Harry Potter books removed from school

[Seti42]

I feel sorry for the kids who have to go to school and/or grow up with this nonsense. Can't even enjoy fantasy novels. Shameful.

[+OverSword]

The same thing was said about the incantations on the television show Bewitched 

 

[MissJatti]

Rev Dan Reehil is Voldemort, protecting himself from kids with access to magic and spells.

[Tom1200]

18 hours ago, Still Waters said:

“These books present magic as both good and evil, which is not true, but in fact a clever deception,” Rev Dan Reehil wrote. “The curses and spells used in the books are actual curses and spells; which when read by a human being risk conjuring evil spirits into the presence of the person reading the text.”

I agree with the huge majority here who consider this a load of absolidus bulldungii.  Growing up in this day and age, surrounded by scientific progress and explanations of (almost?) everything makes it really difficult to take any of this seriously.

But there are still many people who do.  A colleague of mine - a Chemistry teacher, with a huge amount of learning and knowledge - was also a Jehovah's Witness.  He believed passionately in whatever JWs believe in, even where it contradicted everything he'd studied at Uni and beyond.  He refused to teach Geology (which was in the Chemistry curriculum at the time) because it did not fit in with his 'truth' that the world was created in one week some time round about 4004 BC.  ((This overlaps with an Atlantis thread I've been following, part of which is the interpretation of 'truth'.))

Anyway, one Bonfire Night (November 5th, for non-UK readers) we were having a party at our house and everyone was invited.  But Mr JW was literally unable to enter the house because we still had our Halloween decorations up.  The cartoon images of witches and goblins and stuff were too much for him.  He told us "evil exists; devils and demons exist in this world and your house is a magnet for them" and promptly b*****ed off, not even leaving us any booze or fireworks.

It would be easy to take the p!ss out of people like this, but if you meet them in daily life they are/appear perfectly normal: educated, endowed with reason, and able to articulate complex and reasoned arguments about science, art, music, politics, etc.  But as soon as they get on to religion they switch into automaton mode, regurgitating whatever spiel was programmed into them at the most malleable age.  This isn't just JWs: Christians and Muslims can be just as blinkered.  I thank the Supreme Provider Mok d'-Narlds and the heavenly assembly of Phryes I was spared such indoctrination growing up.  Mooooo!

 

[Jaded1]

I have to say that I'm not a fan of Potter (as I think it's vastly inferior to works like LOTR) but to ban it, for whatever reason, is pathetic.

We live in a supposedly enlightened time and goons like this are dragging us back into the dark ages.

[Only_]

That pastor is a nutjob.

But it's a private school. If parents disagree, they can pull their kids out from the school at any time (which I'd encourage them to do!)

Edited September 4, 2019 by crookedspiral

[psyche101]

Does he still have a job? 

He shouldn't. 

[+DieChecker]

Nothing wrong with spiritual beliefs... But fiction is fiction. The spells in Harry Potter arent historically actual spells that I know of.

We had a lady at our church, years and years ago, who said all the pokemon were named after demons. So which demon is squirtle the squirting turtle? Complete ignorance.

I hope it gets passed down from the Pope, or Cardinal, that the books are harmless and this guy has to eat crow.

[psyche101]

On 9/3/2019 at 2:42 PM, OverSword said:

The same thing was said about the incantations on the television show Bewitched 

 

Wow really? LOL, that's Hillarious.

[Bed of chaos]

I'd pay to see group of exorcists on conference call about Harry Potter. Couldnt the good reverend just look up who checked out books? Round up all these spell casters at once? 

Edited September 10, 2019 by Bed of chaos

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

On 9/3/2019 at 10:32 AM, Seti42 said:

I feel sorry for the kids who have to go to school and/or grow up with this nonsense. Can't even enjoy fantasy novels. Shameful.

Now see here! They do allow the Bible

[kobolds]

another Harry Potter  ads from publisher . 

[Sir Smoke aLot]

Good job. While reasons behind the decision are wrong the result might be positive. I hope that this will open more space to books which will actually be beneficial to students.

[Bendy Demon]

Hmm..if this is a catholic school then why were those books in the school library to begin with?

Seriously, people can't tell fact from fiction anymore and feel they must pass on (force) their ignorance onto others just so they can have the illusion of confirming their own beliefs?

Is it just me or is our collective species slowly losing whatever is left of its equally collective marbles?

[Peter B]

On 9/3/2019 at 4:17 AM, Piney said:

They (Tolkien and Lewis) were staunch Christians who didn't include magical formulas....and Aslan was Jesus....

.......then again this is the American Conservative (i.e. Mel Gibson) Catholics. 

Funnily enough, Rowling identifies as Christian too, though as a member of the Church of Scotland (and thus Anglican) that means she isn't Catholic. Maybe that's the real problem.

[Piney]

18 minutes ago, Peter B said:

Funnily enough, Rowling identifies as Christian too, though as a member of the Church of Scotland (and thus Anglican) that means she isn't Catholic. Maybe that's the real problem.

Jacobitism still lives. 

[Peter B]

2 hours ago, Piney said:

Jacobitism still lives. 

Yep, more so in some parts of the world than in others.

I mean, I'm pretty sure I remember someone posting a comment here at UM who used the term "Christians and Catholics", with the context clearly showing he thought Catholics weren't Christians...

[+Desertrat56]

12 hours ago, Peter B said:

Yep, more so in some parts of the world than in others.

I mean, I'm pretty sure I remember someone posting a comment here at UM who used the term "Christians and Catholics", with the context clearly showing he thought Catholics weren't Christians...

It is something I have seen.  When I was a kid my friend went to a church that had a big split because many in the congregation wanted to put a cross on the top of the building, but the preacher said no, it would make it look like a catholic church.  A lot of protestants don't understand or are not taught that their religions foundation came from the judaic religions and then from Catholicism.  Very ignorant people.  My friend was bothered by the incident because she thought her mother was going to take them to a different church and the cute boys she had crushes on went to that church.

[quiXilver]

How utterly unsurprising. 

Another Catholic who, having no actual faith reveals it as he tries desperately to protect himself from imaginary forces.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

On 9/23/2019 at 6:02 AM, Bendy Demon said:

Hmm..if this is a catholic school then why were those books in the school library to begin with?

 

change in Administration at the school I expect. The old one didn’t mind, the new one wanted to look puritanical.

[+Desertrat56]

On 9/2/2019 at 11:03 AM, XenoFish said:

Well, unless those beliefs condemn anything outside of their dominate paradigm. Then yes, they can be hostile. Sort of like asking a Christian why they pray, because if they truly trusted God then pray would be a sign of insecurity.

it is a sign of insecurity if they pray the same prayer over and over and over, it means they don't believe it could work.  If they pray once and move on about their life they probably are secure in their belief.