Posted on 07/23/2007 7:04:00 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback
If there’s a child in your house, then you probably know what’s going to happen when the clock strikes 12 tonight. The final Harry Potter book—Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—will be unleashed on the world.
The big question that has millions of kids on edge: Will Harry live—or will he die?
But the big question many parents have is: Should their kids be reading novels about wizards and witches and magic?
A Christian expert on Potter mania says, “It depends.”
Connie Neal, a veteran youth pastor and mother of three, is the author of a book titled What’s a Christian To Do with Harry Potter? Neal says parents must use discernment in deciding whether to allow their kids to read Harry Potter. For example, kids with an unhealthy interest in the occult should probably not read these books. Other Christians believe their kids benefit from the moral lessons the Potter books teach.
Neal’s belief that it’s okay for Christians to read secular novels comes from her reading of the biblical book of Daniel. Daniel, you will remember, was a teenager when he was taken away from Jerusalem to live in exile in Babylon. There, he was taught the language and literature of the pagan culture. He studied at a school that trained Babylon’s magicians, astrologers, and sorcerers. The actual practice of sorcery and astrology was, of course, forbidden by God. But Daniel studied it well to understand it.
One day King Nebuchadnezzer called on his magicians and astrologers to interpret a dream; none could do it. In a rage, the king ordered that all of his wise men be put to death. Daniel asked to see the king, who then asked him, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” Daniel responded: “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery which the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.”
Daniel had immersed himself in his culture’s pagan literature in order to understand it. But, because of his deep devotion to God, he didn’t defile himself. As Connie Neal told BreakPoint, “God put Daniel in Babylon to be a light in the darkness—and he was. He was not afraid to read literature that resounded in the hearts of the people with whom he lived. He used his familiarity with this pagan literature to reveal the true and living God.” And Neal knows some kids who have done the same in our own post-Christian culture.
Now personally, I don’t recommend the Potter books. I’d rather Christian kids not read them. But with some 325 million of them in print, your kids will probably see them and hear others talk about them, and they’re probably going to read them anyway. So use this occasion to teach them to be discerning—like Daniel. Dare them to have Daniel as their role model, not Harry Potter.
And if your kids do enjoy Harry’s magical world, you should give them copies of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.
These books also feature wizards and witches and magic, but in addition, they inspire the imagination within a Christian framework—and prepare the hearts of readers for the real-life story of Jesus Christ.
If that's your concern, you really don't have to worry about the Harry Potter books on that score:
(1) The magical ability is portrayed as being quasi- genetic. If you haven't got it, you're --- like all the people reading these books ---a Muggle, and there's nothing you can do about it, however hard you try.
(2) The wands cannot be duplicated in the real words: each one must have a core consisting of either dragon heartstring, unicorn hair, or phoenix feather. Nothing you could find at Wal-Mart. The potions have similarly fictitious ingredients (ashwinder eggs? jobberknoll feathers?) not likely to inspire alchemical imitators.
(3) Most important: the ordinary wizarding magic is portrayed as an alternative technology (the equivalent of a fax, a laser, an antibiotic, a GPS), not as access to unseen bodiless entities.
Harry never uses the ultimate unforgivable curse (the "Avada Cadavra") which causes death, even in the heat of battle; the bad guys, the Death Eaters, use it all the time. Instead, Harry almost always uses the "Expelliarmus", which causes the weapons to fly out of aggressors' hands. The fact that he doesn't use deadly spells is portrayed as very significant; "Expelliarmus" (Disarm) is seent as Harry's "signature spell", by which others can identify him.
And when in the HP books there IS access to an unseen bodiless entity, a true conjuring of occult spirits (e.g. Voldemort's conjuring) it is always portrayed as dangerous, defiling, and sickeningly evil.
Exactly the lesson you would want impressed upon your children.
I don't think HP is above criticism. The series has its flaws. Myself, I much prefer Narnia. However, I think your most serious concerns --- about making the occult attractive ---- can be laid to rest.
I take advantage of Walmart. I buy some things there, but never their imported foods.
And I couldn’t see the sense in paying more at Borders. After all, the books were printed in my home state.
