Acceptance of mythology?

[Lush]

And I suspect that the Russian/Georgian fuss might have been sparked by the initial furore in the US.

Well, I can't speak for the Georgians, but the fuss in Russia has more to do with how freakin' backward certain elements of Russian society have become in recent years.

Please don't think this issue is limited to Harry Potter either. Tolkien's works are viewed as equally corrupting by religious zealots.

I ought to know, I'm part of that institution (as in, I'm a practicing Russian Orthodox).

I suspect the Russian religious furor over Harry Potter and Tolkien has a lot to do with the church being able to let off steam after decades of being suppressed. It's like the initial fizz that comes out of a coke bottle that's been shaken one time too many.

P.S. As a disclaimer, though, on the other hands we have a large number of young Russian Orthodox priests smoking Marlboros in public, wearing jeans under their robes, reading everything from Tolkien to "Emmanuelle" (to educate themselves on popular culture, naturally). Russia is just...confused right now, in that whole lovable, post-USSR, utter economic meltdown sort of way.

P.P.S. Oh, and Heren, I'm totally right about magic in LotR, and you're totally wrong! Hehe. I think at this point we can agree to disagree.