Coming out of the closet
After reading this story, I have a confession to make, one that is sure to scandalize many people:
I am a fan of Harry Potter
Yes, it’s true – I’ve read all seven books (twice) about the boy-wizard, have seen the first five movies, and plan to see the latest movie installment next week.
It all started like this: a few years ago I was desperate to find books for my bibliophile 10-year-old daughter. My mother-in-law, who is a former middle-school teacher and is now a librarian, couldn’t stop raving about the Harry Potter books. I had heard some negative things about them from people I respected, but my mother-in-law is a good Catholic as well, so I began to think they might not be so bad. I also saw a positive review of the HP books by my friend, Catholic author Regina Doman, so I thought there might be more there than I suspected. But since I had heard so many negative things about them, I wanted to read them for myself before allowing my children to read them.
So when I was at my mother-in-law’s one Christmas, I picked up the first book and read it quickly (I make no claims that the HP books are dense literature – they are children’s books, first and foremost). I wasn’t wowed by the story, but I also found nothing in it objectionable, and much to like. The most controversial part of the books in the Christian world – the use of magic – seemed to me to be so clearly tongue-in-cheek that I had a hard time taking seriously the argument that it could lead children to dabble in real-life magic. To be honest, I think Lord of the Rings is more likely to tempt a child to try magic than Harry Potter (and I consider LOTR the greatest fictional books ever written). Most of the magic in the books is laugh-out-loud funny, not a serious introduction to “black arts” in any way. Furthermore, magic in the Harry Potter books is clearly intended to be fantastical – you are born with it or you are not, and nothing a “Muggle” can do can lead them to be able to perform magic.
So I decided that it would be okay for my daughter to read the books, but didn’t actually get around to picking the books up at the library for her. I then was at my mother-in-law’s again and bored and picked up the second book in the series. At that point, I was hooked: I became immersed in the story and read through the sixth book (the seventh had not yet been released) in quick succession. I put the seventh book on hold at the library as quickly as possible and was able to pick it up the morning of its release and read it in one weekend. I have since then gone back and read them through a second time.
A note at this point to those who do not know me personally: I am quite over-protective of my children. My wife and I are very intentional in what entertainment we allow our children to consume. We don’t own a television, and we restrict what books they are allowed to read (on an age-appropriate basis – for example, my eight-year-old is currently only allowed to read the first three books in the HP series). I take very seriously my responsibility to protect my children from harm, and I have no problem resisting societal pressure to have my children have what other children may have.
So why do I like the series? Number one, I find the characters very interesting. Rowling does a marvelous job of populating the HP universe with a broad diversity of characters, and like real life, none of them are perfect and none of them are pure evil (expect perhaps Voldemort, and even he has a back story that can produce sympathy for him). I have read a good deal of “Christian fiction,” and the biggest criticism I have of the genre is that most of the characters are very one-dimensional: they are either “good” (i.e. born-again Christians) or “bad.” I am not looking for books which represent a reality in which my children do not live – I am looking for books in which “real” (read: flawed) people do their best to make the right choices in their lives.
That brings me to a common criticism of the books: you often hear that Harry Potter himself is not a good role model because he often breaks the rules and doesn’t suffer any bad consequences. In actuality, though, Rowling does a good job of reflecting real life: sometimes Harry – like every teenage boy – breaks the rules, and when that happens, sometimes good things result, and sometimes, very bad things happen (think about what happened to his godfather in the fifth book when Harry didn’t do what the grown-ups wanted him to do). To act like we live in a world where following rules (not moral laws, necessarily, but just rules) always has good consequences is simply not accurate.
Furthermore, Harry clearly is a good role model in a fundamental area of life: he willingly sacrifices himself for those he loves. Yes, at times he acts like a typical teenager in doing that, but to me that makes him all the more powerful; it conveys to youth that one can have faults and problems and still rise above them to perform heroic acts of charity for others.
I am a strong believer that every parent must decide what is best for their own children – I cannot say what someone else’s children should or should not read. But I would say to all Catholic parents who are hesitant to allow their children to read the books based on what they have read (from Michael O’Brien, for instance): read the books yourself and then come to your own conclusion. Like me, you might be surprised to find a quite engaging and positive series of books that your children – and you – will greatly enjoy.
Hi. My name is Cathy, and I’m a Potterholic.
Welcome to the club …
Half Blood Prince movie tomorrow — WooHoo!
