As the final movie opens, many ex-doubters now see the boy wizard as a good egg.
After praising the "Harry Potter" books in 2001, author Connie Neal said that she opened her inbox to see death threats scattered among the reactions from fellow Christians. The one time the California-based writer found her book, "What's a Christian Got to Do with Harry Potter?," at a Christian bookstore, it was on the occult/New Age shelf.
In its early years, "Harry Potter" was a litmus test of orthodoxy for some conservative Christians, who expressed concern over its portrayal of witchcraft. A Christian lawyer sued a public library for encouraging young readers to check out the series. Texas Pastor John Hagee called the books a "precursor to witchcraft." In 2005 a Canadian website published a letter opposing the books written by Pope Benedict XVI when he was Cardinal Ratzinger. (In 2009, the Vatican's newspaper L'Osservatore Romano published a favorable review, seeming to reverse course on the series.)
The hysteria has largely died down, and not many religious leaders asked their flocks to avoid the final movie, which opens today. Potter observers cite a few possible reasons for the waning concern, including a natural desire to move on to other entertainment issues, but also an interest in the themes that unfolded.
To read more, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment