Recently
Charlotte Church reportedly told off Pope Benedict XVI because he allegedly said that the Harry Potter book series, by J.K. Rowlings is "evil" and should be "banned" (there is apparently some confusion as to what
JPII said, but others have outright stated that the
books are evil). Here is what I told others when I initially read that news.
This statement strikes me as absurd. I think that Pope Benedict XVI is far too careful and pastoral a thinker to simply state that the Harry Potter series should be banned. I think it's far more likely that he urged caution.
As it turns out, the letters in which Pope Benedict XVI mentioned his views of the books have come to light, and they can be found
here. He seems to think that the books are a bad influence. I agree with him, but only to a degree (keep reading if you want to know why).
After I first read Church's quote, I also had a number of different things to say about the topic, but, after reading a few articles, I realized that others have communicated my thoughts better than I had originally done. In light of that fact, I'll post a few links for those of you who want to read more on the possible dangers of the Harry Potter books.
From Lifesite News:
Copied (with permission) from Catholic Insight. Of particular interest to me are the comments from different writers at Chesterton Review.
http://www.lifesite.net/features/harrypotter/proandcon.htmSteven Greydanis has one of the more balanced articles I've read at his website, though he does, IMO, leave out some issues, but I still recommend his article over any other article that I've read.
http://www.decentfilms.com/commentary/magic.htmlHere's another article from Michael O'Brien. I include primarily because I think he has some good points about Harry's treatment of other people.
http://www.lifesite.net/features/harrypotter/obrienpotter.htmlI must say right now that I disagree with many of things that Michael O'Brien has said. I think he treats the Harry Potter books unevenly, as he seems to apply more stringent requirements to Rowling's books than to Tolkien's books. Here's an example from the first link.
O’Brien quotes Kimbra Gish as pointing out how the books portray in a positive
light activities condemned in both the Old and the New Testament—enchanting,
divination, charms, consulting with familiar spirits, "abominations" in the eyes
of God which must be driven out.
I'll touch on some of those aspects very briefly.
- Divination--The practice is almost entirely viewed as fraudulent, since it is viewed by looking at a teacher who is an obvious fraud. There are some examples of creatures who practice fortune telling (centaurs), but they seem to say that divination is nearly impossible anyway.
- Enchanting--This is an example of uneven treatment. In the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) there are examples of enchantment. Think of the Gandalf's enchantment on Butterbur's Beer or else the Lembas bread. The magic of the elves also include enchantments.
- Charms--Here's a definition of charms according to Encarta: "a special phrase or rhyme believed to have magical powers", or "to affect somebody or something by, or as if by, the use of a supposed magic spell". Once again, the first definition is fulfilled by Gandalf in LOTR. Regarding the second definition, think of Lothlorien. Celeborn and Galadriel each possess power over that physical world, and that power comes from magical rings.
I have yet to read any articles about the Christological references in the book, but some of them, IMO, are very, very strong and resonant. For example, in book 5 you read that Harry is protected from harm--from Voldemort in particular--because he is covered by the blood of his mother, who loved him so much that she gave her life for him. I see this as a very strong reference to Christ.
I brief, I think along the same lines as Steven Greydanis. There is good in the books, but there is the potential for some people to be opened up to the occult. This potential stems from the fact that Rowling does not build the hedges that Tolkien and Lewis build (once again, read the Greydanis essay on the topic). Rowling does not believe in the world of magic, thus treating it like it is a completely fantastic world, but magic and the occult is real. Therein lies one of Rowling's faults. She does not believe in a world that really does exist, so she does not take the time to guard young minds from that world's dangers.
Most children will not be taken into the world of the occult because of the books, but parents should not simply trust themselves to benevolent providence on the matter. Parents are charged with keeping watch over their childrens' souls, and that charge should be taken with the utmost gravity. Parents should read the books first, and read the books with their children afterward.
