Posted on 08/25/2007 10:00:49 PM PDT by monomaniac
Commentary by John-Henry Westen Editor and Steve Jalsevac Managing Director
TORONTO, August 23, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - LifeSiteNews receives angry and often hate-filled responses to its news reports on mainly three subjects.
The most hateful and threatening come from gay activists. Apparently, some cannot tolerate objective news reports containing information that in any way contradicts savoured personal opinion. For such, our news reports are "hate", even though hate or even anger is never intended in any LifeSiteNews report. We challenge them to point out where our reports include "hate" but the challenge is never answered because it can't. We just report alternative news that mainstream media refuse to report or distort.
Second, are the angry emails from abortion and population control activists. That has always been expected given the massive deceit and manipulation used for decades to advance their anti-human agendas which we regularly expose. Their control of the mainstream media is no longer as useful as it used to be.
Third has been the bizarre response to our Harry Potter reports, which most will have difficulty finding in the mainstream media or even in many orthodox religious publications. That is our role, to report what most media will not report.
It seems that every time LifeSiteNews publishes an article with an alternative view that is critical of the Harry Potter series we get a flurry of angry and sometimes downright hateful emails from Harry Potter devotees. Our latest, an article by Canadian Catholic novelist Michael D. O'Brien, which we published Monday was no exception. (See "Harry Potter and 'the Death of God'" http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/aug/07082003.html )
A few of our more colourful responses included scathing ad hominem attacks and a wish for curses on O'Brien, reference to LifeSiteNews.com as a "filthy publication" and Pope Benedict XVI as "a Nazi".
Comments related to the Pope are likely due to the letters - first published online by LifeSiteNews.com - which he wrote praising a German Harry Potter critic for her work in pointing out the dangers in the Potter series. (See "Pope Opposes Harry Potter Novels - Signed Letters from Cardinal Ratzinger Now Online") http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/jul/05071301.html
Someone identifying him/herself as Ant Johnson wrote:
"To whom it may concern:
Honestly, I found, not just your recent article by Michael D. O'Brien, "North America's foremost Potter critic"--a laughable distinction to be sure--but all of his poorly misguided efforts at measured, non-dogmatic criticism to be pathetic and more than a little jealous. It's the sort of archaic thought O'Brien so classically illustrates in his articles that sends droves of people heading for aisles mid-sermon at Sunday morning mass. Or maybe it's because your pope was at one point a Nazi, and in many ways, still is.
With the sincerest of regards, Ant Jonhson"
Apparently a Gnostic took issue with O'Brien's position that Gnosticism is presented in the Potter books:
"I don't see the Gnostic worldview in the Harry Potter books. I know, I am one.
Because the Old Testament is the book of the evil one, we Gnostics are not allowed by Jesus to engage in imprecatory prayer which is common now amongst the Catholic Churches allies in the Evangelical movement.
Does the catholic church allow imprecatory prayer? Not officially, but you always have it if you want. Imprecatory prayer is Black Magic.
The Orthodox church, not the Gnostics are practicing Witchcraft. Michael is a deceiver but its ok, because the ways of Saklas-Satan are seductive, so its easy to forgive him.
In Jesus name.
Titus Andronicus"
And finally John Wohn in Austin Texas wrote:
"I hope that every witches' coven in the US casts spells to curse Michael O'Brien and everyone who works for your filthy publication."
Maybe its just too late at night, but Harry Potter seems to be an accessory after the fact for most of these people.
Yep. The truth hurts and creates resentment when it is spoken.
You see, it's just a book, meant to entertain.
Fiction.
Fantasy.
Nothing more nor less than that, no agenda.
Write a popular novel, make money.
What could be more basic than that?
A few agreed with O’Brien’s position, which is ok. But I don’t think we got into calling anybody a Nazi.
The truth is now "alternative news."
Reality is now an "alternative lifestyle," I suppose, and the billions that are Catholic are, I guess we can conclude, a "fringe."
Goebbels would be jealous.
Only a stubborn insistance that anything could be so simple.
Recall the term, "Garbage in, Garbage out."
Shades of Salman Rushdie.
