Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 11/03/06 12:16:09 AM |
Age 37, CA |
I am a former Youth Minister, a teacher and a parent of two. I have so many thought about articles like this and I hope this makes sense.
To quote the article "Christian brothers and sisters, if God condemns the activities glorified in the Harry Potter series, and if by Gods standards Harry Potter himself will spend eternity separated from God, how can we as believers ever justify the purchasing of any Harry Potter book?" Just a thought, C.S. Lewis wrote letters from Wormwood to Satan (it's been a while) does that mean we burn The Screwtape Letters?
Quoting agian "We would never allow our children to read stories that glorify illegal drug abuse, murder, or sexual exploitation, so why do we lower the standards when it comes to witchcraft and sorcery?" Obviously no. And I dare say even J.K. Rowling would agree. It is not a lowering of standards. It's called fiction. There are large sections of it most libraries (including Church Libraries). Raise your children in the way of God, follow his teachings and commands, Absolutely. Love God, Live for God, Serve the Almighty creator. But folks, don't make a mountain range out of a molehill. The Harry Potter books are good pieces of literature with good teachings. Open your mind a little and investigate them - don't buy them - borrow one. They are not promoting evil as many who have not read them suggest.
Let us be salt and light, not the pharisee beating his breast that he is not like the poor beggar, (having the ability to share God's love but too busy patting ourselves on the back on how Holy we sinners are).
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Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 08/14/06 11:27:17 AM |
Age 39, MA |
I worry that, in the rush to interpret the Bible in the most precise way possible, Jesus's true message was lost. Embracing illiteracy (or any form of ignorance)- for one's self or one's children - in an attempt to remain "pure" is NOT acceptable. You can read, enjoy, and still be a fine person. Lighten up, folks...you're going to get wrinkles if you keep carrying on this way.
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Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 08/08/06 12:17:40 PM |
Age 42, MO |
Please accept my thanks for your well-written and clear-cut article on the Harry Potter series.
My children do not read these books and I have even asked for them not to be present when they are used in classroom group reading.
There are times when my kids suffer because of remarks made by other kids or their families, but it's a small price to pay to answer the call of the Lord and do what He tells you to do.
I find nothing amusing or entertaining about any book theme which glorifies something my God has already declared as something He hates...witchcraft and evil.
Thank you again,
S. Gosney
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Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 05/16/06 07:39:32 PM |
Age 41, WA |
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your stand on these books. My son and I have discussed them and he knows why I don't allow them, that they're against God's word. He has never read them and if it was a choice between him reading Harry Potter or being illiterate, I would allow him to be illiterate. Thank you for taking such a strong stand on this issue.
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Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 11/09/05 03:05:36 PM |
Age 18, MD |
I'm just wodering how many of you people who beleive that Harry Potter is evil have actually read the books. Because I have and they are a long way from evil. What I see when I read the books, is that God has given humans an incredible gift called imagination. Its a crime not to use this gift. The books do not not teach us to use magic. Its a fairy tale. Plus there are a lot of good christian points (by the way, I am Christian) made in the book.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 10/09/05 06:56:35 PM |
Age 18, MT |
I also agree 100% with what you are saying. I have read the biography of C.S. Lewis, however, who was the best friend of Tolkien. Lewis does say that "The Lord of the Rings" has a Christian message, but that it is hidden deeper than Lewis's message. As a highschooler, nearly all of my "worldly" friends have read the book. Although they are not Christians, they don't feel anything compelling them to practice witchcraft or get involved in the occult. I think that using witchcraft in a fictional book is a good way to keep people away from it. Also, looking at the examples of books about pimps and drugdealers--There are books that aren't neccessarily bad about people that do bad things. Often times those books are to show you how bad peoples lives can get if they don't have Christ. None that I can think of actually advocate the bad behavior, but they show that persons perspective on the horrible situation, allowing the reader to understand those people that are struggling with sin. My dad also believed that Harry Potter was evil, until he read one himself. Now, he realizes it is harmless as long as you understand Truth.
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Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 10/06/05 03:53:36 AM |
Age 44, MN |
The secret service is in charge of keeping our money supply free from counterfeits. Ask them the secret of detection, if they study fakes, and the answet would surprise you. The secret in detecting fakes is to study the real thing and be an expert in it, then you can identify the copies. You have to wonder, we tell our children that santa, the easter bunny and the tooth fairy are real, then when they are older and they realize that they are imaginary for their fun but are told that God and Jesus are real. Their faith was crushed at a young age with santa but God is real.
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Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 10/05/05 10:21:20 AM |
Age 45, TX |
I have to disagree with you this was written by an avowed WITCH. Her own acclamation. She is being used by Satan to deceive and you need to get on your knees and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to give you wisdom about this matter. I'll be praying for you in the meantime. In Christian fellowship through our Lord Jesus Christ Karen
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Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 10/05/05 10:14:55 AM |
Age 45, TX |
Praise to God Almighty that someone despises the content of Harry Potter on the grounds of what the Bible says about sorcery!
