Posted on 03/17/2008 7:44:22 AM PDT by Terriergal
By John-Henry Westen
EDINBURGH, March 12, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The newly released edition of the Edinburgh University Student newspaper, the oldest student newspaper in the UK, includes an interview with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. In the interview Rowling claims to have received death threats from Christians opposed to her novels, calling Christian 'fundamentalists' "dangerous" and comparing them by inference to Islamic fundamentalists.
Asked if there were not some Christians who dislike the book 'intensely', Rowling replied, "Oh, vehemently and they send death threats." Questioned about the 'death threats', she added, "Once, yeah. Well, more than once. It is comical in retrospect. I was in America, and there was a threat made against a bookstore that I was appearing at, so we had the police there."
While she said she could stomach critics, she had little time for Christian criticism. "But to be honest the Christian Fundamentalist thing was bad," she said. "I would have been quite happy to sit there and debate with one of the critics who were taking on Harry Potter from a moral perspective."
Many Christians who have opposed the Potter series have done so after reading comments by Christian reviewers pointing out their moral and spiritual dangers. The opponents, who have been relying on the reviewers criticisms, have often avoided reading Rowling's lengthy Potter narratives, and Rowling uses such cases to paint Christians as if they were insane.
"I've tried to be rational about it," she told the paper. "There's a woman in North Carolina or Alabama who's been trying to get the books banned-she's a mother of four and never read them. And then- I'm not lying, I'm not even making fun, this is the truth of what she said-quite recently she was asked [why] and she said 'Well I prayed whether or not I should read them, and God told me no.'"
The interviewer notes that at that point "Rowling pauses to reflect on the weight of that statement, and her expression one of utter disbelief." Rowling then continued, "You see, that is where I absolutely part company with people on that side of the fence, because that is fundamentalism. Fundamentalism is, 'I will not open my mind to look on your side of the argument at all. I won't read it, I won't look at it, I'm too frightened.'"
"That's what's dangerous about it, whether it be politically extreme, religiously extreme...In fact, fundamentalists across all the major religions, if you put them in a room, they'd have bags in common! They hate all the same things, it's such an ironic thing."
Michael O'Brien, one of the most prominent Potter critics, has carefully read and analyzed the Potter books critiquing the spiritual and moral problems with Rowling's works. O'Brien commented to LifeSiteNews.com about Rowling's mockery of Christians who avoid her works.
"Regrettably, there is a strange new form of self-righteousness at work in the world-a psychological state of mind that is common to post-modernists such as J. K. Rowling," said O'Brien. "One of its symptoms is their inability to discuss on a serious level the truth or untruth of their cultural products. They avoid the real issues and instead take the 'ad hominem' approach-personal attacks against those who raise critical objections to the disorders in their books. From the vaccuum of real thought arises the dreary habit of classifying as a 'fundamentalist' any critic who bases his arguments on religious or spiritual grounds."
Added O'Brien: "This term is used against bomb-throwing terrorists, sweet grandmothers praying silently before abortuaries, and anyone who preaches the fullness of the Christian faith in church and media. It has become the utmost smear word, a weapon that is proving quite effective in silencing opposition. If you don't have an argument yourself, you just switch tactics and cry 'fundamentalist!' Supposedly all opposition will then collapse."
In previous interviews Rowling has said Christian criticism of her works come from the "lunatic fringe" of the church.
Prior to being elected Pope, then-Cardinal Ratzinger expressed an opinion opposing the Potter books. He sent a letter of gratitude to Gabriele Kuby who authored a work explaining the dangers of the Potter story, especially to young children. Made available by LifeSiteNews.com, Ratzinger's letter to Ms. Kuby stated, "It is good, that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly."
Father Gabriele Amorth, chief exorcist of the Vatican also condemned the books warning parents, "Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of the darkness, the devil." Father Amorth criticized the novels for glorifying magic, which he explicitly refers to as "the satanic art", and for presenting disordered perceptions of morality in the supposedly heroic main characters.
See related LifeSiteNews coverage:
Pope Opposes Harry Potter Novels - Signed Letters from Cardinal Ratzinger Now Online
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/jul/05071301.html
Harry Potter Feature Page:
http://www.lifesite.net/features/harrypotter/
Much better to call someone a "liar" without any proof on your side, which is not only foolish but were you someone who actually mattered you would have opened yourself to a libel suit. (But, of course, since you aren't anyone of any consequence, there would be no point in suing you.) You don't have to believe her. Calling her a "liar" based on nothing? You've left solid ground.
BEDEMIR: How do you know she is a witch?
VILLAGER #2: She looks like one.
BEDEMIR: Bring her forward.
WITCH: I'm not a witch. I'm not a witch.
BEDEMIR: But you are dressed as one.
WITCH: They dressed me up like this.
CROWD: No, we didn't... no.
WITCH: And this isn't my nose, it's a false one.
BEDEMIR: Well?
VILLAGER #1: Well, we did do the nose.
BEDEMIR: The nose?
VILLAGER #1: And the hat -- but she is a witch!
CROWD: Burn her! Witch! Witch! Burn her!
BEDEMIR: Did you dress her up like this?
CROWD: No, no... no ... yes. Yes, yes, a bit, a bit.
VILLAGER #1: She has got a wart.
BEDEMIR: What makes you think she is a witch?
VILLAGER #3: Well, she turned me into a newt.
BEDEMIR: A newt?
VILLAGER #3: I got better.
VILLAGER #2: Burn her anyway!
CROWD: Burn! Burn her!
BEDEMIR: Quiet, quiet. Quiet! There are ways of telling whether she is a witch.
CROWD: Are there? What are they?
BEDEMIR: Tell me, what do you do with witches?
VILLAGER #2: Burn!
CROWD: Burn, burn them up!
BEDEMIR: And what do you burn apart from witches?
VILLAGER #1: More witches!
VILLAGER #2: Wood!
BEDEMIR: So, why do witches burn?
[pause]
VILLAGER #3: B--... 'cause they're made of wood...?
BEDEMIR: Good!
CROWD: Oh yeah, yeah...
BEDEMIR: So, how do we tell whether she is made of wood?
VILLAGER #1: Build a bridge out of her.
BEDEMIR: Aah, but can you not also build bridges out of stone?
VILLAGER #2: Oh, yeah.
BEDEMIR: Does wood sink in water?
VILLAGER #1: No, no.
VILLAGER #2: It floats! It floats!
VILLAGER #1: Throw her into the pond!
CROWD: The pond!
BEDEMIR: What also floats in water?
VILLAGER #1: Bread!
VILLAGER #2: Apples!
VILLAGER #3: Very small rocks!
VILLAGER #1: Cider!
VILLAGER #2: Great gravy!
VILLAGER #1: Cherries!
VILLAGER #2: Mud!
VILLAGER #3: Churches -- churches!
VILLAGER #2: Lead -- lead!
ARTHUR: A duck.
CROWD: Oooh.
BEDEMIR: Exactly! So, logically...,
VILLAGER #1: If... she.. weighs the same as a duck, she's made of wood.
BEDEMIR: And therefore--?
VILLAGER #1: A witch!
Good reasoning. So, I assume you will have no complaints the next time someone wants to ban the Bible from a school library?
I googled “James Joyce death threats and Ulysses” and nothing came up. Were the threats you mention specifically from Christians?
Jim Jones not only called for murder, he committed murder...during the Inquisition also there were persons beheaded for "blasphemy". As well, the two daughters of Henry VII killed protestants and Roman Catholics repectively for their counter beliefs.
Sure there are the occasional nutbags like Fred Phelps and his little girl Shirley, but are they actually representative of Christian Fundamentalism? Because frankly, the title "Evangelical" has been coopted/commandeered by the religious left like Jim Wallis, Tony Campolo, Brian McLaren, Rob Bell and others, and the left has coopted the title "Fundamentalist" to illustrate people like Westboro Westbroodofvipers Baptist... so who are the ones in between there? We get lumped in with Shirley Phelps Roper and her hateful bunch simply because we avoid fads for cryin out loud!
If they prescribed to the notion that the universe is a mere 10,000 years old and created in six 24-hour periods, that "Jonah was swallowed up by a great fish and lived in its belly for 3 days," that "a great flood covered the entire earth 6,000 years ago," etc., etc., instead of the symbolic interpretation of Scripture then, yes, all fundamentalists are "nutbags"!
Satan has been busy
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Wicca%20&%20Witchcraft/signs_of_satan.htm
*ahem* Actually that very thing happened to me when I was a kid. I wanted to read a book on space exploration that was above my grade level and the teacher forbid me to check it out from the library.
After I told my mom about that we went out and bought my own copy that very night.
When I brought it to school the teacher was FURIOUS and confiscated my personal copy.
BAD mistake...
Oh, they have the right to try. And I have the right to stand against them. We are both taxpayers, doncha know.
Just because a taxpayer speaks up about what he does or does not want his tax money spent on doesn't mean he is infringing on my right to spend my own personal money on that thing.
I doubt you will find any such thing. People tend to revise history to fit their own requirements.
Ulysses was considered somewhat pornographic for its time. When I read it in college (many eons ago) a professor told us that James Joyce had received death threats by especially the Roman Catholic community of his native Ireland but also by many mainline fundamental protestant circles in the USA.
The goat beard you’re talking about, are you referring to the photo of Rick Warren? I can’t say his “goat” would inspire imitation! Nor his penchant for wearing Hawaian shirts!
Do you realize that Jesus was summing up the 10 Commandments when He said “Love the Lord God with all your heart, and soul and mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Within the 10 commandments these 10 Commandments are also summary statements, summing up all the laws given in Leviticus. One is “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
How is sleeping with your neighbor’s wife loving your neighbor, as Jesus instructed?
Jesus talked about forgiveness, but that doesn’t get rid of negative consequences for what you do. If we shouldn’t stone adulterers anymore, are you for not executing murderers? Are there no temporal or eternal consequences for sin anymore? No, there are both. Jesus said forgive. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any penalties to those that commit terrible sins.
A big reason to forgive is for your own health. Hate stops your life from moving on. You need to forgive because it will eat you up spiritually. Part of being able to forgive is knowing justice will be done, now and in the future.
I wish she would shut up, she’s ruining the books for me.
I assume a simple phone call from your mother to the principle resolved the problem? The teacher obviously was way out of line. I've seen no evidence that any Chrisitian has been going around doing that kind of thing.
It is enough for me to say that the work being discussed here interferes with what is true and leads people astray from the Truth.
This is a fallen world, as a Christian, my renewed mind needs ongoing cleansing and refreshment. God's chief agent of purifying my mind is His Word (John 15:3; Eph. 5:26).
1)Colossians 3:10--"Put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him."
2)Romans 12:1-2--Paul says, "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."
3)Romans 14:19-21--"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
4)Romans 16:17-19--"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
5)Ephesians 4:23--"Be renewed in the spirit of your mind."
6)Phillippians 4:8-- "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
7)1 Thessalonians 5:21--"Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good."
8)Titus 1:15-16-- "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
As one of you two rightly stated - and as you see- I believe God's Word is pure.
It was a master of the obvious moment. ;)
To defend Liz, she only did this after the Pope issued a fatwa against her.
That’s exactly my take on it. I do not agree with the earlier poster who attributed Dumbledore’s fondness for Harry and others to a romantic attachment.
I think he spent his life crushing any gay notions he might have had. Remember how he put the mirror away because he was afraid of what he might see in it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.