J.K. Rowling Outs Dumbledore

[historybrat]

I read all 7 books and have seen all 5 of the movies so far. I like the series and think its a wonderful way to engage kids in reading. However, I’m not sure by J.K. Rowling had to out Dumbledore. It doesn’t make sense to me, but at the same time it takes nothing away from the experience of reading and enjoying the books.

This isn’t the first and probably will not be the last thread on this site about Harry Potter. I’m of the opinion that if you don’t like the series for whatever reason don’t read it. If your concerned about it (like you have kids) would this not be a great way to bring up a discussion about whatever issue concern you. While I was mature for my age, my parents tried to keep on eye on what I read. They didn’t shelter me (too much ) but tried to help me understand their point of view on something by using something I was interested in.

In the end it doesn’t matter what we think. The series has sold millions and will continue to see. The movies will be produced. And regardless of the outing the story is still the same.

Historybrat

 

[estesbob]

That’s why so few pay any attention to esteemed literary critics.

I believe many of those esteemed literary clinics are consumed by jealousy. They can call her a poor writer if they want but she’s a billionaire and they’re not. I really don’t care what critics say I enjoyed the books.

 

[Gerry_Hunter]

…
Now, as we get your opinion, care to share whether or not you’ve actually read the books?

Yes.

Blessings,

Gerry

 

[whatevergirl]

My kids have enjoyed her books, and they didn’t realize that the author has ‘insinuated’ this in her books about Dumbledoor. I find it a head scratcher that it was necessary to discuss the sexuality of anyone in these books.

 

[Jessamy]

If children accept Dumbledore’s lifestyle as the lifestyle that gays should live, it would be great. Based on the books, Dumbledore lives a celebate single life, which is what the church calls on homosexuals to do. This books will not affect our children accepting the homosexual lifestyle that the homosexuals want them to accept. I am much more concerned about “Two Mommies”, “Two Daddies” type books, homosexual support clubs at high schools, otherwise inocuous shows (Dog Whisper, Sell This House, etc) that has homosexual partners seeking help. To me the shows are the worst, because they present the homosexual lifestyle as being completely equal to the lifestyle of married couples. Not even an eyebrow is raised at them.

I see no problem with Dumbledore being smitten for another man. If being smitten for someone was a form of acting out on sexual urges, then every person, hetrosexual or homosexual, that has flurted, dated, courted, etc another person would be guilty of a sin.

You’ve got to understand that most people are NOT going to see this the way you do. For them to understand this as anything other than a full out endorsement of the homosexual lifestyle, JKR would have to be much more explicit (ie saying that Dumbledore chose to be celibate).

I have always loved the books, but I was disturbed by the ending of the last one (specifically the revelation that Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him) and this bit of sensationalism leaves a bitter taste in my mouth regarding the whole Harry Potter affair. As many others have said, there was no reason to declare Dumbledore homosexual, and the fact that the author has done so now disturbs me. While I see no indication of this in the books, and do like many of the messages of the Harry Potter series, I hesitate now to give it the full endorsement I would have before the concluding book and the author’s comments the other day.

 

[KCtheMommy]

What state just outlawed the use of “husband”, “wife”, “mom”, and “dad”?

Yeah I thought I was done this thread but this question had me wondering. What state has outlawed the use of these “terms?”

 

[estesbob]

Yeah I thought I was done this thread but this question had me wondering. What state has outlawed the use of these “terms?”

California passed a law that you could not use any terms that could be considered offensive be to hold slew of minority groups one which was homosexuals. Opponents of the law claim that using the words mother and father and husband-and-wife could be construed as criticism of homosexuals or as excluding them. The law is just went into effect and nobody knows whether this is true or not

 

[FishMonger]

There’s a few possibilities we can consider here, as well as the ones noted so far.

First, we could be dealing with a very bad writer indeed. After all of those books, why was it necessary for her to TELL us that this character was a homosexual, rather than it being obvious from the written text in the novels? Let no one accuse this lady of writing literature, or of mastering character development.

Second, we may be witnessing a sad unraveling of an ego. The series, we were told, is complete. So, exit limelight – unless, of course, something can be done to grab attention. And the more outrageous it is, the more attention it grabs, and the more limelight returns.

Third, maybe sales are sagging, or the negotiations for movie right need a boost?

Anyway, the nice thing about fiction is that you can invent facts. It’s still fiction, mind you, and in this case, really weird fiction. It’s also proof that truth is stranger than fiction, because this declaration, which truly took place, strikes me as very strange indeed.

Blessings,

Gerry

Have you considered she might just be sitting back and laughing at everyone taking this so seriously?

 

[KCtheMommy]

California passed a law that you could not use any terms that could be considered offensive be to hold slew of minority groups one which was homosexuals. Opponents of the law claim that using the words mother and father and husband-and-wife could be construed as criticism of homosexuals or as excluding them. The law is just went into effect and nobody knows whether this is true or not

Holy Homosexuals Batman! You are right!

worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58130

And I live HERE? Aye yi yi yi yi. No wonder they have so much bullying – they are concerned about whether or not the terms for “normal” (meaning the TRADITIONAL) families might be offensive to homosexuals.

Sorry to derail the thread, but I was curious about this. FYI we just moved back here in the last year – I had not heard of this.

Thank God for Catholic Schools…

 

[Keikiolu]

J.K. Rowling outs Hogwarts character

Wow, I have to say I didn’t expect this, at all!

So, has anyone else considered the abject cowardice of JK…?

It’s as if, say, Conan Doyle declared on his deathbed that Holmes was a satanist and Watson was his familiar…!

