But a serious danger nonetheless and one that should not be minimized, partly because far more children will be exposed to the spiritual dangers of the Potter books than will be exposed to dangerous priests. Also, the danger of the Potter books is less recognized because the danger is more insidious. The books are an admixture of a traditional good versus evil story, a spirit of antinomianism and a glorification of "good" witchcraft.
Fr. Amorth summed up the danger of the books succinctly. He "observed that young people could become involved in Satanic practices because they see the invocation of supernatural powers as a simple and attractive possibility, devoid of moral consequences" and ”he noted that the books attempt to make a false distinction between black and white magic, when in fact such a distinction 'does not exist, because magic is always a turn to the devil.'"
Dabbling in the occult can lead to demonic oppression as well as demonic possession.
Perhaps Fr. Amorth could get an audience with the Pope and try to stop him and the Vatican from anointing Don Bosco as the patron saint of Harry Potter.
NCCB: "Parents concerned about the film's sorcery elements should know that it is unlikely to pose any threat to Catholic beliefs. "Harry Potter" is so obviously innocuous fantasy that its fiction is easily distinguishable from real life."
Fr. Amorth: "young people could become involved in Satanic practices because they see the invocation of supernatural powers as a simple and attractive possibility, devoid of moral consequences."
NCCB: Harry uses his "magical powers" for good to fight evil.
Fr. Amorth: "the books attempt to make a false distinction between black and white magic, when in fact such a distinction 'does not exist, because magic is always a turn to the devil.'"
The voice of the NCCB sounds to me like the voice of the spiritually lukewarm. The assertion that "parents concerned about the film's sorcery elements should know that it is unlikely to pose any threat to Catholic beliefs" is absurd since the use of witchcraft for any reason is considered an abomination in Catholic doctrine and a direct contradiction of "Catholic beliefs."
Neither should the writer for the NCCB be so cavalier in dismissing what he considers to be the obvious fantastical nature of the books. The story actually conforms in a significant sense with the Catholic understanding of reality, particularly spiritual reality. The story portrays the world of the Muggles (the real world) as existing alongside the world of witches and wizards (the world of angels and demons). The difference is that the book portrays the supernatural world as consisting of good and evil witches and wizards as opposed to good and evil angels. I believe that the book's correspondence with spiritual reality explains the instinctive appeal of the series to spiritually starved children.
Absolutely right.
drstevej, Calvin-Whitefield-fan