Recommended reading by James Emery White: "...White, founding pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church puts out a summer reading list each June.... [His list includes]  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows..... Though the seventh and final installment is yet to be released (July 21), when it does, it will be well-worth reading. Though some would disagree, I am one to put Rowling’s work in the camp of fantasy literature, along with Lewis and Tolkien, with her use of magic more mechanical than occultic. I found her earlier six volumes instant classics of the genre, and the final book will undoubtedly cement this series as among the best written. See The Power of Suggestion

August 2005

In the Fight -- The Harry Potter Vacation Bible School: "...what was once forbidden becomes acceptable, if not celebrated; admonitions toward holy living suddenly become hate speech.' The mainliners have, in many instances, become so secularized and bereft of biblical teaching that instead of challenging the norms of a sliding culture, they merely reflect them.

      "The Episcopal Church, along with other mainline denominations, has cheapened Scripture (which didn't work for church growth), discounted traditional Judeo-Christian morality (which also didn't work for growth), lowered standards of membership... and has so confused a church... that its members decided to try Harry Potter to see if witches, wizards, and magic might not work wonders...." See Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Beasts (from Christianity Today): "Books that are rich in symbolism necessarily support a Christian worldview.... [NO! Not true!]

     "The Harry Potter stories, in their formulaic journeys that end every year with love's triumph over death in the presence of a Christ symbol, find their power and popularity in the resonance they create in our hearts. We connect with them because they point toward the Truth Myth that saves us. The gospel has rarely, if ever, been smuggled into the hearts and minds of readers so successfully and profoundly."

     Nor has the occult been presented in more enticing ways. See our earlier response to John Granger's troubling views: Using Alchemy to Teach

 Christianity

 

The Alchemist’s Tale (by John Granger, author of Looking for God in Harry Potter, published by the respected Christian Tyndale House): "Understanding the Harry Potter books as alchemical writing in the tradition of the English 'Greats' will explain otherwise bizarre events, plot turns, and names in the novels. ...

     "...[Man's] tragedy was that he was fallen, i.e., that he had lost his spiritual capacity or intellectus, by means of which Adam walked and talked with God in the garden. Alchemy was the means, in conjunction with the mysteries of the Church, by which he could regain this lost capacity. ...

     "So what was alchemy? It was a traditional or sacred science, supporting the work of the revealed tradition and its means of grace, for the purification and perfection of the alchemist’s soul in correspondence with the metallurgical perfection of a base metal into gold. ...

     "Rowling clearly understands both 'alchemy in literature' and the 'alchemy of literature.' Her books satisfy the need in us, born in a profane culture without heroes or avenues of transcendent experience ... We get this experience in our identification with Harry, and we are better, more human even, for having been at least for a while in the alembic vessel, changing from spiritual lead to gold, dying and rising from the dead. In brief, Rowling’s novels are so popular because her works transform the human person via imaginative identification, katharsis, and resurrection." See Harry Potter and the Postmodern Church and Popular Occultism (looks at Hegel, alchemy and other roots of popular occultism) We hope to write an article on this topic soon.

Harry Potter Goes to University: "Books, films, games and more, Harry Potter is not just a character from children's literature but a phenomenon of popular culture.... The Flinders University School of Humanities are holding a conference for adults where we will explore the multiple ways in which to view Harry Potter." See the next link:

Harry Potter the 'new Prozac': "The paper... will be presented at Flinders University's Harry Potter Conference, which started yesterday. It highlights how the third book in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, makes understanding depression simple for kids through the characters, the dementors and boggarts. The dementors represent depression and anxiety and the boggarts change shape to become whatever you fear most, be it a bully or a spider. The dementors are overcome by thinking good thoughts. 'As a way of overcoming dementors, Harry conjures up a patronus, which is a manifestation of strength in oneself,' Ms McCormack said." Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft

September 2003

Harry Potter Goes To College: "'The Science of Harry Potter,' a three-credit honors seminar new this fall at Frostburg State University, offers fans of J.K. Rowling's popular fantasy novels an opportunity to study the links between magic and science. Can antigravity research produce a flying broomstick?.... 'This is not something where you just show up and talk about Harry Potter books and get a grade,' Plitnik said before donning his black wizard's hat and robe.... 'This is a college-level class.'" See Harry Potter Overview

August 2003

Youth Workers as Cross-Cultural Missionaries: "As cross-cultural missionaries, we cannot afford to be out of touch with the most influential body of literature to impact any generation of youth in the history of publishing.... we are missionaries! Should those of us called to preach the gospel be afraid to read or hear the stories beloved by the culture we are sent by God to reach? No! 'The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.' [Yes, He is! And this great King of the universe tells us to "abhor" the influences that promote delight in pagan practices.]      

    "...Associate symbols and icons with biblical truths. In the Harry Potter stories, these are up for grabs. Symbols are powerful conveyors of meaning to which individuals attach their own significance. There are numerous symbols in Harry Potter that we can use...."

    This misleading, people-pleasing article was written by Connie Neal, "a former youth pastor, writer for the NIYM (now YouthBuilders), and speaker with Women of Faith" was the "general editor of the Spiritual Renewal Bible" and a "writer for the Kids Devotional Bible."

     How will children understand God and His truth when their  teachers value what He forbids? See Twelve reasons not to see Harry Potter movies and The Church Walking with the World. The first link here shows another attempt to justify Popular Occultism by linking it to the Bible. But we can't follow His way when we reject His guidelines.

 

We went to a witches and wizards camp: "Holly and Rahim spent a week at a Potter style summer camp, learning spells and making potions....

