Religious controversies in Rowling's Harry Potter Since JK Rowling first introduced Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997, children and adults alike have read and loved the series. It gained so much popularity that all of the books were made into major films and a Harry Potter attraction was opened at Universal Studios, Florida. Although readers love Rowling's complex and exciting stories, many controversies have arisen from these stories, not only in the United States, but also in various countries around the world. Perhaps the greatest controversy concerns the religious implications perceived by some critics. Although these critics believe that the series promotes paganism and encourages evil actions, these theories should not be taken so seriously. The first major controversy in the Harry Potter series is the argument that Rowling's stories promote paganism, which is contrary to Christian beliefs. The Bible specifically states in Leviticus 20:26: “You shall not practice augury or sorcery” (“Reading Matters”). Additionally, the Bible supports resentment toward paganism in Deuteronomy 18:10-12, stating that those who practice witchcraft, cast spells, or contact spirits are a disgrace to the Lord and will be cast out (quoted in Mahoney). In Rowling's book, witchcraft is a seductive practice. For example, Hogwarts is described as a magical place that one could visit if the school existed. Therefore, many parents fear that children who read these books will be intrigued by witchcraft and attempt to learn these practices (Wilder Gish). Even JK Rowling admitted that some readers are so convinced by the books that they believe the wizarding world is real. These readers sent...... middle of article ...... have evolved on the subject of these books. The biggest controversy, however, concerns the series' religious references, which have caused many parents to despise the stories' "immoral" concepts and ban their children from reading these books. These people believe that Rowling promotes paganism through the magic performed by the characters and promotes evil through various connections to Satan. However, Harry Potter does not reflect the practices of Wicca and good always overcomes evil in the end; we should therefore not worry about the effects of the series on children, or even on adults. After all, readers have enjoyed stories containing magical references for centuries and humanity has not suffered as a result. Harry Potter is just another magical story and should be appreciated rather than judged due to its controversial references..