If you are a parent, more than likely you have heard of Harry Potter, both the books and movies, at some point in time. The books are some of the best selling books out there and the movies have broken many records. However, there seem to be questions in the minds of many parents as to whether or not these books and movies are family friendly, and that's what I want to talk about today here at Parents R Us.

There are many churches out there today that feel that Harry Potter is wicked and evil. Then on the other side, there are many people who look at these books and movies as pure, harmless entertainment. As a parent though, you may be wondering whether or not Harry Potter is really suitable for your children…and it's definitely something important to think about. After all, it is important that you are careful about what your kids are watching.

I know that in our house, we usually don't let our kids read or see things that we haven't seen or at least done some research into. Unfortunately we made a mistake in this area recently, watching a movie we couldn't really remember too well, and when it was all over, my husband and I wished we would have been a bit more careful before showing that particular movie to the kids, although the movie did make a great point.

The reason I even brought up this Harry Potter subject is because we took the family to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which happens to be the sixth movie in the series.

Personally, in the past I had heard a lot of bad about Harry Potter. Many people I know proclaimed this book series as evil. However, after I got married, my step children were already into Harry Potter, so I decided to give the movies a look myself. Honestly, I have never found any evil or corruption in these books and movies.

There are some people who seem to have the idea that since there is magic, wizards, and more in these books, they are evil books. Well let me point you to The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Look at all the magic and strange creatures that appear in these books, yet most parents find them just fine for their kids. I really don't see much of a different between these two series of books.

From my experience, I would say that what the Harry Potter books and movies really portray is the age old struggle between good and evil. In fact, I have found that in many ways they are almost allegorical, portraying Christian events through secular literature, something that C.S. Lewis lauded as very effective. Yes, children do see evil, they see magic, and more in these movies, but they see the triumph of good over evil, and what a struggle this really is.

Of course, showing these movies to your kids or allowing them to read the books is a personal choice. However, I do believe as a parent that Harry Potter can be a great tool for you to teach your child more about good vs. evil, faith, and more. It opens the door in an entertaining way for you to teach your children more about your own belief system, which is important.

So this is my opinion on the Harry Potter controversy. I think that these books and movies can be used to help teach your kids important lessons, but you do need to make sure that you consider your own personal values and ideas and make a decision that you feel comfortable with for you and your children.

What do you think about Harry Potter? Let us know. We'd love to hear what you have to say about this and even some of the other literature out there for kids today here at Parents R Us.

P.S. In my research I've found some interesting articles and papers on Christian values that come up in the Harry Potter books and movies. Here is the link to an article on Harry Potter and the Bible, which I found very interesting. You may want to check it out.