     "'We decided to go to Camp Beaumont School of Witchcraft and Wizardry because we are HUGE fans of Harry Potter.... On our first day at the camp we learnt about the history of magic and started our interactive spell books. We also got sorted into our houses (Dragon and Phoenix) and signed an oath." See Overview and Application of Harry Potter

July 2003

J K Rowling Biography (A seductive promotion of occultism based on an interview by BBC, the main British public television - See Edutainment): "Do schools such as Hogwarts, where people can be trained as wizards, actually exist in the real world today? Certainly they do. They have always existed, and presumably always will. But, just as in Harry's story, these schools would never be advertising themselves in the muggle world.... [See HP Overview]  

     "There are not many well-documented or reliable biographies of authentic magicians. One well known example would be Moses (himself a parselmouth), whose story is described in the Book of Exodus. No precise ages are given, but he must have been at least 18.... [Fibs and fiddlesticks!  Moses didn't speak snake language, or what Rowling calls "parselmouth" -- a magical feat Harry shared with evil Voldemort. And Moses was over 40 when God used him to prove His sovereign power to Pharaoh and his court magicians. (Exodus 7:8-13) ]

      "A good starting point for people who want to know more about magic is just to read Joanne's books. But after you have read them, and particularly as you grow older, you might want to move on to some other things.... [and many do]

  "Spells are one of the most important parts of magic, and one of the most potent spells involves the power in a person's own name....  J K Rowling modeled the character of Hermione on herself. Hermione has a magical name too. The name Hermione is related to the word "hermetic", which means the study of the magical arts....  [Read the warning about Hermetic magic in Popular Occultism]   

      "What Joanne's books, and those of authors like J R R Tolkien, do is to open the minds of children, and of adults, to the ideas of magic, and possibly to ideas about the supernatural." Yes, so be on guard! See also Lord of the Rings and Choosing darkness

Fan's Magic Attempt Sets House Ablaze: "A woman set her Madrid home on fire as she cooked up a potion in an attempt to imitate the fictional wizard Harry Potter.... The 21-year-old was rescued Wednesday by firemen and treated for minor injuries, but half her home was destroyed." Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix

June 2003

Deconstructing Rowling: "The Phoenix (which saves Harry's life in Chamber of Secrets) rises to life from its own ashes, and is described by T. H. White as the 'resurrection bird.. This explains the title of the almost-released book five, The Order of the Phoenix — that is, the alliance of people who band together to fight for resurrection values....

     "The Potter books are a magical work aimed to liberate their readers from materialism and to elevate their spirits....

     "Rowling's extensive use of alchemical symbolism (alchemy being a process in which spiritual purification is correlated with metallurgical purification), Aristotelian and Platonic themes, and Arthurian legend."

     This is an amazing "Christian" justification for the pursuit of occult principles. The occult alchemical symbols in Harry Potter cannot represent God's ways. Yet many distort God's Word by equating it with occult symbols and meanings that offer tempting counterfeits of truth. See  Colossians 2:8 and Order of the Phoenix.

 

Young readers charmed — spellbound, even: "It's a lot darker than the earlier books. It shows Harry is maturing along with his circumstances. ... But I couldn't believe she killed off a character. I was so depressed.... I know I'm getting worked up over what's fiction. My mom keeps reminding me of that. But I said, 'It's all real in my mind.'" (Nancy Chen, 14, of Tulsa)

       "Harry Potter, at fifteen, has undergone a midlife crisis. ...Gone, and sadly, are the majority of Rowling's flourishes, those intimate, comical moments which showcase the absurd reality of wizarding life while simultaneously inspiring an unquenchable urge for more of these tidbits." (Corley Miller, 15) See The Order of the Phoenix

 

The witch's view: "I am a thelemite, a solitary witch - you are not wiccan unless you have been initiated, which I hope eventually to be - and a ritual magician in practice. I am also interested in chaos magick, tarot, kaballah and the Egyptian and Celtic deities. ...

    "You are not just drawn into the story but into that world....

     "This book is chaotic and often bleak ... Harry...is moody, depressive, angry and disrespectful.... I was very disturbed by... the nights of detention with Umbridge which Harry was put through and the sadistic pleasure she took from inflicting pain on him." I am so glad she was disturbed by the love for cruelty. But, since Ms Rowling included it, she must have thought her readers would like it.  As she said in a Time (2000) interview, "Is evil attractive? Yes, I think that's very true." Jeremiah 6:13-15

 

Highfalutin Harry: "Rowling's Christian themes are a major topic of the Harry Potter course Granger teaches at the Barnes and Noble University, an online service run through the bookseller's Web site. Granger will present a paper called: 'Alchemy, Doppelgangers, and the Irony of Religious Objections to Harry Potter' at the Nimbus symposium....

     "For an example of Rowling's Christian imagery, Granger said, take one of Harry's magic spells, Expecto Patronum, which conjures a silvery phantom shape, usually that of an animal, embodying positive thoughts. 'Expecto' means 'to await' or 'look for' in Latin, and was used in the Nicene Creed, a Christian document from the fourth century...."

     Some seem to think that when pagan practices are described in traditional or Biblical words they become Christian. See Overview of Harry Potter

 

Paganism, witchcraft on rise in UK: "Soaring Pagan numbers have churches worrying....  Record attendance is expected at dawn on Saturday morning [June 21 - Summer Solstice] at the mystical megaliths of Stonehenge, where Pagans have celebrated the summer solstice for thousands of years. ...

    "Harry Potter is a major reason for this rise. Small wonder the release date of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is scheduled to coincide with the Summer Solstice. We plan to post a review of the book next week. Romans 12:2-9

Just wild about Harry -- Boy wizard changing teens into witches? "Harry Potter books have helped increase interest in witchcraft around the world, say representatives of a Wiccan group sponsoring a witch convention in Scotland this summer. ...'There is a growing interest in the Wiccan religion, and there are thousands of us already in Scotland,' organizer Pauline Reid told the London Sunday Mail. 'Harry Potter has also had a positive effect. But we don't let anybody join until they are 18.'" See Overview and Application of Harry Potter - a chart comparing Harry's beliefs and practices at Hogwarts with corresponding occult beliefs. The U.S. follows the same trend. See America's Spiritual Slide

March 2003

In Defense of Harry Potter: "The books are Christian in at least two senses. First, the books place love and truth as the objective goods at the heart of what it means to be a human, magical or otherwise.... It's important to note that nowhere in the books published thus far does Harry or any of his friends defeat the forces of evil through their own magical skills.... Most of her spells have no real-world parallels." None of those assertions are true -- though they satisfy those who would redefine Christianity and deny the occult spirit world that puts power behind spells and magic. See The Nature and Tactics of Satan and Twelve reasons not to see Harry Potter movies

