posted on May, 3 2006 @ 02:34 PM
Both and niether.
There's a book of that title by Charles Fort, where he blames science for not investigating his pet psychic phenomina (which had been investigated
and were not infrequently found to be frauds.)
I've seen some extremist Christians argue that things like Harry Potter qualify as books of the damned (and so do books on evolution, science, and
anything non-Christian and non-according-to-their-interpretation-of-the-Bible.) I know that there are books that Muslim clerics declare that a true
Muslim must not read (Rusdie's Satanic Texts come to mind.)
Having read a good selection of these books, I don't find that I've been morally corrupted, that my dreams have become demon haunted, that my life
has become cursed, that dogs follow me around and howl, that my cats are giving me the Evyl Eye, that my kids grew up to be horrible people, that my
cars die more often than usual, etc.
Undoubtedly there's something in EVERY book that (theoretically) will offend some deity that has (ever) existed on this planet.
However, in reality, they're just folklore -- but they make for a GREAT fiction story idea, don't they?
P.S. As to your friend, there are people who are very susceptible to suggestion (they read medical texts and they promptly come down with the
symptoms of what they are reading.) I have seen extremist Christians go into hysterics and fits (claiming demon possession) after reading a page of
what they were told was Harry Potter.
So your friend is either gaming you or is unbelievably naive and suggestable.
[edit on 3-5-2006 by Byrd]