The Christian Broadcasting Network has an ongoing special at their website on the Harry Potter movies/escapist literature featuring op-ed articles from Christian authors; some affirming positive lessons to take from the series while others saying to avoid it like the plague, pointing out occultism and a 'lack of morality'.  A rather sketchy statement by then Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) made reference to "subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly" regarding Harry P.  Since the series is heavily geared towards children and adolescents, it's unclear whether the Pope would be okay with a properly developed Christian reading or viewing a movie.

Personally I never dove into escapist literature full throttle, whether it was C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, or anyone else.  I do have somewhat of a guilty pleasure for Southpark, however.  The frequent occurence of curse words is a turnoff while the simple animation is an obstacle.  Quite often I disagree with the politics of the creators; yet say what you will, they're equal opportunity offenders.  The series revolves around the 'adventures' of four eight to nine year olds.  Several stereotypes are exploited while the characters remain true to form (ie they never change).  There are subtle jabs at political and social structures that are not always discernable to the untrained eye.  This combined with the characters' attributes of real-life people make the animation somewhat appealing.

When it comes to watching TV series that in some aspects conflict with certain Christian values, I'm not alone.  A prominent writer once blogged about her husband's preference for The Sopranos (violence and language) while another blogged about Sex and the City 'lessons'.  A friend from my fraternal organization new so many lines from Seinfeld (one of my favorites as well).  The question is where does one draw the line?  Living in a pluralistic society, one would be hard-pressed to read only books, listen to music, or view TV/movies that conform almost completely to the indivual's moral compass, particularily as it pertains to religion.  The danger can be watching too much over a long period of time might desensitize someone to the gravity of the situation, but I'll refrain from a long discertation about the "frog in the slowly rising to boiling water" analogy.  I myself am a generation Xer who grew up taking violence and fowl language for granted (and not just on TV, radio, or in the movies).  Since I've only been practicing Christianity studiously for roughly three years I might not have the sense to know any better.  If this be true then hopefully my situation will improve over time.

...and who knows; I might even find something of genuine interest to write about ;-) ...but don't hold your breath.

Til next time...