I have refused to watch,read or participate in ANYTHING Harry potter since it first came out on just those grounds. It dissapoints and grieves me that so many Christians are decieved into believing that " anything that will get a kid to read is ok" (heard from a teacher). God doesn't think so and neither do I. Think of all the children you are versing in the arts of witchcraft.. Harry Potter, Yugio, Shaolin ?,
The There is more witchcraft on Saturday cartoons now than ever before. Stand up against evil! Turn TV the off. Stopp HELPING SATAN do his work. Christians! Fight!
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Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 08/20/05 03:30:45 PM |
Age 30, VA |
I am a 30 year old mother of three. Ill admit I dont know much about witchcraft or sorcery (even the fictional kind). My children are not yet old enough to read independently, and therefore have not read any Harry Potter books, but I find this battle within the Christian community over the series interesting and somewhat enlightening about the world-view of many Christians. What I hear so often from readers is, If I am not doing it or even considering doing it, then whats the harm in reading about it? I just want to ask, if we continue with this mindset as a Christian community, where does it end? Is it OK to watch pornography or read graphic pornographic novels if I am not actually committing illicit or immoral acts with my physical body? Is it OK to watch others commit violent crimes as long as I am not doing it? Is it OK to let into our eyes and ears, our hearts and minds, the things that are an abomination according to GODs word as long as we dont physically perform them? I think the question really is how much are we going to let a Biblical world view reach into our lives and affect the way we live on a day to day basis? If we believe the word of God, and we believe it to be truth, then how many areas of our lives will we keep isolated from this Truth? Will it be just in the area of our entertainment, or can we really segregate our hearts and minds in this way? I just want to encourage the kids who are now where I was just a few years ago to hold fast the word of life so you can shine as lights to the world. Know your belief system and stick with it. You are the world-changers for the next generation. What are you doing now to prepare?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 08/03/05 12:39:28 AM |
Age 27, OH |
A+
Well stated. May I also add that it doesn't matter whether or not an author of a book is a Christian or non-Christian. There are plenty of people claiming to be Christians and writing books with unbiblical theologies. So here is the question, do we accept all books written by Christians, just because they are Christians? I don't think so. So to say that Lord of the Rings is ok because a Christian wrote it and Harry Potter is evil because a non-Christian wrote it is not necessarily good logic or good theology.
Bottom line is Harry Potter falls under Christian liberties. I Cor 6:12, question is will it master me? If your faith is strong enough to read a frictional book that contains magic and not be mastered by it then go ahead. (meaning that after reading you start studying witchcraft to become a wizard) But, if you think or start to feel the need or desire to become a wizard and practice witchcraft DO NOT read Harry Potter. When it comes to children parents need to discern, and make the decision.
1. I Cor 6:12 Will it master me?
2. I Cor 8:13 Will this cause my brother to lose his faith?
3. I Cor 10:23 Will this build me up with God?
4. I Cor 10:31 Will this Glorify God?
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To those who think Lord of the Rings the same as Potter books
| Posted On: 07/31/05 05:26:26 PM |
Age 42, TX |
The Potter books are based on using the occult to get what Harry wants. This is using spiritual powers to obtain selfish outcomes. There is a big difference to the stories of being willing to give one's life for the good of all. Even Gandalf was not willing to try to weild the evil powers that ruled the ring. He was more concerned with getting rid of what would be the ultimate selfish act. Selfish motivation is much differnt than acts of love. This debate henges on the question of the morals of the writters.
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Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 07/24/05 11:26:18 PM |
Age 45, WI |
There is a significant difference between Harry Potter books and other titles such as Lord of the Rings, Narnia Chronicles, or even Wizard of Oz. In these fantasy books, evil is depicted as evil, and good is good. The Harry Potter books have it twisted. Evil is regarded as good and good is evil. it would be good to consider Is. 5:20 in declaring what is fine and what is inappropriate reading material when shaping a biblical worldview.
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Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 07/21/05 05:51:40 PM |
Age 00, FL |
I agree, we need to fight those evils, as well. But we must fight especially hard anything that defiles the very impressionable minds of children. I do have to agree with you that Narnia and Lord of the Rings included a lot of this same type thing. And I have to say that when I read them, I was quite shocked by some of the content - shocked that they are so well accepted by most Christians and sold in most Christian bookstores.
While they did have positive messages, I don't think it is ever right to glorify that which God calls evil - even if it is trying to get across a good point. To show that there is a spiritual battle going on between good and evil is acceptable. But we must be very careful to always portray in a negative, undesirable light, everything that God says is evil.
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Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 07/21/05 05:50:58 PM |
Age 00, FL |
I agree, we need to fight those evils, as well. But we must fight especially hard anything that defiles the very impressionable minds of children. I do have to agree with you that Narnia and Lord of the Rings included a lot of this same type thing. And I have to say that when I read them, I was quite shocked by some of the content - shocked that they are so well accepted by most Christians and sold in most Christian bookstores.
While they did have positive messages, I don't think it is ever right to glorify that which God calls evil - even if it is trying to get across a good point. To show that there is a spiritual battle going on between good and evil is acceptable. But we must be very careful to always portray in a negative, undesirable light, everything that God says is evil.
