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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCatholic School Bans Harry Potter Books, Claiming Its Spells And Curses Are Real
Catholic School Bans Harry Potter Books, Claiming Its Spells And Curses Are Real
The Rev. Dan Reehil warned that reading the spells in the J.K. Rowling novels could conjure up actual evil spirits.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/catholic-school-harry-potter-books-tennessee_n_5d6d5be1e4b0cdfe05742e46
St. Edward School is no longer allowing its pre-K through eighth grade students to check out Harry Potter books from the schools library.
The reason? Well, the Rev. Dan Reehil, one of the schools pastors, says the spells and curses presented in the fictional childrens series are legit and could present problems for kids who read the books, according to the Tennessean.
Reehil fleshed out his point in an email sent to parents, per the Tennessean:
These books present magic as both good and evil, which is not true, but in fact a clever deception. 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.
The pastor reportedly made the decision after consulting several exorcists in the U.S. and Rome who recommended removing the books.
HuffPost could not reach Reehil for comment, but Rebecca Hammel, the superintendent of schools for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nashville, told CBS News that the email is real.
stopbush
(24,396 posts)dweller
(23,628 posts)✌🏼
Beartracks
(12,809 posts)When the pastor says that "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," is he referring to a character in the book who reads the spell as part of the story, setting a bad example for the reader. .. or is he referring to the reader who reads the fictional spells that, as far as I know, we're made up by JK Rowling?
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dflprincess
(28,075 posts)I remember an article several years ago about a priest who mocked those who tried to "demonize" Harry Potter. As I recall he had read & enjoyed the books and thought them good fantasy.
BTW Nashville is only a diocsese, not an archdiocese so it would have a bishop, not an archbishop.
Beartracks
(12,809 posts)Beartracks
(12,809 posts)Read another article at Huffpost. It's clear he thinks the spells could do bad things in the real world.
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Caliman73
(11,735 posts)I went to Catholic school from 2nd grade through high school. The reality is that there are some priests and sisters who do believe in and promote the doctrine that reading books on witchcraft and using games like the Ouija board are inviting evil spirits into your life. How they figured that the spells in the Harry Potter series are actual spells is beyond me.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Ugh
walkingman
(7,599 posts)discredit anything they might believe. Disgusting.
Mike_DuBois
(93 posts)virgogal
(10,178 posts)and we all loved Grimms Fairy Tales.....some terrifying stuff,but we all survived. I never monitored what my kids read. This priest is a nut.
Volaris
(10,270 posts)My proof that Harry Potter spells are real?
Somebody Obliviated President Trump of all known sentence structure.
I suppose priests are like any other segment of the population...some are fine, others are batshit.
This fool quite clearly belongs in the latter half.
Full disclaimer, I'm a non practicing catholic...and i loved reading the Harry Potter series.
msongs
(67,395 posts)defacto7
(13,485 posts)Transubstantiation
So, what was he saying about magical spells?
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,849 posts)Talk about dumb. And ignorant.
area51
(11,907 posts)Beartracks
(12,809 posts)It doesn't always.
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LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(12,582 posts)They determined the words in the dictionary can be rearranged to create spells, descriptions of child abuse by priests, and worst of all, the sacrilege, "It is all right to eat meat on Fridays."
LuckyLib
(6,819 posts)My daughter devoured them in 4th grade -- couldn't get enough.