Introduction
This article is just a very general comment about the phenomenon known as Harry Potter.
It is not an in-depth analysis of the books - for that, the reader is
directed to the suggested further reading etc, cited at the end. My purpose here is
simply to highlight a few of the main themes and practices in the
books and films, and ask the question: In reading J.K. Rowling's
stories about witches and wizards, are Christians thinking on
"Whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, [and] whatsoever things are of good report"
(Philippians 4:8)? |
Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry
Harry Potter enters his world through
a magic 'portal' inaccessible to non-witches and wizards on platform
9¾ at Kings Cross Railway Station in London, from which he and his
friends board the train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry. All the main characters in the books are witches or wizards,
or are studying to become such, and the vast majority of each book
is set within their world at Hogwarts' School. Naturally, then, a great deal of the content of the
books and films consists of the details and descriptions of their
lessons, experiences, and practices during their time there. Thus, as Harry Potter and his
friends attend classes during their seven
years as trainee witches and wizards, readers of the books are vicariously
attending those same classes and learning those same lessons as Harry.
So, what is Harry learning at
Hogwarts? And, therefore, what are our children
learning as they
follow along with him and his friends? The following is a list of some of
the occult subjects taught, dark arts practiced, and magic objects created and used at Hogwarts
School...
- Astrology, geomancy, and divination (fortune
telling); tarot cards; magic charms; curses; hexes; sorcery; spell-casting;
energy healing; astral travel and astral projection; levitation; crystal
gazing; palmistry; mood-altering/hallucinogenic drug taking and altered states of
consciousness; conjuring; scrying; teleportation;
interpretation of omens; potions; tricks; poisonings; animism;
trances; use of the rune alphabet; use of magic wands, amulets, and talismans;
time-travel; generational witchcraft.
In association with the above, we are
also witness to the practice of what is commonly called spiritism:
- communion with the dead; dead souls living within us
(spirit possession); automatic writing;
channelling; clairvoyance; extra-sensory perception (ESP); familiar
spirits; psychokinesis; telekinesis; mediumism; necromancy; remote viewing.
And pagan philosophy/mythology,
Eastern Mysticism, Egyptian Mystery Religion (Mystery Babylon):
- spiritual, cultural, and moral
relativism ("every man did that which was right in his own
eyes") and the ends justifies the means; dualism (one
universal Force with opposing expressions) and yin yang (the
pursuit of harmony between those opposing expressions); pagan
gods and goddesses; rites, rituals, ceremonies;
self-hypnosis; guided imagery and visualisation (now repackaged
as 'concentration'); symbology; alchemy; rising of the
Phoenix; reincarnation ("ye shall not surely die") and the teaching that people can live without
their souls; a divine spark in everyone; use of the inner or third eye; the creation of
one's own reality (self is god); serpent possession (also the goal
of kundalini yoga); the lightening
bolt (mark on the forehead).
J.K. Rowling herself denies any
direct involvement in witchcraft, so please may I assure readers
that I am not accusing her of actually practising witchcraft.
However, the research for her books - and the research of anyone who
may be assisting her - is far more than simply the result of a vivid
imagination. Rowling has said her books are just fantasy,
nevertheless she is writing about real witchcraft and real sorcery
and real alchemy (the attempt to obtain eternal life without the
death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ). All this is very serious for the children
who read these books, because as one researcher writes:
"In Deuteronomy 18 we find a
list of occultic practices about which God says, 'thou
shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those
nations.' The Hebrew word for 'learn' means
'to study, to become accustomed to, to instruct or train
to practice.' I believe children who read the
Harry Potter books are unknowingly learning, or being
'conditioned' to accept witchcraft"
[1]. |
Rowling also denied,
in one interview, that she included drug-taking in her books,
but this quote from one of Hogwarts' professors seems to query
the truth of her protestation:
"Harry and his friends learn how to
make drugs, and the glory of taking them. Listen to
Professor Snape explain: 'I don't think you will really
understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron
with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power
of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching
the mind, ensnaring the senses, I can teach you how
to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death'
... You can hardly get a better description of drug use,
and drug glorification than this!"
[2]. |
Traditional Fairytales and
Hogwarts' Blurring of Good and Evil
Though witches and wizards have long
been staple fare in children's fairytales, there has never been any detail
given in the fairytales of their thinking or practices and they have never been the
hero or even the main character of the story; indeed, they have
traditionally been portrayed as the 'baddie' who invariably gets defeated by
the 'goodie' at the end of the story, and the young reader is never
left in any doubt that these are evil beings and are to be opposed
and avoided.
But in Rowling's books the distinction between good
and evil is
decidedly blurred by her depiction of the dualist doctrine of
'white/good' magic and 'black/evil' magic. Both the hero (Harry Potter) and the
villain (Lord Voldemort) are wizards. Though they are cast in
the story as being in opposition to one another, in reality they are
merely on different sides of the same magical Force - Harry
on the 'white' or 'light' or 'good' side, and Voldemort on the
'black' or
'dark' or 'evil' side; in other words, there is no such thing as
absolute good and evil, but they are merely relative...
"Harry's
adventures lead you to imagine that the young wizard's
magic is good and Voldemort's magic is evil, but in
reality, the seductive power behind both remains the
same. Both rely on (a) a focused, intentional command of
the human will and (b) some kind of occult formula
designed to invoke a supernatural force. While the 'dark
side' seems more deadly, the 'light side' is far more
deceptive. People left down their guard, because it feels
good, not evil. It seems exciting, not frightening"
[3];
"[T]he reader is led to believe that
White Magic is good, and Black Magick is bad ... [but]
both students of the Bible and Black Magick
practitioners know that there is no real distinction
between White and Black Magic. White Magic claims to
follow Lucifer while Black Magick claims to follow
Satan. The Bible says that Lucifer and Satan are one
creature. Lucifer was his name before he rebelled
against God, while Satan is his name after God cursed
him for [his] rebellion [against God]"
[4];
"As a real witch, I learned about the
two sides of 'the force' ... When real witches have
sabats and esbats and meet as a coven, they greet each
other by saying 'Blessed be', and when they part, they
say, 'The Force be with you.' Both sides of this
'Force' are Satan. It is not a good side of the force
that overcomes the bad side of the force, but rather
it's the blood of Jesus Christ that destroys both
supposed sides of the satanic 'Force'"
[5]. |
The blurring of good and evil has
always been a fundamental component of the spirituality of Eastern
Mysticism, but during the last few decades this philosophy has
gradually infiltrated the West through the greatly increased use of
hallucinogenic drugs, the practice of yoga and meditation (also
mindfulness), as well as introduced into numerous films, TV
programmes, books, toys, and games - all combining to wear down and
wash away the clearly defined Judeo-Christian demarcation between
good and evil.
"The Books are Getting
Darker"
As the series of books progresses,
Rowling herself candidly admits that the stories "are getting
darker":
"...Harry's going to have quite
a bit to deal with as he gets older.
Sorry if they get too scary!"
[6]. |
Sure enough, the so-called 'light/white/good' side of the
magic force of Harry and his friends is soon put
to use against the 'dark/black/evil' side of the magic force of Lord Voldemort
(precisely the same dualistic Force as in the film Star Wars,
for example) and,
along with Harry Potter and his friends, readers enter the world of
supernatural beings and occult creatures, demon possession and satanism, and gruesome and
gory happenings:
- Giants; dragons; unicorns;
ghosts; poltergeists; disembodied spirits; demonic hauntings; ghouls
(entities which delight in all that is revolting, macabre, and
loathsome / demons that plunder graves and feed on corpses /
malevolent ghosts or evil spirits);
- lack of respect for human life;
obsession with death; blood sacrifices; animal sacrifice - cat;
child sacrifice; cannibalism; ritualistic blood-letting and mutilation of the flesh and a wizard
brought back from the dead by shedding of blood; demonic creatures
and a serpent-like demon; shape-shifting into animals or
'transfiguration'/people turning into werewolves and vampires; dark
powers sucking out the soul; demon possession; black magic; animagi;
the boiling and eating of mandrake plants that strongly
resemble babies and which scream like 'banshees' when plucked
from the ground by their hair/leaves; the Goblet
of Fire is actually revealed to be a demonic entity ... inside a "great wooded
chest encrusted with jewels";
- the severed 'Hand of Glory' of a
hanged murderer is used in a spell - the fingers are lit and burned as
candles.
All the above would be enough to give
adults nightmares! Is this the sort of instruction
Christian parents really want to give their children? I'm sure
not. Yet these hideous goings-on are
precisely the ideas and practices to which we are exposing
our children if we allow them to read the Harry Potter books and/or
watch the Harry Potter films.
"My greatest concern is that the godly
fear that protects mankind from dabbling in the spirit
world is being taken away from children who read these
Harry Potter books. The terrors and horrors of black
magic and occult practice, rituals, ceremonies and demon
possession are being normalized ... the Potter books are
engaging in pagan discipleship, disciplining our
children to spiritual alternatives and also turning
them away from the biblical principles and God's
protection" [7]. |
"There is No Good or Evil"
"Scary and dark" indeed, but Rowling
is very careful to plant the notion in the minds of her
impressionable readers that evil doesn't actually exist,
thereby subtly conditioning them to accept without fear or question
all the really evil things that she writes about... One of
her characters, Professor Quirinus Quirrell, says:
"A foolish young man I was then,
full of ridiculous ideas
about good and evil. My master [Voldemort] showed me how
wrong I was. There is no good and evil... there is
only power, and those too weak to understand it..."
[8]. |
In fact, there is
good (God) and there is evil (Satan) and there is a very clear
demarcation between the two, but while there is no variance
within good, there is variance within evil. The
quotes and scripture references below explain that better than I
can:
Good: "...[God] the Father of lights, with
whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning"
(James 1:17b) / "There is no variance in God, there
is no change in His personality, and there is no
evil in Him. He is all good"
[9]; Evil: "Satan himself is transformed into
an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14)
/ "Satan appears as a good person,
and a light, and a white person. Then the other side
of him is what's called Dark Dragon, the Serpent of
Old. So we see that there is variance in the power
of the [evil] side, and we are told not be involved
in it because it can deceive. ... Eve ... in the
garden of Eden ... was deceived by the [evil] side,
appearing as a beautiful form"
[10]. |
The "beautiful form"
that appeared to Eve in the garden of Eden is known in Scripture
as "the great dragon ... that old serpent, called the Devil,
and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world" (Revelation
12:9). Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker serve him in his
guise as the angel of light, and Voldemort and Darth Vader serve
him in his guise as the dragon. But really there is no
difference; whether he appears as the angel of light or as the
dragon he is still Satan, "which deceiveth the whole world".
What else is there
in these stories about trainee wizards that should cause alarm
for Christian parents who want to bring up their children in the
knowledge of God and His Truth?...
Harry Potter Wannabes
It is true that many parents praise
the Harry Potter books for the reason that they seem to have
succeeded where most other books have failed in persuading their
children to read when they previously showed no or little interest
in reading. But are Christian parents aware that in addition
to all the spiritual poison listed above, Harry Potter's attitudes
and behaviour also leaves quite a bit to be desired?...
"Let's think through this a bit.
There's no question that reading a book can be
good, but is the mere act of reading inherently
virtuous? Obviously, if 14-year-old Johnny found a copy
of [a pornographic] magazine one
afternoon and skipped Nintendo to read [its] articles
and look at [its] photos, few parents would be thrilled.
True, this is an extreme example, but it still
illustrates the principle that what one reads is
more important than simply positioning one's face over a
page of words" [11];
"Parents have accepted the highly flawed
and perilous idea that any reading is better than no
reading. Many parents now believe that reading is
intrinsically good regardless of the quality of the
material being read" [12]. |
As another Christian researcher has
astutely commented:
"Young people are not necessarily
becoming book readers, only perhaps Harry Potter
readers!" [13]. |
In fact, parents
who are concerned to rightly teach their children to obey and
respect their parents would surely be horrified, rather than
pleased, that their children are reading these books if they
realised that J.K. Rowling actively seeks to teach children to be
rebellious towards their parents through her Hogwarts stories:
"The untold part of this story is
that in order for good to win in the end, good must
BECOME evil. Harry, his friends, and their adult
counterparts cheat, lie, steal disobey rules, become
violent, and take revenge, and generally behave like
obnoxious brats" [14];
"The idea that we could have a
child who escapes from the confines of the adult world
and goes somewhere where he has power, both
literally and metaphorically, really appealed to me ...
children seem to identify strongly with Harry Potter
and his friends
[15]. |
Of course they do! Harry Potter
is feeding and encouraging their naturally rebellious and fallen
nature! He shows very little respect for adult authority and is
increasingly rebellious as the books progress. He is self-willed and
self-indulgent; he is disobedient and anarchic; he lies,
steals, cheats (by copying another student's homework), swears and
uses crude language; he
gambles (underage) and drinks (underage); he 'snarls' and indulges in temper tantrums;
he does not forgive offences but
displays hatred and anger and plans cruel revenge (in the form of
torments, torture, and murder) against those who have 'crossed' him
and his friends; and he continually breaks all the rules whilst receiving
no punishment and still being the 'hero' of the stories in the eyes
of all!
What child who has ever been in trouble with his
parents or teachers for any much lesser misdemeanours wouldn't
"identify" with the 'freedom' of Harry and his friends to do as they
want and get away with it?! As has been said so well, "You never
need to teach your children to disobey you!" As soon as their
consciences and cognitive abilities begin to develop, children know
when they are doing something wrong - even a very young child will
hide a stolen biscuit away to eat in a corner somewhere rather than
munch it in full view of the parent who had just said "no" to a biscuit
five minutes earlier.
"While some readers will see the
anger, rage, swearing and cruel jinxes as nothing more
than 'fun' and fantasy, this immersion into angry and
hateful environments will surely strengthen the notion
that rage, rudeness and rebellion are cool as
well as okay..." [16]; "There are
characteristics of Harry Potter that every kid will
identify with. Kids will defend Harry's choices and
actions as justifiable. The author is very successful in
evoking strong sympathy and empathy for Harry in her
readers. The books teach situational ethics rather than
absolute values of right and wrong that are taught in
the scriptures" [17];
"The Potter books don't teach
respect for parents ... Harry's best friend
Ron reacts against his own mother: '"Mum, shut
up!" Ron
yelled' ... Is shouting 'shut up!' to your mother okay?
Not according to my Bible"
[18]. |
I wonder whether Rowling would
appreciate her own daughter telling her to "shut up!"?...
Possibly not.
"The truth is, books are a powerful
force for good or evil, for they reflect the minds,
beliefs, convictions, and characters of their authors.
Books can inspire honesty, integrity, purity,
self-control, nobility, and adherence to right
principles, or they can seductively draw our inherently
fallen nature towards dishonesty, impurity,
self-centeredness, rebellion, and sin. There's a
mysterious spirituality - both good and bad - working
through books, music, and television. These all
influence thought, shape ideas, mold character, motivate
action, affect society, and yes, even impact human
destiny" [19]. |
But, it has been objected, there are
some good virtues in evidence amongst Harry and his
friends too. Well, yes, there are, but they are few and far
between, and any positive influence they might have on the
minds of the young readers of the stories is effectively nullified by the many more
negative values - and by the glister of all the wizardry -
crowding them out...
Some have said that "Harry Potter is
equivalent to a 'Book of Virtues', citing the values of
compassion, loyalty, courage, friendship, and
self-sacrifice as being taught [therein]. While no one
argues that these stated values are Christian, one
cannot argue that the Witchcraft of Harry Potter is
harmless because it teaches these values. You might as
well argue that it is alright to feed your child cheese
and ham wrapped in a poisonous leaf! The cheese and ham
will not kill your child, but the poisonous leaf
certainly will. Conversely, the values of compassion,
loyalty, courage, friendship, and self-sacrifice will
not spiritually kill your child, but the Black Magick
Witchcraft in which they come wrapped certainly will!"
[20];
"And one went out into the field to
gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered therof
wild gourds his lap full, and came and shed them into
the pot of pottage: for they knew
[perceived, understood, discerned]
them not. So they poured out for the men to eat. And it
came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that
they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is
death [destruction]
in the pot. And they could not eat thereof" (2 Kings
4:39-40). |
Fear, terror, depression, misery, and
suspicion are just some of other negative attitudes and emotions
displayed by the trainee wizards and witches at Hogwarts.
Rousseau's theory of the innate goodness
of man and that all human beings from childhood will naturally seek
the good, notwithstanding, children do not naturally choose
the good for themselves. The natural or inherent inclination of
every single descendant of Adam is towards sin:
"And God saw that ... every
imagination of the thoughts of [man's] heart was only
evil continually" (Genesis 6:5);
"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in
sin
[i.e. the sin nature inherent in all
humanity as result of the Fall] did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5);
"The LORD looked down from heaven upon
the children of men, to see if there were any that did
understand, and seek God ... there is none that
doeth good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:1,3 and Psalm 53:1,3);
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no,
not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none
that seeketh God ... For all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God" (Romans 3:10-23). |
Disobedience is the child's natural
inclination. That is why God has put children into the care of
parents for the first years of their life - to train them up in the
way they should go, not in the way they want to go; to know God and to do good.
And all Christian parents desire to bring their children up
according to God's Word and in His Righteousness:
"...thou shalt love the LORD thy
God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy might. And these words, which I command
thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou
shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and
shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and
when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down,
and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a
sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets
between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the
posts of thy house, and on thy gates" (Deuteronomy
6:5-9); "Take heed to
yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn
aside, and serve other gods, and worship them ...
Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart
and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your
hand, that they may be frontlets between your eyes.
And ye shall teach them your children ... That your
days may be multiplied, and the days of your
children..." (Deuteronomy 11:16-21);
"Train up a child in the way he
should go: and when he is old, he will not depart
from it" (Proverbs 22:6);
"And, ye fathers, provoke not your
children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). |
But Rowling very deliberately undermines
parents as the formers and doorkeepers of their children's moral and
spiritual health, and one way she does this is by introducing characters she calls Muggles...
Adults, Christians, and
Parents are Muggles
Muggles are folks without any magical
blood or magical abilities. Rowling has said she "created the
word 'Muggle' from 'Mug', an English term for someone who is easily
fooled" [21]. Whilst Harry Potter's white witches
and wizards are now the goodies, non-witches and non-wizards (and
anti-witches and anti-wizards) have most definitely become the
baddies. One of the main themes in the Harry Potter
stories is the depiction of Muggles as ignorant, and "dull, boring, cruel, or useless" [22],
"living a life not worth living"
[23], who are
to be patronised, pitied, mocked, and disobeyed by those with
'magical blood'.
"[T]he stories ... paint a very
derogatory view of anyone who does not practice magic.
Non-magic folks are called 'Muggles'. They are looked
down on as being clueless at best, and mean-spirited and
narrow-minded at worst"
[24];
"Her main characters - the witches and
wizards - demonstrate all the admirable traits our God
commends: kindness, courage, loyalty, etc. But the most
conspicuous muggles (ordinary people who are blind to
these mystical forces) are pictured as mean, cruel,
narrow and self-indulgent. These subtle messages, hidden
behind exciting stories, turn Truth upside-down. But
fascinated readers rarely notice the deception"
[25];
"The ordinary person is typified as
being bad because they have no (magic) powers, and
heroes are the people who are using the occult. (This)
is an inversion of morality"
[26];
"There is a strong anti-family strain
in the Potter books ... Harry's uncle, aunt, and cousin,
with whom he lives, are [portrayed as] mean, selfish,
and unloving. They are 'Muggles' ... Harry's witchy
friends are made to appear very appealing next to these
loutish family members ... The ordinary human adults of
his family are seen as stupid and powerless, while the
witches and warlocks are wise and powerful"
[27];
"[W]hen readers see how
stupid, ugly, and boring [Harry's Uncle] Vernon is, they get the idea
that all people who are opposed to Witchcraft must be as
stupid, ugly, and boring as Vernon is"
[28];
"Rowling's Magic versus Muggle message is
all-pervasive. It permeates every Harry Potter
book and forms the framework for the entire series. One
of Harry's friends, Mrs. Weasley, declares about Muggles:
'Bless them, they'll go to any lengths to ignore magic,
even if it's staring them in the face' ... 'Muggles'
like the Dursleys - young readers are informed - have 'a
very medieval attitude towards magic,' making them
superbly unenlightened. The Dursleys even went so far as
'to lock away Harry's spellbooks, wand, cauldron, and
broomstick.' Imagine that! Shame on them! ... [T]he
subtle message is that it's high time for Muggles to
wake up and to accept occult magic for what it really is
- a great gift to humanity. The entire Harry Potter
saga portrays non-magical people as substandard ...
[they] portray the Dursleys in particular and Muggles in
general as largely ignorant, while the Master Sorcerer
... is revealed as essentially all-powerful. Quite a
positive message on behalf of witchcraft, would you say?
... Witches are in; Muggles are out"
[29]. |
That this is a none too subtle attack
on Christians - who, contrary to Rowling's protestations, don't
"ignore" magic because they are "clueless", or "oppose" magic
because they are "mean" or "narrow-minded" or "unenlightened" -
probably goes without saying here (please see the sections towards
the end of this article for the real reasons Christians oppose
magic). But, additionally, as many of the parents and/or
relatives of the children attending Hogwarts are
non-witches or non-wizards this also belittles parents and undermines parental/adult authority in the eyes of Harry and his friends - and by
extension in the eyes of all the children reading the books and watching the
films.
In direct contrast to the
disobedience and rebellion toward adult authority advocated by
Rowling, God's Word sternly rebukes it and commands all children to
honour their parents:
"Honor thy father and thy mother:
that thy days may be long" (Exodus 20:12a) /
"Ye shall fear every man [every
son and daughter shall respect]
his mother, and his father ... Thou shalt rise up before
[respect]
the hoary head [parents,
grandparents, etc] and honour
the face of the old man" (Leviticus 19:3,32) /
"Cursed be he that setteth light by
[dishonours, disrespects, disobeys,
despises, criticises, mocks, abuses]
his father or his mother" (Deuteronomy 27:16);
"My son, hear the instruction of thy
father, and forsake not the law of thy mother ...
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and
attend to know understanding ... Take fast hold of
instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy
life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and
go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it,
turn from it, and pass away ... keep thy father's
commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: bind
them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about
thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou
sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it
shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and
the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the
way of life ... My son, keep my words, and lay up my
commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and
live" (Proverbs chapters 1-4);
"A fool despiseth his father's
instruction: but he that regardeth
[listens to, heeds]
reproof is prudent [wise]"
(Proverbs 15:5);
"Children, obey your parents in the
Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and
mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long
on the earth" (Ephesians 6:1-3) / "Children,
obey your parents in all things: for this is well
pleasing unto the Lord" (Colossians 3:20);
"Being filled with all unrighteousness
... proud, boasters, inventors of evil things,
disobedient to parents" (Romans 1:28-30) /
"For men shall be lovers of their own selves ...
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy ... despisers of those that are good
... heady, highminded" (2 Timothy 3:1-4);
"Obey them that have the rule over
you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your
souls, as they that must give account" (Hebrews 13:17a).
Please see here for
more scriptures concerning children's right attitude and
behaviour towards their parents. |
This issue of parental authority is
of fundamental importance in preparing children to relate
correctly to God as their Heavenly Father, and so it is to be
expected that Rowling will attempt to undermine God-ordained
family relations in her quest to supplant God's Kingdom in the minds
of her young readers with Satan's
kingdom.
In light of the fact that God sees
rebellion and witchcraft as equivalent, it is perhaps not that
surprising that in writing about children's forays into wizardry
and witchcraft, Rowling cannot help but promote disobedience and
rebellion as well...
"For rebellion is as the sin of
witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity
[wickedness, treachery]
and idolatry" (1 Samuel 15:23a), |
The View from the Other Kingdom
It is quite instructive to hear what
witches and ex-witches have to say about Harry Potter:
"I dream of being able to to afford
an old convent in the woods somewhere that I could use
to set up my University of Wicca, There would be dorms
and scholarships and varying degrees bestowed on its
students. There would be all levels of study, from basic
to very deep. I have even written a curriculum, course
schedules, and a list of of my ideal professors from all
over the world ... I've had this
fantasy since before the Harry Potter books came out, so
you can imagine my delight when I read of 'Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry' which is basically
an over-the-top, whimsical fiction of my dream.
Imagination is the first step to actualization, so it
thrills me that children are reading these books"
[30]; "The story of Harry
Potter is an allegory: It is written and packaged to look like fantasy when, in truth, it is a carefully
written true description of the training and work of an
initiate in an occult order. In every instance,
everything Harry does is an extension of his belief
system. His foundation is in magic through will. The
concept that magick is an extension of will is a
foundational occult truth and is diametrically opposed
to the Christian concept of will where every born-again
believer's individual will is brought into submission
under Christ ... The fact is that everything we think,
do and say is an extension of our belief system. It is
dangerous to suspend our belief system when it comes to
judging the value of what we give our children to 'read
for entertainment' ... It is impossible to read
something and not be affected by it or learn something
from it ... The agenda of JK Rowling is very real - she
is writing to instil in children a familiarity with
occult truth - she just clothed it in fun"
[31];
"These books are operational and
instructional manuals of witchcraft woven into the
format of entertainment. These ... books by J.K. Rowling
teach witchcraft! I know this because I was once very
much a part of that world ... In order to succeed in
bringing witchcraft to the world and thus complete
satanic control, an entire generation would have to be
induced and taught to think like witches, talk like
witches, dress like witches, and act like witches ... As a former witch, I can
speak with authority when I say that I have examined the
works of Rowling and that the Harry Potter books are
training manuals for the occult. Untold millions of
young people are being taught to think, speak, dress and
act like witches by filling their heads with the
contents of these books ... As parents, we will answer
to God if we allow our children to read witchcraft books"
[32]. |
Educating Children into the Global Perspective
In 1946, in the aftermath of the
horrors of the two recent world wars, Brock Chisholm,
humanist, first Director-General of the World Health Organization,
and advocate of a one world global society, said some interesting
things regarding Christianity, the raising of children, and the sort of education he believed children should be
subject to:
"What basic psychological distortion can be found in
every civilization of which we know anything? ... which
produces inferiority, guilt and fear, which makes
controlling other people's personal behaviour
necessary, which encourages prejudice and the inability
to see, understand and sympathise with other people's
points of view. Is there any force so potent and so
pervasive that it can do all these things in all
civilizations? There is - just one. The only lowest
common denominator of all civilizations and the only
psychological force capable of producing these
perversions is morality, the concept of right and
wrong, the poison long ago described and warned
against as 'the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil' ... the unnecessary and artificially
imposed inferiority, guilt and fear, commonly known as
sin ...
"For many generations we have bowed
our necks to the yoke of the conviction of sin. We have
swallowed all manner of poisonous certainties fed us
by our parents, our Sunday and day school teachers,
our politicians, our priests, our newspapers and others
with a vested interest in controlling us ... to keep
children under control, with which to prevent free
thinking, with which to impose local and familial
and national loyalties ... these bandages of
belief, in the name of virtue and security for the
soul ...
"That freedom, present in all children
and known as innocence, has been destroyed or crippled
by local certainties, by gods of local moralities, of
local loyalty, of personal salvation, of
prejudice and hate and intolerance - frequently
masquerading as love - gods of everything that would
destroy freedom to observe and to think and would
keep each generation under the control of old people,
the elders, the shamans, and the priests ...
"The re-interpretation and eventual
eradication of the concept of right and wrong which has
been the basis of child training, the substitution of
intelligent and rational thinking for faith in the
certainties of old people ... Would they not be
legitimate objectives of original education? Would it
not be sensible to stop imposing our local prejudices
and faiths on children and give them all sides of
every question ... The most important thing in the world
today is bringing up children ... To be allowed to teach
children should be the sign of the final approval of
society ... Can such a program of re-education or of
a new kind of education be charted? ... That which
stands in the way is ignorance and moral certainty,
superstition [i.e. Christianity] and vested interest
...
"It has long been generally accepted
that parents have a perfect right to impose any points
of view, any lies or fears, superstitions,
prejudices, hates, or faiths on their defenseless
children. It is, however, only relatively recently
that it has become a matter of certain knowledge that
these things cause neuroses, behavior disorders,
emotional disabilities, and failure to develop to a
state of emotional maturity which fits one to be a
citizen of a democracy, able to take one's part in
making a world fit to live in. 'I believe' or 'I
do not believe' have been acceptable as valid reasons
for arbitrary limitations or distortion of a child's
experience, for imposing any kind of guilt or fear on
the child, for perverting the child's capacity to
observe and to think clearly ... individuals who have
emotional disabilities of their own, guilts, fears,
inferiorities, are certain to project their hates [i.e.
Christian beliefs] on others ... They are a very real
menace ...
"[W]e cannot any longer afford to
shelter and protect the old mistaken way of our
forebears ... There is something to be said for ...
gently putting aside the mistaken old ways of our elders
if that is possible. If it cannot be done gently, it may
have to be done roughly or even violently - that has
happened before ... Sincere people should examine our
schools and our churches. Are their methods of teaching
consistent with present day knowledge of the developing
human personality ...
"Let us be our own authority. We know
far more that any of our ancestors. Scientists of this
generation have no obligation to admit superiority of
knowledge or of wisdom in any body of traditional belief
or authority. There is no room for authoritarian
dogma in the field of human relations. Let us
discard the bromides which have kept us drugged,
obedient to the old people and afraid of their
displeasure" [33].
(My emphases.) |
Some years later, he was even more
blunt:
"Children must be free to think in
all directions irrespective of the peculiar ideas of
parents who often seal their children's minds with
preconceived prejudices and false concepts of past
generations" [34]. |
But Chisholm wasn't the only one who
thought like this... Julian Huxley, humanist, Fabian, and a
founder member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), in 1947 oversaw the creation of a
nine-volume UNESCO study titled Towards World Understanding, which stated
in Volume V:
"Before the child enters
school his mind has already been profoundly marked, and
often injuriously, by earlier influences ... first
gained, however dimly, in the home"
[35].
|
Robert Muller, former Assistant
Secretary-General of the United Nations, and one of the main
promulgators of a global education for a global citizenship,
believes his World Core Curriculum should be the basis for
all education at all levels - from kindergarten through to research
institutions. He says:
"Global education must transcend
material scientific and intellectual achievements and
reach deliberately into moral and spiritual spheres ...
Global education must prepare our children for the
coming of an interdependent, safe, prosperous, friendly,
loving, happy planetary age as has been heralded by all
the great prophets" [36];
"Former Secretary General U Thant, a
teacher ... always came back to his fundamental belief
that education held the keys to the future. In his
farewell address to the United Nations in December 1971,
he said: 'I have certain priorities in regard to virtues
and human values ... Above all I would attach the
greatest importance to spiritual values, spiritual
qualities. I deliberately avoid using the term
'religion'. I have in mind the spiritual virtues, faith
in oneself, the purity of one's inner self which to me
is the greatest virtue of all"
[37];
"The underlying philosophy upon which
the Robert Muller School is based will be found in the
teachings set forth in the books of Alice A. Bailey by
the Tibetan teacher [Bailey's spirit guide], Djwal Kuhl..."
[38]. |
Alice Bailey was a Luciferian who was
at one time head of the Theosophical Society, founded by Helena
Blavatsky who, along with Alice Bailey, believed that:
"Lucifer represents Life, thought,
progress, civilisation, liberty, independence. Lucifer
is the Logos, the Serpent, the Saviour ... Lucifer is
divine and terrestrial Light, 'the Holy Ghost' and
'Satan' at one and the same time ... It is Satan who is
God of our planet and the only God"
[39]. |
No doubt - the common practice of
word inversion amongst occultists notwithstanding - the similarity
between the names Blavatsky and Rowling's Cassandra Vablatsky,
author of Unfogging the Future, the divination textbook at
Hogworts School, is purely coincidental...
Other educationalists have reiterated the views of Chisholm, Huxley, Muller,
and Thant. Amongst them, the following:
"Every child in [the West] entering
school at the age of five is mentally ill because he
comes to school with certain allegiances towards ... his
parents, toward belief in a supernatural being ... it is
up to you teachers to make all of these sick children
well by creating the international child of the future"
[40]; "The purpose of
education and the schools is to change the thoughts,
feelings and actions of students"
[41];
"...unless a new faith ...
overcomes the old ideologies and creates planetary
synthesis, world government is doomed ... The task of
reordering our traditional values and institutions
should be one of the major educational objectives of our
schools"
[42];
"The New Thinking: ... [Educators today want] to expand
children's imaginations so they could accept the 'new'
thinking. The 'new' thinking includes the acceptance of
witches, different sexual orientations, and that no
particular religious view is more valuable than any
other" [43].
Please see
here
and
here
for more articles, quotations, and comments concerning the
various questionable
goals of Education in the 20th and 21st centuries. |
To these ends, Rowling's books
about Harry Potter couldn't fit the bill more perfectly. Far
more effective than any school textbook, they are the educational
change agents' dream! Her stories have made it so easy to
prise the vast majority of children from the
"bromide" of the Bible's "authoritarian dogma"
and the "prejudices and faiths" and "mistaken old ways" of
their Muggle-like parents and elders - and all with the convenient blessing of these
very same parents and elders!
