[Dot]

Magical practices and the occult depend on one thing--an altered state of consciousness. When in an altered state of consciousness, one accepts what the rational mind would refuse. Reading a Potter book or seeing the movie makes acceptable spiritual values that are different than those found in Judaism or Christianity. Of course no one moves from reading a Potter book to being a full-fledged practioner of the "arts." But reading a book on animals doesn't make a person a veternarian either. The more intelligent a person is, the deeper their curiosity and the more likely they will follow a path that has them searching thru occult literature over time if they are intrigued by the concept. With no warnings of the dangers ahead, they may find themselves unprepared for what they can encounter. In addition, our society has been prepared for a long time for the move away from Christianity and Judaism to accepting some form of "spirituality" based on the occult. The spirituality found in occult practices has no moral grounding except for some vague "Do no harm" kinds of phrasing. Parents who have accepted occult ideas at one level probably won't object when their children are given the same ideas in forms such as the Potter books. Kind of like the simplistic thinking that says "I smoked when I was young and it didn't hurt me none, so why would I say something if my kid smokes one or two." As I wrote on top, the occult is based on altered states of consciousness. Many people think they have had out of body experiences or time traveled, or levitated or raised tables to name a few. Before you laugh too hard, explain the way wireless communication works when you use a cell phone so that we can all accept its possibility. Very few will go on to try different levels of the occult after being introduced to it thru the Potter books. However, keeping kids to the very boring but necessary for society ideals of don't lie, cheat, steal, study, think logically and work hard becomes a little more difficult when control thru the seductive occult is wiggling its finger for the mind of the reader. By the way, whatever happened to the plagerism lawsuit against the author?

[Sir Gawain]

ping

[SamAdams76]

This is funny. Freepers using a "born-again" New Ager to make their arguments. If this "born-again" New Ager decided to condemn the war in Afghanistan and President Bush, the same Freepers would be all over this guy, saying "Why should we listen to some idiot New Ager?"

[babble-on]

....may I introduce myself as a former New Age "healer" and advanced yoga practitioner. ..

I like that the author of the piece helpfully explains that he has been insane for a long time and did not just recently lose his marbles.

[Osinski]

As magic is to fantasy, so miracles are to our very unhealed world.

This is an illogical statement and makes no sense. Fastasy is an illusion. The author just spent many paragraghs insisting magic is real. Read above where she states, "Potter magic is all too real and all too harmful."

Her ending paragraph should instead stress the truth that magic is the (much) lower consciousness form of miracles. Words and thoughts and actions are powerful. Miracles heal our world continuously.

...the flying saints, like Teresa of Avila or Teresita de los Andes? ...Padre Pio or St. Faustina?...fantastically efficacious prayers that heal and deliver.

Yes...and Christ.

[BurFred]

Thank you for posting this. I read all four of the Harry Potter books, and now my local farmers are struggling to keep me supplied with sacrificial goats. The Devil does not accept substitutes.

[Don Myers]

The Harry Potter stories teach kids that good overcomes evil. But the good that is depicted overcomes evil by using witchcraft to overcome itself. In other words, to overcome evil, you must practice evil. That is a no-win scenario for the kids. Witchcraft, spells, and other facets of the occult come from Satan. We cannot use Satan to overcome Satan. It just doesn't work that way. That is what many parents are missing when they defend these stories.