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SEPTEMBER 5, 2006 at 8:29 PM
Posted by GERI
Source: CBC via YubaNet via Moreover
Additional controversy seems to be popping up once again in reference to the Harry Potter books and the Vatican. This time, chief exorcist, Rev. Gabriele Amorth states
that fictional character Harry Potter is the “king of darkness, the devil” in an interview with Vatican Radio last week.
Rev. Amorth goes on to compare the Potter characters to Stalin and Hitler, and says:
You can tell by their behavior and their actions, from the horrors they committed and the atrocities that were committed on their orders. That's why we need to defend society from demons.
You may remember that last year in another interview on Vatican Radio, Monsignor Peter Fleetwood, an expert on New Age and former official at the Pontifical Council for Culture said that:
...I remain firmly convinced that the Harry Potter novels are very well written. They are written on the classical plot of good versus evil in the standard way that the old myths were written. The characters are built up around that: the goodies and the baddies so to speak, and I can't see that that's a bad thing for children, when goodness, and the people on the side of goodness are portrayed as the ones who will eventually win. Harry's enemies resort to all sorts of evil things, and they are the ones who loose in the end. I don't see what's wrong with that, and I can't see that does any harm to children.
It would seem that personnel from the Vatican cannot agree on Harry Potter.
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Witch
Points: 538
Dementor Hugger says:
WOW!thats cool .never would have expected it. yay! first comment!
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:31 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1485
_sapphire_ says:
Wow. Well, I repsect their believes, but I would have to disagree.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:33 PM EST
Points: 10161
GodricGryffindor says:
Yeah, well maybe the popes exercist shoudl read the book before calling him the devil.
God, people like this give MY religion a bad name -.-
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:35 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1384
Mrs.Oddment-Tweak says:
Wow. That is all really. Wow.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:39 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 2nd Class
Points: 1741
HarryAssistant says:
That was a pretty interesting debate. No matter what, Harry is not evil at all! I'm glad to be back!
HarryAssistant
Harry's Return
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:41 PM EST
Auror
Points: 3647
Anastasia Popovick says:
OH COME ON!!!
I'm Catholic and this is ridiculous! What year are we living in? The dark ages? Is the the inquisition? Fiction is fiction. Hitler and Stalin were real, horrible people. If the devil were anywhere look within those kinds of people not fictional stories. I am so frustrated by this article.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:45 PM EST
Witch
Points: 981
tigergal0075 says:
That is horrible! He probably hasn't even read the books! Grrr. I hate it when people do this. I won't even start on my opinions.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:45 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 2nd Class
Points: 1614
hermy-ninny712 says:
As always they criticize the books because they hear the word "witchcraft", "wand", "potions" and "evil." You know they never take the time to open up the book and read it. If they did, they would agree with that Fleetwood guy. It just sucks that some people are so ignorant and close-minded. Oh well, their loss!!
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:46 PM EST
Head House Elf
Points: 2755
Dobby says:
OH NO! Now everyone has to stop reading harry potter because it's the devil! We're all going to h-e-double-hockey-sticks for reading it!
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:48 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 17
kikipotter says:
I agree with Monsignor Peter Fleetwood 100%!! The man knows what he is talking about!!!! (that maybe why he is a "former official".
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:50 PM EST
Wizard
Points: 701
cmenges says:
Additional controversy seems to be popping up once again in reference to the Harry Potter books and the Vatican. This time, chief exorcist, Rev. Gabriele Amorth states that fictional character Harry Potter is the “king of darkness, the devil” in an interview with Vatican Radio last week.
Rev. Amorth goes on to compare the Potter characters to Stalin and Hitler, and says:
You can tell by their behavior and their actions, from the horrors they committed and the atrocities that were committed on their orders. That's why we need to defend society from demons.
We all know what this is.... Natzi Christian hate groups that Proberly have not even see a cha[ter of a book. And is baseing their information on heresay and The fact that it deals with MAGIC. (Which if they knew the difrence between their head and a hole in the ground they would know is neither good or evil BUUUUUT how it is used. (Cathlics are not the only group. Baptist and even some sects of Lutherns are on the hate wagon also.)
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:51 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 2nd Class
Points: 1661
shivon says:
Oh brother. I saw this earlier on MuggleNet. People just take things too far. I Christian but I like Harry Potter even though it's about (dare I say it?) magic. Come on Mr. Pope's Exorcist and all others, Hitler and Harry Potter are not the same.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:56 PM EST
Student
Points: 268
DreamSickle123 says:
Oh my! That's.. weird.. I do give the statements respect, but they should just leave us Potter fans alone! Hitler and Stalin may be real, horrible people, but Harry Potter is just fictional;it isn't true. Oh, like there's really a Wingardium Leviosia spell, and like there's really a Lord Voldemort out here coming to hunt down the innocent, or a special sign with a serpent 'dark mark'....
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 8:59 PM EST
Harry's Lost Brother
Points: 10058
American Harry Potter says:
That's ridiculous =P Oh be quiet! Freedom of religion!
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:00 PM EST
Squib
Points: 154
LoveOfHermy says:
I cant believe this there is other books out there that have worse stuff than this that kids read.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:01 PM EST
Student
Points: 213
Ginny_Weasley_504 says:
I think everybody has the right to express their own opinions. However, I would have to disagree with Rev. Amorth. I don't see how the Harry Potter books would do any harm to children.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:02 PM EST
Witch
Points: 852
nejicanspin says:
HITLER AND HARRY POTTER THE SAME!!!! That is a bunch of cock and bull there. Harry Potter is 100% not evil. The people that say so are evil!!
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:03 PM EST
Witch
Points: 701
Kelly Ann Snape says:
All I can say is leave Harry Potter alone. It is a great series of books... fiction is just that .. not true. I think some people take things way to seriously and need to relax. No wonder so many people have heart attacks. They are worry about things they should not.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:11 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 347
quiet_daphne says:
Oh my, what an interesting way to promote rebellious children to read a book. Say it's bad and they'll all want to find out why. Thanks head exorcist....head exorcist....strange, and they say Harry Potter is evil.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:16 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2078
HermioneLunaGinny says:
HA! This guy has no idea what the heck he's talking about. Ahh, this gets me to thinking about that one time for an English perswaysive writing paper I wrote about how Harry Potter wasn't evil...
*ignores intervies, because she knows it shall make her mad*
HLG
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:20 PM EST
The Keeper of Time
Points: 2604
krisie says:
He probably hasn't even read the books and therefore doesn't know what he is talking about. The main thing is that we all like the books.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:21 PM EST
Squib
Points: 127
muQry says:
What? This is rubbish..devil? Whats up with this people agains Harry Potter?
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:22 PM EST
Auror
Points: 3045
Tinker.belle says:
Well that is just ridiculous. Harry Potter can't be the devil. I think they should read the books before saying stuff about it.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:22 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2079
kermittounette says:
I can't help but laugh! Harry Potter isn't a demon! He's my favorite character and I always want to read it. It's a great thing for all the kids to read that, it is a quest to conquer the devil!
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:25 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2401
tonks 27 says:
Hmmmm, or it would seem that certain personnel within the vatican simply have not read the novels and just are judging from what they've heard.
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:25 PM EST
Witch
Points: 576
sweetj364 says:
that is rediculous! Harry Potter is FICTION people! i mean really i cant beileve they would even publish that kind of stuff! i bet the Catholic Church is feeling pretty bad right now!
Posted Sep 5, 2006 at 9:26 PM EST
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