"Rowling's books, whether she
realizes it or not, embody some well-used steps to
social change. Like Huxley's conditioning exercises
which linked the cloned babies' delight in colorful
books to terrifying electric shocks, her steps link
positive images to an idealized form of paganism
and negative images to traditional values. Her
suggestions include:
- A vision of a better world
--> link
main characters t pagan practices;
- Rebellion against Biblical
authorities --> link traditional authority figures to
intolerant 'muggles';
- An idealized view of paganism
--> link occult images to 'good' wizards;
- A pagan alternative to Christian
values --> link courage and loyalty to a common quest
for occult empowerment;
- Mystical experiences that excite
the emotions --> link 'good' spells to victory in the
timeless battle between good and evil"
[44];
"The human imagination is key to
transformation! Impressionable and gullible it asks few
questions and rarely resists deception. Through it,
occult images and suggestions take on life-like
dimensions that can distort and change our values more
effectively than can facts or actual reality. It's no
coincidence that educational change agents want to train
children to use and follow these popular alternatives to
rational thinking. Conditioned to respond to exciting
suggestions with their imagination rather than their
intellect, children can easily be led and manipulated"
[45];
"There are many ways to persuade the masses to
reject uncompromising Christianity and embrace a
changeable blend of all kinds of religions ... Schools
do it through books such as the Harry Potter series,
through multicultural and environmental education, and
by integrating social issues and politically correct
ideology into more mundane subjects such as math and
science ... Harry Potter's author does it by creating a
captivating world where strength, wisdom, love, hope -
all the good gifts God promises those who follow Him -
are now offered to those who pursue occult thrills"
[46];
"Immersing children and youth in a
wildly exciting pagan belief system will change
their minds, memories, beliefs, and values. Christian
fans who find the story irresistible will face cognitive
dissonance, a form of mental and emotional confusion. To
social and educational change agents, this intentional
dissonance is an essential step in the process of
'unfreezing' minds and 'opening' them up to a new way of
thinking" [47];
"Books such as the Harry Potter
series fit, because they reinforce the
global and occult perspective"
[48]. |
The Final Destination...
"The stories that we choose, both as
individuals and societies, define our subsequent
histories ... Stories do indeed matter, functioning as
cornerstone, windows, and roadmaps"
[49]. |
To what destination are the Harry
Potter books and films a roadmap?
"Today, millions of
children take Harry's curse mark on their own
foreheads to show their loyalty to Harry. The Bible
teaches that at the ruling of the One World leader
in the end times, the whole world will take 'the
mark of the beast' on their foreheads to show their
allegiance to the world dictator. Are our children
... being conditioned for something much bigger than
even we understand?" [50];
"Satan is greatly using these Harry Potter books
[EMcD: I would say he inspired the books and
their ideas and content in order to use them]
to capture children for his own kingdom, and
conditioning them to accept his values and
attitudes. Then, when Antichrist does arise, he will
find legions of children and young people ready to
accept him, worship him, and finally accept his
mark"
[51];
"Millions of children around the
world are vicariously being taught the same morality
and principles of witchcraft that Harry is learning.
As he gets stronger and stronger year by year, so do
the readers get more involved in the power that
Harry is developing. His psychic abilities get
stronger. His reasoning gets stronger ... in this
book [The Order of the Phoenix] I noticed
Harry was a much angrier person than in
the previous books ... in book #1 he was innocent
and very wide-eyed and more submissive to
authority. In this book he actually becomes
possessed by the serpent that he is supposedly
fighting, and he can't differentiate now between
[himself and] the thing that can take over in him,
and he has the same mind as the serpent"
[52]. |
But... and there's always a
'but'...
"There is a way which seemeth right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of
death" (Proverbs 14:12);
"And the serpent said unto the
woman, Ye shall not surely die ... ye shall be
as gods ... And the woman said, The serpent beguiled
me" (Genesis 31-13);
"And he causeth all, both small
and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive
a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
And that no man might buy or sell, save that he had
the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of
his name ... If any man worship the beast and his
image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in
his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the
wrath of God, which is poured out without
mixture into the cup of his indignation; ... And the
smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and
ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who
worship the beast and his image, and whosoever
receiveth the mark of his name" (Revelation
13:16-17; 14:9-11);
"And I saw an angel come down from
heaven ... And he laid hold on the dragon, that
old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan ...
And the devil that deceived them was cast into
the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast
and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented
day and night forever" (Revelation 20:1-10). |
Is It OK for Christian Adults to Read
Harry Potter?
"Our children are too precious to be
exposed to those risks. Parents, educators, and
Christians who feel that these books are harmless need to
take a careful look at the facts"
[53]. |
The articles I have recommended below
provide much evidence to suggest that Harry Potter is extremely
detrimental to the spiritual well-being of our children, but
what about us? Perhaps almost as many adults as
children are fascinated by Harry Potter and his friends...
I fully understand that the Lord will
require some Christians to read the books and/or see the
films for the sake of warning the rest of the Body of Christ about
the spiritual danger these books and films present to the Lord's
people, in the same way that Ezekiel was made a watchman for the
people of Israel and shown the abominations being committed in the
Temple. I am convinced, though, that there are relatively few
believers whom the Lord has specifically instructed to research the
Harry Potter books to that extent, and if He has not laid it on our
hearts to do that particular work for Him, then surely we should
steer well clear of them just as we would anything else that would
take us into, or even near to, the enemy's territory:
"...the word of the LORD came unto
me, saying, Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto
the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth
and give them warning from me" (Ezekiel 3:17);
"Son of man, seest thou what they do?
even the great abominations that the house of Israel
committeth here ... turn thee yet again, and thou shalt
see greater abominations ... Go in, and behold the
wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and
saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and
abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of
Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about ... He said
also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see
greater abominations that they do ... Then he said unto
me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet
again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than
these ... Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O
son of man? Is it a light thing ... that they commit the
abominations which they commit here..." (Ezekiel
8:1-18); |
Glorifying What God Condemns
All in all, there are up to one
hundred beliefs, attitudes, and practices detailed in the stories about Hogwarts School of Wizardry
and Witchcraft that are both condemned and forbidden in Scripture!
In her books and films, Rowling is glorifying all that God calls
abominable. I truly believe that, not just our children, but
neither should we be reading these books or watching these films
purely for enjoyment's sake, or because they are a "great read" or
are visually stunning, or even out of curiosity. As we know,
God speaks very forthrightly about witchcraft and the occult:
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to
live" (Exodus 22:18); "Regard
not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after
wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD
your God" (Leviticus 19:31) / "And the soul
that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and
after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will
even set my face against that soul, and will cut him
off from among his people ... A man also or a woman that
hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall
surely be put to death" (Leviticus 20:6,27a);
"...thou shalt not learn to do after
the abominations of those nations. There shall not be
found among you any one that ... useth divination, or an
observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a
charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a
wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these
things are an abomination unto the LORD ... Thou
shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God" (Deuteronomy
18:9-13); "Thus siath the LORD,
Learn not the way of the heathen" (Jeremiah
10:2a). |
If you believe that God has changed
His mind on the seriousness of witchcraft since He gave the
Israelites the Hebrew Scriptures, then please consider these
references in the New Testament:
"Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these; ... Idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred ... murders, drunkenness ... and such like: of
the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in
time past, that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21);
"But the ... abominable, and murderers
... and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars, shall
have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death ... And there shall
in no wise enter into [the eternal city, holy Jerusalem]
any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh
abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written
in the Lamb's book of life ... without are ... sorcerers
... and murderers, and idolators, and whosoever loveth
and maketh a lie" (Revelation 21:8,27; 22:15). |
Plainly God hasn't softened His view
concerning the wickedness of wizardry (sorcery) and witchcraft.
