**NOTE FROM CT4
:** I do not read Harry Potter but I found this article and wanted to share with those who do or have children who read it.
New Book Sees Christian Imagery in Harry Potter
Tue Oct 8, 9:52 AM ET
By Nigel Hunt
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Harry Potter (news - web sites) may carry a wand, ride a broomstick and count a werewolf among his friends but a new book claims the boy wizard's adventures are really full of Christian imagery and morals.
"I could run a weekly bible study using Harry Potter as a starting point. It is a gold mine of biblical truth if you look at it that way," Connie Neal, author of "The Gospel According to Harry Potter," told Reuters in an interview.
J.K. Rowling (news - web sites)'s best-selling series of books have stirred up considerable controversy among Christians with critics fearing that children may seek to emulate some of the occult practices that are depicted.
"Poor Harry I think got a bad rap at the beginning," Neal said, noting her book includes 52 of 80 incidents, which she called "glimmers of the Gospel," in the Potter books. "I was surprised there were so many. Some were very blatant."
Neal's favorites include the death of Harry's mother. The Dark Lord Voldemort threw the curse of death at Harry but his mother loved him so much that she threw himself in front of the curse and saved him at the cost of her own life. Her sacrifice mysteriously broke the power of Voldemort.
She noted that during a recent conversation, a teen-ager with a pierced nose had commented to her; "Hey, isn't that a bit like what Jesus did on the cross."
Harry also prays in two places, celebrates Christmas and Easter and belongs to a house, Gryffindor, whose symbol is a lion and whose most bitter opponent, Slytherin, is represented by a snake. Jesus is sometimes described as "The Lion of Judah" while Satan is often depicted as a serpent or snake.
"Satan is never mentioned in Harry Potter but I've not found a better literary representation of evil than in Voldemort," Neal said.
HARRY'S MENACE
Neal's book, published last month by Westminster John Knox Press, the publisher of the highly successful "The Gospel According to Peanuts," has not been well received by Harry Potter critics within the Christian community.
"Connie Neal is well meaning but she really doesn't know what she is talking about," said Richard Abanes, author of "Harry Potter and the Bible -- the Menace behind the Magick."
"Kids are curious and when they are either watching the (Harry Potter) movie or reading the books they become curious about witches and spells, not Christianity. There is no Gospel according to Harry Potter," Abanes said.
Abanes said that while witches and magic are used in fantasy literature such as C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" or J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings," those works take place in a different world with different rules.
"Harry Potter takes place in the here and now in England, using references to existing occult practices," he said.
"If you are reading certain fantasy literature that has magic of a kind that you can go to the library and look it up then it might be a problem. If they can't it is no problem at all," Abanes said.
He also said virtually all the good characters lie, cheat, steal and go against authority. One of the book's heroes, Harry's friend Hagrid, is frequently drunk.
Neal said she was also concerned about the dangers of children becoming interested in the occult, noting it was important for parents to discuss that with their children before reading them the books.
"Our world is full of lots of dark spiritual pursuits. If you believe the Bible you have to believe they are real and dangerous," she said.
Abanes, however, remains unconvinced.
"Kids are kids. You can give them all the warnings you want about eating too much candy but leave a kid in a candy store, tell them they can eat one piece a day and they are not going to listen to you," he said.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...sure_potter_dc