Whether you like them or not, the Holy Father has branded them as “products of evil.” Enough said.
Eric, are you familiar with our book The Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide? Nancy Carpentier Brown wrote it.
Dianne,
Two problems with your comment:
1) It is false. The Holy Father did not brand the Harry Potter books as “products of evil.” (If you think he did, please prove it with a direct citation from the Holy Father himself).
2) Even if the Holy Father did say that (which he did not), he is not infallible when it comes to evaluating children’s literature – especially literature he has not read. It is an immature caricature of the Catholic Faith to think that the Pope’s opinion on a book is infallible doctrine, which you imply by your “enough said” attitude. We as Catholics are free to disagree with such assessment if we wish (but again, the Pope didn’t say that, so it’s a mute point).
I do not have a problem if someone does not like the HP books, or even if they don’t want their kids to read them. But to make false statements about the Holy Father in order to brand them as “evil” is, well, silly.
Cathy D.,
I am familiar with the book and have heard great things about it. I hope to purchase it at some point (mostly to give to some of my friends who are on the fence about Harry).
Hello, Dianne. I believe the specific statements regarding this issue, which were written by Cardinal Ratzinger, are the following two comments contained in correspondence he had with the German author Gabriele Kuby:
“Thank you very much for the instructive book. It is good that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly.”
and
“Thank you very much for your courageous engagement against occultism and magic.”
Michael O’Brien provides the context for these comments on his weblog here:
http://studiobrien.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=121&Itemid=45
Hello, Eric. I want to first say that I enjoyed your interesting take on Harry Potter. While I disagree with your conclusions and do not share your favorable opinion of the books, I do appreciate the cogent way you expressed your rationale.
Nonetheless, I think your response to Dianne was unnecessarily sharp and somewhat condescending. She did not expressly invoke papal infallibility by her “enough said” remark. I understood her to be invoking the opinion of a holy and learned Catholic cardinal theologian who, at the time he made those statements above, while not pope, was the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith — not an insignificant position, to be sure.
I understood Dianne to have been implying that the opinion of someone like Cardinal Ratzinger is worthy of serious, careful consideration. If she says that his opinion on this issue is enough for her, I find no fault in that. Which is why I think that responding to her with terms like “immature” and “silly” is a little over the line, even if her quote was inaccurate, because she was trying to make a legitimate point.
I think it would be well worth everyone’s time to read through the rationale that Michael O’Brien lays out for his views on this issue. A lot of it is available through that link above.
God bless you.
For Cathy D.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-07-13-vatican-harry-potter_N.htm?csp=34
“The Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano even gave two thumbs up to the film’s treatment of adolescent love, saying it achieved the “correct balance” and made the stars more credible to the general audience.”
Patrick,
Thank you for your comments – you are right that I was unduly harsh to Dianne – I made assumptions about her viewpoint which should not have been made from her brief comment.
I agree that the opinions of Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict should be treated with great respect (if you knew how much I admire him – I’ve been a fan of his for over 15 years – you’d know how much I mean that). But I assumed Dianne’s comments were like those who believe that Pope Benedict has condemned the Harry Potter books unilaterally (and even in some official way) – something which I do not believe that his small quote demonstrates. However, I should be more careful when making assumptions about what other people think.
I have read Mr. O’Brien’s comments on Harry Potter, and I personally found them to be unpersuasive. But I agree that all Catholics interested in the subject would do well to read his comments – as well as pro-HP viewpoints such those of John Granger, Nancy Brown, and Regina Doman.
Cardinal Ratzinger (who never read the books themselves) was politely responding to what Gabrielle Kuby had told him about HP. She misrepresented the books, for example by claiming that they advocate racism whereas Rowlings’ message is firmly against prejudice–the villains are the racists. Rev. Peter Underwood, assigned by the Cardinal to evaluate HP, gave a positive judgment, to which Mme. Kuby never responded.
Google my name with Michael O’Brien’s and see what I said to him when this sad controversy first erupted. His mistakes are even more obvious now that the series is complete.
If you’re ever looking for additional books, check of Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain series (5 books total).
I too am a Potterholic. I see nothing in the books to challenge my faith. I agree that LOTR (which is both my favourite book[s] and film of all time) could be considered more questionable as to be honest in my opinion could be the Narnia series. I also think that JKR shows Harry and others as flawed human beings, like the rest of us, and how they seek the course of right from wrong.
