FAIL Quote of the Day: Surprise! A clergyman says something stupid about ‘Harry Potter’

Bishop Julian Porteous, looking high ’n mighty

One sure-fire way to end up as the target of my daily FAIL Quote segment has to be saying something stupid and untrue about Harry Potter – and especially if you’re an official within the Church. Cue Australian Bishop Julian Porteous:

Bishop Porteous, who is second to Cardinal George Pell in the Australian Catholic hierarchy, told The Sun-Herald the Twilight and Harry Potter books and films ''are attractive to adolescents and can be innocent enough.

''However, they can open up a fascination with this mysterious world and invite exploration of various phenomena through the use of occult practices like seances.''

Except that no-one who’s actually read the bloody books can say that the characters, story or writings have anything more to do with “occult practices” than banana pie. And as for the Twilight series, the only risks incurred there are for brainless teenage bimbos to suddenly start stalking equally brainless pretty-boys who stand around shirtless in the cold rain. Hardly anything worth worrying over.

Bishop Porteous, for being yet another fool who thinks it a good idea to criticize something you’ve obviously neither seen nor read, and to base said criticism on something as hilariously stupid as a risk that teens will engage in “occult practices” of any sort, you FAIL.

(via @RichardDawkins)