The Sacramento Bee has published

The Sacramento Bee has published a must-read article on the Harry Potter discussion within the Christian community. Here are some excerpts, author of the article is Jennifer Garza

Nearly all her life, Connie Neal has tried to follow a righteous path. So why are so many saying she has taken a wrong turn? Neal, 43, is a busy mother of three who lives with her husband and children. Two months ago, her book “What’s a Christian To Do With Harry Potter?” was published.

“By the way some people have reacted, you’d think I was teaching the kids how to cast spells or something,” she says. In her book, Neal talks about how and why the books bother some Christians. She quotes Scripture that supports both sides, and makes it clear the books aren’t for everybody.Neal also talks about how the “Potter” books appeal to a child’s need to conquer fear, how the books teach about friendships and how they speak to the desire to belong. “Besides,” she says of the books, “they’re just fun.”

Richard Abanes has spent many years writing about the occult for Christian publications. He says Neal is wrong. “I think she writes with admirable spirit, but she’s terribly misguided,” says Abanes, who has written his own “Potter” book called “Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace Behind the Magick.”

“I disagree with her strongly,” says Abanes, who lives near San Diego. “The ‘Harry Potter’ books contain practices and beliefs associated with the world of the occult. These are not books for children. She is making a mistake.”

On Monday, Neal will meet one of her critics. She and Abanes will talk about their differing views in front of the media and Christian booksellers at this year’s Christian Booksellers Convention in Atlanta. Hundreds are expected to show up for “A Dialogue on Harry Potter: Responding to the Escalating Phenomenon.” “I’m looking forward to having a nice, healthy discussion,” Neal says. “I want to point out that people on both sides can love the Lord and both be Christians and still feel very differently on the subject.”