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On the last day of the year 2001, a scene reminiscent of Nazi era Germany marred the New Year's celebrations of Alamogordo, New Mexico: a book burning. Founder and pastor of the Christ Community Church, Jack Brock has declared the Harry Potter series "a masterpiece of satanic deception," stating that, "these books teach children how they can get into witchcraft and become a witch, wizard or warlock." With this as their justification, Brock and his congregation set fire to copies of Harry Potter and various other books, magazines and music that they found "objectionable."
First, I'd like to address the statement by Mr. Brock that "these books teach children how they can get into witchcraft and become a witch, wizard or warlock." Are you really that foolish Mr. Brock? Have you even read the books that you are burning? Have you bothered to do even a moment of research? As a practitioner of magick, I can state unequivocally that Harry Potter does not teach any such thing. The series is a work of fiction, pure and simple, and the only magick that flows from those books, is that which awakens the imagination and inspires a sense of awe and wonder at the incredible mysteries that life can present to us all.
Second, there is the very image of book burning. Historically, book burning has been the tool of fascists, fear mongers and the narrow minded. The Nazis burned books. Mr. Brock I ask you, do you and your congregation wish to be equated with Nazis? Personally, I would go out of the way to avoid even being mentioned in the same sentence as the Nazis. Regardless of the content of the Harry Potter books, burning them makes you look like an ignorant, backward, fear-mongering fascist. Not very Christ-like at all.
Finally, I'd like to close with a quote from the play Almosor by Heinrich Heine. "Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man am Ende auch Menschen." In English, "Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings."
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