Harry Potter books removed from St. Edward Catholic School due to 'curses and spells'

[muriel_volestrangler]

The students at St. Edward Catholic School in Nashville can no longer checkout the popular Harry Potter book series from their school's library.

The seven-book series depicting the magical adventures of a young wizard and his friends was removed from the library because of their content, the Rev. Dan Reehil, a pastor at the Roman Catholic parish school, wrote in an email.

"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 email states.

Reehil goes on to say in the email that he consulted several exorcists in the U.S. and Rome who recommended removing the books.

https://eu.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2019/08/31/harry-potter-books-removed-st-edward-catholic-school/2168489001/

Stupidity. It can form the basis of a 2000 year old institution, and people still willingly expose their chidlren to it.

[in2herbs]

1. I bet they've never even read a Harry Potter book. I've read them 4 times! But I'm going to

read them again and this time look for a curse or spell that I can use that will turn imbeciles to stone. This series of books has encouraged children to read and communicate with each. I can remember seeing elementary students carrying one of these 800+ page books around school just so they could read it during a break.

[procon]

2. Seriously? There are actually adults in 2019

who can't tell fiction novels from nonfiction!? There are people in authority among us who believe magic is real, spells and curses are real and this is the position of a largest religious organization in the world.

They believe the beloved children's fantasy books on Harry Potter are instead a dark and evil grimoire for conjuring demons. Welcome to the loony bin where it's still 1019 in medieval times. Quick, call the medication nurse to the psych ward!

No wonder organized religion is in rapid decline if this is their actual conviction. Perhaps they should closely examine their own sacred books for similar reference to the occult and then ban the lot of 'em!

The world would be a much better place with more Harry Potter stories and fewer religious texts.

[FoxNewsSucks]

3. I don't know who is stupider,

the so-called pastor who said "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," or the imbeciles that do what he commands.

Seems like if those were actual curses and spells, there would be millions of instances of spirits being accidentally conjured up by now.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. It's all fiction.

[MineralMan]

5. Harry Potter Spells - Tested by Hundreds of Thousands of Children.

They never worked for any of them. Apparently, though, that priest thinks they do.

Expelliarmus!

[Backseat Driver]

6. Over 30 years ago I had a neighbor

so outraged and asking the school board to remove Casper The Friendly Ghost books/media from the public elementary school library for the same reasons. Didn't go anywhere then but SMH that this nonsense still continues.

[Dorian Gray]

14. Good God

People are really stupid.

[Voltaire2]

7. Seems reasonable.

Ina society that has lost any grip on what is real and what is fiction.

[Eugene]

8. Believing that the magic spells actually work, priest consults the church's most certifiable crazies

to confirm that belief. What century is this again?

[Cartoonist]

9. Do I have to read the Harry Potter Books?

Or is there a place online I can access these spells?

And does anyone know where I can pick up a copy of the Necronomicon?

[MineralMan]

10. You don't have to, but they're entertaining in a British

public school novel sort of way. I've read them all a couple of times. It's a genre I've always enjoyed.

The magical qualities, along with the "wizardry" is layered onto the classic themes, and the author is quite talented. They're written for a 'tween audience, but there's enough meat there to make it fun for adults with a sense of humor.

As for the Necronomicon, you can download a pdf copy of the Simon version of it, if you like. I can't vouch for any of it, since I've not read it.

https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Simon-Necronomicon.pdf

[AtheistCrusader]

16. KLATU VERATA N*cough cough*TO

[Cuthbert Allgood]

11. I am seriously dumbfounded why people continue to be Catholic.

[Iggo]

12. Grownups.

[Dorian Gray]

13. This is fucking stupid

and I say that as a practicing Catholic.

I don't think a priest could ever convince me that HP is dangerous to read.

Aside: My husband teachers a senior English class at a catholic high school. They do The Stranger. One of the nuns questioned the philosophy of it, and he won the argument by stating they need to read this stuff in order to think critically, learn about other philosophies, and broaden their views. They'll be expected to read such things in university, even Catholic ones, and they need to be prepared.

He still teaches the novel.

And we are currently reading Book 2 of Harry Potter with our 8 year old, who LOVES it!

[AtheistCrusader]

15. In fairness, Harry Potter is as real as his own faith.

[trotsky]

17. You've got a point there.

I am exactly as scared of his hell as I am that a wizard will avada kadavera me.