter 13: Hermione's Menarche Rite." Hmmm, anyone write HP fanfic? :)

"You're older than you've ever been and now you're even older, now you're even older, now you're even older. You're older than you've ever been and now your even older and now you're older still." They May Be Giants, I think. A lot of mental energy being spent on drivle. Let's solve world hunger, cure disease and bring about world peace. Of course, I have no ideas. We're doomed!