Is Harry Potter merely entertainment?

BP News ^ | 6-3-04 | Phil Boatwright

[BobbyBeeper]

FIRST-PERSON: Is Harry Potter merely entertainment? Jun 2, 2004 By Phil Boatwright

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" Photo courtesy of harrypotter.com

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (BP)--"I love Harry Potter. I think it would be so cool to be a witch," Sharon, age 11, says.

That's my answer to anyone who says J.K. Rowling's adventure series is harmless fantasy.

While the Harry Potter book and film series has held a hypnotic fascination for youngsters, its thematic foundation is troubling. Arguably, perceptive children can view such material without succumbing to the snare of the occult, but it would be naive to think that movies and TV programs containing witchcraft are not aiding the rise of Wicca in our culture.

In a television special titled "Hollywood Spirituality" which aired several years back on E! Entertainment, Raven Mounauni, a professing witch and owner of an occult paraphernalia store, credited the 1996 movie "The Craft" with inspiring young women to explore the world of witches. "I get a lot of teenage girls in here. You can always tell when 'The Craft' has been on TV, 'cause we get a big influx of girls looking for supplies."

Occult practices shouldn't be considered just diverting amusement. Ouija boards, psychic readers and other forms of misleading supernatural entertainment should not be taken lightly. In Leviticus 19:26 we are instructed, "Do not practice divination or sorcery." There are several warnings in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, making it clear that we are to avoid witchcraft or anything associated with the occult. So if God is instructing us to avoid occult practices, how can we justify using it to entertain ourselves?

This may not be a popular view right now. The first Harry Potter film installment earned $969 million worldwide. J.K. Rowlings' five books on the young wizard have become a phenomenon, allowing the author to become the richest woman in England, with assets beyond $1 billion. That would indicate that many parents find nothing wrong with these children's adventures.

There are even a couple of books out right now exclaiming parallels between the Potter books and the Gospel. One author suggests the books help relate Christian themes and truths, opening the door for talking about things such as right and wrong, the nature of faith, loyalty, bravery and trust. Honestly, I think that's a bit thin. Yes, Rowlings’ themes deal with honor, friendship and self-sacrifice, but the kids in Harry Potter gravitate to sorcery in order to accomplish these attributes. And even if there are positive elements associated with the series, you simply can't ignore the witchcraft equation.

Members of Wicca teach a philosophy that embraces no absolute truth or sin and replaces the patriarchal male creator God of the Bible with a belief in both male and female gods. Its credo instructs members to embrace spirits and conjure spells in order to control their lives and the lives of others. There are millions of practicing witches worldwide. Indeed, Wicca has become one of the fastest-growing religions in the world today.

OK, it's good that children are reading. But what is it they're reading? Shouldn't that be considered? When an author makes $1 billion on five books that have sorcery as a main theme, and renowned secular critics hail the films as incredible filmmaking without examining their occult roots, I question what's really behind this phenom.

Is it merely entertainment? Or is there a dark spiritual source feeding and supporting it? I realize that may sound like a stretch, but often Satan is most deceiving with a glossed-over package. Wouldn't it be a shame if kids got pulled into witchcraft, while their folks thought of the books and films as merely children's fantasy? --30-- Phil Boatwright is a film reviewer and editor of The Movie Reporter, on the Web at www.moviereporter.com. (BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKAB

[discostu]

I wouldn't say there is no Higher Authority in HP, just that the Higher Authority doesn't take the kind of active hand He does in Lewis's work. And with good reason, Lewis was making parables, Rowling is making stories. Narnia is informed by faith, Potter is is informed by the long tradition of British prep school coming of age stories. That doesn't mean the magic in Potter is evil or leads kids to Satan, it just means the books were written by different people for different audiences.

[Proverbs 3-5]

I don't say these things lightly, but: You're a loon.

As yes, the classic "I don't have anything of substance to say and I can't stand differing opinions... so I'll resort to name calling!!!"

[Integrityrocks]

You're right! See how it damaged me? I can't even remember her name!

[js1138]

There is nothing "instructional' about them. In fact, what I take away from them is: the battle between good and evil, the trust of loyalty of friends and the value of courage"good" people and "evil" people.

I know what you mean, but your statements are contradictory. Any, tonight at 12:01, it's off the see the wizard.

[kevkrom]

"Gandalf, the wizard in 'The Lord of the Rings,' is an angelic. He is a being created by the One True God who is kind of an arch-angel who is sent to help people accomplish the will of the One True God...

And Sauron, just as Morgoth before him were also creations of Eru, the One True God of Arda. They all had access to the same innate powers (to greater and lesser degrees), but became good and evil based on how they used those powers. Morgoth (in a direct parallel to Satan) was the greatest of all those created by Eru, but fell into evil based on a selfish desire for his own power and mastery. Sauron and Olorin (Gandalf) were lesser beings, but also of great power -- the difference between them was that Sauron followed Morgoth into corruption, and Olorin remained faithful.

