16 July 2005

Harry Potter and the disapproving pope

The new Harry Potter book went on sale today, and it's flying off the shelves worldwide. [Read story.]

In the meantime, the press has resurrected past criticisms of the Harry Potter books by Pope Benedict XVI, who perceives the Harry Potter stories as a potentially corrupting influence on children. [Read more.]

Does he feel the same way about the books I read as a child -- Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, the tales of the Brothers Grimm -- all full of witches, wizards, fairies, and magical elves?

It seems to me that the pontiff doesn't want children to use their imagination. Imagination is almost as much a threat to his control as is critical thought.

So what's next -- book burning ceremonies in Vatican Square?

No comments:

Post a Comment