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
Ok, stupid for two reasons. 1. 'Vlabatsky' is the author of a book, and is mentioned as such all of once. 2. The book is on Divination, the one form of magic that nobody in HP actually seems to believe in.
I think you should be more upset that there are characters named things like "Minerva". How dare she promote pagan goddesses in children's literature!
Not as much of a problem, but I would still warn against the Potter books. The dangers far outweigh any possible benefits. In fact, I can't see much if any merit in the stories at all. If there is anything of value it can be found in other stories that don't feature spell-casting protagonists.
I was raised right, but without much intellectual formation. This caused a problem for me even in watching seemingly benign TV shows like "Bewitched." I came to wrongly conclude that the idea of witchcraft was ridiculous. The show didn't particularly interest me in witchcraft, but just as dangerously, I came to believe that there was no such thing. If my friend who owned a ouija board had asked me to try it, I probably wouldn't have objected, seeing it as a silly plaything, like a magic eight-ball.
I allowed my daughters to see StarWars, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, the LOTR cartoons, and the list goes on. Both of them dressed up like some of the characters, acted like they were in character, etc. and yet neither one of them was innured to the occult. They are both still good Christians.
I have problems with the pantheistic overtones of StarWars (which would be lost on a child). Snow White and Sleeping Beauty depict witches unfavorably, which is appropriate. I don't remember any witchcraft in Peter Pan. I have problems with the "good witch" in the Wizard of Oz, and LOTR could be problematic for some children.
The major difference between Potter and all of these though is that the protagonist is a witch. The protagonist casts spells, etc. For Christians, this is a very serious sin. This is like having a protagonist who murders, steals or commits adultery. It's actually even worse. It's a violation of the First Commandment.
Oh yes, haven't you heard about the hundreds of thousands of people becoming Wiccan everyday? At this rate they will overtake Islam in about 4 months. < /sarcasm>
We have a winner!
Hawaii anyone?
Thanks to him, my kids will likely be "special" too. That whole karma thing...
Good point!
Er... Yeah. At least, I insist to people they are not the same. The laughing crowds don't seem to agree.
Technically, Harry's a wizard, being male.
If you need to warn people about children's lit, why don't you take on Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy? That's popular, too, and he comes right out and attacks Christianity.
At our previous church, my mother was verbally attacked on several occasions by a woman she'd considered a friend, because she allowed her children to read Harry Potter. The 'friend' had never read Potter, but she was sure it would result in some of us becoming devil worshippers. It's five years later, and none of us are sacrificing cats yet.
However, Potter may be a gateway drug... I started with Potter and have worked my way into anime, which is also evil, no doubt. And I'd be playing D&D if I had friends who were into it.
Have you read them?
What, he looks at eyes?
I think Crookshanks would put a hurtin' on you if you tried. :)
Or Professor McGonagall, and I'd be scared of her.
Actually, McGonagall rocks.
But according to the information I've been given by the 700 Club if I memorize the Enterprise map I'll become one of Satan's high priests gaining unimaginable powers... that's it I'm suing ;)
Skimmed the entire first one (and parts of the others) at the bookstore. I refuse to contribute any money to the cause.
Stylistically the books seem pretty pedestrian, but then, the fantasy genre isn't my thing.
Then you're hardly qualified to discuss their "merit."
They're like James Bond movies. You've seen one you've seen them all.
If you're going to talk about them, you should read them. I guarantee, any library in the country will have a copy, you don't have to buy them.
Maybe if you'd read them, you wouldn't find them so frightening.
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