When all is said and done these are children’s books not “How to do magic” manuals. I think there is more than enough material in them for a sensible conversation between parents and children about good v evil, personal pursuit v community engagement, selfishness v self-sacrifice.
JKR was Vestry Secretary and generous to her church during and after writing HP I know this as I knew another member of the Vestry Committee.
OOps! The name of the Vatican’s HP-investigator was Fleetwood, not Underwood.
Magic- The power of apparently influencing events by using mysterious or supernatural forces – Oxford Dictionary
Even when books are “fiction” they are never the less read in “real life”. They can influence the way we think about a subject. Would you practice wicca? If the answer is no, which if Catholic it should be, then why be entertained by it? Since the HP books witchcraft has gone up 400%. Another thing to wonder is where does this supernatural power come from? The power to change things? The devil or God? Should we teach our children to do Gods will or thier own? I agree that the Popes opinion is of great value and I in no way think that I am a better judge between good and evil. It is always a good indication whether something is good or bad by the people who surround themselves with the subject matter. Hollywood is obessed with Hp. Enough said. I once heard Sandra Miesel on Catholic Radio saying that witchcraft is harmless. Maybe the question should be do you think witchcraft is wrong? If you do not then the HP books would naturally be a good read.
The magic in HP is not Wicca nor does it involve the invocation of demons. It’s a natural not a supernatural phenomenon. Magical talent in HP is an inborn capacity, like perfect pitch or math genius, that needs training to perfect. Modern Wiccans–and I’ve known some for more than 30 years– are generally harmless folk. They don’t harm other people nor kill animals. Their religion is a man-made hodgepodge of falsehood and should be rejected on that basis by anyone, Christian or not.
If HP must be forbidden because it depicts magic, then stay away from LORD OF THE RINGS, which really did influence people to become Pagans.
Lord of the Rings does not confuse good and evil. There is clear distinction between the two. The people who used the ring saw the evil it caused and repented. HP there is no distinction between good and evil.It distorts what is evil and makes it look good. We are all tempted and the LOR desmistrates how we can say no and sorry or we can self desruct from lust and pride. There is nothing nautral about changing the future. It glorifies being our own gods and not letting His will, but ours will be done. God does not create people with the powers the characters have in HP. A good read that can show how “harmless” wicca can devleop into full blown satanism without even knowing it, is Moira Newnans story. The bible is clear on the evil of paganism. Whether you are born a witch or cast spells all on your own it it equally evil.
The One Ring isn’t the only magical artifact in LOTR nor does Tolkien consider magic (neither magia nor goetica) intrinsically evil–in his subcreated world where magic is one of the counterfactual premises. And many Pagans by their own testimony were attracted to Paganism by LOTR.
I started writing about Paganism for the Catholic press in 1983. I have an extensive scholarly library on same and related topics. Magic in HP isn’t Wiccan or Pagan. It’s a natural technology based on natural apptitudes which don’t exist in the real world. But the moral standards of the wizarding world are the same as ours–no confusion there.
Mr. Sammons,
By description on this blog you are called to be a contemplative in the modern world, I beg you to be true to this call and flee from HP and please do not promote or defend that which is undefendable. Be contemplative and defend that which is defendable (The Faith and all things Holy).
God’s Richest of Blessings upon you and your family,
Rev. Christopher Crotty C.P.M.
Hi, Maggie, I don’t understand how you can think “there is no distinction between good and evil” in HP (unless perhaps you have not read the books – then I understand). The distinction and the conflict between good and evil is exactly what the series is about! It is also about the call good people have to make sacrifices to combat evil – that is a major theme of each and every book of the series. One aspect of the primary evil character of the series is that he has no comprehension of what it means to love – not only is he hate-filled, he just can’t even conceive of sacrificial love. An accurate portrayal of evil, I’d say. The protagonist on the other hand survived toddlerhood only by his mother’s sacrificial love, and must come to terms with his own mission to save others by sacrificing himself. I’m just not seeing the moral disorder here…
This is awesome debate. But hey,
isn’t this just a continuation of a 19 year old discussion started in a Miami U dorm in 1990 about whether Christian Punk music is really holy or not? Is it the words or the spirit?
The real question to me is whether there is anything that glorifies evil to the point to make it “attractive & seductive”… That’s what I am watching for our kids…
Anyway, after all that, how was the show?
Thumbs up?
