Pope Poo-Poos Potter

Published on July 14, 2005 By Ionolast In Misc

Jul 13, 2005 — BERLIN (Reuters) - Pope Benedict believes the Harry Potter books subtly seduce young readers and "distort Christianity in the soul" before it can develop properly, according to comments attributed to him by a German writer.

Gabriele Kuby, who has written a book called "Harry Potter - Good or Evil," which attacks J.K. Rowling's best selling series about the boy wizard, published extracts from two letters written to her by Benedict in 2003, when he was a cardinal.

Kuby, a devout Catholic, had sent him a copy of her Potter critique and he wrote to thank her, according to a passage from one of the letters published in German on her Web site.

The Vatican had previously appeared to approve of the books, saying they helped children to understand the difference between good and evil.

Kuby maintains the opposite, listing among 10 arguments against Harry Potter: "The ability of the reader to distinguish between good and evil is overridden by emotional manipulation and intellectual obfuscation."

Self-righteous, self-appointed guardians of the public morality always seem to have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality.
Maybe they watch too many horror and sci-fi movies.

Comments

Dr Guy

on Jul 14, 2005

Self-righteous, self-appointed guardians of the public morality always seem to have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality.

Seems those types are not just indigineous to America.

Ionolast

on Jul 14, 2005

Seems those types are not just indigineous to America.

Not at all.

bakerstreet

on Jul 14, 2005

I agree, with un-educated reservations. I think they are great books and I don't see anything wrong with them.

I have heard, though, that when they are used as reading assignments that the teacher's materials that go along with the book promote the kids to look into the factual basis of some things they find in the book, which basically sends them off to look up witchcraft, wicca, the occult, and such.

I say uneducated because I don't have access to the materials and I don't know how overblown the claim is. If it is true, it would be pretty heinous considering the flack a publisher would get telling kids to go look into CHristianity or any other organized religion.

It shouldn't be surprising that the Pope would have a problem with it, though. Some of the most elevated, free-thinking people in history have come from the Catholic church, as have some of the most close-minded, book burning bigots.

I guess we should be glad at least to live in a time where the Pope doesn't issue a papal bull requiring all the copies to be burned and anyone who promotes them to be burned at the stake.

Gideon MacLeish

on Jul 14, 2005

My kids don't read the "Harry Potter" books, but I see the arguments against them based on witchcraft as no more compelling than those lobbied against "The Wizard of Oz" the better part of a century ago.

As one who has serious concerns about the declining literacy among our citizens, I am personally encouraged by the success of the "Potter" books; it is encouraging children to read, and that is a VERY good thing in our digital age. Potter books, while not our "cup of tea", certainly have been beneficial to the children of this country, and haven't "sold" witchcraft any more than Martin Scorcese "sold" the mafia.

Ionolast

on Jul 14, 2005

I am personally encouraged by the success of the "Potter" books; it is encouraging children to read, and that is a VERY good thing in our digital age. Potter books, while not our "cup of tea", certainly have been beneficial to the children of this country, and haven't "sold" witchcraft any more than Martin Scorcese "sold" the mafia.

I completely agree.

I wonder if another reason for the anti-Potterism is that the books are threatening to outsell the bible.

kingbee

on Jul 14, 2005

gotta be one of the coolest article titles i've seen in a while. you may have what it takes to snag a lucrative career writing headlines for the tabloids (seriously one of the better paying gigs around...sadly, one they only fill by promoting from within or so i've been told, so you'd have to edit a zillion 'whacky (subject) (predicate) whacky (object)' contributions before you wind up in that anthrax-infested chair)

i would expect the jerusalem clergy has a problem with the potter series as well. not necessarily cuz of the sorcery but because they work so hard to develop all these unique accessories just to have someone else show up wearin somethin derivative.

bakerstreet

on Jul 14, 2005

LMAO... cough, gasp...

(caption)

What, I look young to you? Professor McGonawitz, get the sorting yarmulka already. I got 50 kids waiting and the matzo is getting cold. Who knew this Malfoy kid was such a meshugga? "Eat Pork, old man!" he says to me... and he kisses his mother with that mouth? Oy, for peanuts I'd sell this job, and this putz in the cape you get for free...

Ionolast

on Jul 15, 2005

aaaaahahahahahahahaha

Thanks, kb. I just thought of another title: "Pontiff Pontificates on Potter"

Funny caption, Baker.

Dr Guy

on Jul 15, 2005

and haven't "sold" witchcraft any more than Martin Scorcese "sold" the mafia.

Really? You mean I cant make you an offer you cant refuse?

Dr Guy

on Jul 15, 2005

I wonder if another reason for the anti-Potterism is that the books are threatening to outsell the bible.

That would not concern the Pope. Catholics dont read the Bible, dont cha know?

Death_By_Beebles

on Jul 15, 2005

What, I look young to you? Professor McGonawitz, get the sorting yarmulka already. I got 50 kids waiting and the matzo is getting cold. Who knew this Malfoy kid was such a meshugga? "Eat Pork, old man!" he says to me... and he kisses his mother with that mouth? Oy, for peanuts I'd sell this job, and this putz in the cape you get for free...

LMAO

Seriously though, the Harry Potter books are a good way for children to read. I know that a lot of kids that come through our library system who read little to nothing else have read the Harry Potter books. I also know, that kids who like the Potter books were more likely to read other fiction, and just continue to read in general. I guess being holier than thou means you have to condemn something every once and a while.

kingbee

on Jul 15, 2005

after at least 10 reads, i'm still hearin this thanks to my head providing an audio version, thus causin me to add yet one more reason for someone to drop a 5150 dime on my laffin-insanely-for-no-apparent-reason self.

you deserve being booked as well...in the catskills.

bakerstreet

on Jul 15, 2005

I was going for a Jackie Mason type thing. Good lord, that is a "Newsy" normal picture, but in the "harry Potter" context it is funny as hell.

Makes you wish Mel Brooks was in his prime.

dharmagrl

on Jul 15, 2005

Makes you wish Mel Brooks was in his prime.

That's EXACTLY the voice I heard in my head when I read the caption.

My kids think I'm insane because I giggled for a good half an hour over that....

Harumph

on Jul 16, 2005

Gabriele Kuby, who has written a book called "Harry Potter - Good or Evil," which attacks J.K. Rowling's best selling series about the boy wizard, published extracts from two letters written to her by Benedict in 2003, when he was a cardinal.

Kuby, a devout Catholic, had sent him a copy of her Potter critique and he wrote to thank her, according to a passage from one of the letters published in German on her Web site.

So he's condemning them on her Potter critique without reading them? How.. muggle-ish of him to do so..
And now thanks to BS, I've got to make breakfast with Mel Brooks in my head.. LMAO

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