Harry Potter and the demonic conspiracy theory

[the-3rd-parent]

I realize this is an old topic to discuss, but I just came across this online.

Ten Arguments Against Harry Potter - By Woman Who Corresponded with Cardinal Ratzinger
Gabriele Kuby author of Harry Potter: Good or Evil

1. Harry Potter is a global long term project to change the culture. In the young generation inhibitions against magic and the occult are being destroyed. Thus, forces re-enter society which Christianity had overcome.

Well if she’s going to make a board generalization without backing it up so am I.

1. Harry Potter is a work of modern children’s literature which explores a great many problems in society through presenting it in a fantastical story. To get into all of them would take more characters than I’m allowed to type in this space. Believing its some conspiracy to promote real satanic witchcraft and to undermine Christian values is as preposterous as saying “Animal Farm” is all about a bunch of pigs who get possessed by the devil.

1. Hogwarts, the school of magic and witchcraft, is a closed world of violence and horror, of cursing and bewitching, of racist ideology, of blood sacrifice, disgust and obsession. There is an atmosphere of continuous threat, which the young reader cannot escape.

1. Hogwarts is a European boarding school no more isolated from the world than any other European boarding school is. All stories require conflict or there would be no story. The violence is not much different than at boarding schools and compared to our public schools are less violent. But instead of giving a kid a bloody nose, one student “hexes” another student with an outbreak of zits. Instead of putting a stink bomb in the girl’s bathroom, the pranksters magically build a swamp in the hallway. The only blood sacrifice ever mentioned in the books involves the villains actions. Disgust and obsession are two board of terms to know what on earth she’s referring to. And actually the whole racism between the magical world and the muggle world is actually a way of showing the problems and unfairness of racism.

1. While Harry Potter appears in the beginning to fight against evil, in fact the similarities between him and Voldemort, the arch-evil adversary in the tale, become more and more obvious. In volume five, Harry is being obsessed by Voldemort, which leads to symptoms of personality disintegration.

1. Harry Potter is an imperfect kid and an imperfect world. He learns lessons and he battles with temptation. But the most significant point about his similarities with Voltemort deal more with showing that we’re not simply victims of our circumstances but are responsibility for our choices. Having the two characters similar to each other actually is a great mechanism to emphasis their most significant differences. I think its brilliant of Rowling and naive for an individual to believe that just because Harry is tempted to evil means that Harry won’t learn his lesson.

1. The human world becomes degraded, the world of witches and sorcerers becomes glorified.

1. The word sorcerer is never used in the books. It never says that they aren’t human, but rather that some of born with abilities that others aren’t and that there is a prejudice between both races. Some of the wizards believe they are better than muggles. And some muggles (Harry’s aunt, uncle and cousin) believe that wizards are weird people who dress funny and are below them…they would never stoop so low as to be seen associating with magical folk. In fact, they’d rather have the neighbors believe Harry to be criminally insane than for him to be a wizard.

1. There is no positive transcendent dimension. The supernatural is entirely demonic. Devine symbols are perverted.

1. The first statement is absolutely not true. Heck, the department of mysterious in the Ministry of Magic study the afterlife. The supernatural is not entirely demonic, nor would I call it demonic at all. The ghosts in the castle are much more like poor souls that cling to the suffering they endured to life and are not able to move on. For instance Moaning Mertle was a self pitier. I wouldn’t say that what Rowling intended them to be, but when Harry questioned Nick about it, Nick said he’s more of a reflection than what he used to be and that Harry should be happy that his Godfather Sirius did not return as a ghost.

As for Divine symbols, they are most certainly not perverted. The Phoenix still makes an excellent reference to Christ as does Lily’s sacrifice. Unfornately, Faux’s role has been significantly reduced in the films, but his symbology sure as heck isn’t saying anything it shouldn’t.

 

[the-3rd-parent]

1. Harry Potter is no modern fairy tale. In fairy tales sorcerers and witches are unambiguous figures of evil. The hero escapes their power through the exercise of virtue. In the Harry Potter universe there is no character that endeavors consistently to achieve good. For seemingly good ends evil means are being used.