Anyway, we know that God doesn't change:
"And I will come near to you to
judgement; and I will be a swift witness against the
sorcerers ... and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
For I am the LORD, I change not" (Malachi 3:5-6). |
Merely reading a story
about witches may not be actually practising witchcraft -
although as we saw from the comment of one researcher near the start
of this article that is debatable - but should we even have in our
possession anything that revels in and glorifies that which is
detestable to God? God made very clear to Israel how He felt
when they took into their possession something He had declared
abominable:
"And ye, in any wise keep yourselves
from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves
accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing"
(Joshua 6:18a); "Israel hath ...
taken of the accursed thing ... and they have put it
even among their own stuff ... Therefore the children
of Israel could not stand before their enemies ...
because they were accursed: neither will I be
with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed
from among you ... O Israel: thou canst stand before
thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing
from among you" (Joshua 7:11-13). |
We cannot be innocent
bystanders in spiritual matters; the Bible warns us that we become
like the thing to which we give our attention:
"Their idols are silver and gold, the
work of men's hands ... They that make them are like
unto them; so is everyone that trusteth in them" (Psalm
115:4-8). |
Note also in the passages from Joshua
above that if we entangle ourselves with what God has forbidden, we
lose God's presence with us - i.e. His Holy Spirit, and thus stand
exposed before Satan, the enemy of our souls, without God's power
and protection. When Saul disobeyed God by not destroying Agag,
the king of the Amalekites, resulting in God's rejection of him as
King over Israel (1 Samuel 15:1-35), he subsequently repented for
his disobedience but could not accept the loss of his former
position, and became bitter and filled with murderous hatred for his
successor, eventually participating in the "accursed thing" and
thereby losing not just his kingship but also his life and his very
soul:
"Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel
had lamented him ... And Saul had put away those that
had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and
came and pitched in Shunem ... And when Saul saw the
host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart
greatly trembled. And when Saul inquired of the LORD,
the LORD answered him not ... Then Saul said unto his
servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit,
that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his
servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath
a familiar spirit in Endor. And Saul disguised himself
... and ... came to the woman by night: and he said, I
pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and
bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. And the
woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath
done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar
spirits, and the wizards, out of the land ... And he
said, Bring me up Samuel..." (1 Samuel 28:3-19);
"Now the Philistines fought against
Israel ... And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul
and upon his sons ... And the battle went sore against
Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded
... Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it ... So
Saul died" (1 Samuel 31:1-6);
"...and I will not take my mercy from
him [Solomon],
as I took it from him [Saul]
that was before thee [David]"
(1 Chronicles 17:13). |
Loving What God Hates
The psalmist, the prophet, and the
apostle each wrote:
"I will set no wicked thing before
mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside;
it shall not cleave to me" (Psalm 101:3);
"he that ... shutteth his eyes from
seeing evil; He shall dwell on high [in heaven]"
(Isaiah 13:15-16);
"Abhor that which is evil;
cleave to that which is good" (Romans 12:9b); /
"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5) / "And have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove
them" (Ephesians 5:11). |
In fact, Paul went further - he
adjured us to go so far as to:
"Abstain from all appearance
of evil" (1Thessalonians 5:22). |
Even to buy the books, or pay to see
the films, supposedly just for 'enjoyment's' sake (rather than for
research), is effectively to be having "fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness" described in the books and
portrayed in the films - and is encouraging Rowling to carry on
writing about all these things that God calls wicked, and He speaks
very severely to those who, though they may not themselves "worship
and serve the creature (i.e., Satan, self, nature, all of which
witchcraft does)", see nothing wrong in endorsing those who do:
"Who knowing the judgment of God,
that they which commit such things are worthy of death,
not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that
do them" (Romans 1:25,32). |
Can we really justify reading these
books simply for pleasure or enjoyment or relaxation or escapism?
According to the Word of God, that just isn't possible. If we
'enjoy' reading about the activities of the witches and wizards in
the Harry Potter books, then Scripture says we are taking "pleasure"
in the practitioners and their practices and so are under God's
judgement.
Yes, this does seem desperately
harsh, but the Lord is harsh, very harsh, when He warns His
People (both His People Israel and His People the Church) of these
abominations - how can He not be when they will lead those for whom
He bled and died into hell? God only gives us any of His
commands and warnings for our eternal good. When the believers
at Ephesus heard Paul's message and saw the works the Lord wrought
through him, and were convicted he spoke the truth:
"many of them also which used curious
arts brought their books together, and burned them
before all men" (Acts 19:19). |
And look at the blessing that
resulted from their obedience to God:
"So mightily grew the word of God and
prevailed" (Acts 19:20). |
A Foot in Both Kingdoms?
However exciting and
entertaining they may be, and however much they may encourage our
children to read books, the fact remains that the Harry Potter
stories are "an all out assault on biblical values and a
Christian world view"
[54]. How then can we
justify any approval for them?
"Woe unto them that call evil
good, and good evil; that put darkness for light,
and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet,
and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20). |
God requires us to
be in one kingdom or the other. We can choose to either
live in God's Kingdom or in Satan's kingdom. It is not
possible to have a foot in both camps.
"Thou shalt not sow thy vineyards
with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou
hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyards, be defiled
[makes the sanctified object
unusable]" (Deuteronomy 22:9).
"See, I have set before thee this day
life and good, and death and evil; In that I command
thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his
ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and
his judgments, that thou mayest live ... But if thy
heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shall
be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I
denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish
... I have set before you life and death, blessing and
cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy
seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God,
and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou
mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life" (Deuteronomy
30:15-20);
"And if it seem evil
unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye
will serve ... but as for me and my house, we will serve
the LORD" (Joshua 24:15);
"How long halt ye between two opinions?
if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow
him" (1 Kings 18:21);
"Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord,
and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the
Lord's table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke
the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?" (1
Corinthians 10:21-22);
"Be ye not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or
what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And
what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye
are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I
will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be
their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons
and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore
these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
ourselves in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 6:14-18;
7:1);
"This I say therefore ... walk not as
other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having
the understanding darkened, being alienated from the
life of God ... Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in
the Lord: walk as children of light" (Ephesians
4:17-5:12). |
More To Be Desired
Are They Than Gold
So, to return to our original
question: If there is "any virtue, and if there be any praise"
in the activities of Harry Potter and the other witches and
wizards at Hogwarts, then by all means we may "think on these
things". But if J.K. Rowling's stories do not prove to be
pure or lovely or virtuous or praiseworthy, then shouldn't we cast
them away, and rather think on the eternal truths God has given us
in His Holy Word?...
"The law of the LORD is perfect,
converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are
right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD
is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is
clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the LORD are
true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are
they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also
than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy
servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great
reward" (Psalm 19:7-11);
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by
taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole
heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy
commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I
might not sin against thee. Blessed are thou, O LORD:
teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all
the judgments of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way
of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will
meditate in thy ways. I will delight myself in thy
statutes: I will not forget thy word" (Psalm 119:9-16);
"But continue thou in the things which
thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of
whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou
hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make
thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the
man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all
good works" (2 Timothy 3:14-17). |
"Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are
lovely, whatsoever things are of good report,
if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,
think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received,
and heard, and seen in me, do,
and the God of peace shall be with you"
(Philippians 4:8-9). |
Endnotes
[1] John Ankerberg,
Questions About Harry Potter
[2] Cutting Edge 1397,
Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Book Review
[3] Berit Kjos,
Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince
[4] Cutting Edge 1430,
Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Book Review
[5] David J. Meyer,
Harry
Potter? What Does God Have to Say?