Joe Menkhaus
Caire’s comment at 1:52, shows, (as people who have actually read all the books know), that love, the difference between good and evil and sacrifice are at the core of the HP books. I find the HP books clearer on these points then LOTR and Narnia. (both of these have magic and wizards/witches)
Yes, one should talk with their childred about the difference between a “story” and truth and tell the truth about Satan, witchcraft and evil.
If one has done this then HP is a fun story with wonderful morals about friendship, sacrifice, good and evil, and I believe these things are easily seen, compared and discussed in HP.
So I say, read them, don’t read them, expose our kids to HP, don’t,
but if you chose not to, then for the sake of charity, don’t vilify something which you don’t really have a personal experience of.
I find it hard to understand that we as Catholics are confused with that which is good reading and that which is not. This is so clear. HP is most certainly the work of evil. How do we know? Our Lord tells us so. He clearly warns against sorcery and witch craft in the Bible. There is not good sorcery and bad sorcery…there is only one and it does not come from God. Basic Catholicism pure and simple.
Now just because you are entertained by something dosent make it good. Just because you cannot find something wrong with it dosent make it wrong. Therefore whom do we go? The Church. Clearly the Bible warns us of such things- The Pope already has- The Vaticans Excorist already has – and every priest that I have spoken to that performs excorcisms have said stay away from HP.
Why is it that those who are for HP seem to forget what our leaders are telling us?
“Dont vilify something which you dont have a personal experience of?” I havent read Playboy but I know its evil. I havent had an abortion but know its evil.
Kelly,
There are a number of problems with your analysis.
1) We are not allowed to dabble in sorcery or witchcraft in real life. There is no injunction in the Bible against reading fantasy literature, which often uses magic in a fantastical way (thus the genre name) to make the made-up world more interesting. For example, in Lord of the Rings, the elves have many magical powers which they use for good – should LOTR be condemned then? If your standard is “mention magic”=”evil”, then all fantasy literature, including LOTR, must be condemned.
2) The pope has not condemned Harry Potter. As Sandra mentioned previously, he has never read the books nor has he definitely pronounced judgement on them in any manner.
3) I agree that one does not need personal experience to “vilify” certain things that are unquestionably wrong. Playboy, for example. His Dark Materials, for another. However, in both those cases, ALL faithful Catholics agree that the material in question is dangerous and evil. In the case of Harry Potter, however, many, many faithful Catholics (including many clergy) have come out in favor of the series. So we are not “forgetting what our leaders are telling us.” This is a case of prudential judgement left to the faithful, and we are allowed to decide for ourselves whether or not we want to allow our children to read the books. But because it is a prudential judgement and not a case of objective evil, I would submit that one cannot make a claim for or against them without reading them for himself.
Your claim that we must read them is false. I have done a lot of research on HP. I know whom she researched to find her materials. I know she went to real withches. I know she uses real incantations. Real names of witches. I wont fill my mind with the garbage of evil. And no catholic should. Everything I have found out about HP is to much for this site. Do the research for yourselves. Its out therel Talk to people and clergy whom battle these issues daily. Talk to those who perform exor. on people who are trying to get out of the circle of witchcraft. You people are treading on dangerous grounds.
You have been conditioned to think it is ok to fill your minds with such things in HP. We have fallen to the secular societies view of it cant affect me , but in reality you have already been affected.
Kelly,
I applaud your desire to keep your mind on things that are pure and holy and I believe we should all strive to do this. That is a primary reason why we don’t own a TV, why we homeschool, why we strictly control what our children can read, and why we don’t allow our children to be exposed to the garbage out there that passes for “entertainment.”
But I would strongly disagree with your assessment that Harry Potter falls into the category of evil influences. In fact, I would argue that they can be a very positive influence on children. I have spent years forming my mind to the Catholic Faith and after reading these books I can say with confidence that they are not contrary to that Faith. But I am not infallible, so that is why I urge anyone interested to find out on their own by reading the actual books – that is by far the best research anyone can do.
When I home schooled with Seaton they would have laughed if I told them we were doing a book report on Harry Potter.
Did you understand what I posted , the people who frown on this book? Those who fight the very things HP promotes, are the ones who encourage us to stay away from it. Do you understand the power in that. What these people see and hear. What they experience. Dosent that mean anything?
