Harry Potter: Innocent children’s literature or Satanic bible?
By Mads Lennon
1999 called, they want their headline back. Yes, a Tennesse Catholic school has banned Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire from their school library.
The year might be 2019, but this Catholic school in Tennessee is still adhering to rules that expired more than a decade ago. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has been banned from their library. According to Entertainment Weekly, the reason is due to the pastor believing reading them risks “conjuring evil spirits.”
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was customary to read an article about schools banning seemingly innocent books. Many religious public schools would block any book they deemed provocative or potentially controversial.
The last I checked, Harry Potter was a reasonably innocuous book series, not the Necromonicon.
Interestingly, the school’s pastor put a great deal of consideration into his decision. Supposedly he consulted several exorcists, both in the U.S. and in Rome. He concludes that the spells in the books are real and may lead children astray. You can read the entirety of his email explaining his choice at the Tennessean.
More from Horror News
- Shudder Original Terrified: Poltergeist or Dimensional Beings?
- Genre actress Frances Sternhagen passes away at age 93
- Why Drag Me to Hell is more than a horror film for Sam Raimi
- Totally Killer marks the return of final girl horror
- AMC Networks ups the ante on horror with Comic Con New York contributions
This isn’t the first time the Harry Potter books have been put under scrutiny for their magical themes. Since their initial publication, they have been added to many book blacklists in schools around the world. It is one of the most challenged books in children’s literature.
Entertainment Weekly goes on to quote one of their older articles highlighting a quote from J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, about the controversy. She has always remained adamant that her stories were never meant to lead anyone down a path towards Satanism.
In her own words, she stated, “A very famous writer once said, ‘A book is like a mirror. If a fool looks in, you can’t expect a genius to look out.’”
Next. 5 fascinating female horror performances from 2019. dark
Now that news of the Catholic Diocese of Nashville’s decision to ban the popular book series has broke; it remains to be seen if the pastor will rescind his decision down the line.
What do you think about Harry Potter being banned? Were there any books banned during your time at school? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!