J.K. Rowling Outs Dumbledore

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One comment she makes, at the very end, leads me to beleive she may have been pulling our legs:

“Oh, my god,” Rowling concluded with a laugh, “the fan fiction.”

She may have joking about the wild specualtion you see on some Potter fan sites. It will be interesting to see if she issues a clarification.
 
ABostonCatholic said:
Coffeelover, you reflect my sentiments ENTIRELY.
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😃 👍

I’m still feeling angry, because I was fooled for a while by these books. And because it DOES hurt to give them up. I was halfway through Book Five when I realized I shouldn’t be reading them.

And I feel bad for all the parents who spent their money on these books for their kids, only to have their values demeaned behind their backs.

Rowling should have made these statements before now. But she knew that some parents would have “voted with their money” and not bought the books. Although I don’t know how big a dent that would have made in the profits…but I would hope that at least enough parents to make a difference would have taken a stand.

Although another part of me thinks she just should have kept her mouth shut about this completely It had no relevancy to the plot, and so why mention it to her audience filled with children? It was almost certainly an attempt to sway youths’ opinions. Kids are like that…if someone they admire think a certain way, they start thinking that way too. We see that all the time. So I bet she realizes that if she openly supports homosexuality, her young readers will too…maybe she sees herself as an agent of social change, who knows.
 
What I find most interesting is that she said that Dumbledore was gay after asked the question of whether Dumbledore finds “true love.”

Instead of answering that in a yes or no, she said that “Dumbledore is gay.”

It’s almost like she said instead of true love, he is gay???
 
I noticed that too. She could have left it at a “yes” or a “no” answer and spared the children’s ears and minds. I really suspect her motives here.
 
Okay, I think there’s a lot to be said on either side. Personally, I think the Harry Potter books are okay, as long as you don’t try to make a big deal about it. I mean, it’s fiction! You shouldn’t be trying to ‘cast spells’ or become a wizard or whatever, but you also shouldn’t try to make a big brouhaha about it.
But back to topic… Okay, I’m not really pleased with Rowling, because she pretty much just ruined one of my favorite characters with this announcement. But think back to before the announcement- there was basically nothing to imply that Dumbledore was gay! (Except maybe the conspiracy theories or something…) It seems to me like something just to get attention. Like, “My books are all done… I need to create more attention… I know, let’s make one of my characters gay!”

Just my humble opinion…:twocents:
 
cecilia97 said:
I stand by them. If fictitous gay characters are a threat to our beliefs and morals, we’re in a world of hurt…
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It’s not my beliefs and morals I’m worried about. It’s the impressionable children who love these books, and are so influenced by the values of the media. 😦
 
coffeelover said:
It’s not my beliefs and morals I’m worried about. It’s the impressionable children who love these books, and are so influenced by the values of the media. 😦
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And parents can pass their beliefs and morals on to their kids. Lots of us were exposed to worse as kids and turned out OK.

The Catholic Church is pretty durn “tolerant” of homosexuals…and adulterers, and liars, and thieves, and sinners of all stripes, and thank God! Nothing in the books implies homosexual ACTS.
 
coffeelover said:
I came to the forum earlier today to start a thread about this, but had to get offline instead. 😦 But I’m glad to see that someone else has already mentioned this.

Is it just me who’s very upset? Christians have been debating for years whether Harry Potter books were appropriate for Christian children, and so many parents said they were harmless.

Here’s another quote from the article: “Rowling, finishing a brief “Open Book Tour” of the United States, her first tour here since 2000, also said that she regarded her Potter books as a “prolonged argument for tolerance” and urged her fans to “question authority.””

So there you go. She basically says it herself! I think she knew all along that her books didn’t promote Christian values, and that is what she wanted to present to our children. Are there STILL any Christian parents who will allow their children to read these books, knowing that the author is trying to sway our kids away from our teachings?

For full disclosure, I openly admit that I used to be a Witch (Wiccan) myself for several years. I’m so sorry now for the lifestyle I used to lead, and try so hard to please God now. But even as a Christian, I used to read (and yes, enjoy) Harry Potter books. At first, I didn’t see much harm in them, because the magic world presented in them was so fantastical and bore little resemblance to what being a Witch was really like. I’ve stopped reading them now though because I realize the danger in making Witchcraft look harmless and fun.

I think this is perfect timing on her part, don’t you? Wait until the series is finally over, and you have all the money you want from Christian parents…and then basically admit that your message to your young readers all along was to question authority, promote “tolerance” or {insert whatever other buzzwords are in fashion for leaving behind the traditions of their Church and parents}!
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There’s a reason why Benedict XVI was critical of Harry Potter.
 
coffeelover said:
It’s not my beliefs and morals I’m worried about. It’s the impressionable children who love these books, and are so influenced by the values of the media. 😦
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Is there some particular value expressed in Harry Potter books that you find improper? What is it?
 
*gasps!

The gay!

It’s just books guys(and overrated ones at that)
 
FishMonger said:
Is there some particular value expressed in Harry Potter books that you find improper? What is it?
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I’m worried that it’ll lead young children to think that Witchcraft is harmless, because of how it’s presented in the books as being harmless.

I was a Witch for several years. It was a miracle I ever opened up my heart to Christ at all. And I’m so sorry for my actions in the past. I don’t want other young people swept away with magick like I was.

Witchcraft in real life is not like what’s presented in the books, but it still presents the concept as all right. I don’t want youngsters desensitized to anything that has a real-life immoral counterpart, you know? That is a line that we should stay far away from. Especially children, who often have a harder time understanding moral issues and therefore need extra guidance.
 
Dumbledore isn’t even REAL, for crying out loud.

How can he be gay, straight, or even sideways?
 
tee_eff_em said:
:twocents:

Oh man, it puts me in mind of the folks who insist that Ernie and Bert of Sesame Street are gay… (Ernie and Bert are *puppets *and they do not *exist *from the waist down)

Dumbledore is a *fictional character *-- Words on a page. The author can say what she likes as a back-story, but if those words on a page never describe any sexual relationships, nor even desires, what does it *mean *for them to be “gay”?

:twocents:
tee
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Fictional ? Can this be true ? 🙂​

Why is it that people can’t distinguish fact from fiction, & don’t seem to realise that fictional characters are not mouthpieces for the opinions of their authors :eek: ?
 
Gottle_of_Geer said:

Fictional ? Can this be true ? 🙂​

Why is it that people can’t distinguish fact from fiction, & don’t seem to realise that fictional characters are not mouthpieces for the opinions of their authors :eek: ?
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Well Rowling was quoted as saying that her books were actively promoting certain concepts that would make Christians angry.
 
Was that really necessary for her to do that? Couldn’t she leave bad enough alone?

I have a running issue with my girls over my disagreement that someone should make more money than the queen by glorifying magic and ritual and witchcraft type stories. Isn’t there a better way that she could have made a fortune? Now she’s dragging homosexuality into the picture?
 
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