What's Wrong with Harry Potter?

The Harry Potter mania has been bothering me for a long time, especially since I know of many Christian parents who endorse it.  My kids, who are grown now, accuse me of being too black and white.  I suppose I am, especially when it comes to scripture.  Long ago I had to decide if I believed the Bible was true or not.  You see, I didn’t especially like everything it said. In fact, I would have liked to do my own “cut & paste” job, omitting those things I found uncomfortable and keeping those things that weren’t. But after much study, soul searching and arguing with God, I finally came to the conclusion that the Bible is His inerrant Word. Period.

Regarding Harry Potter, here’s the problem. Parents are accountable to God for what they allow or don’t allow in their homes; and what they allow or don’t allow their children to do.  So my question is this: if God forbids a thing, can a Christian, in good conscience, practice it or endorse its practice without offending God?  I think not.  The Bible makes it perfectly clear, in numerous passages, that witchcraft, sorcery, etc. is forbidden, as in Deuteronomy 18:10-12. “There shall not be anyone found among you who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.  For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord.” This is just one scripture, but there are others.

Because the Potter books often read like a manual for witchcraft, and because each succeeding book has the potential to draw a child deeper into occultic arts, I can’t view them as harmless entertainment.  Kids, as a rule, go through various stages, often feeling ugly, unloved, unpopular, misunderstood.  Just like Harry Potter!   And when they’re going through this how easily they can be drawn to the Potter books, and through them see a way, via the occult, to empower themselves by manipulating others.  Indeed, the people at the WICCA (white witchcraft) website have claimed that since Harry Potter and TV programs like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, they can’t keep up with all the requests they’re getting for information.

The Bible tells us that we will know them (those things and people that are either good or bad) by their fruits. If something inspires our young people to violate the Word of God, how can it be good?

Just my two cents.

Until next week,

Sylvia