Warnings about Harry Potter

[Fone_Bone_2001]

Anyway…
Have I read Harry Potter? No. Haven’t even thumbed one of JK Rowling’s best sellers

Did I use google to help me to decide whether to let my son watch it/read it? Yes bob I did.
Have I got time to waste reading HP/watching HP in order to form my judgment? No.
Does that make me unqualified to make a judgment? I don’t know.

Of course it doesn’t make you unqualified to make a judgment. You admit you’re undecided. You acknowledge your caution, which is a good thing.

In short, you’re in an entirely different boat than those who obstinately regurgitate the same objections over and over again, despite experiencing repeated correction by those who have read the series. For instance - and this is not a paraphrase of any particular individual; I’m just making this up as it’s very common - “Harry Potter contains and promotes the occult.” Then someone says, “No, it doesn’t; I’ve read them, and there’s nothing occult in them.” The first person responds, “Well, I don’t want to read evil books nor do I have the time, but they do have the occult. I know they’re evil.”

Until you go to that extreme, it’s not fair to you to dismiss your judgment.

It seems like Amorth is not the only exorcist with reservations about Harry Potter

causa-nostrae-laetitiae.blogspot.com/2007/07/mexican-exorcist-warns-about-influence.html

That blog makes the same bizarre mistake that most anti-Potter arguments make: the target of its criticisms bears little resemblance to Harry Potter. I’m guessing this Mexican exorcist has no experience of the novels and is basing his opinion on hearsay.

For instance, he says that '‘If you put all these ideas in a child’s head, that he can become a wizard, the child believes that, and that is opening an avenue through which the devil can get in." But even a cursory familiarity with the Harry Potter series reveals that the series puts no such idea in a child’s head. Ordinary people like you and I (“Muggles”) never have and can never have magical abilities of any sort in Rowling’s novels. It’s an inborn thing, and there’s a very clear divide between regular humans and magical humans. Just as humans couldn’t do the things they consider “magic” that elves can in LOTR, so too are Rowling’s ordinary humans unable to practice the “magic” of her series’ major characters.

I also don’t like Disney movies or Star Wars and my son will not be watching those under my roof.

Well, see, you’re far more consistent then.

 

[PatriceA]

catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=20546



It seems like Amorth is not the only exorcist with reservations about Harry Potter

causa-nostrae-laetitiae.blogspot.com/2007/07/mexican-exorcist-warns-about-influence.html

Anyway…
Have I read Harry Potter? No. Haven’t even thumbed one of JK Rowling’s best sellers

Did I use google to help me to decide whether to let my son watch it/read it? Yes bob I did.
Have I got time to waste reading HP/watching HP in order to form my judgment? No.
Does that make me unqualified to make a judgment? I don’t know. I am just weighing up the pro’s and con’s. I can’t state for sure whether Rowling’s work is good or bad. Maybe I am being ultra-cautious.

I also don’t like Disney movies or Star Wars or the Simpsons and my son will not be watching those under my roof

I know you’re wondering how can a child possibly survive without Disney/Coca Cola/Star Wars/McDonalds/Harry Potter e.t.c e.t.c. ?

Well it’s possible.

Our Lady appeared to St.Bernadette and repeated words something like this “I promise you happiness. Not in this life but the next.”

I’m curious, why not Star Wars? It has some great Christian themes in the stories.

 

[John_of_Woking]

Of course it doesn’t make you unqualified to make a judgment. You admit you’re undecided. You acknowledge your caution, which is a good thing.

In short, you’re in an entirely different boat than those who obstinately regurgitate the same objections over and over again, despite experiencing repeated correction by those who have read the series. For instance - and this is not a paraphrase of any particular individual; I’m just making this up as it’s very common - “Harry Potter contains and promotes the occult.” Then someone says, “No, it doesn’t; I’ve read them, and there’s nothing occult in them.” The first person responds, “Well, I don’t want to read evil books nor do I have the time, but they do have the occult. I know they’re evil.”

Until you go to that extreme, it’s not fair to you to dismiss your judgment.

That blog makes the same bizarre mistake that most anti-Potter arguments make: the target of its criticisms bears little resemblance to Harry Potter. I’m guessing this Mexican exorcist has no experience of the novels and is basing his opinion on hearsay.

