Church Exorcist and Pro Life Priest Warns Against Harry Potter

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Netty313 said:
I do too, but they really love/enjoy the Potter movies, and don’t want to waste there time, I guess. The exorcists that have come out regarding Potter are extraordinary Catholics, and need our prayers a great deal; they are constantly battling Satan. Michael D. O’Brien is a strong practicing Catholic as well, who did his own battle with Satan when he decided to write his book. I don’t think pro-Potters, in general, understand the strength the devil has, and that just a tiny little opening (such as is available through the magic of Potter) is enough for him to slip in.
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On the contrary, we pro-Potters believe him so cunning since he’s tricked you all into making our religion look like it’s full of only the ignorant and superstitious. :rolleyes:

Sadly this isn’t the first time the Church has had to deal with people giving it a bad image. I can only thank God for keeping a good share of the intellectual and the philosophical among us so as to knock some sense into these unenlightened individuals.

P.S.

Seeing as how I’ve let plenty of fantasy fiction into my life (not just the magic of Potter), I guess my life is chock full of openings already but… why have I yet to exhibit anything remotely close to levitating things with my mind or shooting fireballs? :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Fone_Bone_2001 said:
In any case, you need to take a good, long, hard look at your position. Please read carefully what kenofken, a real Wiccan, had to say on this very thread:
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So you’re taking the words of a Wiccan over those of a Church exorcist? And, remember, O’Brien is only asking parents to discern the series. The exorcists, on the other hand, are more to-the-point, but that’s because they work with demons. I think parents should discern everything their kids get involved in. I just read about a young man our daughter went to high school with that died of a heroine overdose a few days ago. Whether he saw Potter or not, is more than likely not relevant. But I bet there was a time in his life when he “started out” smoking pot. And it’s a shame these things aren’t nipped in the bud early on via parental intervention. This kid (only 19) had his whole life ahead of him; he was already a proficient sportsman.

There’s too much junk out there for our kids to consume. We can’t watch them all the time, but when we can, IMO we should. And I’m not against Potter per se (my own daughter saw most of the films), but I am against the devil.
 
Lost_Wanderer said:
Sadly this isn’t the first time the Church has had to deal with people giving it a bad image. I can only thank God for keeping a good share of the intellectual and the philosophical among us so as to knock some sense into these unenlightened individuals.
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I’m giving the Church a bad image by listening to official Church exorcists in regard to a series of movies? I’m not following you.
 
It’s really troubling to see the gorgeous icon you have of Mary on your commentary, and then read what you have to say trying to make me look foolish … doesn’t add up …

On this the feast day of Juan Diego, I’ll leave you with the following reading from our missal: "His contemporaries were impressed with his holiness; parents used to bless their children with the wish, ‘May God make you like Juan Diego.’" I wish the same for you and me.
 
IMO, one of the major values of the Harry Potter series is the warnings against intrusive government. Rowling based much of the behavior of the Ministry of Magic on the behavior of the Nazis but this same kind of restrictions of freedoms and rights “for the greater good” is happening right now. Rowling’s books are less a path to the occult than they are Orwell for kids.
 
57classic said:
IMO, one of the major values of the Harry Potter series is the warnings against intrusive government. Rowling based much of the behavior of the Ministry of Magic on the behavior of the Nazis but this same kind of restrictions of freedoms and rights “for the greater good” is happening right now. Rowling’s books are less a path to the occult than they are Orwell for kids.
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Your comment points to what I perceive is the weakness of the anti-potter attacks: Irony is completely unfamilliar to them. There is a great deal of ironic humor in Potter, as you note about the “Ministry of Magic” (my favorite example is the name-tag “Harry Potter, Rescue Mission”). As I tried to point out about the magical qualities of chocolate above, magic is not seroius occultism for Rowling, it is a vehicle for telling her stories. One would only be in danger of following Potter into occultism, if one fails to recognize irony. Teach your chlidren to read literature critically and no parent will have a problem with this. That “serious” writers, exorcists and whoever was answering the cardinals letters don’t have this skill speaks volumes about modern education.
 
