Catholic School Chronicles: The Harry Potter Hullabaloo

20Sep
by Leticia Chavez-Garcia

“In August, 2019, after consulting with exorcists in both the US and Rome, Rev. Dan Reehil, a pastor at the Roman Catholic parish school of St Edward in Nashville, Tennessee, banned the books from the school library on the grounds 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” Wikipedia 2019

You may have heard about the Catholic school in Tennessee that was dragged across the internet and social media for its pulling of the Harry Potter books from its school’s shelves. School officials claimed that they feared that the popular children’s book franchise would help kids “conjure up spells” and other nonsensical assertions.  

Okay, crazy people of the Catholic church, let me remind you that Catholics are also the ones that “perform magic” in every service. Yes, in fact, that whole thing they do in mass to turn water and wine into the body and blood of Christ is basically conjuring up a spell that doesn’t actually change anything, but has the believer accept that they are participating in eating and drinking the body and blood of Jesus Christ. And hey, that’s what Catholics believe so who am I to say handover your missalette? That’s right, I know Catholic jargon!  

Let’s not pretend that a fictional story about wizards is any different than some of the crap that Catholics would have you believe in their writings and teachings. There is actually quite a lot of conjuring and spells happening in Catholicism and other religions. So why take it out on popular modern classics such as Harry Potter, which everyone knows is fiction like, say, Cinderella or virtually any book that involves talking animals, etc.?

We really have no say over what these private schools say or do with their students, but generally speaking, banning great children’s books that have no history or evidence that corroborates the claims stated is just plain ignorant. To wit, the only magic associated with the books is that it inspired a whole generation of readers and has continued to do so! The books have been around for over 20 years!  

On the other hand, the church has had some very real issues with child molestation and assault that has gone ignored for generations. Is Harry Potter really such a problem within the church and in Tennessee that it has to be banned while crimes against children go unanswered?

What do you think?
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Leticia Chavez-Garcia

Leticia Chavez-Garcia is a Mother, Grandmother, former Middle School Teacher, former Member of a School Board of Education and an Education Advocate for hundreds of parents and students in the Inland Empire. Having become a mother at 15, Leticia knows what it’s like to be a single mother trying to navigate the education system. Leticia received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and Public Administration from California Baptist University and a Masters’ Degree in Education Technology from Cal State Fullerton in her 30’s. Leticia has used her knowledge and experience to help hundreds of families as an Education Advocate in the Inland Empire and currently works as an Education Specialist.

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