Dear Bitsy:

The problem is the viewpoint. Harry Potter is from a witchcraft point of view and Lord of the Rings is not. The "magic" in Harry Potter is entirely different in it usage and its source than the "magic" in Lord of the Rings.

You need to read the book from, "A Landscape With Dragons: A Battle For Your Child's Mind",by Michael D. O'Brien. It will explain what I am talking about

Quote from "A Landscape with Dragons", pg. 122

 

 "...Man is of one order, Elves of another, and the "wizards" such as Gandalf are of yet another order that is part material, part spiritual.  Though Gandalf is a creature, he is less material than Men, Dwarves, or Elves, and especially so after his death and transformation; but neither is he solely spiritual being like the Valar, the angelic created beings who govern the world invisibly.  Tolkien has written elsewhere that Gandalf is not a "magician" like those of traditional fairy tales.  He is rather a kind of moral guardian, similar to the Guardian Angels, but more incarnate.  His task is to advise, instruct, and arouse to resistance the hearts of minds of those threatened by Sauron.  He does not do the work for them; they must use their natural gifts...in this we see a living image of grace building upon nature, never overwhelming nature or replacing it.  Gandalf's gifts are used sparingly, and then only so far as they assist the other creatures in the exercise of their freewill and their moral choices.  Supernatural powers, Tolkien demonstrates repeatedly, are very much a domain infested by the "deceits of the Enemy", used for domination of other creatures' freewill,"

 

 Ibid, pg 124

 "Lewis and Tolkien believed that man could not properly understand his own era if he had little or no grasp of the cultures from which he had sprung; nor could he think rightly if he did not understand the history of ideas.  Literature was a central, vital way of imparting those ideas, of meeting the minds of the past, and of developing a sense of the meaning of the human person.  Lewis' discernment about "Good" mythology was similar to G.K Chestertons'...he saw in the strivings of many ancient peoples a glimmer of light, a presentiment, a yearning forward through the medium of art toward the fullness of the truth that would one day be made flesh in the incarnation.  His love for these longing in the soul of pre-Christian man prompted him to create his own mythological world, one founded, it should be noted, on the Judeo-Christian revelation."

You need to re-evaluate your position.

As far as you reading Potter books to your 5th grade students, that needs to stop. If my child was in your class, I would remove him, if necessary, from the school to avoid contamination of the witchcraft worldview in those books. It is irresponsible to expose our children to occult notions from an occult worldview that will influence their imaginations. Studies in England have shown that kids who are into Potter have a higher potential of getting involved in the occult than do kids who are not Potter fans.

Studies have also shown that children cannot well distinguish between fantasy and reality even if explained to them as some people try to suggest. Their brains at that age are simply not wired for that kind of discernment.

Besides, that sort of moral education that is attempted by reading Potter books and then cautioning the kids to talk to their parents about it and that it is not real but fantasy is NOT your job. If the parents wish to do something like that, it would still be improper because the material is improper, but they have the right to do that. A school teacher has no right to do this sort of thing.

And finally, this is NOT just fantasy. The occult, witchcraft, and the like really exists. Casting spells and curses really exist and can really work. I personally work with many people who have been demonized through spells and curses. I might add, that gaining freedom for a person inflicted with the results of spells and curses is among the harder influences to overcome.

While much of the fantasy may not be real, like flying, much of it does smack against things that are real and things that stimulate the imagination in a dangerous way and the curiosity of what may be possible.

I know this to be a fact, because that is the sort of thing that lead me into the occult. I also know this for a fact professionally in that I have had MANY clients whose first temptations to enter things occultic came from stories and movies like Potter and other witchcraft worldview material.

We must avoid raping the imaginations of our children with worldviews of witchcraft and the occult. As Christians we have a responsibility and DUTY to present to our children things that are pure and excellent (see Phil 4:8).

I am sorry if I sound harsh, but you are doing a dangerous thing with your students. I will pray that you stop reading Potter books to your students at the very least, and more that you will come to understand more than a surface-level understanding of what is going on with Potter as opposed to Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and the like.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary