Ah yes, it is those evil books rather than those video games, television programs, magazine advertising, billboards, etc that so drastically affect children...
Yeah right.
Lord of the Rings is better. I've read Harry Potter and it's easy to see why kids these days don't read books like The Hobbit, LOTR and C.S.Lewis.
Unless he's read the books, I am uninterested in his opinion. Actually, I'm uninterested even if he *has* read them.
(1) Cardinal Ratzinger's brief comments from two years ago don't justify the headline on this story, "Pope Opposes Harry Potter Novels." I realize that headline-writes have to do something to attract our attention --- and a dollypartonesque lady with a wardrobe malfunction can't really be insinuated with no connection whatsoever --- so we have to have the "Pope" opposing "Harry" as if this were a new development in dogma.
News Flash: It's not.
(2) I've read all the Harry Potter novels thus far, and in my judgment Rowling treats magic as a fantasy "alternative technology." Handy kitchen spoons that make their own cream sauce, and so forth. When things get really occult, as in being obsessed or possessed by a perverted entity (e.g. Voldemort or the Dementors), Rowling successfully communicates that "This is something different, this is truly evil." So that's what I'd want her to say, I'm pretty sure.
(3) Though Card. Ratzinger's 2003 note to Gabriele Kuby is not a doctrinal motu proprio from the Pope, I nevertheless have the highest respect for Ratzinger's moral goodness, knowledge of Catholic teaching, and intellectual sophistication with regard to literature. This gives me a much-higher-than-common respect for his opinion, as well as a curiosity about what Gabriele Kuby had to say.
So, I'm all ears.
every once in awhile the vatican says, "stop the world, we want to control your lives".
in 1870 pope pius ix issued his "syllabus of errors" in which he claimed for his church the control of science and culture.
How does the Pope feel about Tolkien?
I am so glad to see this article!
Kinda makes me feel better that we don't read Rowling in our house.
Ping to article.
Interesting reasoning on Ratzinger's part. What do you think?
My spouse and I have seen the movies and mildly enjoyed them. We read the first book to educate ourselves on the subject, since there was so much contention about it in Christian circles.
Our conclusion: we enjoyed the stories, but wouldn't allow our children to see them (or read the books). The fantasy part doesn't bother us much, nor does the magic, since we are adults, Christians, and firmly rooted in our faith. It is fantasy and make-believe to us, and we're not corrupted by it.
One of the biggest problems we have is that the Harry Potter books teach children that adults are stupid, and children should disobey them.
The other problem we have is that the books have desensitized people (and children) to the occult.
Case in point: In a HP display at Barnes & Noble we saw a book called "Spells for Children". Contained inside: directions for performing real wiccan spells!
I also find the enormous CRAZE for these books to be very disturbing and suspicious. Full grown women are forming chat groups to discuss the book (presumably regarding their children's interest).
The books are interesting, but they're not that great. I'll take The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe any day.
"Tempest in a teapot"
I'm a Christian and I don't have any problem with having an occasional beer.
There are lots of Christians who disagree with me on this subject.
I might disagree with their assesment, but it doesn't bother me that their beliefs differ from mine. I'd happily debate the topic with them if asked. I'm very secure in my beliefs and my convictions. Hence, their opposing convictions don't upset me in the least.
So I have to wonder: why are so of you HP defenders so angry and nasty? I can't quite figure it out.
It seems odd to me that all the code words/phrases such as ....
"subtle seductions, which act unnoticed"
are used frequently by religious institutions...
I am a believer in God, but find this kind of thing exactly the reason why I am not a regular church attender...
When there is a listing of all things that God forbids and linking those to Harry Potter seems that someone loses sight of the fact that this is fantasy fiction. The same with Tolkien.
Bottom line is that Rowling, and Tolkien were good story-tellers, and should be read in the same light that any other story teller is read.
If a person is solid and comfortable with his own beleifs, then he won't be upset with Harry flying a broom and casting spells with the help of talking owls.
If Harry upsets somebody then maybe they are not so sure of their beliefs, because Harry awakens those doubts.
Maybe people see God as remote and far away, instead of all around close and everywhere...
In some cases is it possible God makes His presence known by what we call {gasp} magic?
Harry is fiction. His acts are fiction. Remember it is just a story.
Most interesting.
DOH!
I have some respect for the new pope, even though I'm not Catholic, but this is just stupid.
OK I think we should be talking Impeachement of Pope BennyHinn
As a Christian I don't see the Harry Potter books as a "threat to Christianity", what I think threating are the choices we make in life in regards to our surrender to Christ and our walking in faith.