[AngieDoogles]

I was shocked by that news Judy. It doesn't even fit his character AT ALL! That's the disturbing part. Luckily, there was never any mention of that anywhere in the books, so I still think it's alright for children to read. I mean, if even as an adult I didn't pick up on it (and neither did my husband or any other adult I know who loves the series), then I doubt a child would think "Oh, he's gay" unless someone told him. For me, Dumbledore is not an amazing heterosexual wizard, he's not an amazing homosexual wizard. He's just an amazing wizard. I never thought of him as having romantic feelings for anyone and that is how I continue to see him, regardless of any new information.

As for the series as a whole...it teaches many wonderful values that I think children and adults alike can benefit from--love, friendship, sacrifice, death, that authority is not always right, to stand up for what you believe in, to speak the truth at all costs, that good can triumph over evil...etc, etc, etc.

I recently read another interesting article about the series and it's Christian themes. I won't post the link because it contains countless spoilers for the last book, but here is a nice little quote:

On his parents' tombstone he reads the quote "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death," while on another tombstone...(info taken out so as not to spoil book 7)...he reads, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

While Rowling said that "Hogwarts is a multifaith school," these quotes, of course, are distinctly Christian. The second is a direct quote of Jesus from Matthew 6:19, the first from 1 Corinthians 15:26. As Hermione tells Harry shortly after he sees the graves, his parents' message means "living beyond death. Living after death." It is one of the central foundations of resurrection theology.

Judy, after finishing book 7, you'll see just how big the themes of Christianity are in the series. I can't tell you what I mean, because it would give way too much away.