JHow said:
Your comment points to what I perceive is the weakness of the anti-potter attacks: Irony is completely unfamilliar to them. There is a great deal of ironic humor in Potter, as you note about the “Ministry of Magic” (my favorite example is the name-tag “Harry Potter, Rescue Mission”). As I tried to point out about the magical qualities of chocolate above, magic is not seroius occultism for Rowling, it is a vehicle for telling her stories. One would only be in danger of following Potter into occultism, if one fails to recognize irony. Teach your chlidren to read literature critically and no parent will have a problem with this. That “serious” writers, exorcists and whoever was answering the cardinals letters don’t have this skill speaks volumes about modern education.
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Sadly, I doubt recongniton of and appreciation for irony can be easily learned. It seems to be something that has to be pointed out and appreciated at an early age or it just goes over the head without being noticed.
 
How many grams constitute a “Harry”? I haven’t seen that unit used in scientific notation! I might have to throw it into one of my papers and see if anyone catches it!😃
 
Netty313 said:
I do too, but they really love/enjoy the Potter movies, and don’t want to waste there time, I guess. The exorcists that have come out regarding Potter are extraordinary Catholics, and need our prayers a great deal; they are constantly battling Satan. Michael D. O’Brien is a strong practicing Catholic as well, who did his own battle with Satan when he decided to write his book. I don’t think pro-Potters, in general, understand the strength the devil has, and that just a tiny little opening (such as is available through the magic of Potter) is enough for him to slip in.
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I’m not reading it CAUSE IT AIN’T HARRY POTTER!

But seriously: no one answered why The Harry Potter series is seen as any worse or more damaging than is any other type of fantasy writing and stories of witchcraft, sorcery, clairvoiyance, astrology, divination, or anything else. :confused:

I attended a Catholic school and we studied Greek and Roman Mythology. We learned to recite Poe. I watched Samantha Stevens and Sabrina Spellman on television. I currently enjoy Medium and used to watch Ghost Whisperer.

Yet, I still attend Mass regularly. I study my Bible. I try to understand the CCC (it’s not easy, folx). I defend my faith faithfully. 👍

As a child I used to read a lot. By the time I was out of High School, I pretty much wasn’t reading any more novels. I was just bored. Then, I discovered the Harry Potter books and I fell in love with reading again. It’s enjoyable. 🙂

Have you read any of the books? Or are you just letting comments from others keep you away?

If you don’t support Rawling, I’m kewl with that. Go to the library and get her books. (Get the FIRST one. They must be read in order). Open it up. The MINUTE you get to something that’s as offensive as you expected it to be, PLEASE STOP. But if you don’t, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! 😃
 
I thought we all non-vocally agreed to let this thread die naturally.
 
Netty313 said:
So you’re taking the words of a Wiccan over those of a Church exorcist?
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On the question of whether Harry Potter “magic” resembles real-world Wiccan practices… a Wiccan is indeed the best person to ask. Q.E.D.

But I suppose I shouldn’t expect you to face that tautological fact when it’s fatal to the position that Harry Potter depicts real-world occult practices…
Netty313 said:
I think parents should discern everything their kids get involved in.
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I agree.
Netty313 said:
I just read about a young man our daughter went to high school with that died of a heroine overdose a few days ago. Whether he saw Potter or not, is more than likely not relevant.
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An understatement if ever I saw one.
Netty313 said:
But I bet there was a time in his life when he “started out” smoking pot. And it’s a shame these things aren’t nipped in the bud early on via parental intervention.
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Harry Potter can’t lead to the occult as less potent drugs can lead to heroin, since Harry Potter and occult practices are qualitatively, demonstrably different.

I recommend you check out the other thread, “Warnings About Harry Potter.” My last several replies near the end were very detailed; the evidence is clearly laid out there.
Netty313 said:
I’m giving the Church a bad image by listening to official Church exorcists in regard to a series of movies? I’m not following you.
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No, but you very well might be by advancing in the service of the Catholic cause your deeply and obviously flawed position that Harry Potter is a potential gateway into the occult.

