A Catholic group from Poland has gone on a book burning protest during which they burned popular novels such as Twilight and Harry Potter because they ‘contradict’ the word of God.
The SMS of Heaven Foundation from Koszalin, Poland, has been caught on camera carrying dozens of books including Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Twilight, a self-development book written by an Indian guru, and even a Hello Kitty umbrella.
After burning the books in the public, the priests and altar boys who organized the bonfire have been widely slammed all over the news and social media.
Despite a wave of controversial comments, the religious group came up with the following response:
“It is necessary to reject all forms of divination referring to Satan or demons, summoning the dead or other practices that allegedly reveal the future.”
Sharing passages from the Bible to strengthen their stance, the group also claimed that “horoscopes, astrology, palmistry, and omens” are “manifestations of the desire to control time” and “contrary to the reverence and respect that belong only to God.”
After the footage and pictures of the book burning went viral, however, people compared their actions to the infamous burnings of the books that the Nazis were responsible for back in the 1930s.
“Where they burn books, they will also ultimately burn people – Heinrich Heine,” one person wrote, quoting the famous German poet.
While this appears to be an isolated case, it isn’t the first time Harry Potter books have been criticized by religious figures.
Back in 2003, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI years later, wrote in a letter that the books consist of “subtle seductions” that are capable of influencing young Christians in a corrupt way.
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