1. Harry Potter is not a fairy tale, that is true. It is a piece of literature that actually involves developed characters that aren’t merely used to lecture you about “This is right and this is wrong.” Rather the characters are people who have to learn what is right and what is wrong and we learn with them. We see them make wrong decisions and learn from their wrong decisions. That’s what good modern literature is about.

But as for wining through virtue, I will say this one. Harry, while he has been tempted to use evil against evil has always found that its been getting him no where. He never succeeds when he’s given into the temptation to use an unforgivable curse against one of the Death Eaters. But he has succeeded every time he’s done some vitreous act.

Moreover, the story is not finished! Harry Potter’s final lesson will be in the next book so I’d advice to withhold your final judgement on the series until its published. If Harry Potter does the unthinkable and kills Voltemort with the avada kedava (sp?) curse, than I will hate the series forever. However I know that Rowling is smarter than that and she’s already leading the plot in a completely other direction if the reader is observant enough to notice it and knows their grammar. (as you have to be careful when reading the prophesy about Harry and Voltemort)

/7. A (young!) reader’s power of discernment of good and evil is blocked out through emotional manipulation and intellectual confusion.

1. Is she admiting here that she was intellectually confused by the books?

1. It is an assault upon the young generation, seducing it playfully into a world of witchcraft and sorcery, filling the imagination of the young with images of a world in which evil reigns, from which there is no escape, on the contrary, it is portrayed as highly desirable.

1. Did we read the same books?

1. Those who value plurality of opinion should resist the nearly overwhelming power of this peer pressure, which is being accomplished through a gigantic corporate and multimedia blitz–one which displays elements of totalitarian brainwashing.

1. 

1. Since through the Potter books faith in a loving God is systematically undermined, even destroyed in many young people, through false “values” and mockery of Judeo-Christian truth, the introduction of these books in schools is intolerant. Parents should refuse permission for their children to take part in Potter indoctrination for reasons of faith and conscience.

1. false values? Hmm…the supremacy of sacrificial love? The importance of good study habits? The purpose of school not being, as the terrible professor Umbridge claimed, to be able to pass tests?

Moreover I’d have to say that the title of this article is misleading as correspondence requires more than someone sending one long letter lecturing a Cardinal about the evils of Harry Potter and getting ONE SHORT letter back that basically states being concerned over literature that can damage our young people’s faith is good.

Its even more misleading to then subsequently publish headlines that states that the Pope thinks Harry Potter is evil since he never directly made a comment on the series, nor has he read the series to make and informed assessment.

 

[otm]

Hurrah for you! Both my daughters and I can hardly wait for the next go around! And they are 23…

 

[wisdom_3_5]

I think people who want to see evil will see it in anything. There are alot of positive things in the HP series that are very obvious ie: the value of friendship, love, doing what is right as opposed to what is easy etc. You may be interested in these articles.

hogwartsprofessor.com/home.php?page=docs/pope

this site also has other articles on the Christian symbolism and themes throughout the HP series.

jimmyakin.org/books/

you’ll have to page down for this one. It July 11, 2005 title I’ve been paged.

[catholicexchange.com/vm/index.asp?vm_id=2&art_id=29604

](Catholic Exchange)

 

[Troy7]

Ms Kuby is a sad woman who wants to enforce her own pre conceived notions of how fairytale and mythical creatures ought to behave.

She makes ridiculous statments and charges that cannot be backed up with any proof whatsoever. But yet speaks with a false authority.

Great theologians have said that even the New Age is not an “organization” with a head. Its a loose group of people who share abstract ideas and not one of them can be found who can totally agree with one another on ALL POINTS.

But Ms Kuby obviously has vast knowledge that Potter is a consolidated and global effort to change our culture.

Good gravy where do these people come from?

I wish I was old enough to recall, or even if we had the internet back in the 70s when Disney did their “Escape to Witch Mountain” movies…

I bet there would have been no shortage of extremist rantings to read about from these people; screaming theres an “evil plot afoot”

These people slay me. They remind me of Piper Laurie in the movie “Carrie”… a mother so warped by religion she cant even bring herself to say “Breasts”…to her, they are still referred to as “Dirty Pillows” Thats what people like Ms. Kuby remind me of whenever I read those rantings.

 

[CatholicSam]

What was B16’s reply to her?

 

[the-3rd-parent]

hogwartsprofessor.com/home.php?page=docs/pope
explains the whole thing with the then Cardinal Ratzinger letter rather well.