[Frank_Discussion]

"As yes, the classic "I don't have anything of substance to say and I can't stand differing opinions... so I'll resort to name calling!!!""

Except I did say something beyond that, but don't let that get in the way.

Let me expand upon the 'loon' business: I don't hurl insults lightly, but when someone is delusional, I tell them so.

You said 'thanks for making my point' or something similar, when I did nothing of the kind. Nice try at Debate Class 101, but no cigar. Or South Farthing weed, in this case.

You said HP and TLOTR are in no way similar, and then proceeded to state half-truths about the TLOTR characters. I pointed out, with specific and multiple examples where there are direct parallels between the two series of books.

[af_vet_rr]

I'm sorry... I am about as religious as they come and still not in a convent, but I just don't buy that the Harry Potter concerns are any worse than wishing I was the good witch Windy of the Wizard of Oz when I was a little girl. You have to balance these sort of fantasies with good sound foundational training and they are as innocent as believing in Santa Claus.

I'm the same way (except for the part about being a little girl, of course).

One of my daughters wanted to be Princess Leia from Star Wars (which I view about the same as Harry Potter now). Didn't phase my wife or I. One of my nephews played Star Wars all the time, imagining he had some kind of invisible force powers (like the kids nowadays with the Harry Potter "magic" stuff).

Raise your kids right and it's just a stage they are going through, and they'll grow up just fine.

I wanted to be Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett when I was a kid. I went so far as to wear fake coonskin hats and buckskins. Wait a minute!! I was being exploited by Disney, maybe I should sue?? heh.

[discostu]

Neither of those stories has anything to do with Harry Potter, those are just stories about loons. There's plenty of loons in this world and eradicating HP won't reduce the numbers any.

[Xenalyte]

Ouija boards and tarot cards ARE evil. They (& dungeons and dragons) are a game that directly involves you and calls you into INVITE AND PLAY with evil powers.

How does me staring at a bunch of cards, and then telling you some crap I made up using time-tested cold-reading methods, call you to "invite and play with evil powers"? Do I have the evil powers and just don't know it? Am I an evil power gateway?

[Xenalyte]

What do either of those stories have to do with Rowling's books, in which (I must note) vampires do not appear?

[Frank_Discussion]

For Pete's Sake, I left the door WIDE OPEN here!

[Xenalyte]

Why not judge? I plan to be judged all over the place come the Day, so I feel okay judging while I'm here.

Besides, if we don't judge others, we "accept" and "celebrate" them, and I don't do that.

[kevkrom]

This misguided piety is the same kind of thing that eventually sprang forth the Spanish Inquistion, which is something nobody ever expected.

Ok... I'll bite...

NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition...

[Xenalyte]

First, when I was doing all the demon-casting, I was being sarcastic. Apparently your sarcasm meter's needle is burned out.

Second, I have read everything Tolkien ever wrote, including his linguistic work, and a good deal of Lewis.

However, laboring in ignorance is painful to me. Please enlighten me as to where I demonstrate an utter lack of knowledge of either Tolkien or Lewis.

[Frank_Discussion]

THANK YOU! *whew* I was a-turnin' blue here!

[js1138]

If all Christians who don't like Potter are nuts, then everyone who reads Potter is a geek.

Not the right choice. People who think witchcraft is anything other than a fantasy are nuts. I've been reading these threads long enough to know who will reply to this statement. Same old, same old. It's sad to see adults with the worldview of a six-year-old.

[Proverbs 3-5]

So, even though you used "specific and multiple examples" you resort to throwing in name calling and veiled insults, then you have the gaul of accusing me of using "Debate 101" tactics?

Real good...

[Xenalyte]

On rereading our exchange, I really believe we're on the same page. Do you like the Potter series, as I do, or do you believe it's the tool of Satan?

[af_vet_rr]

If you're concerned, just look at Harry Potter as God's test

Actually if they are concerned, they should stop and think about what the big movies/books were when they were kids, and how kids played/acted back then. This is something that is repeated every generation.

When I was a kid, it was cowboys and indians, cops and robbers, pirates, knights and wizards, soldiers, etc. Funny how little changes (cowboys and indians have probably went away and been replaced by space/sci-fi characters, but the others are in full force).

I will admit that some kids probably have problems with roleplaying, but their problems existed long before they ever donned a robe, picked up a lightsaber, strapped on a cap-gun, put on a toy helmet, or picked up a toy shield and sword.

[Junior]

Gee, neither one mentioned Harry Potter. Indeed, umpteen million people have read the books and/or seen the movies, and, aside from an article in The Onion a few years back that fundamentalists took for Gospel, you can't find any direct correlation between Harry Potter and Satan worshipping. Hell, there was more interest in the occult back in the '70s when I was a kid (and The Exorcist had just come out).