Potter called Christ-like: "Boy wizard Harry Potter has received his second affirmation from Christian clergy in less than a month as a protestant minister, in a new book, compares the fictional magician to Jesus Christ.... The Rev. John Killinger...  calls the four-book series 'a modern interpretation of the gospel." Twelve reasons not to see Harry Potter movies

November 2002

Gaming News: "Since the release of EA's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone™ last November, the games have sold nearly 10 million units worldwide. This holiday season, the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets videogames will transport fans from the non-magical world to an even richer, deeper interactive adventure of wizards and wonder... With the help of returning friends Hermione, Ron, Hagrid and Hedwig, players attend new classes to learn second-year spells that will aid them in a quest to ... protect Hogwarts from the evil force within the Chamber of Secrets." See Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Potter series receives church praise - Books called good way to illustrate themes of good vs. evil: "The Harry Potter books 'ask people to look again at the selfish material world and the presence within it of Christian values — truth, love and, supremely, self-giving and sacrifice....” Character Training for Global Citizenship

October

Harry Potter's Sorcerer Lived Here! He Really Did: "Nicolas Flamel, the sorcerer in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was based on a rich and famous alchemist and almsgiver who actually lived and worked in Paris.... In 1382, according to one of the entries in his diary, he wrote that he had transformed 'worthless lead into pure gold.' According to historical reports, he spent the last years of his life writing about alchemy and died in 1418.... Legend has it that the Flamels are still with us." By blending myth and legend with historical facts, Rowling makes her occult tales all the more alluring. Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion

UK Churches Urged to Embrace Harry Potter: "British and Irish churches are being urged to acknowledge the escapades of Harry Potter in their teachings, defying a global Christian trend of denouncing the boy wizard's adventures as a corrupting force." 2 Kings 9:22 Small wonder the church is compromising God's truth:

July 2002

Girl Injured Attempting To Fly Like Harry Potter: "Authorities in Shelby, N.C., said that the girl watched the movie and then crawled onto a kitchen counter, straddled a broom and then jumped off. The injured girl was at a neighbor's house when she tried to fly away on the broom." Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion

June 2002

Potter readers more occultic: "Teen-agers who have read Harry Potter books or have seen the Harry Potter movie were more likely to have experimented with psychic or occult activities than those teens who had not, a recent study found.... The study, conducted by the Barna Research Group, Ltd., polled 612 teen-agers, ages 13-19.... The study also included questions on a variety of different spiritual matters. The number of kids who watch supernatural-themed movies or TV shows on a normal basis was very high (86 percent).... 40 percent of teens said there was no such thing as good and evil in the supernatural realm. To see how many teen-agers were dabbling in psychic-occult experimentation, researchers listed a variety of activities and asked teens which ones they had participated in.... Roughly 66 percent of all teens polled had participated in at least one of the occult-oriented activities." Movie Magic and Unconscious Learning

 

Harry Potter sparks 'interest' in occult: "While supporters of the best-selling novels -- whose first movie installment, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,' has just been released on DVD and video -- argue that the series is innocent fun, a survey by the WisdomWorks ministry has found 12 percent of teens exposed to the character were 'interested' in witchcraft as a result....

     "The student ministry's research also discovered that almost half the youngsters who have read the books or seen the movie are regular church youth group attendees. Matlock said the Potter story - of an ordinary child who finds out he has a special heritage - can be used to reach teens with the gospel. 'In many ways, Harry's discovery is similar to the real truth we find in Christ...that we are loved and uniquely created.'" Psalm 50:16-21 and Twelve reasons not to see Harry Potter movies. The occult fantasies may look exciting but the reality behind the myth is far more evil than most can imagine:

May 2002

Look Out, Harry Potter! -- Book Banning Heats Up: "Look out, Harry Potter! Your mystical adventures aren't sitting well on bookshelves in some school libraries and classrooms. In 1999, the focus on wizardry and magic in J. K. Rowling's best-selling children's books made them the most challenged books in 1999....

       "Opponents of the Harry Potter series believe that anything that mentions a witch or a magic spell is equated with evil, West said. 'They don't see it as fantasy... They see it as real. A small group of Americans can't accept fantasy that way. They really do care [about the book's impact], so they go against others' legal rights.' ...

       "Spells and magic aren't the only concerns that are stirring up controversy about Harry Potter. Since the Columbine tragedy in April 1999, parental concern has increased about violence in books and in other school materials." Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion

 

Harry Potter DVD smashes sales marks: "Wizard Harry Potter has conjured up another record. 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' sold 1.25 million copies on its first day of release in Britain as a video and DVD, its distributor said Sunday, making it Britain's fastest-selling video release." See Twelve reasons not to see Harry Potter movies

 

New delay spells gloom for Potter fans: "Young readers are facing a second barren summer without a new Harry Potter instalment because J K Rowling has still not completed the fifth book in the seven-volume series ...Scholastic, Miss Rowling's American publisher, has reportedly told its shareholders that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix may not be published until June 2003." Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion

February 2002

What's a T*Witch? [Scholastic, which published the Harry Potter, Goosebumps and Animorphs series for schools children, has a "kids" page with this entry for all the children now aroused to the mysteries of witchcraft]: "The twin daughters of two very powerful witches, Cam and Alex were born Apolla and Artemis, after the Greek gods of the sun and the moon. Recognizing that together, their powers could be used for tremendous good or the ultimate evil, it was decided that they would be safer apart. They were separated and placed with strangers who would protect them from harm and raise them as their own. Until one day, their worlds collided. Now their lives will never be the same."  Scholastic's many books on witchcraft is a major contributor to this spiritual seduction. Bewitched by Harry Potter

 

