Well who would have guessed?

not surprised.. ha

who would have thoght though it was kind of wordy you know?

bout time they got it!

Not to be rude, but I honestly don’t care what the Vatican thinks. And what is up with their “criticism” for Rowling not explicitly mentioning any deities in her work? Read the Chronicles of Narnia if you want more explicitly religious themes.

hear, hear, SwedishSkinJer.

The Vatican has trouble realizing that most of us can make the distinction between fact and fiction quite well. They are right though in saying that the battle between good and evil is one of the main themes. I don’t think a work of fiction has to be about the transcendant, that is the realm of theology.

Fantasy books do include deities, but that certainly doesn’t mean all of them should. I appreciate the fact that the Harry Potter series doesn’t dive too deeply into religion, because the other subjects that each book explores are quite complex enough: death, loss, isolation, destiny, etc. The fact that it contains references which could be interpreted as religious is sufficient enough, even though Rowling herself is not as pious/conservative as most of the Vatican’s officials.

wow im amazed that the vatican actually saw HP for what it really is about

i too really do not care…. as if!

BLIMEY not just the vatican but u lot 2 take a chill pill and just enjoy Every1 is a critic these days

I’m glad Jo doesn’t make religious overt and shoved-down-your-throat as some other series. I mean, you can have it, yeah, no bother. Chronicles of Naria is an amazing series and the allegories never bothered me despite being atheist. I can enjoy a book with themes that I don’t agree with no matter what. That doesn’t mean they all have to have them though, for sure. So good on Jo for not doing it. It didn’t take away from her books and I’m not sure what it could have added. Even the death scene in Deathly Hallows is ambiguous as to if Harry’s gone to Limbo or Heaven or if everything is just in his head. But at least the Vatican finally gave up and gave his good ratings. I think we just beat out the Da Vinci code. Potter actually got approval instead of more burned books or DVD cases, haha.

whoever criticizes Jo, who by the way is the greatest thing that has ever happened to mankind; are NUTS! I cannot respect them anyhow…

Though it casts Half-Blood Prince in a generally positive light, I too do not care for the vatican’s opinion. They had a fit about The Golden Compass and when they rallied their cronies here in the US the ratings were hurt and the film suffered, thus no sequel was made. I know I’m going off topic now, but no one should be able to exercise their ‘free speech’ to oppress others in this country or any other, and for that reason I cannot accept their opinion.

I think it is a perfectly good thing that the Vatican has been enthusiastic about the Potter series. It may seem like a small thing, or even a silly thing, to non Catholics, or people who are not particularly religious. All that is fine; but do remember that the Vatican speaks for upwards of a fifth of the planet. On top of that, if you want a prime example of what getting the Vatican REALLY down on you can amount to, just reflect on the fate of Philip Pullman and the Golden Compass in the Americas. He actually deserved it. No matter what he or anybody else says, the whole series is a hysterical diatribe against the Catholic Church, which sounds like something that was hatched a good 500 years ago during the Reformation.

Potter is a whole different story, and I for one—while I don’t check out the Vatican’s permission to do anything—nonetheless appreciate an intelligent and positive appraisal of the series. Remember that crazy woman down in Georgia….