The only English translation we have of his letter came from LifeSite.com and others have argued it was mistranslated. I can only say that the English grammar and the paragraph where our now current Pope supposedly condemns the Harry Potter books is full of comma splices. There is no reason to seperate “that you enlighten people about Harry Potter” by commas nor are there needs for a comma before “which act” and “before.” Thus I think that the person who translated lacks even proper English skills also says something about the accuracy of the translation as well.

So the translation reads as thus:

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Vatican City
March 7, 2003

Esteemed and dear Ms. Kuby!

Many thanks for your kind letter of February 20th and the informative book which you sent me in the same mail. 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.

I would like to suggest that you write to Mr. Peter Fleetwood, (Pontifical Council of Culture, Piazza S. Calisto 16, I00153 Rome) directly and to send him your book.

Sincere Greetings and Blessings,

• Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

Peter Fleetwood then received a copy of her book and wrote a four page letter to her explaining where she had misunderstood and read things into the books.

 

[jimmy]

Harry Potter is a great series and I can’t wait till the seventh book comes out. I have become far more conservative Catholic since I started reading the hp books and I love them.

 

[rocklobster]

I think it’s quite hypocritical that so many anti-HP types will say go ahead and read Tolkien or Narnia and then comdemn poor Harry Potter. Those have magic in them too. Of course, I realize now that even if Rowling had said up front whether she was Christian, that probably wouldn’t help her either. Lewis and Tolkien also went public with their faith and they were still misunderstood. Now if Ratzinger ever reopens the Index and adds this series, I will certainly question his logic.

 

[aBeLLe787]

:ehh:

Pope voiced caution on Harry Potter books

Rome’s Chief Exorcist Warns Parents against Harry Potter

 

[ezra1892]

^yeah the Pope says a lot of things.

 

[JMJ_Theresa]

I haven’t read the Harry Potter books, but I have a couple of friends who say that they are really enjoyable, esp the first two.

I recently read an old article from The Rock that suggested that people who have backgrounds in the occult find the books disturbing. I wonder if there is a danger for people who have new age/occult backgrounds?

Also, when they first became popular, one of my friends said she heard a girl asking at the librarian’s desk where the witchcraft books were. The librarian asked her if she was interested because of Harry Potter, and the girl said yes. Perhaps there is a danger for some young people?

I think it is better to err on the side of caution. Esp. when it comes to the occult. But, I’m sure most people are good at discerning what literature is merely entertainment for them versus what may be dangerous for them. Probably those who enjoy the books are not sensitive to any possible occultish influences.

However, be aware that the books might be harmful to some people. Don’t be dismissive of others’ concerns. :tsktsk:

 

[rocklobster]

^yeah the Pope says a lot of things.

At least he’s not speaking ex cathedra about his negative opinions toward Harry Potter :nope:

 

[Lapsed]

JMJ Theresa:

I recently read an old article from The Rock that suggested that people who have backgrounds in the occult find the books disturbing. I wonder if there is a danger for people who have new age/occult backgrounds?

I have a background in the occult, and a fairly intensive one at that. I would have to say that having such a background makes you much more sensitive and aware of genuinely occultic material in much the same way that an experienced painter is better able to identify techniques used by other painters in their works.

Harry potter isn’t it. It’s pure fiction. The moral relativism which permeates ther series is a far more insidious problem, really. For a devleoped conscience, it shouldn’t be a problem. The books can also be a valuable teraching tool for tweens precisely because of the discussion points raised by the worldview presented in them.

I have no problem with ten years and older kids reading these books, so long as their parents take the time to discuss the books with them, especially the problems they raise from a Catholic perspective. In other words, the parents need to read them as well and be able to teach their children where the characters in the books act against Christian values and how the prevelant worldview presented in the books differs from a Christ centred one.
JMJ Theresa:

However, be aware that the books might be harmful to some people. Don’t be dismissive of others’ concerns. :tsktsk:

I agree wholeheartedly with this. For some such books are not a problem, for others they are. We all need to respect that.

 

[ezra1892]

rocklobster:

At least he’s not speaking ex cathedra about his negative opinions toward Harry Potter :nope:

Popey the ex-Nazi?

he would never…