With another Harry Potter movie set to dominate the Summer box office, it's time to ponder an important question - what impact will the series have on the development of our children? Well, not my children since I don't have any, but children in general. After all, Daniel Radcliffe has already come out as an atheist, and if the Christian Answers Network are right, then in fact watching the film could have sinister consequences. It could turn children into satanists. Indeed, it might even make them gay.

Or, well, not. Leaving aside the obsession that certain people on Britain's growing religious right have with homosexuality (*cough*Littlejohn*cough*), Satanism is a threat taking surprisingly seriously by modern Christians who really ought to know better, and Harry Potter has become a sort of bête noire for fundamentalists. A former housemate of mine at university had parents who campaigned bitterly against the books and films, and who in fact burned his younger brother's Pokemon cards.

The desire to burn books and ban films isn't one that I really relate to - and I speak as somebody who was made to see Titanic three times in two weeks by an ex-girlfriend, an experience that left me feeling a bit like Malcolm McDowell's character in A Clockwork Orange - so I thought I'd take a look at what they have to say. Here then are extracts of an assessment of Harry Potter's satanic influence by the Christian Answers Network, complete with my commentary.

Reading is a good thing, but not all is as innocent as Potter fans would have others believe. Young Harry is given a strange marking on his forehead.

Good god!

Rowling, a graduate of Exeter University in England, is very familiar with occultic practices, using elements and philosophies behind "pagan religions, celtic religions, the religions of the druids, witchcraft, [and] satanism."

The clear implication here is that Rowling may well be a witch. Of course, if we're going to be scientific about this we'll need to test this somehow. Of course, we know that both witches and wood burn, so if we get a du... oh just watch the instructional video:

Christians employing scientific tests for the evaluation of witchcraft.

Even some Christians leaders agree that it's 'just fantasy'...

It's an ambitious use of the word "even", you have to give them that. Did you know that some people even believe that the world is round? I know, shocking. Anyway, to bolster their case they draw in some experts in... evil stuff. One of them is called Caryl, and Caryl is particularly

As one example among many, Caryl points to a chapter in the fourth book entitled "Flesh, Blood and Bone".

"Harry is magically transported with his friend Cedric to a dark, scary graveyard. There, Harry is tied to the headstone of Lord Voldemort's father's tomb by Voldemort's slave, Wormtail—a shapeshifter who takes the form of a rat. A slithering snake, synonymous with the presence of Voldemort, circles around Harry. Following an order to kill from a voice of unknown origin, the slave utters a death curse. In shock, Harry witnesses the murder of his friend Cedric."

Perhaps all of this sounds a bit scary, but nothing to be concerned about. Potter fans say that this world is just make believe and has no bearing on the real world.

Potter fans and, to be fair, most sane people.

While a few Christians don't even like to read or see classics such as Sleeping Beauty, Lord of the Rings, or Chronicles of Narnia due to the mere presence of evil, most Christians recognize the good vs. evil element as being clearly delineated. Evil is evil, and good is good, and good is promoted while evil is not.

But in the Potter series, the line is not so clear. The “good” guys practice “white magic”, while the bad guys practice the “Dark Arts”. Readers become fascinated with the magic used (explained in remarkable detail). Yet God is clear in Scripture that any practice of magic is an “abomination” to him. God doesn't distinguish between “white” and “dark” magic since they both originate from the same source.

Joking aside, what's remarkable about these two paragraphs is the extent to which they reveal the defensive psychology of the people at the core of these complaints. These are people so terrified of being somehow "contaminated" by evil influences that even fairytales become sinister threats to them and their children. They adhere to a philosophy of rigid moral absolutism and reject anything which cannot be neatly assimilated into that framework.

But the real world isn't a black and white place, and good and evil aren't clearly defined. People are a complex mixture of good and bad, and understanding this is one of the most important stages of the moral development of any child. It's a stage that these people appear to have missed, and as a result they respond to fantasy fiction with fear and bewilderment.

The problem is, witchcraft is not fantasy; it is a sinful reality in our world.

Yes. Only last week a friend of mine was turned into a newt after spilling someone's pint. Fortunately he got better.

"J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, has gone through an awful lot of research. She is very accurate (otherwise we would have witches all over the country and the world saying 'this is not a true representation of our religion'.)

Alternative explanations are that this hypothetical international army of witches may a) not be particularly bothered about it or b) not actually exist in the first place. But in fact the Christian Answers people contradict themselves later in the same article when they note that:

While some practicing Wiccans flatly deny any link between Potter's world and theirs, the evidence is undeniably clear that Potter promotes an interest in magic and the occult.

Actually, what makes this more dangerous is that it is couched in fantasy language, and children's literature, and made to be humorous, and beautifully written and extremely provocative reading. and it just opens up children to want to have the next one. This is what is so harmful."

No - that's what's so good. Children should read provocative material, words that make them think about the world and ask difficult questions. If you can't deal with your kid seeing the "real" world and asking questions about it, then perhaps the problem isn't the book they're reading - perhaps you need to rethink your approach to parenting.

"Clara Sessoms, who manages Living Water Christian Books in Marion, Ind. [says] 'I don't think people fully realize what they're dealing with, and I think anyone who knows anything about spiritual warfare knows those books can open the door to spiritual bondage.'

Oo-er...

'And I think it's worse that children are the target,' said Jessica Ruemler, a buyer for Living Water. 'It opens the doors for young minds. You put sorcery in, what do you expect to get out?'

Imagination? Creativity? A sense of and wonder? An ability to tell the difference between fantasy and reality that the kids' parents are apparently severely lacking?

So, what is a Christian to do? Ask, seek, and knock. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you lead your family in taking a biblical worldview of morality, seeking to please God (and not conform to man). Seek out what the Bible says about the occult (be sure to read our other articles) and how Christians are to react to it. And knock on the doors of your friends who may also be unsure what to do with Harry Potter. We highly recommend obtaining a copy of Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged to share with your family, your church, and others.

Don't worry folks, the solution is clear. You could simple exercise your right to not buy things you don't like. You're free to do that, even if I think your reasons are a bit stupid. But somehow that wouldn't be enough... no, the best thing to do is to go out and buy another book explaining all about the witchraft in Harry Potter so that you can get even more outraged by it. It's kind of like buying the Playboy Guide to Porn in protest at the adult entertainment industry, but hey, at least another Christian can make some money out of your fear.