Do you have any evidence of this? I've known hundreds of kids who have read and enjoyed Harry Potter books. NOT ONE of them is remotely interested in the occult.
They've been around for centuries. They weren't made by reading Harry Potter, and since the HP books don't have any relation to the occult, I doubt seriesly that any more will be attracted to that lifestyle by the books.
You got no problem then, because they're never in a scene together! ;o)
Eliminate the retributive father figure and the cash flow takes a huge hit. And even worse, the kids might read Harry Potter and suffer the horrific fate of growing up to be independent adults. ;)
Ah! But don't you know, some people who are already wiccan actually read Harry Potter, so they have some magical influence over it. /sarc
If fear-driven Christians are bashing Harry Potter, it’ll be interesting to watch their seizures when “The Golden Compass” hits the screens.
Pullman is a first rate horses’s arse and his hatred of Christianity begins with bashing C.S. Lewis and goes on from there. I made the mistake of reading the first book — THAT is not a series for kids!
NTSA ping to self
“I was eager to get to Hogwarts first because I like what they learned there and I want to be a witch.” Gioia Bishop, age 10.[1]
Might Harry Potter seem as real as life to his young fans around the world? Do children accept Harry’s lessons in practical witchcraft as an open door to an occult reality? Many Christian leaders have denied any such danger, but author J.K. Rowling admits that this happens. In an interview with Newsweek’s Malcolm Jones, she said,
“I get letters from children addressed to Professor Dumbledore [headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the books’ setting], and it’s not a joke, begging to be let into Hogwarts, and some of them are really sad. Because they want it to be true so badly they’ve convinced themselves it’s true.” (The Return of Harry Potter)
“The Pagan Federation has appointed a youth officer to deal with a flood of inquiries following the success of the Harry Potter books which describe magic and wizardry.”
“It is quite probably linked to things like Harry Potter, Sabrina The Teenage Witch and Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” explains the Pagan Federation’s media officer, Andy Norfolk. “Every time an article on witchcraft or paganism appears, we had a huge surge in calls, mostly from young girls.”
Source: http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/Harry&Witchcraft.htm
Great! More vices for your list!!
What if I were to tell you that the folks at Focus on the family were receiving mail addressed to the Adventures in Odyssey characters? Would you then want them to stop producing those radio shows, or would you put the blame on the parents who had let their kids get to a place where they didn't understand fantasy and reality?
What if you found out that C.S. Lewis had received letters addressed to Aslan, asking for magical items like the ones he gave to the Pevensy children? What if J.R.R. Tolkien had received letters addressed to Gandalf asking him to take the writer in as his student? Would you then say no Christian should read The Narnia books or the Hobbit?
Hey, I just gave proof here after being asked for it. You say nothing about the proof, but you instantly deflect it by bringing up something non-HP.
If you will not stay on topic, you’re not in the conversation anymore. If you’re not going to deal with the points I bring up, I don’t see why I have to deal with yours. You also ignore the fact the bible says don’t be involved in this kind of stuff. That also would indicate you shouldn’t glamorize or deliberately make things you aren’t supposed to do more tantalizing to be involved in.
Plus the new args you raise are ridiculous. You equate mailing a letter to a character with writing to real person (JK Rowling) begging to be admitted to Hogwarts becasue they want to become a real witch/wizard.
Most of the kids that I know who read Potter were already reading other books or just read Potter.
Yes but notice that Walmart sounds eerily like Voldemort
Coincidence? I don’t think so...
Thanks for that brief flashback!
When I was seven I checked all my closets to see if any of them led into magical realms. I knew Narnia was a fantasy story but that didn’t stop me from checking. It was along the same lines as dressing up in sunbonnets and playing “Little House on the Prairie”. I didn’t grow up to be a witch or Laura Ingalls Wilder though.
But you ~do~ live in a prairie state.
Coincidence? I think not.
And I saw Star Wars but didn’t turn into a Jedi Knight. So what’s your point? I still have shown that it does happen to kids even if it didn’t happen to you or me.
Show me where this is acceptable behavior from the Bible. I’ve shown you that it is not, and also shown that there are kids getting drawn into the occult from this. You guys want to convince me it’s okay, then do that.
I can’t think of any reason why anyone should care what you think. Give me a reason.
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