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HARRY POTTER THROUGH A CHRISTIAN'S EYES
BY VICTORIA CUNNINGHAM
I came into acquaintance with Harry Potter
rather late in the series. It was with the fourth
book that I
first began to read of his adventures. That book is
entitled Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In
the first
few pages I was greeted with a scene in the local
pub, The Hanged Man. There the story includes the
tales of murder, drinking and gossiping. I felt
at this point and still do that this is not the kind
of thing a
child should be reading. In my opinion, what I was
reading was adult themes hidden in simple language
and than labeled children's literature. We know
that biblically we are instructed not to be involved
with
drunkenness; the pleasant atmosphere at the pub
plants an enticing concept in the child's mind.
In
Romans 13:13, " We should be decent and true in
everything we do, so that everyone can approve of
our behavior. Don't participate in wild parties
and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral
living, or in
fighting and jealousy." We know that gossip is very
wrong also, yet it is handled as a form of pleasant
conversation between friends. The idea of it being
socially acceptable to gossip will not be missed by
young people. Murder is common enough in our
society. Children take guns to school and just
recently we
saw a fourteen year old in Florida convicted of a
murder he committed at the age of eleven. Habakkuk
2:10-11, "But by the murders you committed, you have
shamed your name and forfeited your lives. The
very stones in the walls of your houses cry out
against you, and the beams in the ceilings echo the
complaint." I believe that while even Potter's
author shows murder as a fowl act young people
just don't
need to read about any more violence. And in the
case of this story line, murder is dished up as an
excuse for the wizardry Harry is involved with.
Now, these instances were in the first few
pages of the book as I have said. The book is 734
pages
long, and there are going to be lots of such single
situations in that much writing. Now increase that
by at
least seven books and a Christian parent, teacher,
advisor, or older sibling is looking at a daunting
situation if looking to lead a child away from Harry
Potter. It would take days to go through each and
every individual scene and explain your objection to
it and in all probability you will lose your
audience. I
just don't visualize any young person sitting still
that long. Success will come in good time
management
in addressing the child and by coming head on at
the main issue of offense. The theme that runs
throughout the whole series, Harry is a wizard. He
attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry;
the Bible is very clear on this spending your time
making plans like these, in Isaiah 59:4-5, "They
spend
their time plotting evil deeds and then doing them.
They spend their time and energy spinning evil plans
that end up in deadly actions." Harry casts spells,
for example, memory charms. Before, I go further in
this article, I want to answer again a question that
I was asked just recently. That question was,
"should we
tell children that there is evil and should we
explain what as Christians we see as an evil in
these books?"
My answer was and is, yes! I look to the Bible for
that instruction. In First Peter 3:15, "But in your
hearts
set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to
give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the
reason for the hope that you have." Inherent in
explaining why you have hope in the truth of
Christ, is
being able to explain why the other person is
wrong. And then in 2Timothy 3:15-16, "And that from
a
child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which
are able to make thee wise unto salvation through
faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness." We are actually commanded to
educate
children in what is right and wrong.
The word evil in the Bible refers to those
things which are not godly or God centered.
Remembering
this and accepting our responsibility to teach our
children, let's look at what the Bible says about
wizardry.
The whole point of the story line is wrapped around
Harry's use of wizardry. We should be aware of the
fact that the words witch, wizard, and sorcerer all
share a common definition in terms of the casting of
spells and use of magic and can be substituted for
each other. In the Random House ctionary, the word
witchcraft is defined as sorcery, a witch as a
sorceress, a wizard as a sorcerer and a sorcerer as
a wizard.
The word sorcerer comes from the Latin sortiarius ,
and in the Bible includes those not only casting
spells, but those who cast lots or who tells the lot
of others, which ties the practice of sorcery to
divination.
Starting in the Old Testament book of
Deuteronomy God admonishes us against these things.
They are
not of Him; they are not God centered; they, of
necessity, then become evil. We go to chapter 18,
verses
10-14, "And do not let your people practice
fortune-telling or sorcery, or allow them to
interpret omens, or
engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as
mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of
the dead.
Anyone who does these things is an object of horror
and disgust to the Lord. It is because the other
nations
have done these things that the Lord your God will
drive them out ahead of you. You must be blameless
before the Lord your God. The people you are about
to displace consult with sorcerers and
fortunetellers,
but the Lord your God forbids you to do such
things." Angry at Israel in Isaiah 2:6, "The Lord
has
rejected the people of Israel because they have made
alliances with foreigners from the East who practice
magic and divination, just like the Philistines."
Later in the book of Isaiah, Babylon, who is
called the
great whore, is told of her destruction for having
practiced much evil. In verse 9 of chapter 47 it
says,
"Well, those two things will come upon you in a
moment: widowhood and the loss of your children.
Yes,
these calamities will come upon you, despite all
your witchcraft and magic." And then again in verse
11
" So disaster will overtake you suddenly, and you
won't be able to charm it away." When speaking of
King Manasseh while he ruled in Judah, 2Kings 21:6
says, "He practiced sorcery and divination, and he
consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much
that was evil in the Lord's sight, arousing his
anger."
Beginning with the book of Malachi the
Lord's absolute condemnation of sorcery, wizardry,
witchcraft, and divination are punctuated by the
description of what waits for those who do not turn
from
this evil. In chapter 3:5 of the book of Malachi it
says, "At that time I will put you on trial. I will
be
a ready witness against all sorcerers and adulterers
and liars." In Revelation 21:8, "But cowards
who turn away from me, and unbelievers, and the
corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those
who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and
all liars their doom is in the lake that burns with
fire and sulfur. This is the second death."
"Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can
enter
through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from
the tree of life. Outside the city are the dogs,
the
sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the
idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie."
[Revelation 22:14-15]
Now, specifically, a comment on the casting
of spells. A spell being a formula for drawing
energy
from the earth, concentrating it and then sending it
out into the world. In the world this energy will
work
the wizards will, speaking here in the context of
Harry Potter, of course. There is no such thing as
good
magic; it does not exist. In Deuteronomy 29:49,
"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God" In
Romans 9:21, "Nor did they repent of their murders,
their magic arts." In Leviticus 19:26, it says,
"'Do not practice divination or sorcery.'" And do
not forget Deuteronomy 18:10-12.
For More Information Contact:
True Light Educational Ministry
PO Box 310
Shirley, NY 11967
(631)395-4646
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