When someone takes a position that has no credibility, it hinders his or her interlocutors from taking seriously anything else he or she has to say. Yes, that’s unfair, but that’s how it is. That’s why accusations against Harry Potter - which, by the way, ignore the breadth and depth of its profound Christian content - might injure the Church’s credibility in the eyes of nonbelievers.
57classic said:
IMO, one of the major values of the Harry Potter series is the warnings against intrusive government. Rowling based much of the behavior of the Ministry of Magic on the behavior of the Nazis but this same kind of restrictions of freedoms and rights “for the greater good” is happening right now. Rowling’s books are less a path to the occult than they are Orwell for kids.
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That’s a very good point!
JHow said:
There is a great deal of ironic humor in Potter, as you note about the “Ministry of Magic” (my favorite example is the name-tag “Harry Potter, Rescue Mission”).
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Yes, that moment was a hilarious critique of bureaucracy!
 
The OP mentioned Fr. Euteneuer. Has anyone heard from him or of his whereabouts lately? His latests books, if you go to amazon.com, are labeled “out of print!” They just came out this year. He hasn’t posted anything on his facebook page since September and had been a regular poster before. I’m told that he has not been assigned a parish, contrary to the story as to why he left Human Life International.

Anyone know anything? I heard him speak last July and he was incredible…so faithful.
 
Apryl said:
I’m not reading it CAUSE IT AIN’T HARRY POTTER!

But seriously: no one answered why The Harry Potter series is seen as any worse or more damaging than is any other type of fantasy writing and stories of witchcraft, sorcery, clairvoiyance, astrology, divination, or anything else. :confused:

I attended a Catholic school and we studied Greek and Roman Mythology. We learned to recite Poe. I watched Samantha Stevens and Sabrina Spellman on television. I currently enjoy Medium and used to watch Ghost Whisperer.

Yet, I still attend Mass regularly. I study my Bible. I try to understand the CCC (it’s not easy, folx). I defend my faith faithfully. 👍

As a child I used to read a lot. By the time I was out of High School, I pretty much wasn’t reading any more novels. I was just bored. Then, I discovered the Harry Potter books and I fell in love with reading again. It’s enjoyable. 🙂

Have you read any of the books? Or are you just letting comments from others keep you away?

If you don’t support Rawling, I’m kewl with that. Go to the library and get her books. (Get the FIRST one. They must be read in order). Open it up. The MINUTE you get to something that’s as offensive as you expected it to be, PLEASE STOP. But if you don’t, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! 😃
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Dear Apryl,

Cordial greetings.

Whilst it is quite true that there is no formal religion of witchcraft in the Potter novels, nevertheless Rowling does use the symbol world of the occult as her* primary* metaphor and occultic activities as the dramatic engine of her plots. Moreover, what is so disturbing is that she presents these to the child reader through attractive and so called “cool” role models, such as Harry and Hermoine, who are students of witchcraft and sorcery. Many are rightly of the opinion that this is just too close for comfort to the real thing in the real world and renders the Potter series culturally unwholesome reading material for both children and even adults.

What we need to be clear about is that in Potter-world the characters are engaged in activities which in real life corrupt us, weaken the will, darken the mind and pull the poor hapless practioner down into spiritual bondage. Now we observe Rowling’s heroe’s and herione’s going increasingly deeper into that world but without displaying any negative or untoward side effects, only an increase in “character”. That is clearly a lie. Moreover, it is a Satanic lie which deceived our first parents in Eden; you can have your knowledge of good and evil (you will decide what is good and what is evil), you can have an enhanced life, you can have God-like powers.

Do you really think that we can “baptize” the symbols and activities of the realm of darkeness without any negative side effects? To think that we can is sheer naivety - “Can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can he walk upon hot coals and his feet not be scorched?” (Proverbs 6: 27,28). We are no longer the early Christians cleansing some classical pagan temple and consecrating it as a church, rather we are in the midst of a social revolution that is assailing the truly sacred and degrading it at every turn.

Apryl, were you aware that some of the book titles in Harry Potter’s training are appropriated from the real world of witchcraft. This is extremely alarming since children can google those titles on the internet and be instantly connected to a variety of sights offering them portals into the real world of witchcraft, sorcery and overt Satanism. Now surely the use of such titles is downright irresponsible in books intended primarily for impressionable children who are still in a state of formation.