Potter prompts course in witchcraft: "A growing interest in sorcery and witchcraft generated by the Harry Potter stories has prompted an Australian university to launch a special course open to the public. The 12-week course at Adelaide University will explore the witchdoctors of Africa, shamans from the Amazon and Zambezi valleys, witches from the 16th century and others who practise magic rituals. ...The public course in Australia will be led by anthropologist Dr Kingsley Garbett, who has recently retired from Adelaide University. 'Witches, sorcerers, magicians and shamans are credited universally with extraordinary powers to kill or cure, to bring rain, to make crops grow and often to foresee the future,' said Dr Garbett ...'How do the politically weak and marginal come to be credited with such extraordinary powers? How do they justify and protect their powers against the sceptical and the curious?" See Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion

December 2001

Dutch Church Celebrates Harry Potter Themed Service: "The pastor donned a wizard's hat and asked the youngsters to come dressed as Harry. Pastor Joris Ridderbos says there are a lot of similarities between the story of Harry Potter and the life of Jesus. ... 'As a result from his first meeting with evil, Harry Potter is bearing a mark. And I want to emphasise to the children that every victory has a price. ... I see the Harry Potter story as a new story that can make the old Bible story much more comprehensible."  Gal 1:6-10 and Twelve reasons not to see Harry Potter movies

 

Harry Potter - a spiritual perspective (Part 2): "IMAGINATION.... 'Our spiritual famine has concluded,' Episcopal priest Lauren Artress wrote in her 1995 book Walking a Sacred Path. 'We are just beginning to restore the honor of the imagination.'  ...As an expression of our creativity, imagination enables us to boldly explore the world. What is the first clue in the movie that Harry is a creative and exceptional young boy? How have you exercised your imagination this week in your exploration of the world?" These study questions from Spirituality & Health, Trinity Church's "magazine for spiritual outreach" illustrates how churches are drifting away from their anchor in God's Word. See Gen 8:21 and Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion

A Few Thoughts About Harry: "I took my teen-age daughter to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on the day it opened.... We were both shocked to see the theater packed with kindergartners and children as young as 3 and 4, some clutching teddy bears and dolls. Entire public school classes were there, from the same schools that have banned Christmas in favor of a 'winter holiday.' ... Critics have been slamming anyone who objects on moral grounds. They invoke 'fundamentalist' protests during the 1939 release of The Wizard of Oz to scare anyone from voicing similar problems with Harry." See Media Bias

Good versus evil: "J K Rowling has confounded experts on child development with the popularity of her creation and, in so doing, has probably done more for British literacy than any other post-war writer.... But those who hanker after stronger stuff need wait only six weeks for the adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring. Here, again, is a battle between good and evil; and here is another elegy for the British values represented by the Shire. This time, there can be no complaints about lack of scope or ambition. Tolkien's admirers have waited 50 years for this moment: how appropriate that the film, like the book, should come at a time when Britain is fighting to defend its way of life." See Lord of the Rings and Deut 18:9-12

Harry Potter - a spiritual perspective (from Spirituality & Health, Trinity Church's "magazine for spiritual outreach"): 'We live in a story-shaped world. As children we were introduced to realms of enchantment in fairy tales. Each of us can recall at least one favorite that spoke to the deepest part of ourselves. As we grew older, we looked to a variety of other story forms to entertain, instruct, and sometimes even transform us....'
     "We are invited to step into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and learn some things about ourselves and what is most important to us. Think of this Values & Visions Film Guide as a magic wand that will help you unlock seven different doors inside yourself. ...Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is an occasion for us all to consider the spiritual vibrancies of imagination, birthdays, friends, flights of fantasy, desire, the mark of love, and heroism." Gen 8:21 and Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion

 

Australia church bans Harry Potter from its schools: "Harry Potter might be weaving his magic around the world, but 60 Australian Seventh-Day Adventist schools have banned books about the boy wizard for fear they could encourage children to delve into the occult.... `We have not banned anyone from buying one at home, that's fine, but they do not meet our school criteria,' Hammond said."
       ``Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' opened in a record 476 cinemas around Australia on Thursday, with some schools taking all their students to the movies. Sydney's Rose Bay Primary School canceled classes to take its 142 students to the first screening of the film... Principal Peter Porteous said students were studying Harry Potter books and staff believed the movie would assist them. `It's a fine piece of literature and it deals with a lot of warmth, humor, emotions,' Porteous said. `Its a good role model for children. It shows children there is a lot of care in their lives and that they can care for one another,' he said. The movie about the boy wizard has set box office records around the world, taking more than $188 million in its first 10 days of release in North America.
        "....Hammond said that although he had not read J.R.R. Tolkien's ``Lord of the Rings,'' which is poised to become another Christmas blockbuster [opening on December 19], he believed that it had a central all powerful being, God, so it would pass the church's book criteria. `I understand that it talks about one supreme power which we should deal with as ordained in scriptures and that is God,' Hammond said."

         But Tolkien's "supreme power" empowers his mythical world of magic and magicians -- including the occult forces that our God forbids. This god cannot be the One we know and love, for God cannot be one with the occult forces He condemns. 2 Cor 6:12-18  Instead, like multitudes of other counterfeit gods, Tolkien's "power" tends to distort truth, distract attention from the true God, and deceive people -- even those who, like Tolkien, identify with His name. See Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Twelve reasons not to see Harry Potter movies

November 2001

Church puts faith in Harry Potter: "The St Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Syracuse, New York state, is running classes comparing Potter - the creation of Edinburgh-based writer J K Rowling - with Jesus Christ. ...During the lessons the baptism of Christ is compared to Harry's 'calling' to be a wizard where he overcomes the evil Lord Voldemort. Children aged 10 to 12 are taught how Christians are redeemed by Christ, just as Harry is quick to forgive his friend Ron and his teacher Dumbledore when they argue. ... Father John Wagner, priest at the St Elizabeth Ann Seton church, was congratulated by his superiors at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse for the lessons. 'With this approach you are teaching the children about religion and they don't even realise until it's all over,' he said."

