Dari Harry Potter ke Yesus Kristus: Pelajaran Buat Katolisisme

Penulis: Joe Egerton Joe Egerton draws on a course he offered at the Mount Street Jesuit Centre to argue that J K Rowling has given Christians a valuable resource to introduce some of the central beliefs of the Catholic faith to a generation that knows the life of Harry Potter far better than it knows the life of Jesus Christ.

The anticipation that preceded the release of the latest Harry Potter film was a reminder that a whole generation in the UK would score higher on questions about J K Rowling’s life of Harry Potter than they would on St Matthew’s life of Jesus Christ.

Paus Benediktus XVI Menentang Buku Harry Potter

Pope Opposes Harry Potter Novels - Signed Letters from Cardinal Ratzinger Now Online

RIMSTING, Germany, July 13, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - LifeSiteNews.com has obtained and made available online copies of two letters sent by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was recently elected Pope, to a German critic of the Harry Potter novels. In March 2003, a month after the English press throughout the world falsely proclaimed that Pope John Paul II approved of Harry Potter, the man who was to become his successor sent a letter to a Gabriele Kuby outlining his agreement with her opposition to J.K. Rowling's offerings. (See below for links to scanned copies of the letters signed by Cardinal Ratzinger.)

As the sixth issue of Rowling's Harry Potter series - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - is about to be released, the news that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger expressed serious reservations about the novels is now finally being revealed to the English-speaking world still under the impression the Vatican approves the Potter novels.

In a letter dated March 7, 2003 Cardinal Ratzinger thanked Kuby for her "instructive" book Harry Potter - gut oder böse (Harry Potter- good or evil?), in which Kuby says the Potter books corrupt the hearts of the young, preventing them from developing a properly ordered sense of good and evil, thus harming their relationship with God while that relationship is still in its infancy.

"It is good, that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly," wrote Cardinal Ratzinger.

The letter also encouraged Kuby to send her book on Potter to the Vatican prelate who quipped about Potter during a press briefing which led to the false press about the Vatican support of Potter. At a Vatican press conference to present a study document on the New Age in April 2003, one of the presenters - Fr. Peter Fleedwood - made a positive comment on the Harry Potter books in response to a question from a reporter. Headlines such as "Pope Approves Potter" (Toronto Star), "Pope Sticks Up for Potter Books" (BBC), "Harry Potter Is Ok With The Pontiff" (Chicago Sun Times) and "Vatican: Harry Potter's OK with us" (CNN Asia) littered the mainstream media.

In a second letter sent to Kuby on May 27, 2003, Cardinal Ratzinger "gladly" gave his permission to Kuby to make public "my judgement about Harry Potter."

The most prominent Potter critic in North America, Catholic novelist and painter Michael O'Brien commented to LifeSiteNews.com on the "judgement" of now-Pope Benedict saying, "This discernment on the part of Benedict XVI reveals the Holy Father's depth and wide ranging gifts of spiritual discernment." O'Brien, author of a book dealing with fantasy literature for children added, "it is consistent with many of the statements he's been making since his election to the Chair of Peter, indeed for the past 20 years - a probing accurate read of the massing spiritual warfare that is moving to a new level of struggle in western civilization. He is a man in whom a prodigious intellect is integrated with great spiritual gifts. He is the father of the universal church and we would do well to listen to him."

English translations of the two letters by Cardinal Ratzinger follow:

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Vatican City
March 7, 2003

Esteemed and dear Ms. Kuby!

Many thanks for your kind letter of February 20th and the informative book which you sent me in the same mail. It is good, that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly.

I would like to suggest that you write to Mr. Peter Fleedwood, (Pontifical Council of Culture, Piazza S. Calisto 16, I00153 Rome) directly and to send him your book.

Sincere Greetings and Blessings,

+ Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

=======================

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Vatican City
May 27, 2003

Esteemed and dear Ms. Kuby,

Somehow your letter got buried in the large pile of name-day , birthday and Easter mail. Finally this pile is taken care of, so that I can gladly allow you to refer to my judgment about Harry Potter.