For instance, he says that '‘If you put all these ideas in a child’s head, that he can become a wizard, the child believes that, and that is opening an avenue through which the devil can get in." But even a cursory familiarity with the Harry Potter series reveals that the series puts no such idea in a child’s head. Ordinary people like you and I (“Muggles”) never have and can never have magical abilities of any sort in Rowling’s novels. It’s an inborn thing, and there’s a very clear divide between regular humans and magical humans. Just as humans couldn’t do the things they consider “magic” that elves can in LOTR, so too are Rowling’s ordinary humans unable to practice the “magic” of her series’ major characters.

Well, see, you’re far more consistent then.

I think when CS Lewis and JR Tolkien were penning their works Britain was more rooted in Christian tradition. I think the problem now is that kids are growing up with zero religious (name removed by moderator)ut. They are living in a relativist, moral vacuum. They are avidly searching to sate their spiritual appetite with whatever presents itself to them. I know in the USA there is still a strong Christian bulwark but over here a lot of children are really easily influenced…I remember here in Britain the pagan federation really did experience a massive increase in interest as a result of the HP phenomenon. Harry Potter really did spark a wave of interest in Wicca. Now I am sure all the good people here on CAF can read these stories and watch these films and extrapolate some moral virtue here and there. I am sure children in Christian families are quite rooted in the Truth to remain unaffected but the reality is for most people Harry Potter is their first introduction to anything vaguely preternatural/supernatural etc and they seem to be turning to Wicca rather than Christ as a result…I think this is what the exorcist was referring to…

The Catholic World Report, April 2001, p.58
“In an interview with Newsweek, a spokesman for the Pagan Federation in England reported that he receives an average of 100 calls per month from young people who want to become witches-an unprecedented phenomenon which he in part contributes to the Potter books. An article in Dec. l7, 2000, issue of Time reports that a similar organization in Germany deals with an increasing number of inquiries, which it also credits to the Potter factor. Rowling herself expressed surprise at the volume of mail she receives from young reader writing to her as if Hogwarts was real, wanting to know how they might enter the school in order to become witches and wizards.” The magazine goes on to say that "A recent search of the Internet for Harry Potter references yielded more than 500,000 “hits”. Selective searches turned up more than 100 high profile websites under titles, such as “Learn more about the Secrets of the Occult” and “How to Become a Witch”. It also stated that "Librarians in diverse social settings report that children in increasing numbers are requesting material from the occult sections of their collections.

 

[takers]

May I also through out the book titled “Finding God in Harry Potter” by John Granger.

Supposively after seeing a ‘punk/gothic’ looking woman buying a Harry Potter book John Granger wanted to read and write about the series (the first book I believe, specifically) to state how the Harry Potter books are negative influences. Instead he found many instances that related back to God. I read this book a few years ago and found it very interesting.

 

[John_of_Woking]

I’m curious, why not Star Wars? It has some great Christian themes in the stories.

I am not saying Star Wars have anything anti-Christian about them. I genuinely wouldn;t know/can’t remember. I guess I just don’t see the fascination.

I’ve only watched one and was quite non-plussed.

I suppose all I am saying is that I will not go out of my way to buy Star Wars DVD’s or find out when it is showing on TV for my son. I suppose TV/cinema isn’t that big a deal in our lives and wasn’t when I was growing up. I remember as a kid people playing with their light sabres…It got a bit tiring…

“May the force be with you”…

laughs out of poilteness

“May the force be with you”…(2,822nd time) :banghead:
Then on May 4th every year some wisecrack would say “May the Fourth be with you”

I just wanted to kick a ball about and be outside

 

[John_of_Woking]

May I also through out the book titled “Finding God in Harry Potter” by John Granger.

Supposively after seeing a ‘punk/gothic’ looking woman buying a Harry Potter book John Granger wanted to read and write about the series (the first book I believe, specifically) to state how the Harry Potter books are negative influences. Instead he found many instances that related back to God. I read this book a few years ago and found it very interesting.

If kids/parents were buying Granger’s book alongside Rowling’s there may not be such a furore. Unfortunately that’s not the case

 

[John_of_Woking]

I know I was talking with a grain of salt

 

[John_of_Woking]

You got it. If someone in a few years time plonked it on the dvd player. I’d go for a walk round the block and let the rest watch it…

pats himself on the back

…see I am not such a scrooge afterall…

SCROOGE…Christmas Carol…now that’s a story/film worth taking in…even if it was written by a skeptic

The ghost of Christmas future would rival some of those comic angels you displayed a few posts back

 

[John_of_Woking]

View attachment 9313

He doesn’t even have a face…a social and didactic warning of the fate of unrepentant faceless bureaucrats?