       The last sentence is true, but the religion taught is a pagan blend, not Biblical Christianity. The end product of this popular compromise is distortion and deception, not truth or understanding. Apart from the promotion of witchcraft, the simplistic explanation of redemption mocks God's justice, trivializes the cross, and distort the message of redemption. 2 Cor 6:12-18, Twelve reasons not to see Harry Potter movies and America's Spiritual Slide

 

Local Harry Potters are drawing kids' attention: "...young fans are combing the local phone book for 'Potter, Harold' in hopes of meeting the young wizard. 'I got a call the other day from a child - I couldn't even tell if it was a boy or a girl - wanting to know what I was doing. I said, 'Watching the football game,' said Harold Potter, 62, of west St. Louis County, who has purchased the popular set of books about his namesake, but has yet to read them....
      [As for the movie:] "Some falloff (after opening weekend) is part of the normal pattern, but I think 'Harry Potter' will hold very well because of the number of people telling us that they want to see it again," said AMC spokesman Rick King.
      "Rowling has pledged to write three more Potter novels and Warner Bros. plans to bring all seven to the silver screen.... But those adventures can't come quick enough for some eager fans. They want to meet a living, breathing Harry Potter - even if he has a beard and bad knees."  Josh 24:15-16 and Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion

Quote: "Harry Potter and the Publisher's Dream: "...perhaps we in publishing should take a harder look at what Americans want to read and tailor our publishing programs accordingly. The movie with the biggest opening weekend of all time is based on a book that has revolutionized children's publishing. If anything, the huge success of the Harry Potter series has taught us that a good story, well told, will always find eager buyers."  The "literary agent" who sent this editorial letter to the New York Times (11-21) suggests that publishers "tailor" their programs to "what Americans want to read." That notion is hardly a new one. Even poorly written books on popular and titillating topics that now Americans find "good" are selling well, while well written books on less entertaining and politically correct topics barely make it into bookstores. We will surely see a rising flood of pagan promotions on the racks -- but few that speak the Biblical message." Rom 1:22-32

Harry Potter Film: Invitation to Join Occult?  "While the film has also prompted criticism among some witches for improperly depicting correct broomstick riding technique (bristles must be pointed forward not backward) real life believers in paganism and witchcraft are pleased with the film's positive depiction of witches and believe it could raise their much-maligned profile. ...
     "Ruth Shelton, 43, of New York, has been a practicing witch for 27 years. ...She said some members of her coven, which meets 'for circle' about three times a month, have bought advance tickets.... Shelton is also curious about Rowling's own practice and says that members of her coven think that the books 'can open people up to alternative practices, that have rich lore, history and morality.... We are all happy with the entire phenomenon." Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion

Big day for little wizards: "Like magic, the fourth-graders from Live Oak School in San Francisco forgot about California history, long division and animal habitats. Instead they joined thousands of other kids and grown-ups across the nation yesterday who lined up to see "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" the way any true fan would, the first day it opened. But the best part was that they didn't have to skip school. School came to the movie yesterday, complete with a costume party. Kids and parents dressed up as wizards, witches, cats and Harry Potter himself. ...
       "The principal of St. Thomas More, a Catholic school in San Francisco, also decided to reward students from second to eighth grade with a trip to see the movie.... The school chartered two buses. ...
       "'We're very big fans. My whole house is Harry Potter," said Olga Barinov, who let her 7-year-old daughter Darya stay home from school in Daly City to see the movie. "We had to go." Darya has the backpack and the school supplies and, naturally, she was Harry Potter on Halloween. Every night she falls asleep to recordings of Harry Potter books, much the way her mother listened to her parents as they read J.R. R. Tolkien's novels to her as a child in Moscow." See Eph 5:2-17 and Twelve reasons not to see Harry Potter movies

 

How to Handle Harry: "What if your family allows, even enjoys, Harry, but you're receiving flak from people who assert it's evil? These six biblically based points can help you determine how to handle the Harry Potter phenomenon....

       "Share your concerns that they not try witchcraft in our world and open themselves up to dangerous spiritual powers (which would be like those on Voldemort's side in Harry's world)."

        Connie Neal and Christianity Today seem to suggest that only "Voldemort's side" of Harry Potter magic represents "dangerous spiritual powers.". Actually, Harry's more "noble" spells and wizardly skills come from the same source - and are far more deceptive and dangerous because they seem okay and can be  justified by the hypothetical circumstances. Remember, Voldemort was a "good" wizard who eventually chose the bad side -- like Darth Vader. Harry and other wizards in Rowling's occult world can make the same choice. In other words, they learn how to manipulate spiritual forces through timeless occult formulas, then -- when caught up in the world of wizardry -- choose whether to use it as "white" or black magic. See Star Wars  and Twelve reasons  not to see Harry Potter movies

 

Church puts faith in Harry Potter: "The St Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Syracuse, New York state, is running classes comparing Potter - the creation of Edinburgh-based writer J K Rowling - with Jesus Christ. ...During the lessons the baptism of Christ is compared to Harry's 'calling' to be a wizard where he overcomes the evil Lord Voldemort. Children aged 10 to 12 are taught how Christians are redeemed by Christ, just as Harry is quick to forgive his friend Ron and his teacher Dumbledore when they argue. ... Father John Wagner, priest at the St Elizabeth Ann Seton church, was congratulated by his superiors at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse for the lessons. 'With this approach you are teaching the children about religion and they don't even realise until it's all over,' he said."

       The last sentence is true, but the religion taught is a pagan blend, not Biblical Christianity. The end product of this popular compromise is distortion and deception, not truth or understanding. Apart from the promotion of witchcraft, the simplistic explanation of redemption mocks God's justice, trivializes the cross, and distort the message of redemption. 2 Cor 6:12-18, Twelve reasons not to see Harry Potter movies and America's Spiritual Slide

Review reveals Harry Potter film secrets: "Dazzling special effects served up what was 'essentially a greatest-hits compilation of the book', including a snake that winks at Harry in the zoo to the cavernous vaults.... One scene has a wizard's version of chess in which queens and knights come alive and beat each other senseless." Values to teach our children? Rom 12:2-9  and Twelve reasons not to see Harry Potter movies

 

Sometimes the magic works: "... the magic works where it counts: the creation of a whole 'nother world. There are spectacular segments -- a hands-off game of chess, mail-delivering owls and, best of all, the wizardly, airborne game of Quidditch. ...If such special effects and others, including transfiguration and telekinesis, have not yet become completely taken for granted and lost their power to amaze, that day is getting closer. ...
        "Rowling's neo-classic is essentially a detective story. As the 11-year-old title character, Daniel Radcliffe is the embodiment of every reader's imagination. It is wonderful to see a young hero who is so scholarly looking and filled with curiosity and who connects with very real emotions, from solemn intelligence and the delight of discovery to deep family longing."  It makes witchcraft and wizardry seem downright heroic, doesn't it? Notice the earlier point. After a while, supernatural feats seem boring to today's thrill-seeking audiences. So the shock value must increase -- movie by movie, year by year. And this is just the beginning. 

