Personally I think this is pathetic. See what you think? I found it on Yahoo News (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/041101/325/f5pd4.html)

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Pupil appeals over Harry Potter "witchcraft"

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A South African schoolboy has appealed to education authorities after refusing to answer an exam question on Harry Potter because he believes the best-selling children's' books promote witchcraft.

Eighteen-year-old John Smit did not answer a comprehension question on a review of one of J.K. Rowling's books on the boy wizard, worth 30 percent of his English exam.

"He wouldn't answer it because it supports witchcraft, and we're against witchcraft ... the Bible is against witchcraft," Smit's mother, who did not wish to give her first name, told Reuters on Monday.

The family has written to provincial director of examinations to complain. Authorities have yet to respond.

"I hope they will give him his average mark. This shouldn't happen again," she said.

African Christian Democratic Party MP Cheryllyn Dudley said South Africa needed a clear policy to avoid other pupils facing moral dilemmas during exams.

"I have read (Harry Potter books), I have researched them thoroughly, and my personal opinion is that they are witchcraft manuals," Dudley told Reuters.

Seems a bit much... A comprehension question on a review of the book!?!? I could possibly understand it if he'd been asked to re-enact scenes, but really this is too much.
If the appeal is successful it could be bad news... I'd have thought that there's something objectionable to someone in almost every book ever written - what next "I can't answer that comprehension question on a review of Wind in The Willows because I feel the idea of talking animals is an offensive stereotype". If the guy doesn't like fiction, he should have done physics or something.

hp promotes witchcraft?

what a load of twaddle!

Half of these prats who deride and decry HP have never even picked up a copy of it, let alone actually sat down on their dumb backsides and read the darn thing!!

these idiots seem to see demons and witchcraft around every corner.

their paranoia amazes me.

why can they not accept HP as a fairly entertaining, well-written (IMO) children's book?

This sort of story does not make a child become a witch, any more than does reading "frankenstein" persuade someone to build a "man" out of dead body parts.

PT

its ok education authorities are prejudice just like the rest of us :) its like when I was in 6th form at Tapton and I was doing a personal research into different religions... asked if they had any on paganism (already done Islam, christianty, Judaism and Buddism) as I thought it'd be interesting to study a different type of religion... I was told "we don't get those sorts of books"... i said "what sorts of books?"... "books about the devil and witchcraft"...

anyways, if you've ever bothered not to be prejudice you'd know paganism isn't an evil religion like its made out to be... funny how schools only want you to know certain things...

Originally posted by xafier
its ok education authorities are prejudice just like the rest of us :) its like when I was in 6th form at Tapton and I was doing a personal research into different religions... asked if they had any on paganism (already done Islam, christianty, Judaism and Buddism) as I thought it'd be interesting to study a different type of religion... I was told "we don't get those sorts of books"... i said "what sorts of books?"... "books about the devil and witchcraft"...

anyways, if you've ever bothered not to be prejudice you'd know paganism isn't an evil religion like its made out to be... funny how schools only want you to know certain things...

Pretty ironic seeing as Christianity borrowed most of it's ideals, beliefs, rituals/festivals from ancient Pagan religions. I once tried to point out that Easter was used for the ressurection as it symbolises the death and rebirth of the Pagan Sun God (death of Winter birth of Spring). I was called a Satanist for my troubles. The Christian Church (in all its forms) condemns Paganism in a bid to cover its own tracks. Thankfully, we're allowed to read books other than the bible these days and think for ourselves.

This post reminds me of this week's quote in my ever faithful WHSmith's diary:

"There's so much comedy on television. Does that cause comedy in the streets?"

Dick Cavett