Harry Potter and the Storm of Controversy Quiz

Answer: Fundamentalist Christians

As you will see in the following answers, most of the anti-Potter hysteria has been promoted by fundamentalist Christian groups.

Answer: All of these

Although the anti-Potter groups focus on the supposedly occult content of the books, they also claim that Harry Potter holds other dangers. They object to scenes of gory murders and blood-drinking, and they claim that Harry Potter breaks rules and disrespects adults.

Answer: 646

The Harry Potter series was the most-challenged in 1999 and 2000.

Answer: Children could not bring Harry Potter toys or lunchboxes to school

In addition, students needed parental permission to do a Harry Potter book report and libraries were forbidden from acquiring any new Harry Potter books. The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, as well as hundreds of schoolchildren, protested these decisions. They were soon overturned.

Answer: Muggles for Harry Potter

The original web site for this group, www.mugglesforharrypotter.org, is no longer functional. The group morphed in 2001 into KidSpeak (www.kidspeakonline.org), whose slogan is "Where Kids Speak Up for Free Speech".

Answer: Harry Potter- Spawn of Satan

"What's a Christian to Do with Harry Potter?", by Connie Neal, tries to present an evenhanded discussion of the controversy. "The Gospel According to Harry Potter", also by Neal, subtitled "Spirituality in the Stories of the World's Most Famous Seeker," attempts to draw parallels between the Harry Potter books and the Bible. "Harry Potter and the Bible", subtitled "The Menace Behind the Magick," is an attempt to link the Harry Potter novels and Satanism and black magic. "Pokemon and Harry Potter- A Fatal Attraction", by Phil Arms, tries to convince readers that Pokemon and Harry Potter are Satanic conspiracies designed to corrupt our children.

Answer: Harry Potter books promote racism

This group believes that the Potter books are promoting Wicca and thus violate prohibitions against religious indoctrination in the classroom. They also believe that Harry Potter, due to his participation in Potions classes, is a drug peddler. They claim, "The drug message in this book is clear. To reach your goals in life like Harry Potter you need to know how to make drugs and take drugs in just the right way or else you are a 'dunderhead' and will never succeed. Read the book for yourself and consider that the message is indeed there... I suggest the message to our children by the support of this book is, 'adults like me to read this book and it is OK for my hero, Harry Potter, to take drugs to reach his goal; so then it must be OK for me to make and take drugs to reach my goals too.' Parents beware of the drug message of this 'politically incorrect' book."

Answer: Judy Blume

Blume has herself been the target of the Christian right for her books such as "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret."

Answer: Gloucester Cathedral

The Clares planned to protest the use of Gloucester Cathedral in the film, despite the permission granted by The Very Reverend Nicholas Bury, dean of the cathedral, to film there. The Clares claimed on their website that "The Dean of Gloucester Cathedral defends the use of a sacred place of Christian worship for the production of this movie on the grounds that it is in fact based on a story of good winning over evil.

His opinion is that these books in themselves are good, the natural progression of logic therefore is that because the spiritual dynamic at the root of the books is witchcraft and wizardry, then these activities are also good? Consider: All the dictators and despots of history have convinced their followers that their cause is on the side of good! (Stalin; Mao; Hitler; for example)".

As far as I can determine, the planned protests never actually happened.

Answer: Arkansas

Arkansas has had many religiously-motivated newsworthy stories; for example, groups there have also been in the forefront for protesting the teaching of evolution in public schools.

Answer: Harry Potter- Witchcraft Repackaged

A quote from this movie is, "My greatest concern is that godly fear that protects mankind from dabbling in the spirit world is being taken away from children who read these Harry Potter books. The terrors and horrors of black magic and occult practice, rituals, ceremonies and demon possession are being normalized."

Answer: True

LaHaye helped promote the "Harry Potter-Witchcraft Repackaged" video.

Answer: The fire police

This volunteer group, which normally directs traffic at fire scenes, felt that "teaching children witchcraft" was an "un-Christian" thing for the YMCA to be doing.

Answer: A unicorn

Most mainstream Christians believe the unicorn to be a very Christian symbol, but this website claims otherwise!

Answer: The Onion

The article contained quotes like, "I used to believe in what they taught us at Sunday School," said Ashley, conjuring up an ancient spell to summon Cerberus, the three-headed hound of hell. "But the Harry Potter books showed me that magic is real, something I can learn and use right now, and that the Bible is nothing but boring lies."

Answer: Mass murderers

She told CNN, "As we expose our kids to the occult, we expose our kids to blood, to violence, and desensitize them to that. What I can expect is those kids, as they mature, have a very good chance of becoming another Dylan Klebold and those guys in Columbine."

Answer: False

In fact, Prince Charles presented her with the Order of the British Empire, in recognition of her service to children's literature.

Answer: True

Fr. Gabriele Amorth, who is not only Rome's official exorcist but also president of the International Association of Exorcists, claimed, "Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of the darkness, the devil."

Answer: Warning stickers

He wanted to make sure that parents were warned of the books' "occult content."

Answer: False

In reality, Wiccans have pointed out that the spells and rituals used in the books have nothing to do with Wicca.