Posted on 12/27/2001 7:56:38 AM PST by Wiley Sr
The Harry Potter fiction series, widely heralded by critics as exceptional literature and by teachers for tuning millions of children into reading, is being condemned by Christ Community Church pastor Jack Brock as evil.
Harry Potter is nothing but witchcraft, Brock said. Its evil hidden behind the face of an innocent boy with little glasses.
Brock, who will be giving a sermon this Sunday entitled, The Baby Jesus or Harry Potter? said the church plans to hold a holy bonfire Dec. 30 to publicly burn Harry Potter books and other so-called unacceptable material.
The service begins at 6:30 p.m. and afterwards we will conduct a burning, he said.
Why does Brock find Harry Potter so offensive? The simple part is the story takes place in Hogwarts Boarding School, he said. All the teachers are witches and wizards, and they teach witchcraft.
If we hired someone who was into witchcraft or teaching witchcraft at (Christ Community Church) school, no one would come, he said.
In the book, written by British author J.K. Rowling, Brock said Harry Potter is labeled as being a wizard who wields good magic, and fights those who wield bad magic, something Brock also said is misleading.
Its (magic) all evil, he said. What she (Rowling) has done is make Harry look good and Voldemort (the villain) evil, but they both come from the same source. You can't call good evil, or evil good. That's what it is all about.
Brock said the witchcraft in the book is capturing the minds of young kids, who have a hard time dividing between fantasy and reality, and make them more prone to dabbling in evil practices.
Though Brock could not recall hearing any actual reports of children engaging in harmful practices as a result of reading Harry Potter, he said the books could inspire them to learn about real witchcraft practices such as Wicca, which he termed an abomination.
The greatest danger is these children are enamored with Potter and they go on the Internet to learn more about the book, and they're directed to other places where they can see information about Wicca, he said.
Brock went on to say that although the Harry Potter books are works of fiction, they are essentially teachings in Wicca.
The teachers are reading Harry Potter in school and that's a religion, he said.
Brock said he has not personally read any of the books, nor has he seen Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone in the movie theaters.
I've seen video clips and reviews, he said. Readers Digest and other magazines are carrying titles about the author such as The woman who bewitched the world, and The wizard behind Harry Potter.
When asked why children's tales featuring magic such as The Wizard of Oz and C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia were considered acceptable material, Brock said it was because the wicked witches were beaten and the characters did not learn to use magic.
When reminded of Dorothy's magic red slippers in The Wizard of Oz stolen from the Wicked Witch of the East and the magical gifts given to the heroes of C. S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Brock said yes, but that was good magic.
Brock said on Dec. 30, other items, such as pornography and Heavy Metal records that exalt Satan will go into the fire with Harry Potter, depending on what items the congregation plans to dispose of.
Brock said he was not concerned with any public image the book-burning might give himself or the congregation.
As far as I'm concerned, the church is not out to make people look good ... were making a statement against evil, he said. The problem with most churches today is that nothing is said because they'll get people upset. This will get them thinking. Pastor Brock can choose to burn Harry Potter books at his church since that is his Constitutional right, he said. One can also go to the Public Library and choose or simply not choose to read Harry Potter books.
Let each person be fully convinced in their own mind regarding what they think is right and let them choose, Preston continued, but let no one take away that right to exercise ones right to choose.
No it doesn't. It brings discredit to the funamentalist whackos that think book burning will bring followers to Christ.
A very opinionted matter. Some nutzoid in Berkeley probably thinks the US is an evil country and burns a flag to protest, while the majority of the population thinks he is a scumbag. Just like the majority of the population thinks Harry Potter isn't a tool of the devil, and the pastor is an idiot for making a public spectale out of burning the books. In their minds the protest is valid, and it my mind it is valid enough to not ban it in anyway, but the form of protest tends to turn most people, including myself, off. Hell, if some guy was out burning an Iraqi flag, and I have no sympathy for Iraq in anyway, I'd still think there would be better ways to protest, mostly because it would remind me of one of those Middle Eastern idiots and anarchist/leftists who burn our flag. But then again, most people here don't tend to burn flags of other countries....
I don't know about the others but applied to me your statement is false. Book burning is a fascist endeavor. Doesn't matter who does it. It has the opposite effect intented.
You are not required to rush out and see Harry Potter movies. And nobody else is required to sit idle while religious fanatics burn books.
Christ opposed organized religion. That's why his church congregated amongst the trees and the fish. That is why he physically assaulted the money changers. He hated pharisees. Loathed them. He mentions pharisees almost as many times as he mentions satan and calls them the spawn of satan.
Fascists burn books -- book burning is fascist. Fascists brush their teeth -- teeth brushing is fascist.
They hate that other people would read something or watch something they find repugnant. They express this by trying to destroy a symbol of their hatred. Just as some would burn flags because of their hatred of this country, so to would others burn books or films because of their hatred of others.
When you look at what this country is about, and you read into the Constitution, it's about choice and freedoms associated with that choice. It's about you or I following whatever religious practice we want, reading whatever we want, watching whatever we want, as long as it's legal (i.e. certain types of pornography or "snuff" films).
When you have somebody so full of anger and hate at the choices that others freely make, that they feel they must symbolically destroy that choice, then the problem is not the choices, but people who feel that everybody else in the country must fall in line with what they believe.
Burning books is allowed under the Constitution, just as reading those same books is allowed. I have no problem with that. But when I see people burning books, I see people full of hate and anger that they don't have control over things and can't force others to follow their beliefs. That does bother me, because we saw what Hitler managed to do with a crowd who believed that their way was the only way, and that all others must be destroyed.
As long as we are vigilant against any Hitler types arrising, burning books should be allowed. The moment when it crosses the line from burning books to taking physical action against others, the full rights, freedoms, and laws of the Constitution should be brought into play to protect others.
Sure will. Will make them want to read it more.
I have no problem with people who won't read Harry Potter (and I havent, I have seen the movie though) and parents who wont let their children read it. My problem is with people who tell me I am going to hell if i do read it and who DO NOT want me to be able to read it or want to prevent myself or my kids to be able to read it.
And let me tell you, magic is not real. None of the 'magic' in the Harry Potter movie is real. None of it. Zero.
And how does Mr. Brock, with a straight face say that ALL magic is evil, including 'good magic' and a few short minutes later approve of some fiction stories because the magic in those stories is 'good magic.' He contradicts himself several times in the above article. I stand by my assertion that Mr. Brock's driving force in this matter is the following 2 things...
1) Exposure
2)Increasing donations
But then, hey, this is just a lame internet thread, of which we are lamely posting to, for God only knows why. I am watching little 5 min bars go up and down, and I post to take a break. It is a distraction for me.
Is that the reason Brits don't brush?
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