Catholics need to face up to the fact that many of the practices in these books are the same as the real thing, except they are sanitized and made to appear scary but fun, minus the long term consequences and herein lies their biggest danger.

When some Christians defend these unwholesome books by remarking that the Potter tales disconnect witchcraft from spiritual realities and that any talk of children going from fantasy fiction witchcraft to actual witchraft as scaremongering, they are leaping to a huge conclusion devoid of empirical evidence.

This is why the Potter novels are highly unsuitable and more damaging than other fantasy literature and should therefore be given a wide-berth by the Catholic faithful.

Warmest good wishes,

Portrait

Pax
 
Portrait said:
Dear Apryl,

Cordial greetings.

Whilst it is quite true that there is no formal religion of witchcraft in the Potter novels, nevertheless Rowling does use the symbol world of the occult as her* primary* metaphor and occultic activities as the dramatic engine of her plots. Moreover, what is so disturbing is that she presents these to the child reader through attractive and so called “cool” role models, such as Harry and Hermoine, who are students of witchcraft and sorcery. Many are rightly of the opinion that this is just too close for comfort to the real thing in the real world and renders the Potter series culturally unwholesome reading material for both children and even adults.

What we need to be clear about is that in Potter-world the characters are engaged in activities which in real life corrupt us, weaken the will, darken the mind and pull the poor hapless practioner down into spiritual bondage. Now we observe Rowling’s heroe’s and herione’s going increasingly deeper into that world but without displaying any negative or untoward side effects, only an increase in “character”. That is clearly a lie. Moreover, it is a Satanic lie which deceived our first parents in Eden; you can have your knowledge of good and evil (you will decide what is good and what is evil), you can have an enhanced life, you can have God-like powers.

Do you really think that we can “baptize” the symbols and activities of the realm of darkeness without any negative side effects? To think that we can is sheer naivety - “Can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can he walk upon hot coals and his feet not be scorched?” (Proverbs 6: 27,28). We are no longer the early Christians cleansing some classical pagan temple and consecrating it as a church, rather we are in the midst of a social revolution that is assailing the truly sacred and degrading it at every turn.

Apryl, were you aware that some of the book titles in Harry Potter’s training are appropriated from the real world of witchcraft. This is extremely alarming since children can google those titles on the internet and be instantly connected to a variety of sights offering them portals into the real world of witchcraft, sorcery and overt Satanism. Now surely the use of such titles is downright irresponsible in books intended primarily for impressionable children who are still in a state of formation.

Catholics need to face up to the fact that many of the practices in these books are the same as the real thing, except they are sanitized and made to appear scary but fun, minus the long term consequences and herein lies their biggest danger.

When some Christians defend these unwholesome books by remarking that the Potter tales disconnect witchcraft from spiritual realities and that any talk of children going from fantasy fiction witchcraft to actual witchraft as scaremongering, they are leaping to a huge conclusion devoid of empirical evidence.

This is why the Potter novels are highly unsuitable and more damaging than other fantasy literature and should therefore be given a wide-berth by the Catholic faithful.
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Wonderful post, Portrait. Bravo! :clapping:
 
Portrait said:
Whilst it is quite true that there is no formal religion of witchcraft in the Potter novels, nevertheless Rowling does use the symbol world of the occult as her* primary* metaphor and occultic activities as the dramatic engine of her plots. Moreover, what is so disturbing is that she presents these to the child reader through attractive and so called “cool” role models, such as Harry and Hermoine, who are students of witchcraft and sorcery. Many are rightly of the opinion that this is just too close for comfort to the real thing in the real world and renders the Potter series culturally unwholesome reading material for both children and even adults.
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It isn’t a metaphor, but actually a plot device. It is an element to create something which otherwise could not be, and in this case, is used to not only make the book very clearly fiction, but also to discuss how to fight evil while not using evil methods. And, as has been asked of every like minded poster, how does the magic of Rowling differ from that of Tolkien and Lewis?
 
Mickey said:
Yes. That is the core of the problem.
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No - it doesn’t. Witchcraft is neutral - used by both the good characters and the bad ones. Those who have read the book would clearly have seen and understood that, and would also know that the books aren’t about ‘witchcraft’, and only use that to set a fictional backbone to a story filled with real virtues.
 
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