WCR Letters to the Editor

No spiritual dangers in Harry Potter series

Moore claims Harry Potter promotes a Wiccan perspective. That is like calling Satanic Verses Muslim propaganda. My small experience with Wicca - an acquaintance who practised it - is that Wicca is essentially a feminist, anti-patriarchal spirituality, concerned with much New Age divination and the revival of paganism.

If the Harry Potter books were Wiccan, Hogwarts (Harry's school) would be run by a woman (it isn't), the protagonist would be a girl (Harriet Potter?), the school would not celebrate Christmas or Easter, the stay-at-home mother character with six kids would be scorned (she is respected), and Harry Potter certainly would not have a godfather (wizardfather?).

The book also makes considerable fun of divination, representing it as the fraud it is. Tea leaf reading, crystals, astrology are presented, very effectively, as a crutch for the shallow and weak-minded.

In the fourth book of the series, Harry and Ron must astrologically forecast their future as an assignment given to them by their flaky divination teacher. Knowing the teacher's fondness for tragedy, they make up a particularly unhappy chart and get an excellent mark for it, with the teacher "commending them for their unflinching acceptance of the horrors in store for them."

Moore judges the book through a black and white, defensive prism, through which few books could pass. Shakespeare (sorcery, sex and suicide too!), fairy tales, Greek myths, Song of Songs would be removed from school libraries, and we'd be left with nothing but Strewl Peter and the Compiled Articles of Charles Moore.

Oh, and Narnia Chronicles are okay too, according to Moore, because Narnia has an explicitly Christian message. Where? Do the characters go to Mass? Do they pray?

There are hardly any books - whether they are classics or not - with an explicitly Christian focus. Rather the "Christianity" of most books is implicit, with the reader drawing parallels with the Christian Gospels and recognizing the Christian virtues. If we were to do that with Harry Potter, we might find considerable good there, perhaps even a Christian message.

First, Harry is not superhuman. He and all the wizards and witch characters, despite their powers, struggle to get their homework done, keep their jobs, make dinner for a large family. And Harry's not a very good wizard, after all he's just started wizards' school. Actually Harry depends a great deal on his friends to get him out of the trouble he always seems to attract.

In the first book, Harry defeats the bad guy through the power of his mother's love. In the second book, he defeats evil Lord Voldemort with the help of a phoenix, who helps Harry because Harry had defended his headmaster even after the headmaster was sacked.

In an interview recently, the author J.K. Rowling was asked if she was Wiccan. Quite the contrary, she is Christian and attends church regularly, and I would say it shows, if you have read the books and judge them through a Gospel focus.

Instead of fearing witches and seeing evil around every corner, I think we celebrate Christ and see the truth, beauty and love he has given us in this world (even if he is not always given the byline.)

And I am thrilled that the Christian virtues of faith, hope, honesty, charity, bravery, loyalty . . . of goodness, are reinforced in such an entertaining and well-written way as the Harry Potter series.

Ann Burkinshaw
Sherwood Park

Nakedness in Anno Domini would upset Jesus

Frank Henderson, a member of the exhibit's advisory committee, has advised that this is not a Christian exhibit but rather that Christ is the theme of the art display. I do not think Christ would approve.

The quality of the art does not excuse painting Christ naked as portrayed in the piece Gethsemane. Edward Knippers has taken liberties with the image of Christ.

God did not like nakedness. He made aprons of leaves for Adam and Eve. The devil is often portrayed naked which is degrading but fitting for him.

Scripture tells us of those possessed by an evil spirit appearing naked in public. Scripture admonishes us not to show our nakedness to our children.

Jesus covered a couple who were lying near the roadside naked. Even today, in our corrupted world, women are forbidden to go topless.

So why must we continue to have nakedness dropped before us? Why degrade Jesus so?

Many churches are inappropriately strewn with pictures of naked people. Our children are shocked and have a God-given natural tendency to abhore these pictures. I had to cut them out of my Bible, years ago, before they saw them.

No wonder the Lord prefers little children.

This exhibit also displays some very beautiful and tasteful pictures of Jesus but that in no way justifies "Gethsemane."

Helen Ferguson
St. Albert

Welcome a role as sheep

I think his error is most succinctly summed up in his opening sentence where he states he is not keen on being a sheep regardless of who the shepherd is. I would contend that orthodox Catholics are those that welcome their role as sheep knowing that Christ and his successors are the shepherds.

Zyp seems to feel strongly that pluralism and diversity are to be respected but it would also seem his respect does not include those he would class as orthodox.

From them he expects the usual power grabbing and spiritual arrogance so common in orthodox Catholics. I am not surprised that he didn't suggest Mother Teresa of Calcutta is an example of such characteristics.

To criticize Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger for restating what has always been the teaching of the Church would appear rather grasping at straws.

If Zyp doesn't believe that the Catholic Church is the true Church, he is free to go in search of one that doesn't believe it is true.

David Laurence
Grande Cache

Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 -- Western Catholic Reporter