Harry Potter Hysteria: Is Harry Potter Dangerous

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The revolutionary book series Harry Potter has been taking the world by storm for just over the past 10 years. Though many enjoy the series, Individuals are frightened that their children will fall under its evil spell. Though shrouded in this controversy, the Harry Potter book series has brought more good to children across the globe than it has done harm.

Opponents of the Harry Potter Book series claim that it will lead children to a life of practicing magic or the occult more accurately known as Wicca. These people are misinformed about the actual definition of Wicca and the occult. The Merriam Webster Dictionary (MWD) defines the word Occult as ‘to shut off from view or exposure’ (Occult). The MWD define Wicca as ‘a religion influenced by pre-Christian beliefs and practices of western Europe that affirms the existence of supernatural power (as magic) and of both male and female deities who inhere in nature and that emphasizes ritual observance of seasonal and life cycles’ (Wicca Merriam Webster).

The same misinformed people believe that those who practice Wicca have done such absurd things as selling their souls to the devil or simply putting hexes on people that cross them. In reality these things don’t occur; People who practice the religion of Wicca are just like anybody else on the outside they simply hold different beliefs than others. Like any other religion they have certain ceremonies that from an outsiders point of view may seem archaic. Take Christianity for example. If somebody who had never known anything about Christmas traditions came into a Christian household saw a dead tree inside the house and stockings over the fire they'll probably scratch their head wondering what was happening. The same is true fo...

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"J. K. Rowling at Carnegie Hall Reveals Dumbledore is Gay; Neville Marries Hannah Abbott, and Much More." The-Leaky-Cauldron.org. 20 08 2007. The Leaky Cauldron, Web. 19 Nov 2009. .

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