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Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 07/21/05 05:34:13 PM |
Age 00, FL |
Our children's minds are being influenced to believe that all the things presented in Harry Potter's books are acceptable, credible, positive and to be emulated and desired. Do we want to present sorcery, spells, wizards and witchcraft to them as good? Keep in mind there are many demonic organizations waiting to draw young people into their ranks - and then take them deeper and deeper into satanism. In the past, when children had a strong Christian background and had been taught that all those other practices (sorcery, witchcraft, spells, etc.) were wrong and evil, it was very difficult for satanic groups to coax them in. But now that we are raising a generation of children who view all these things as good and to be desired, we have paved the way for these occultic groups, giving them an inroad, an open door, to our children's hearts and minds. Parents wake up! Don't just say no to your children, for then they will simply read them at a friend's house. Explain to them how dangerous they are.
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Re: Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 07/21/05 12:16:56 PM |
Age 49, OH |
I am a committed, evangelical Christian who enjoys the Harry Potter books immensely, as works of fiction with very positive messages. May I ask you a few questions? In your justification of the Narnia books, does an evangelical message justify the use of witchcraft and magic which you condemn? If witchcraft and magic are not fit subjects for children, why did Lewis use such a vehicle in his wonderful stories and why do you condone such unfit subjects in Christian literature? Furthermore, I have never heard a Christian condemn Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. However, Gandalf is a good wizard, the books are full of magic, and one of the evil Nazgulls is a Witch-king. I have never yet heard a Christian complain that Gandalf teaches children that wizards can be good, as they do with Harry Potter. The ring in the stoy is possessed with a satanic power which has the power to possess the person who holds it. The Lord of the Rings has no evangelical message, despite its Christian authorship. Tolkien repeatedly stated that the story is not an allegory of any sort. How is it that Christians can embrace The Lord of the Rings with its message that some wizards can be good and yet condemn Harry Potter, another good wizard, as an abomination? I don't hear of many Christians condemning the classic stories of King Arthur and the good wizard Merlin either, do you? Where is the Christian message in Camelot? Or the Wizard of Oz, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, etc.? Are we only to read books and stories authored by Christians, all the while accepting magic and wizards and witches in those books, while condemning the same type of stories written by non-Christians? I find this hypocritical in the extreme. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, has said that her favorite books as a child included The Lord of the Rings and the Narnia books. Is it any wonder that her books are patterned after such stories? If you had read the Harry Potter books before condemning them, you would have seen that they relay some very good messages to children, as does The Lord of the Rings. Neither tell the story of Christ. If that is your criteria for fantasy children's books, look elsewhere. However, Harry Potter does tell the story of a mother's love who, by dying for her child, gives him lasting protection from an evil wizard bent on destroying him. Her shed blood for him and the fact that that same blood resides in him, protects him. Interesting concept, no? It also tells the story of an orphan boy whose greatest desire is to have his murdered parents alive again, putting into perspective for kids just what is really valuable, not material things or transcendant pleasures, but family and loved ones. And of course, it tells the story of a courageous boy who is willing to die himself rather than to give in to the evil one. It also tells of friends who are willing to die for each other, another biblical concept, I might add. This is a fantasy book peopled with giants, centaurs, elves, and the likes. Wizards are born wizards, they don't become them, so in no way does it encourage children to try to become wizards/witches. The books do not glorify the occult any more than Narnia or The Lord of the Rings does. I think we as Christians would be a much better testimony to the world if we thought a little bit before having knee jerk reactions that do us no credit, nor the cause of Christ.
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Re: Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 07/20/05 06:13:54 PM |
Age 26, KS |
Just to clarify. 1)I did not compare The Chronicles of Narnia to Harry Potter, I simply pointed out that if magic is the only objection you have to Harry Potter than you need to dig a little deeper or rule out some wonderful christian literature; 2)I never stated that I would approve of children reading Harry Potter at all (but I know that some will anyway) but I don't think that means no one at all should ever read them.
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Re: Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 07/20/05 03:04:01 PM |
Age 63, VA |
I agree with you that Harry Potter is a fairy tale. And to be honest I enjoyed the books. I read them because I knew that my grandchildren would be exposed in one way or another to them and I wanted to be aware. However, as I have grown older and watched the changes that are taking place in our wonderful country, I wonder if this is the kind of character that our children should have put before them before they are old enough to have their Christian values set in place. Go to the bookstores and look at the books in the Harry Potter section. There are children asking many questions of Harry as if he were a real person. This scares me. I heard someone say the other day on TV that Harry Potter erodes the soul of young people. How I hope this is not true. Meanwhile, I pray that all of these children who are reading this book, including my eleven year old granddaughter will be able to put this book in the right perspective.
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Re: The Abomination of Harry Potter
| Posted On: 07/20/05 10:53:17 AM |
Age 47, NY |
Thank you for stating it like it is. The fervor over these books has been, I think, one of the most telling examples of how our culture as a whole is being used by satan to deceive us. Our children are the battlefield and we better wake up soon. Even now our children are (as a whole)angry, unloving, have no work ethic and are showing us in innumerable ways how we, as parents and adults, are failing them.
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