[6] J.K. Rowling, Interview
with
Stories from the Web [library subscription/members only
access], as quoted in: Let Us Reason,
Harry Potter: A Sorcerer's Tale
[7] Caryl Matrisciana,
Just Wild About Harry:
Boy Wizard Changing Teens Into Witches?
[8] Quoted in: Karen Shaw,
Harry Potter Books - My Concerns
[9] Caryl Matrisciana,
Interview with Christian Family Radio,
Harry Potter
[10] Caryl Matrisciana,
Interview with Christian Family Radio,
Harry Potter
[11] Steve Wohlberg, Hour of
the Witch, (Destiny Image Publishers, Shippensburg, PA
17257-0310, US, 2005), p.43
[12] Richard Abanes, quoted in
Wohlberg, Hour of the Witch, pp.43-44
[13] { source }
[14] ExWitch Ministries,
Is
Harry Potter Just Harmless Fun?
[15] J.K. Rowling, Interview
with Kidsreads,
Harry Potter
[16] Berit Kjos,
The Order
of the Phoenix
[17] Peter Lanz,
Occult Roots of Harry Potter Magic
[18] Steve Wohlberg, Hour of
the Witch, p.156
[19] Steve Wohlberg, Hour of
the Witch, pp.44-45
[20] Cutting Edge 1383,
Two
More Christian Oriented Organizations Recommend Harry Potter Books
[21] Wikipedia,
Muggle
[22] William J. Schnoebelen,
Straight Talk on Harry Potter
[23] Cutting Edge 1397,
Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Book Review
[24] CBN Q & A,
What's the
Harm in Harry Potter?
[25] Berit Kjos,
Bewitched
by Harry Potter
[26] Robert Frisken, quoted in
Wohlberg, Hour of the Witch, p.82
[27] William J. Schnoebelen,
Straight Talk on Harry Potter
[28] Cutting Edge 1397,
Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Book Review
[29] Steve Wohlberg, Hour of
the Witch, pp.78-80,82
[30] Henbane, A California
Witch, quoted in
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: It's JUST Fantasy!
[31] Peter Lanz,
Occult Roots of Harry Potter Magic
[32] David J. Meyer,
Harry
Potter? What Does God Have to Say?
[33] G. Brock Chisholm, 'The
Reestablishment of Peacetime Society', in
The Psychiatry of Enduring Peace and Social
Progress, The William Alanson White Memorial Lectures
(Vol 9, No.1, February 1946), pp.3-20. [my emphases]
[34] G. Brock Chisholm, Speech
given at the Conference on Education, in Asilomar, California, 11th
Sept 1954. Quote appended to article by Catherine Minteer,
'What We Observed in Teaching General Semantics', in
ETC:
A Review of General Semantics (Vol. 61, No.4, December
2004), p.486
[35] UNESCO, Towards World
Understanding: Vol V: In the Classroom with Children Under
Thirteen Years of Age, quoted in John A. Stormer, None Dare Call It
Treason, (Liberty Bell Press, Florissant, Missouri, US, 1964),
p.112
[36] Robert Muller, 'The Need
for Global Education', (1975), Reproduced in
Essays on
Education, edited by Joanne Dufour, (1990), p.20
[37] U Thant, United Nations
Secretary-General, 1961-1971, quoted in Robert Muller, 'The Need
for Global Education', (1975), Reproduced in
Essays on
Education, edited by Joanne Dufour, (1990), p.20
[38] Preface, World Core
Curriculum Manual, (Robert Muller School, Arlington TX, US,
1986), quoted in Berit Kjos,
The International Agenda
[39] Helena Blavatsky, The
Secret Doctrine, (1888)
[40] Dr Chester Pierce,
Professor of Education and Psychiatry, Harvard University: Lecture
presented at Denver, Colorado, a Seminar on Childhood Education,
(1973)
[41] Benjamin Bloom,
Educational Psychologist, All Our Children Learning: A Primer for
Parents, Teachers and Other Educators, (McGraw-Hill, New York,
US, 1981), p.180
[42] Philip Vander Velde and
Hyung-Chan Kim, eds., Global Mandate: Pedagogy for Peace,
(1985),
p.76, quoted in Berit Kjos,
The International Agenda
[43] John Ankerberg,
Questions About Harry Potter
[44] Berit Kjos,
Harry
Potter and the Power of Suggestion
[45] Berit Kjos,
Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince
[46] Berit Kjos,
Bewitched
by Harry Potter
[47] Berit Kjos,
Harry Potter
and the Half-Blood Prince
[48] Berit Kjos,
Bewitched
by Harry Potter
[49] Alison Lentini, quoted in
Hour of the Witch, p.45
[50] Caryl Matrisciana,
Who
Stole Harry Potter's Phoenix?
[51] Cutting Edge 1396,
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:
Book Review
[52] Caryl Matrisciana,
Interview with Viewpoint,
Harry Potter Witchcraft Repackaged
[53] ExWitch Ministries,
Is
Harry Potter Just Harmless Fun?
[54] Let Us Reason,
Harry Potter: A Sorcerer's Tale
Further
Articles, Books, and DVDs
Articles:
Index
of many (non-Bayith) Harry Potter Articles
Kjos Ministries: Index of Harry Potter Articles
Christian Answers for the New Age: Index of Harry Potter Articles
Harry Potter: A Review of the First Five Books From a Biblical
Perspective
Cutting Edge
(at the top of the Home page click on the 'Search' button and type
in 'Harry Potter' to access many articles on the subject)
John Ankerberg (if this link doesn't take you directly to the
list of Harry Potter articles then type 'Harry Potter' into the
'Search Website' window at the top right of the Home page)
Books and DVDs:
(Available from the publishers or
from
usedbooksearch)
Steve Wohlberg, Hour of
the Witch, (Destiny Image Publishers, Shippensburg, PA
17257-0310, US, 2005)
Steve Wohlberg, Hidden Dangers in
Harry Potter, (Amazing Facts, Inc., Roseville, CA 95678-9058,
US, 2003)
Richard Abanes, Harry Potter and
the Bible: The Menace Behind the Magick, (Christian
Publications, US, 2001)
Caryl Matrisciana, Harry Potter:
Witchcraft Repackaged, (Jeremiah Films, 2001)
You are very welcome to make copies of this article for personal
research or for free distribution by print or email, but please respect
our conditions that the content remains intact (including this copyright
statement); that no misleading impression is given that we are
necessarily associated with or endorse the distributor; and that proper
reference is made to the title and author. Website owners are
encouraged to link to this page, but you must not incorporate this
article into your own website without our prior written consent.
Thank you and bless you. |
©
Elizabeth McDonald
https://www.bayith.org
bayith@blueyonder.co.uk
|