41 percent of respondents in a survey, published by ChristiaNet.com, said that reading Harry Potter novels was not a sin with most considering it as a fictional tale.
With 3,126 participants completing the survey on the world's largest Christian portal site, around 40 percent consider the novel as a fictional story about good versus evil. Further, they read the book only for entertainment value.
However in a statement posted on the Focus on the Family Website, its founder Dr. James Dobson expressed his opposition to it, stating that the novel could have a negative effect on young and impressionable minds due to the promotion of witchcraft and New Age ideology.
"[A]nd given the trend toward witchcraft and New Age ideology in the larger culture," FOTF said, "It's difficult to ignore the effects such stories (albeit imaginary) might have on young, impressionable minds."
In the same survey, 35 percent took a different stance and said it was a sin to read the book, conveying that it promotes witchcraft and exposed readers to occult, which they commented was a sin.
Despite the mix views held by Christians, the Harry Potter books are breaking sales records and proving popular in the world. More than 1 in 10 UK home purchases the latest book within 24 hours, making it the fastest-selling book in the country, reported the U.K. Telegraph.
Meanwhile, an estimated 325 million copies of the six books in the series have been sold worldwide, quoted Best Syndication, making the author one of the richest person in the U.K.