Here is a comment from someone whom is in that catagory. “The last aspect which disturbed me greatly is the fact that Harry uses his magic to get what he wants, the list almost matches the seven deadly sins, wealth, power, pride, envy, anger and lust. (Harry gets what he wants through magic) proves power over parents, authority, and fellows, vengeance against those who would dare trod upon his ground, and finally wins the girl in the end. This very much fits the first commandment of the “Satanic Bible” “Do what thou wilt is the whole of the law.”
There is much more that HP fans clearly dont understand. Again I would encourage you to do your homework. HP is seeped in the occult.
Thanks for conversing with me. You have been very charitable. I will close with this. This book has caused a lot of confusion of what is good and what is evil. Who is the master of confusion?
Kelly, you are sadly misinformed. Harry does not “use magic” to fullfil sinful desires. He learns to forgive his enemies, saves their lives, and willingly lays down his life for others. He even exhorts the Dark Lord to repent. These are hardly the values of the Satanic Bible!
There are no real spells in HP. None. Nada. Harry’s spells involve waving his wand (which has a core of phoenix feather) and saying a simple Latinate word or phrase. There is no resemblence to Neo-Pagan witchcraft. As for mentioning the names of real witches, where? Nicholas Flamel was an alchemist, not a magus, and a devout Catholic.
Who claims that Rowling consulted “real witches”? Name your authorities. How does your source know that? All that she’s said about her research was that she learned about “a ridiculous amount about alchemy.” Reject HP all you want. Clearly these books aren’t for you. But please don’t misrepresent their contents or listen to people who do.
I am a fan of these novels for the same reasons that Eric is but can understand the objections of others on this post. Although I’m not yet a parent, I worry daily about the downward spiral of our culture and how it may affect my children in the future. The primary danger that I see in these books is if a child is so deeply obsessed with the alternative reality of these novels that they become socially withdrawn and prefer to live in the fantasy of the Harry Potter subculture. This social phenomenon is similar to the cult mentality around Star Wars, Star Trek, and Lord of the Rings. This obsession won’t automatically lead to dabbling in the occult or witchcraft, but it isn’t healthy to allow it to shove one’s faith or other relationships into the back seat. If parents recognize it, it’s probably a good thing to curtail and talk to them about. Obviously its important for parents of children to adequately catechize their children and make them aware that any of these books (Harry Potter, Narnia, LOTR, etc) are works of fiction and talk to them about the positive themes and values in the stories. Obviously it’s good to encourage children to think critically about any literature they read and always view anything through the lens of their catholic faith!
[...] Coming Out of the Closet: Here a conservative Catholic blogger admits at long last to being a Potter-phile — and is met immediately with anathemas and accusations of apostasy. Fortunately, Perelandra steps in to straighten the Star Chamber true-believers out. [...]
Pingback by HogwartsProfessor.com · Christian Controversy/Conversation Continues — July 30, 2009 @ 9:00 pmJKR is a Presbyterian; I think that qualifies as a type of Christian. Of course she researched real-world occult practices, but she also scrambled them in the books. The only two forms of magic that resemble real-world occult practices are Prof. Trelawney’s Divination–described as a very unreliable form of magic (at best) and at worst Trelawney is a right old fraud–and Voldemort’s reconstitution, which is depicted as a very wicked form of magic that no sorcerer with a shred of decency would have anything to do with.
Harry’s House at Hogwarts is symbolized by a Gryffon; a Gryffon is a symbol of Christ.
In “Chamber of Secrets”, Harry must descend to a cave deep below the castle to battle an enormous deadly Serpent, whom he defeats by the aid of a Phoenix, which then carrys him up, back to the world of the living. The Phoenix is another symbol of Christ.
Harry drives off the Dementors, spirits of Depression and Despair, by calling for his “Patronus”, protecting spirit, which takes the shape of a Stag–again, a symbol of Christ.
Finally, the last book is so absolutely rife with Christian symbolilsm that I can’t describe it all without giving away too much of the plot.
You who continue to vilify JKR, what part of “thou shalt not bear false witness” don’t you understand?
[...] Coming Out of the Closet: Here a conservative Catholic blogger admits at enlarged last to being a Potter-phile — and is met immediately with anathemas and accusations of apostasy. Fortunately, Perelandra steps in to straighten the Star Chamber true-believers out. [...]
Pingback by Christian Controversy/Conversation Continues | Wandlore.net — August 9, 2009 @ 7:10 pmEric,
For the most part I like ‘em too, and Dave and I saw the last movie at the theater for our one and only real date this year.