Is it alowed to watch / read Harry Potter movies (books) in your area?....

by Albert Einstein 13 Replies latest jw friends

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  Albert Einstein

  Is it alowed to watch / read Harry Potter movies (books) in your area?

  In my country (eastern Europe) it is viewed mostly as "unexemplary" , although many kids have Harry Potter DVDs at home, but nobody talks about it ...

  At circuit assembly one speaker warned, that "some might be tempted to watch a movie, with a little witch .... (of course it is very dangerous and we must stay away!!!)"

  When I started my departure several months ago, I made sure my son has all movies on DVD and I openly talk about it with dubs who visit our home - how nice the movies are - ... nobody so far dared to react...

  Albert
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  mrsjones5

  My mother gave my daughter a Harry Potter book and some Harry Potter socks. I guess it's OK in her area.
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  Simon Morley

  Albert: Much the same as elswwhere - a "no-no". However, when I served as an elder I 1) refused parts where it it would set rules on such - as in the "local needs" 2) nevere give a reply to those who asked if it was okay. Generally, it is up to you and your conscience. There are movies I have no interest in at all that deal with comparative subject matter. Harry Potter is just a more modern version of common storylines of good vs eveil and the truimph of love. the value of friendship that trancends physicall attraction. With that in mind where can one draw a line? Better chuck out the Snow White & 7 dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc. So if you cannot draw a line, don't let anyone draw it for you. Its you choice.
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  keeshondgirl

  the k.hall we went to (united states) openly said at the platform that harry potter was from satan and several people talked openly how evil they are. I also remember it being talked about at assemblys. I didn't watch them when I was going to the k.hall because we weren't supposed too, husband secretly watched them and when I was feeling rebellious I secretly watched them. Now, since being done with the jw's I saw all the movies and am presently reading one of the books. I LOVE Harry potter and don't see whats so evil about it.
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  Cicatrix

  It was definitely not allowed in my former congregation! Neither was another popular series-Goosebumps. My children found out that one prominent elder's children had the Goosebump series hidden in their shed (they were gifts from their nonJW grandmother), and promptly aquired the HP books and hid them under their beds. I found them when I was cleaning one day, but since I was mentally well on the way out, just left them and said nothing.
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  yknot

  No. Harry Potter was publically "discussed' a few years ago at the DC, CA and SPAD. My sister when she was seeking her last reinstatment bid admitted to allowing her child to read HP and it was mentioned directly to her dad as satanic. He of course promptly went over to her house to confiscate the books and when she refused he reported back to the Elders. Two TMSs later it was mentioned in the 'local needs' that such literature was capable of leading those who read into witchcraft, apostasy and eternal cutting-off!

  And it is best not to mention fairytales either.

  I remember all to well all those VHS/ BETA tapes and toys of Cinderella and the likes burning away in a barrel out back!

  (Of course no several of those burn-happy parents now have entire disney collections for their grandchildren!!!!!)
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  Tristram

  In this area:

  Harry Potter: No! Demonized!

  Lord of the Rings: Yay! Let's all go see it!
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  yknot

  LOL in private you are soooo right Tristram!

  Many of our younger Elders are hugh Tolkein or shhh (forbid) Star Wars fans........
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  TheSilence

  I was having brunch over at my dad's house and he asked me what I was reading lately. I told him I was reading the Harry Potter series. He shook his head and started going on and on about how demonic they were. I asked him if he had ever actually read the books. He said no, but they were about wizards and that was demonic. My brother promptly piped up and asked if that meant The Wizard of Oz was demonic, too. This shut my dad up simply because my dad always made a point of sitting down with the family and popcorn to watch The Wizard of Oz every year when it would play on TV as we were growing up. It was something we always looked forward to and always did.

  Anyway, I guess the point is that either this was expressed as a no-no in my dad's congregation or it was expressed as a conscience decision and my dad always takes those to the extremes. Either way it was not looked upon in a positive light.

  Harry Potter is awesome ;)

  Jackie
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  geevee

  We had a guy taking the watchtower study absolutely decry Harry Potter. This was then backed up by comments from others.

  After the study, I asked him whether he had infact seen any Harry Potter movies at all... it was a very strong comment, he hadn't. I said I have and it isn't how he described at all. It was a story written for kids to use their imaginations! Like Enid Blyton's Faraway tree.

  I was an elder then too!!!!