 

First review reveals Harry Potter film secrets: "Dazzling special effects served up what was 'essentially a greatest-hits compilation of the book', including a snake that winks at Harry in the zoo to the cavernous vaults and 'Munchkin-size' goblins working in Gringott's bank. One scene has a wizard's version of chess in which queens and knights come alive and beat each other senseless." It's all designed to please our human nature. Col 2:8  We plan to post our review of the movie on Monday.

Schools hope Harry's wand entrances pupils: "Going to school will mean a day at the movies starting Friday for thousands of Wisconsin children headed to special screenings of the new Harry Potter movie. At the invitation of theaters - which generally are charging the $5 matinee rate and keeping the concession stands open - schools are busing hundreds of pupils at a time to showings of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.... Leaving behind the world of chalkboards and classrooms for Harry Potter's land of wizards and muggles is a marvelous opportunity to promote reading, say educators leading the trips....
      "'Before the showing, we will have a pre-viewing discussion about plot, theme and the fantasy genre,' Wiskirchen said. 'After the showing, we will have a similar discussion. The teachers will be adding a portion about how closely the movie stuck to the book.'" Witchcraft, wizardry and the dialectic process are welcome in the classroom - but the name of Jesus is forbidden. See Bewitched by Harry Potter  and The Giver (The last part explains such facilitated group dialogues).

 

'Harry' director's dark side: "San Francisco director Chris Columbus has confounded the J.K. Rowling fans who wrote him off as too schmaltzy to bring "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" to the screen with its hard edge and dark mood intact. 'It's dark, it's scary, it's funny!' raved one London movie critic. Columbus had directed child actors before, on 'Home Alone' and 'Mrs. Doubtfire.' 'The biggest difference is that British kids are so polite....'" Isaiah 5:2

 

Teachers warn of occult dangers in Potter movie magic: "He may have single-handedly fought the forces of evil, but now Harry Potter faces a real-life adversary - the schoolboy wizard is in trouble with teacher. One of Britain's biggest teaching unions has issued a stern warning to parents and teachers that J.K. Rowling's phenomenally successful creation could lead schoolchildren into the sinister world of the occult. Peter Smith, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, has echoed concerns in America and called on parents and teachers to be wary.

     'Children must be protected from the more extreme influences of the occult and be taught in a responsible and positive way the risks of journeying into the unknown,' he said. 'The premiere of Harry Potter the movie will lead to a whole new generation of youngsters discovering witchcraft and wizardry....' 'Increasing numbers of children are spending hours alone browsing the internet in search of Satanic websites and we are concerned that nobody is monitoring this growing fascination,' he added." See Establishing a Global Spirituality

 

Entertainment at any cost?  "The spiritual content in the world of Harry Potter was modeled, quite accurately, after the real-life worldview of witchcraft and paganism. Harry Potter's world, its creator and their impact have been glorified to such a degree that we celebrate them – even defend them – in many circles. ...However, some circles are beginning to understand the serious problems associated with Potter mania. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers, one of Britain's biggest teaching unions, issued a stern warning to parents that the Harry Potter film 'could lead children into the sinister world of the occult.' Pronounced the union, 'The movie had visually realistic images of witchcraft and wizardry which could cause many children to take an unhealthy interest in the supernatural world.'
        "'It plays perfectly, given the mood of the country,' said Paul Dergarabedian of Exhibitor Relations Co. Inc. ...'People are going to go into this movie and totally forget what's going on in the world. It's an inexpensive form of group therapy. Who needs a psychiatrist? Just go see Harry Potter.'" See Bewitched by Harry Potter

 

Film fans spellbound by Potter: "UCI Cinemas sold 10,000 tickets in the first hour of making them available to the public. The company's central box office, which usually has 100 active telephone lines, has had to open an extra 300.... Customs House cinema in South Shields, South Townside, sold more than 2,000 tickets last week. Richard Flood, the theatre manager of the independent cinema, said: 'People have been queuing to buy advance tickets. We have had 15 school bookings already. It is unbelievable. There is something very strange about Harry Potter.... It is absolutely unprecedented.'...

     "A month after the film is released, it will be locked in battle with Fellowship of the Ring, the first of three films based on The Lord of the Rings, the cult book by J R Tolkien, which is due to be released on 19 December."  We hope to write an article next week comparing Harry Potter with the Ring in preparation for the coming movies. See Bewitched by Harry Potter

 

Harry Potter Film Has a Ready 'Audience (New York Times, 11-5-01): "No wonder more than half of the nation's children plan to see the movie 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,' according to a recent survey.... Among the people who have read at least one of the 'Harry Potter' books, nearly 8 of 10 children, and 7of 10 adults, plan to see the film." This social and spiritual phenomenon is transforming public perception of both Christianity and popular paganism. Isaiah 5:20  Today's "healthy churches" are conforming Biblical values to public perception -- rather than vice versa -- in order to woo the world and multiply their membership. See Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft - with praise from Christian leaders.

October 2001

A Journey to Power: "Although some of the discoveries in alchemy led to the modern science of chemistry, the purpose of the alchemists’ work was not scientific discovery, but to find the elixir of life through the discovery of the Philosopher’s Stone (called the Sorcerer’s Stone in the first Harry Potter book for the U.S. edition). Symbols rich in esoteric meaning, occult references to astrology and numerology, and other occult terms were the heart of alchemy." See Harry Potter and the Power of Suggestion and the last item in Symbols and their meaning.

