Thanks for putting together the July/August issue of the newsletter. It's fantastic and should really help equip us to respond to this particular salvo from the enemy. Our kids are that much more under the protection of Jesus through your work in the Body. Thanks St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers for being a strong part of His Body...many of us weaker parts need you to keep functioning...meanwhile we do for you what we can...this way we work together...it's marvelous to behold! Praise the name of Jesus! Jim I recently heard an airing of one of your shows concerning the Harry Potter books. I believe that you were interviewing a lady from near the Height Ashbury part of San Francisco. I agreed with her assessment of children's books that promote witchcraft and the occult for children's consumption. I would like to purchase a copy of that tape if it is available to listeners. Great show. In the Sacred Heart of Christ, George Steve Wood's Faith and Family show on Harry Potter last night was very disturbing to my husband and I. The reason is that our 9-year-old son is halfway through the third book. We were unable to hear most of the broadcast due to poor evening reception and are urgently in need of direction in researching the proper information to safeguard our child's soul. We are also desperate for substitutes to offer. Our son had a big cry but said of course he chooses whatever Jesus would want. We want to show him that there are other exciting options that are not going to jeopardize his faith. Thank you. Susan Thank you for your articles on Harry Potter in the current issue. I couldn't agree more with the points of view expressed. As the father of five, with my two youngest at the ages [8,11] most likely to read these books, I find the underlying values expressed in these books troubling, because they are untrue and potentially dangerous. Unfortunately, the people who most need to beware are also least likely to read or accept your warnings. Bill Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for devoting the latest issue to the danger of the Harry Potter books. I have seen way too many "so-called" Christian and even Catholic leaders equivocate on this issue. It is amazing to me how blind people can be to the evil around us. Again, thank you for speaking out on this issue. God Bless you, your family, and your staff, Jack I am very thankful that you have "crossed the line" against the Harry Potter series that other Christian critics have not done. My wife Sharon and I have been warning parents for quite some time about these stories with many conflicting responses. And when Christian articles came out saying the books were ok, people were quick to point out evidence to us that supported their stance. I especially liked the exposure of the story characters represented as having no redeeming characteristics. These "subtle" family portrayals - not being in the focal point of the magical activity - are dangerous to young minds trying to form patterns of Godly family life. Our culture is in a very dangerous time easily swayed into the latest marketing craze pursuing objects, movies, books because of their popularity instead of any real value. Thank you again for this timely publication! Gary Great newsletter. I'll be sure to pass it around to our men's group here at Aviano Air Base. God Bless. John My family has so enjoyed your newsletter and your show on EWTN. We have nothing but the highest regard for your efforts with St. Joseph's Covenant Keepers. However, I was compelled to send you a quick note after reading your reviews in the July/August edition which covered J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter series. I am the mother of six soon to be seven, a catechist, former youth minister and pastoral care counselor. I dearly love the Church and Her teachings and I must disagree with your publications assertion that J.K. Rowling's books are not suitable for Catholic children. I read the books myself before allowing my children (to read them) even though they came with a high recommendation from their Catholic School Librarian. I was delighted. They are humorous and engaging. Anyone who has adolescents can appreciate the exaggerated angst Harry has with his Aunt and Uncle who are caricatures in every sense of the word. The parallels in this and C.S. Lewis works are many (as one of your authors pointed out) but I'm afraid they missed the larger point. Harry does learn the lure of evil. In one book he comes face to face with the fact that he could have chosen to be part of the dark side, that in battling evil we ultimately have to choose how we will use our abilities - and it is in our choosing that make the difference. The lessons of self sacrificing love (the death of his mother to save him), the hard choice one has to make in choosing to go against your friends when they are doing wrong, I could go on and on. Adolescents love this alternate world just as they loved the alternate reality behind C.S. Lewis' Wardrobe which was even more graphic in tales of evil and possession and selfishness. There is no evil in escaping to these worlds. As for parallels to dungeons and dragons - I agree that D& D was a threat that went unheralded. But take a closer look- D&D encouraged violence and hatred and was not subtle about it. Harry just wants to fit in, be loved, find his place in the world (strange as it may be) and do the right thing which he regularly finds is not so easy. What adolescent can't relate to those desires? As vigilant as we must be in guarding our children's exposures I must say - lighten up! We have enjoyed our Harry adventures this summer. We have laughed together and enjoyed reading some of the hilarious antics out loud. All my children have been sharing together about the characters eagerly waiting for one to finish a book so the next one can read. That is what I call magic. Sincerely, Leslie