The other day a colleague, knowing I was a Christian, asked me, "Would you let your child read Harry Potter?" Before I gave her a quick reply, I stopped myself and thought about the question carefully. As a writer, I'm against censorship, of stopping others from reading what they want. But as a Christian, I am careful about what I fill my head with and I want to guard my reading time preciously and not waste it on anything that doesn't help build my relationship with God.
So what does one do with Harry Potter? Or how about Northern Lights by Philip Pullman? I have to admit I've read five of the Harry Potter novels without thinking anything of them (from a Christian perspective) but I did see into what Pullman was writing about, viz., that original sin wasn't all that bad so what was the big deal? I can certainly see where some of my church friends would be troubled by that book and want to stop their children from reading it.
But I think the best thing to do is let your child read what he wants with the caveat that you as a parent know what your child is reading and you talk regularly about what he or she has read. I wouldn't encourage my children to read either Harry Potter or Northern Lights but if they wanted to, I wouldn't stop them. I would however, take the time to discuss what they had read and compare that to what the Bible teaches. I think reading something completely contrary to the Bible can actually help stimulate an intelligent discussion about God and his Bible. In fact, it can help build a child's understanding of God when he or she reads contrasting material. Of course, the parent needs to be cautious about this.
So my answer would be I wouldn't stop my kids, but I'd talk to them about what they've read. The exception to the rule would be trashy teen magazines. I think those mags with their suggestive pictures and bad Agony Aunt advice and praising of a lifestyle that runs against what the Bible teaches actually do so much more harm than Philip Pullman or JK Rowling ever could. I would strongly encourage my children to stay away from those.