Potter' should conjure record numbers: "On Nov. 16, the movie version of the tale of the bespectacled young wizard will open in at least 4,000 theaters around the USA, which should be a record number. On the same day, it also will open in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales (where both the book and movie are called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone). It will be released in 130 foreign countries (and in 40 languages), making it the biggest international release of any movie distributed by Warner Bros." This phenomenon speeds America's Spiritual Slide toward a pagan world view. Bewitched by Harry Potter and Making Evil Look Innocent

School for sorcerers attracts Austrian Harry Potters. "Austrian fans of Harry Potter can follow in their idol's footsteps at a real-life Hogwarts: the country's first school for wizards and witches is open for business. Students at the school, in Klagenfurt, southern Austria, can take a six-semester course including learning to make potions and cast spells, ending in a 'sorcerers' diploma.' 'Wizardry is very close to nature and is in no way a form of religion,' said school director Andreas Sdarchel, who also calls himself the wizard Dakaneth.... They meet once a semester for a four-day seminar during which they put their theoretical studies into practice: preparing potions, making talismans and performing rituals." See Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft

The dark side of Halloween: "Society has become so desensitized to the occult and its high holiday of Halloween that it has even embraced a remarkably graphic and accurate children's literary series on the subject...  In book two, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," 17-year-old student Tom Riddle (who is now the grown-up Voldemort) tells Harry about 11-year-old Ginny Weasley. The girl has been possessed by Voldemort out of his selfish desires to own her soul and body. ....On Halloween, and under the possession of Voldemort, Ginny slaughtered the school rooster and saw to the killing of the cat. Of course, this is classic demon possession shown through a little 11-year-old's random and vicious behavior. She looses her memory, kills under the control of a spirit's instructions, showers her affections and loyalties to the evil Voldemort through her writings, emotions, imaginations, etc. And we let our children read this for entertainment?
     "Though Harry Potter fans say the series is only harmless fantasy, and though Halloween is seen merely as a child's holiday, there is a darker side to both. I urge you to tune out the pressures of friends and neighbors, forget for the moment about school parties and costume selection, set aside your preconceived notions about people who condemn Halloween, and honestly examine the issue for yourself." You might start with Chapter 8 in A Twist of Faith, then read Halloween 2000 and see this eye-opening video from Jeremiah Films: Witchcraft Repackaged, Making Evil Look Innocent

September 2001

Occult fears prompt store owner to ban Harry Potter toys: "Gary Grant, joint owner with his wife, Catherine, of the 28-strong chain of The Entertainer toy stores, estimated his stance could cost the company £500,000 in the period leading up to Christmas.... He said: "I am not happy to turn what is good reading into roleplay. My concern is that children start off with something quite innocent which can get out of hand. As a parent I do not want them drawn into ouija boards and the occult.... I have to uphold my Christian values in my private and my public life. Jesus for me is not just Sundays. The Bible is quite clear. Avoid that which even appears evil. It doesn't say avoid only that which is evil.... Since becoming a Christian I've stopped joining in with Hallowe'en and any other occult-themed products." Armor of God

         "The Rev Tony Whatmough, of St Mary Redcliffe Church, Bristol, who is also a school governor, said Harry Potter books provided a good moral perspective for children and did not agree with Mr Grant's stance...." Ez 34:2-16

 

Move over Pokemon, Harry's here: "HARRY Potter hype is about to create sales magic as the year's biggest toy push begins. Hundreds of thousands of trading-card packs hit toy stores around Australia yesterday. And the industry expects the boy wizard's stocks to grow relentlessly ahead of the November release of the first Harry Potter movie. By then at least 20 Potter products are expected among Australia's best-selling toys. Hopes are high the Harry Potter Trading Card Game can match the success of Pokemon cards, which became so popular schools banned them to head off schoolyard rows. ...Three months before its release, the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie is already a huge money spinner....

       "Mr Tieste believes the Potter success came from simple fascination. 'Have you ever seen a child sit in front of a magician?' he asked. 'Look at his face and eyes when the magician makes something disappear. That's it!' Ahead of the movie, Mattel will release a levitation game, where a rock is made to hover using fans. And Professor Snape's Potion Class will let children create 15 drinks and 100 treats, all edible." See Deut 18-9-12, Witchcraft Repackaged, Making Evil Look Innocent and Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft.  

August 2001

"They're Not So Wild About Harry - Why some Christians reject Potter author J.K. Rowling and all her works," by Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary and professor of Christian philosophy and ethics at Fuller and Calvin College. He writes, "The Harry Potter books may be written for children, but they are also a good “read” for adults. I highly recommend them." See Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft - with praise from Christian leaders.

 

A Debate in Latin America: Is It Good or Evil? "Noting that the Harry Potter books have become 'an inexplicable literary phenomenon in the United States and England,' an editorial in the Diario de Yucatan asked, 'Who is Harry Potter? Is he simply a fictional person, the protagonist in human drama and emotional adventures in an imaginary world where magic is the dominant force, both for good or evil?' 

       " While in the United States, fundamentalist Christians have objected to the idea that Harry Potter embraces magic and witchcraft, Latin American Catholics are less confrontational. Far from reading Satanic or anti-Christian intent into Harry Potter’s adventures, the emerging Latin American consensus is much more sympathetic to how Harry Potter can be used to reconcile the world of magic with religious values. ... 'That ‘magic,’ which is to say ‘faith,’ is more powerful than technology, which is to say materialism, triumphs in the end is a superior moral argument...." See Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft

Is Harry Potter A Harmless Fantasy Or Wicca Training Program? "The popular 'Harry Potter' series by J.K. Rowling has sold 100 million copies worldwide and this November, Warner Brothers is releasing 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.'  With a lot less fanfare and a significantly smaller budget, California-based Jeremiah Films (jeremiahfilms.com) has just released a documentary on Harry Potter: 'Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged.' The video, narrated by author Robert S. McGee, and occult researcher Caryl Matrisciana, takes the viewer on grim journey into the world of witchcraft, goddess worship, and occult symbolism." This video shows the reality and seduction of witchcraft and refutes those who argue that such fantasies are spiritually harmless to Christian children. Read also  Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft.

