Posted on 06/03/2004 9:38:49 AM PDT by 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
Why yes. Yes I am. ;-)
Actually, their war against the Orcs of the Misty Mountains prior to Bilbo's quest to Erebor severely depleted the number of Orcs available to Sauron during the War of the Ring.
Otherwise, the Orcs and Goblins would have posed much more a threat to Rivendell, Lothlorien and the Woodland Realm while so much attention was directed to the battles in the south. They also would have posed much more a threat to anyone (like Bilbo and Thorin's party) attempting to cross the Misty Mountains.
Also, when Sauron launched his forces against Lorien, the Mirkwood Elves and Dale, the Men of Dale and Dwarves of Erebor fought together against the Easterlings and were beseiged within the Lonely Mountain where both King Brand and King Dain Ironfoot fell and died.
Plus, the Dwarven population centers were pretty far from the action featured in LOTR. The Blue Mountains were way too far, further than the Shire, the Iron Hills and Lonely Mountain Dwarves were somewhat nearer, but, as I said, preoccupied by the Easterling invasion once that happened.
(I know WAY too much about this, don't I?)
Reminds me of something I overheard the other day: "Marijuana is a gateway... A gateway to good times!"
Vlabatsky (in H.P.) = Blavatsky (in hell).
These books are a giant game being played by master game-players. And your children will be the losers when the very real occult comes knocking and they open the door, thinking it's only a childhood friend.
I bow to your geekiness.
Special Ed RULEZ!
If I wrote a book about someone named Hilter, would you automatically assume there's a Nazi subcurrent?
Its Harry Potter's fault.
Oh look, two weird threads and I'm on both. What's the likelihood of that?
100%, I guess. ;o)
I guess all I need to do now is to go flame a religion thread.
I'd rather you bowed to my dark powers of necromancy, but geekiness will do.
I read the books because my daughter wanted to read the books. Just like I censor what she gets to watch on TV & @ the movies.
I can't say I loved the books, but I enjoyed them enough it was not a chore to read them. Reading the books together gave us an opportunity to talk @ length about the occult, evil, all kinds of good stuff.
Not that anyone @ my church really cares what I think, but I encourage parents to read these books with their kids and then talk about the topics. Help your child learn to discern fact from fiction, and truth from fantasy. Tell them WHY you believe what you believe. Just seems like a better response than the knee jerk "this is evil - stay away reaction".
With respect to the 12 year old who wants to be a witch, basing your response to the world on the reaction of a child you do not even know seems to be a poor decision making process.
Don't forget the dragon (Smaug) either. I think it's in Unfinished Tales where Gandalf comments that without the quest of Erebor and the ridding of Smaug, Rivendell probably would have been destroyed and Gondor left without a queen.
How about a WOD thread just to round things out?
party on dude!
What?! They're not the same thing?! I think I got ripped off.
But guess what?
I'll grant you there is such a thing as the occult, and demonic forces, and what have you. As a born-again Christian, I not only believe in these things, but I've confronted them on several (unforgettable) occasions.
But, such occurrences and events bear very little, if any, resemblance to the fantasy world depicted in the Harry Potter writings.
I've heard the arguments about uninformed people not knowing the difference, and I don't buy them. By and large, the people deceived by the occult have chosen to particpate in that deception, usually for the sense of power, exclusivity and/or belonging that they experience. As Christians, we have a responsibility to address these issues, but doing so by trashing harmless fantasy movies is probably not going to be very effective.
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