She’s just decided, for whateer reason, that it’s acceptable to inject sexuality into a story not about sexuality, for effect.

It’s a beautiful “set up”, timed most effectively to “spike” the ball most forcefully into the “loins” of the Family team’s star player. “Literacy”.

Terrific strategy, and marvelous execution…!

The old Deceiver must be quite proud of his work, indeed.

 

[Urf]

If only people in her position, with so many kids and adults hanging on her every word, would just learn to keep their ideas and opinions to themselves. Let people make up their own minds about the characters, rather than shoving these sorts of things down people’s throats.

Hypocrisy anyone?

 

[estesbob]

Holy Homosexuals Batman! You are right!

worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58130

And I live HERE? Aye yi yi yi yi. No wonder they have so much bullying – they are concerned about whether or not the terms for “normal” (meaning the TRADITIONAL) families might be offensive to homosexuals.

Sorry to derail the thread, but I was curious about this. FYI we just moved back here in the last year – I had not heard of this.

Thank God for Catholic Schools…

They also have a law that trangendered students can use any restroom they feel most comfortable in, I guess the fact that a transgenered male might make females uncomforatble in a womans restroom didnt occur to them

 

[estesbob]

So, has anyone else considered the abject cowardice of JK…?

It’s as if, say, Conan Doyle declared on his deathbed that Holmes was a satanist and Watson was his familiar…!

Holmes was a cocaine adict so i guees we had better stay away from those books.

She’s just decided, for whateer reason, that it’s acceptable to inject sexuality into a story not about sexuality, for effect.

If you say so

it’s a beautiful “set up”, timed most effectively to “spike” the ball most forcefully into the “loins” of the Family team’s star player. “Literacy”.

Terrific strategy, and marvelous execution…!

The old Deceiver must be quite proud of his work, indeed.

Or perhaps its just gross overeaction from people who didnt like the books in the first place.

I believe if you read between the lines you will realize that dumbledore had cast a reversi sexual orientatus spell that had taken care of his problem

 

[CathCentrist]

Catholic hypocrisy 101

Keep your mouth shut and opiions to yourself - that is unless they are in line with the status quo…

 

[estesbob]

Catholic hypocrisy 101

Keep your mouth shut and opiions to yourself - that is unless they are in line with the status quo…

Actually its unless they are line with my opinions.

 

[jnm]

Dumbledore is gay, big deal. In the 7th Harry Potter book Rowling provided a good description of Dumbledore’s interactions with Grimwald, it involved absolutely no hints whatsoever that Dumbledore had any kind of unacceptable feelings for him. This was the only person Dumbledore was apparently attracted to. He didn’t do anything morally objectionable with Grimwald except perhaps fighting him and ultimately being responsible for Grimwald’s death. It isn’t a sin to be homosexual, just like it isn’t a sin to be heterosexual. Being engaged in any permarital sexual activities is a mortal sin, and will reserve your a front seat in hell, regardless of weither or not you were engaged in homosexual or heterosexual activities. People are implying that ALL homosexuals are engaged in immoral activities. Are all heterosexuals involved in immoral activities? A lot of them are, just like a lot of homosexuals are. The penalties for both are the same, eternal damnation if they don’t repent.

People should applaud those that take up the challenge of being celibate, and people should applaud heterosexuals that don’t engage in any sexual activity. Both are examples of how to live good, strong, moral lives. Being homosexual or heterosexual makes no difference. How you act on those feelings, makes all the world. In today’s world most people from both orientations are engaging in very sinful and equally damming sins and those sins are being thrust down our throats in television, music, books, and even schools. Yet a strong character is celibate and simply because he is attracted to the same sex, people are freaking out?

 

[FishMonger]

Just for fun, let’s go with the notion that Dumbledore is gay. If so, then he is a fine example of what the Cathlic Church recommends. The Church certainly doesn’t condemn people with same sex attraction. However, it does say they must lead a celibate life.

This is exactly what Dumbledore does. He doesn’t act on his SSA, and he doesn’t talk about it. I would think he is doing just what the Church recommends. So, what’s the problem?

 

[mommyof4]

J.K. Rowling outs Hogwarts character

Wow, I have to say I didn’t expect this, at all!

Me neither. I’m not too happy about it, either.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

I believe many of those esteemed literary clinics are consumed by jealousy. They can call her a poor writer if they want but she’s a billionaire and they’re not. I really don’t care what critics say I enjoyed the books.

Those who can do.

Those who can’t teach.

Those who can’t teach criticize.

[Note that one of the losing prosecutors in the Simpson case left to teach in law school, the other became a legal commentator on television. ]

 

[DanteAlighieri]

Perhaps – but, if you’ve read the books, you’ll notice that there is a total lack of such promotion.

Look at what Rowling says in the linked article:

She says nothing (and the book implies nothing) about Dumbledore and Grindelwald actually doing anything about this; in fact, she doesn’t seem to say anything about whether there was a mutual attraction at all.

This is not inconsistent or incongruent with Church teaching, which acknowledges that many people suffer from same-sex attraction, but that it is impossible to find fulfillment in acting it out.

The bottom line is that, even if a person has a SSA, they are not sinning unless they act on it, and we as Christians are called to assume the better of a person. As pertains to Albus Dumbledore, since the novels neither describe nor allude to any homosexual activity on his part, we can and should only asume that he did not act on his desires.

Given the strong Christian undertones throughout the story, this does not surprise me.

Peace,
Dante

I just want to reiterate what this poster said, since it sounds pretty good to me.

Also, the comment someone made about Dumbledore’s “celibate single lifestyle” is right on the money. Kudos!

Peace,
Dante