DEAR EDITOR:
I’d like to respond to Lisa Pampuch’s column headlined
”
Potter books teach kids good morals.
”
DEAR EDITOR:
I’d like to respond to Lisa Pampuch’s column headlined “Potter books teach kids good morals.”
I would like to provide you with some information regarding the Christian teaching on topics of witchcraft and sorcery. It is very easy and unfair to grill someone or group of people in your article when you have not even given any thought to their beliefs and teachings of their faith. You accused Pastor Brock of not having even read one book of Harry Potter stories and yet you do not even stop and think about this hypocrisy. Have you read any of the Christian moral materials such as the Bible?
For those of us getting their moral teachings from the good old Bible, in the Letter of Saint Paul to Galatians we learned what the church’s teaching is on this topic of sorcery. Saint Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the spirit. There are many sinful actions listed in this letter which I will not bore you with but I do need to mention that idolatry and sorcery are a part of that long list. Another source of information for Catholic Christians is the catechism of the church.
In this book we learn the following: All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others – even if this were for the sake of restoring their health – are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons.
Practicing Christians do not look to Hollywood, secular media or BBC for development of our moral values and teachings specially when it comes to our kids. You seem to have a comfortable and together sort of family and I pray that it remains that way for you.
However, I personally know of kids with not such good parent involvement and quality upbringing who, after seeing the first one of these movies, have been trying to communicate with fire. They also claim, in very serious manners, that the blue fire talks back to them.
Additionally, there have been other situations, which I guess you have not read about of little kids jumping out of their bedroom windows with a stick between their legs pretending to be flying. Did we also forget the Columbine and some of the association of that tragic situation with the yet another great movie called Matrix?
Mrs. Pampuch, I’m very glad for you and your kids receiving your moral teachings from Harry Potter books but let us show respect for others’ opinions and religious beliefs. Movies are for entertainment only. Our moral teachings and such have not, are not, and will not come from BBC, the secular media or Hollywood. If yours do, I suggest you do some serious sole searching.
I’m a full-time Christian and what that means is that I have to walk, talk and eat as a Christian – not when I feel like it and is convenient for me and my family but when it is called for by God. He calls us to be His people in mind, body and sole every second of every day.
I hope you did not find this response to your article offending because that is not it’s purpose. May God (not Harry Potter) bless and protect our children
Dave Kaeini, Gilroy
Submitted Thursday, Nov. 21 to [email protected]
