It appears that Philip Pullman thinks I'm a Catholic nitwit.
Here is the response I just emailed to the Times On-line:
I pity poor Philip PullmanThe man spends years of his life objecting to Christianity, and now he apparently objects to Christians objecting to his objections. Mr. Pullman even resorts to stereotyping and name-calling when responding to critics like myself. Ironically, his are the same tactics employed by the evil magesterium in his novels.
I would believe such behaviour unbecoming of an award-winning children's author. Certainly Mrs. Rowling has always been graceful in responding to her critics. (And as both a fan and a critic of her work, I was disappointed when the last chapter of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" neglected to Luna Lovegood's future). However, when the average reader is trusted as Mr. Pullman suggests, the number of book sales establishes Mrs. Rowling - a Christian - as clearly the better author.
Cordially,
Pete Vere
Catholic nitwit and co-author of the forthcoming Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children's Fantasy
