www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Vatical Approval for Harry Potter Books

The Vatican has finally spoken concerning the Harry Potter books and gave a thumb's up. Here is an article about it. Don

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030203/ap_on_en_mo/vatican_harry_potter_3

In a way, this is somewhat unfortunate. Of course, 'bad versus evil' stories have always used various media. Though the "magic" genre, or medium that many are using these days for almost everything if they're not re-interpreting history to their own image (thanks, Disney!), has almost totally monopolized movies and stories. What has happened to faith, belief, charity, respect, and responsibility? It all boils down to magic, even X-mas day. The heavy use of magic as genre is also not done without calculation by some producers and writers. Though, here, the author of Harry Potter is considered by Vatican officials not to use it to direct attacks on Christianity.

Yet, how ironic that our post-Christian culture can mock the beliefs handed down for centuries in our Churches, ignore the Christian basis of much of its history, ridicule our faith in a miracle-working God-man, consider our youths brain-washed into believing in at least 1/3 of the Gospel narratives dealing with healings, etc, ... but find it worthy to run out and PAY to see magic genre movies, purchase magic genre computer games, and pass up the Scriptures to get in another chapter of the latest magic genre book while thinking nothing of it.

There is an old saying that goes: "You are what you eat." There is another one that goes: "You are what you read."

Joe Thur

Dear Cantor Joe,

The devil you say!

I would agree . . .

Alex

I don't see much wrong with the Harry Potter stories. It's just another fairy tale. If we start to judge books and stories of this type we would have to also condemn other books and authors such as Hans Christian Anderson,and stories like Mary Poppins, Macbeth, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and if I'm not mistaken Tolkien was a practicing Catholic. Most of these stories deal with some kind of magic with fairy God-mothers, witches and wizards. The terror of such stories is way smaller than the terror the we read in our daily newspapers and magazines that are nothing less than fact and part of our daily lives. In this case maybe if there is any book that I would be afraid that my children would read, would be about the "Holy Inquisition" This would be something to really be woried about and not tales about giants, wizards, withches, monsters etc., they are just stories and nothing else.
Lauro

Well, as a librarian, I encourage reading and selective but extensive reading. I don't think that the Harry Potter books should be put on the "Index" (does it still exist? anytime soon.

Folks,

I didn't mention anything about an Index or an Inquisition. Read my post again to see what I actually wrote. I mention the monopoly of 'magic' being used in most stories today, even Christmas stories! It is one thing to use a particular genre; it is another to totally ecclipse others.

On the other foot, we've seen what producers and writers have done to Jesus. And many accept it accordingly. But when someone (Mel Gibson) attempts to produce a movie on Jesus' last 12 hours before he died (with all the reality factors included) people can't "understand." They never will. They consider him nuts as much as Jesus' own family considered him nuts. They can take magic, but not miracles; they can accept reality shows, but not the reality of Jesus; they can gobble up the litany of Christmas Magic shows on TV; but protest when someone wants to light up a Christmas manger scene on their town square.

I'm not personally against fairy tales, legends, or other moral stories as such. I only question the lemming drive to take in more magic as if we haven't had enough. Can we not recognize the cycle of dominant genres that have exhausted their use? Obviously, magic is more interesting than religion and the $ shows it, for it shows where people would rather put their hearts.

If our culture can offer us more magic stories, we call it wonderful and entertaining. If the Church or any Christian attempts to make a counter-offer with Jesus or God in mind, it is called an Inquisition, a promotion of an Index, boring, or "shoving religion down people's throats."

This is a sad situation. Do you accept this trend?

Joe

Dear Joe,
Of course I do not accept the magic trend. I would much more prefer to see a movie about the life of Christ, or maybe the life of an apostle or the life of a particular saint, but Hollywood and a number of people don't see these topics as interesting and with profitable high revenue.
People want to see and be like a successful, strong, beautiful hero that lives happily ever after. Many people don't see martyrs as heros and I'm sure that many don't want to be martyrs either. There is a group of people that didn't accept Christ as the Messiah because of this.
Lauro

Dear Cantor Joe,

It's just great to see you back in the saddle!

I"ll keep quiet, as I know I tend to say the wrong thing . . .

Alex

Dear Joe,

You make many valid points with which I concur. The notion of "magic" is quite the opposite of "religion." Religion comes from the Latin meaning "to bind" and can be best described [in the classic scholastic phrase] rendering what is due. In reference to God this means giving Him worship and acknowledging His dominion and our dependence on Him as creatures.

Magic on the other hand is the belief that one can control one's surroundings, good or evil forces through spells/special skills, etc. This flies in the face of an attitude of humility and reliance on God.

So you see, while I enjoyed the Harry Potter movies (haven't read the books) and understand why the Church didn't condemn them entirely - I question if the lessons they give on good & evil and the existence of the supernatural outweigh the skewed worldview they present.

PAX

P.S. I really liked the film because of the scenes of Durham Cathedral's cloister court!

'fraid we like HP too.

Joe, I'mnot sure whether Hollywood thinks Me' Gibson is crazy for making a movie about Jesus, or because he's reportedly doing it in Aramaic.

Cheers from the rapidly descending handbasket,

Sharon

Personally, I would never see a Harry Potter movie or read any of those books. They are full of nothing but witchcraft, majic and scorcery which is against the teachings of the Catholic Church!!!

God bless!!!

I also think that Harry Potter is not so dangerous for children if they are explained that everything there is a fantasy, there are things that are more dangerous.

However, some elements in Harry Potter's books may be full with the spirit of freemasonry. This may be contained in the curses, the words, and some of the symbols that are displayed there.

It suprises me (and at the same time it doesn't) that the Vatican has praised Harry's books, while Father Amorth, the leader of the exorcists in Rome, who has written several books, warned people about the curiosity that Harry's books will generate. He stated that if those children grow up without solid basis, there'll be a moment when Harry will not be enough and they will try to find something stronger, that will involve them in sorcery, and ocultism; or even satanism (I understand this will not happen with normal kids, but how many kids are now left alone without any education in moral, culture, etc?.

I think what was different back then vs. now ,is when I was read fairy tales the book was closed and that was it. HP like many other characters and cartoons are movies,stickers,bed linens, wall paper,rugs,dishes, water bottles,bath towels,back packs,pencils,binders curtains,cereal,
yogurt,underwear,t-shirts, watches,lunch bags/boxes, toys, computer games,trading cards. Just about anywhere you can stick that "logo" you will find it.If you can't get away from it maybe it starts to be real? We don't mass market our faith and shove it down everyone's throat. Which US President said the" masses are asses"? Was it Bush SR. ? I forgot.

Nicky's Baba

The marketing of Harry Potter knickknacks and tchotckes didn't start until it was noticed that the books were being read (maybe a bit before the 4th one was published in 2000?) and the movie makers got involved. It's the way marketing does things these days. There is supposed to be a feature film of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" being made. I predict that *that* will have tie-ins and such. Then again, I don't know how they could take out the Christian allagory, so I hope there will be no unpleasent surprises in this regard.

In much of Harry Potter, things are solved or handled not by magic, but by rejecting evil and choosing good, even at great cost.

The Pope seems to disagree...