Sincere Greetings and Blessings,

+ Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

Links to the scanned copies of the two signed letters by Cardinal Ratzinger (in German) - In PDF format:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005_docs/ratzingerlet...
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005_docs/ratzingerper...

See LifeSite's Harry Potter resource section at:
http://www.lifesite.net/features/harrypotter/

10 Argumen Melawan Harry Potter

Sumber : http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/jul/05071301.html

Diterjemahkan oleh Leonard T. Panjaitan

10 [Sepuluh] Argumen Melawan Harry Potter – Ditulis oleh Seorang Wanita Yang Melakukan Korespondensi dengan Kardinal Ratzinger

Gabriele Kuby author of Harry Potter: Good or Evil

Gabriele Kuby Penulis Tentang Harry Potter : Baik atau Jahat

1. Harry Potter adalah proyek dengan terma global yang panjang untuk mengubah suatu budaya. Di generasi muda saat ini, sikap untuk menahan diri terhadap magis dan klenik [occult] sedang dihancurkan. Dengan demikian, ada semacam kekuatan yang masuk kembali ke dalam masyarakat yang mana Kekristenan telah mengatasinya.

2. Hogwarts, sebuah sekolah magis dan ilmu sihir, adalah sebuah dunia kekerasan dan horor yang tertutup, dunia kutukan dan pesona, dunia ideologi rasis dan korban darah, kejijikan dan obsesi. Terdapat suatu atmosfir ancaman yang berkesinambungan yang mana para pembaca tidak dapat melewatkannya.

3. Sementara Harry Potter muncul pada awalnya untuk melawan kejahatan, tapi nyatanya kemiripan antara Dia dengan Voldermort, musuh besarnya dalam cerita tersebut, lama-lama menjadi semakin jelas. Dalam Volume kelima, Harry sedang kerasukan Voldermort, yang mengakibatkan timbulnya gejala-gejala disintegrasi kepribadian.

4. Dunia manusia mengalami degradasi, dunia para tukang sihir menjadi dimuliakan.

5. Tidak ada dimensi transendental yang positif. Hal-hal supernatural seluruhnya bersifat demonic [iblis-jahat]. Simbol-simbol ilahi dinodai.

6. Harry Potter bukanlah kisah atau cerita dongeng modern. Dalam cerita-cerita dongeng, para tukang sihir adalah figur iblis yang ambigu. Pahlawan melepaskan kekuatan mereka melalui kebaikan. Dalam cerita ini dunianya Harry Potter, tidak ada karakter yang berusaha keras secara konsisten untuk mencapai kebaikan. Karena apa yang nampaknya menjadi tujuan yang baik maka cara-cara jahat akan digunakan.

7. Kuasa pembeda untuk membedakan hal yang baik dengan yang jahat dari para para pembaca dihalang-halangi melalui manipulasi emosional dan kebingungan intelektual.

8. Hal ini adalah suatu serangan terhadap generasi muda, merayu mereka secara penuh permainan ke dalam sebuah dunia sihir dan klenik, lalu mengisi imajinasi anak-anak muda dengan gambar dari sebuah dunia dimana iblis berkuasa yang daripadanya tidak ada jalan keluar malah sebaliknya, dunia iblis digambarkan begitu diinginkan.

9. Mereka yang menilai berbagai pendapat tentang Harry Potter boleh menentang kuasa yang hampir besar sekali yang menekan kelompok anak-anak tersebut, yang sedang dikerjakan melalui korporasi raksasa dan serangan multi media – salah satunya menayangkan elemen-elemen dari pencucian otak secara totaliter.

10. Karena melalui buku-buku Harry Potter ini maka iman kepada Allah yang penuh kasih secara sistematis dirusakkan, bahkan dihancurkan dalam diri orang-orang muda melalui “nilai-nilai” palsu dan penghujatan terhadap Kebenaran Judeo-Kristen. Pengenalan buku-buku ini di sekolah-sekolah tidak bisa ditolerir. Para orang tua seharusnya menolak ijin bagi anak-anak mereka untuk mengambil bagian dalam indoktrinasi Harry Potter demi alasan iman dan hati nurani.