PS don’t trump me with any more of those comic strips…I could use some sleep tonight

 

[Reservoir_Dog]

may the modestly dressed Ashley Force be with you, always.

 

[EasterJoy]

FWIW, this is what the film revewer for the USCCB (which rates that movie as A-II, appropriate for adults and adolescents) had to say about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:

It is to be stressed, as with its predecessor, the film is only a fantasy – not a course in witchcraft – so it is not attempting to undermine Catholic beliefs. Harry is out to thwart evil and protect his fellow students even at the risk of his own safety. Children too young to understand the difference between fantasy and reality are not the appropriate audience.

This, however, is what is written about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (boldface mine):

The magical elements in the script are benign, serving to support the plot, not endorse the evils of sorcery. The romantic tension of earlier films takes a back seat to the action this time, with a few exceptions: stolen kisses, close dancing, and a peculiar fantasy scene, invented by Voldemort, showing Harry and Hermione implicitly nude and about to have sex – all designed to enrage Ron, which it does.

The film contains much action violence with frequent peril, brief partial nudity in a sexual context, scenes of murder and torture and a few vaguely sexual references. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III – adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

I find such reviews very helpful. These can be accessed at nccbuscc.org/movies/index.shtml

 

[JHow]

"Do - or Do not. There is no ‘try’. "

What better advice to give a kid?

 

[styrgwillidar]

Regretably, I missed Portrait, but perhaps on his return he could address something.

He mentioned earlier that Harry is not good, he is in fact a lesser evil because his good works are tainted by the methods. Basically the rejection of the concept of the ends justifies the means. The emplomyent of magic, even for good is immoral and therefore evil.

In all honesty, and please don’t take this as an attack or confrontational, does the end goal of keeping kids away from HP justify the means of lying about and misrepresenting what are in the HP books?

I’m not a huge HP fan, but I’m not anti HP either. How can one asses whether to allow kids access to something without basing it on truth?

I eliminated the Disney Channel/Cartoon Network etc. from my home because I saw the portrayal of adults and authority figures as clueless, easily manipulated etc.

 

[Reservoir_Dog]

What better advice to give a kid?

*And he said: “Son, this world is rough
And if a man’s gonna make it, he’s gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn’t be there to help ya along.
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you’d have to get tough or die
And it’s the name that helped to make you strong.”

He said: "Now you just fought one hell of a fight
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
To kill me now, and I wouldn’t blame you if you do.
But ya ought to thank me, before I die,
For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
Cause I’m the [expletive deleted, lest someone complain] that named you “Sue.’” *

 

[EasterJoy]

*And he said: “Son, this world is rough
And if a man’s gonna make it, he’s gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn’t be there to help ya along.
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you’d have to get tough or die
And it’s the name that helped to make you strong.”

He said: "Now you just fought one hell of a fight
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
To kill me now, and I wouldn’t blame you if you do.
But ya ought to thank me, before I die,
For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
Cause I’m the [expletive deleted, lest someone complain] that named you “Sue.’” *

*I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
And I called him my pa, and he called me his son,
And I came away with a different point of view.
And I think about him, now and then,
Every time I try and every time I win,
And if I ever have a son, I think I’m gonna name him
Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name! *

(So maybe naming a boy after St. Susanna is not such a great idea.)

 

[Reservoir_Dog]

*I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
And I called him my pa, and he called me his son,
And I came away with a different point of view.
And I think about him, now and then,
Every time I try and every time I win,
And if I ever have a son, I think I’m gonna name him
Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name! *

(So maybe naming a boy after St. Susanna is not such a great idea.)

Yeah, it leads to some unexpected surprises for Oh! Calcutta dinner theater shows, too.

 

[EasterJoy]

The thing about Wonder Woman is how much of Wonder Woman’s skin (and, ahem, “et cetera”) her fans were exposed to.

 

[Reservoir_Dog]

The thing about Wonder Woman is how much of Wonder Woman’s skin (and, ahem, “et cetera”) her fans were exposed to.

Not enough.

 

[JHow]

And don’t forget she had the magic lasso that always made you tell the truth.

 

[estesbob]

I guess this wouldn’t be a good time to start extolling the virtues of the stories of H.P. Lovecraft?