Witchcraft and wizardry - certainly there is a need to be cautious there...but let's try an approach other than outright/sheer panic... ;>)
Tentatively, let's ASSUME that it's the most Satanic thing to hit the
media for some time...what then? Are we to tell our kids to not watch/read
it? Assuming this is not the best option, and that it is
safe to say that Christian children WILL be reading/viewing Mr.Potter
some time soon - what then?
I think (esp. right now) a top priority of Christian parents and teachers - a priority INDEPENDENT of Mr. Potter! - would be to train our kids in godliness...
We must show them how Jesus did NOT die because He was weak (a'la some quotes below) but because He was loving and strong...
We must teach the TRUE NATURE of God, the universe, love, freedom...we must give fun lessons(!) on angels and demons and show how such creatures are perfectly coherent within a world created by a loving God...
We must point out the foolish and funny elements in things like the 'sorcerer's stone' (something which can turn everything into gold as well as give immortal life! Wow, I've never come across mythical promises mixing materialism and eternal life before...)
There is certainly reason to be cautious but then again caution against anything evil and 'not of God' ought to be the assumed posture of every believer...it's the flip-side of an educated and God-filled mind, one which KNOWS the Word of God and drinks from it daily...(because we are so caught up with REAL beauty/truth, we immediately get 'red-alerted' in the presence of forgeries...)
To put this more strongly: If parents are only NOW begining to 'wise up' - all because Hogwart's just emerged - then I can only welcome Rowling's creation as a necessary serum for a weakening Christian faith and community...maybe now when there is something acute and sensational to capture their children's hearts parents will feel a greater spur to (begin to?) capture them with the power/love of God...
And btw Dumbledore ain't all that new...we've met He-Man, She-Ra, Thundercats,
Smurfs(!), etc. all of whom may seem to be Hogwart grads..*smile*...
Rgds,
AL
(What follows are two - of many, I'm sure -
e-mails I've received on the issue...I can NOT guarantee the authenticity
of what's written but if nothing else the mails do show that some
Christians, at least, are getting very anxious over Mr. Potter...)
The following is an email sent for the American Family
Association, which is VERY disturbing, to say the least. Please forward
to all email contacts, especially Christians and Pastors.
Dear Christian,
This is the most evil thing I have laid my eyes on in 10 years ...
and no one seems to understand its threat. The Harry Potter books are THE
NUMBER ONE selling children's books in the nation today. Just look at any
Barnes & Noble or Waldenbooks storefront. Go to Amazon.com and
read the reviews.
Hear the touting by educators and even Christian teachers about how "It's great to see the youth so eagerly embracing the reading experience!" Harry Potter is the creation of a former UK English teacher who promotes witchcraft and Satanism.
Harry is a 13 year old 'wizard.' Her creation openly blasphemes Jesus
and God and promotes sorcery, seeking revenge upon anyone who upsets them
by giving you examples (even the
sources with authors and titles) of spells, rituals and demonic powers.
I think the problem is that parents have not reviewed the material. The
name seems harmless enough... Harry Potter. But that is where it
all ends. Let me give you a few quotes from some of the influenced readers
themselves:
The Harry Potter books are cool:
"cause they teach you all about magic and how you can use it to control people and get revenge on your enemies" said Hartland, WI, 10 year old Craig Nowell, a recent convert to the New Satanic Order Of The Black Circle.
"I want to learn the Cruciatus Curse, to make my muggle science teacher suffer for giving me a D." (A 'muggle' is an unbeliever of magic.)Or how about the REALLY young and innocent impressionable mind of a 6 year old when asked about her favorite character:
"Hermione is my favorite, because she's smart and has a kitty," said 6 year old Jessica Lehman of Easley, SC. "Jesus died because He was weak and stupid."And here is dear Ashley, a 9 year old, the typical average age reader of Harry Potter:
"I used to believe in what they taught us at Sunday School," said Ashley, conjuring up an ancient spell to summon Cerebus, the three-headed hound of hell. "But the Harry Potter books showed me that magic is real, something I can learn and use right now, and that the Bible is nothing but Boring lies."
DOES THIS GET YOUR ATTENTION?
If not, how about a quote from High Priest of Satanism: "Harry is an
absolute godsend to our cause," said High Priest Egan of the First Church
Of Satan in Salem, MA, An organization like ours thrives on new blood no
pun intended and we've had more applicants than we can handle lately. And,
of course, practically all of them are virgins, which is gravy." (Since
1995, open applicants to Satan worship has increased from around 100,000
to now... 20 MILLION children and young adults!) It
makes me physically ill, people! But, I think I can offer you
an explanation of why this is happening. Children have been bombarded
with action, adventure, thrills and scares, to the point Hollywood can
produce nothing new to give them the 'high.' Parents have neglected
to see what their children are reading and doing, and simply seem satisfied
that 'Little Johnny is interested in reading.' AND...educators and the
NEA are PUSHING this with NO WARNING as to the effects or the contents.
Still not convinced? I will leave you with something to let you make
up your own mind. And finally, a quote from the author herself, J.K.Rowling,
describing the objections of Christian reviewers to her writings: "I think
it's absolute rubbish to protest children's books on the grounds that they
are luring
children to Satan," Rowling told a London Times reporter in a July
17 interview. "People should be praising them for that! These books
guide children to an understanding that the weak, idiotic Son Of God is
a living hoax who will be humiliated when the rain of fire comes ... while
we, his faithful servants, laugh and cavort in victory."
My hope is that you will see fit to become involved in getting the word out about this garbage. Please Inform every pastor, teacher, and parent you know. This author has now published FOUR BOOKS in less than 2 years of this 'encyclopedia of Satanism' and is surely going to write more. I also ask all Christians to please pray for this lost woman's soul. Pray also for the Holy Spirit to work in the young minds of those who are reading this garbage that they may be delivered from its harm. Lastly, pray for all parents to grow closer to their children, and that a bond of sharing thoughts and spiritual intimacy will grow between them.
Harry Potter What does God have to Say was apparently written
by a former witch. She explains how Harry Potter is an effective "training
manual" on witchcraft for children. She talks about how the beliefs of
new ageism and occultism have crept in to the church (Christians
beware, this is the
reality of the end times). The writer says there is no "good" side
to witchcraft. They are all of the same source.
Harry Potter the Hero for Modern Witchcraft, is written by a cult researcher. It speaks about how the Potter books serve as a vehicle to acculturate children to witchcraft. He gives a lengthy section of quotes from each of the Potter books which highlight the elements of witchcraft and evil. The question is: should we be exposing children to these things? The answer is of course No.
StraightTalk on Harry Potter gives an "inside view" of the beliefs and rituals of wizards and witches. The author speaks from past experience of the involvement of rituals with demon spirits. It shows the reality of the horror behind the surface of seemingly "good" supernatural power. He gives definitions of magic, and the slightly different practices between wiccans and magicians. He also debunks the argument that the "magic" in Potter's book is just fantasy and a plot device to move the story forward.
Putting Harry Potter to the Test gives 9 Principles for Determining Acceptability according to scriptures. The author has 9 principles which can guide us in determining what is acceptable material according to God's principles. He pits the Potter books against these 9 principles, and we see for ourselves that the Potter books are an abomination to the Lord. He also discusses the herbs, terminologies, and character names found in the Potter books, and that these are used in real practices of witchcraft and wizardry.