By the same token we should ask ourselves why we continue to imbibe large doses of poison in our cultural consumption, as if this were reasonable and normal living, as if the presence of a few vegetables floating in a bowl of arsenic soup justifies the long-range negative effects of our diet.
That LifeSiteNews gets reaction to their articles is understandable. After all, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a more read series on the planet outside of religious texts. And personally, I find the series to be an inspiration story of good fighting against evil, of the dangers of betrayal, of the power of love.
But some can see nothing beyond the fact that there are witches mentioned, and people point wands.
The reason why these articles don’t reach much traction in the press is that they read like crackpot extremist articles that is for the most exclusive of audiences. The biggest humor, of course, is that they’re most widely distributed on the same medium that distributes more pornography than any other.
So, yes, the Pope can tsk all he wants at the series. What of it? I believe that Pope Benedict is a religious authority to top all authorities, but I don’t ask his opinion as to which website, novel or newspaper to read. If I picked out choice passages on this website, I’m sure I could convince anyone to believe it is something to imperil someone’s soul.
“Nothing more nor less than that, no agenda.”
Everything has an agenda in a child’s mind. You can read Mother Goose to a 5 ear-old, and he/she will be full of “Why?” “Why did the mouse . . .?” “What will happen to the pig who went over the brideg?”
This article by O'Brien is gratifying and well written satisfaction to all of us who the potter fad somehow failed to intoxicate.
an awfully considered-sounding opinion. did you perchance read Mr. O’Brien’s critique?
Unfortunately, I happen to be one of those grossly misinformed parents that doesn’t let an educational opportunity pass, and instead of trying to ostracize the messenger, use it to craft the type of intellectual thought that such authors as Mr. O’Brien absolutely abhor; those who can actually ask rational questions of their children, and elicit rational responses.
My child does not believe she can take a stick, wave it around, and cause magic to happen. My child has stated, time and time again, many things she would do different were she the protagonist in the story, especially that silly mushy stuff.
And she’s absolutely mystified by such attacks - it’s like making an in depth critique of the Flinstones, pointing out the obvious that there weren’t any dinosaurs when people were about.
I add salt to my meals; salt alone would be bad, even deadly in horribly large quantities. There is any manner of research to tell me all about how bad salt is. Problem is, salt makes a lot of food taste better, and is a needed mineral in the operation of my body.
> Harry Potter Fanatics Lash Out at Pope, Michael O’Brien, LifeSiteNews Over Criticism of Novels
Umm... they have *so much time* on their hands that they can afford to get their knickers-in-a-twist about a fictional character like Harry Potter?
Crikey. They live a sheltered life.
Just wait until they get hooked into “Alice in Wonderland/Thru the Looking Glass” — that experience will seem like the Ultimate Wedgie by comparison!
And when they eventually graduate to “Mary Poppins”, *that* will be like a Full-on Gynch-Pull...
And if a Full-on Gynch-Pull doesn’t cure ‘em, the mind boggles what will happen when they encounter Douglas Adams and “The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”...!
Just to be on the safe side, I’ll order extra bandages and pennicilin now, in case there is a run on supplies. Y2K taught me valuable lessons about being Prepared, ay!
That sound like a description of other posts on this thread, too. ;)
Thank you Psalm _2! Just What I was going to Post!
I know that you know, Psalm_2, that children can be raised and trained in such a way as to ignore the fads of our times, fads like Harry Potter. Some parents are foolish enough to think that a child should never be told, “No!” But it is better to raise a Child from infancy on a structure of principle that minimizes (to nearly nill) the times you have to say “No” to child over 6 years old. Yes, it is possible for children 6 years and younger to detect serious flaws in morals and character.
Young children can understand the spiritual content in Harry Potter books and films - - it is an unclean spirit; devilish. We don’t expect the un-Christian world to try even one time to discern the difference between the spiritually clean and the unclean. We have a serious problem with professing Christians who will say that there is nothing satanic in Harry Potter, and can’t say “No” to their children. Deuteronomy 18:9-14 9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. 13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. 14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. 2 Timothy 4:3, 4 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. Yes, 2 Timothy 4:3, 4 is good to know just in case you meet pastors who think that Harry Potter is just fine, along with ... 2Corinthians 11:13-15 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Guilty as charged. ;)
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