Publishers pitch the witch: "In recent months, four publishers have begun new paperback fiction series centered on teen-age girls' involvement in witchcraft.... The stories are built around many of the same elements found in classic teen literature: the search for self, the thrill of first love and the power of peer pressure.  Cloaking such traditional themes in witchcraft gives the new series an exotic edge that plays well with teen readers, children's book experts say. ... 'It's almost gotten -- dare I say it -- acceptable,' Miss Feiwel said. "There's no doubt that fantasy and wizards have become more popular because of Harry Potter.'     ...The intensified teen interest in witchcraft mirrors a surge of general interest in spirituality among young adults, publishers say." Rom 12:2-9

Wicked witchcraft?  "As kids around the world anxiously await the fall opening of Warner Bros.' film "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," an occult expert has released a documentary video, "Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged, Making Evil Look Innocent," claiming the Harry Potter phenomenon is incompatible with Christianity." Deut 18:9-12

New documentary's explosive charges against best-selling children's books: "The following questions are addressed in this riveting documentary video, 'Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged': Does witchcraft actually have power? If so what is its source? Does Rowling's presentation make witchcraft any more acceptable?"

        If anyone doubts that the fictional Harry Potter books promote factual real-life witchcraft, please see this video. Because of its revealing portrayal of contemporary witchcraft, we suggest that parents pray for guidance before showing it to their children.  See also Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft

 

New documentary's explosive charges against best-selling children's books: "J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books -- the best-selling children's series -- presents presents a tempting portrayal of witchcraft, Satanism and pagan mythology. Unfortunately, because many don't recognize occult symbolism, or understand witchcraft, millions of young readers, by inference, are led to accept them as whimsical and harmless.

        The following questions are addressed in this riveting documentary video, 'Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged': Does witchcraft actually have power? If so what is its source? Does Rowling's presentation make witchcraft any more acceptable?"

        If anyone doubts that the fictional Harry Potter books promote factual real-life witchcraft, please see this video. Because of its revealing portrayal of contemporary witchcraft, we suggest that parents pray for guidance before showing it to their children.  See also Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft

July  2001

Witches Upset by Broomstick Style: "Hollywood studio Warner Bros has had a spell cast on it for showing apprentice wizard Harry Potter (news - web sites) riding his broomstick with the brush part at the back. A high priest of British White Witches said broomsticks should be ridden the other way round, and has wished for the film to do badly at the box office until the studio admits it got it wrong." This is no simple fantasy for angry Wiccans who experience and trust the world of pagan powers. The blurry line between reality and fantasy if far more complex than today's well-programmed thrill-seekers are willing to consider. See A New Way of Thinking and Establishing a Global Spirituality

The Magical Journey: Symbols of Transformation and the Occult Foundations of the Harry Potter Books.  

June  2001

Harry potter program dropped after complaints: "...the Oskaloosa library dropped the program planned for last week after complaints prompted by an ad in The Oskaloosa Independent that billed the readings as "Muggle Studies" for "aspiring young witches and wizards." See Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft

May  2001

Harry Potter Goes to Analysis: "He is adventuresome, tolerant of a lot of negativism directed his way, yet is not aggressive, arrogant or clinically depressed.'' Harry, the new model for Mental Health? Deut 18:9-12

March  2001

More Adventures For Harry Potter: J.K. Rowling Releases Two New Books For Charity. "Two new additions to the wildly popular children's books by J.K. Rowling are being released today. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages provide young Harry Potter with his inspiration for witchcraft and wizardry."

 A Tale Of Two Potters: "I have been accused of stealing; some children believe I am the one that followed J.K. Rowling," says author of original muggle stories. See  Bewitched by Harry Potter

Toy makers hope to keep Potter magic

February  2001

Warner Bros. Chooses Coke to Bestow Marketing Magic on Harry Potter Film

Pottermania Lures Hollywood to Kids Literature: "Harry's generation-spanning popularity has opened the floodgates at other studios." Paganism is in as history repeats itself. (See America's Spiritual Slide)

January  2000

Harry Potter banned from school

Harry Potter: Divergent Views

In Hogwart Heaven: "You don't need a sorcerer to convince you that Harry Potter, the name that has sold 41 million books worldwide in the past two years, needs no hyping.  In 1998, Warner Bros. was awarded rights to produce movies and merchandise based on the first two Potter books.... And now a well-oiled Harry Potter machine is cranking up for what is known in the biz as a 'retail rollout'--a controlled release of products that will culminate in the first Harry Potter movie, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,' in November 2001."

October 2000

 "Halloween, you'd not be surprised to know, is my favorite holiday," says J.K. Rowling in a recent Time Magazine interview: "The wizard of Harry Potter explains what kids need to know of the dark side."

Teenage Witches -- Girls just want to learn witchcraft. "Teenage girls are showing unprecedented interest in witchcraft, with about 100 every month wanting to join covens to learn about casting spells...."  Compare this short article with Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft.

A Muggle's guide to Harry Potter

Harry Potter, Sorcery and Fantasy

Kids just wild about 'Harry  

September 2000

Links to Harry Potter reviews showing a Christian perspective

Links to Harry Potter reviews from a contrary perspective 

To help satisfy their quest for more Harry Potter magic, children can join the Unofficial Harry Potter Fan Club.

Potter fans were honored in a ceremony at the Library of Congress for their battles on behalf of the famous student wizard. See Muggles for Harry Potter.

The Harry Potter Debate

Note: Apparently, the interview with J. K Rowling which we cited in Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft is no longer available at the Newsweek website. But you can find the full reference in the footnotes. The interview included this statement,

"I get letters from children addressed to Professor Dumbledore... 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."

Church to lure young with Harry Potter. Follow its links to Harry's webstore where Potter fans can wear some of the dark images that follow the stories.

Information about Warner's upcoming Harry Potter movie

Harry Potter Editorial Letters

August 2000

We don't quite a agree with this article, but it adds understanding to the controversy:  What's a Concerned Parent to Do?

London boy lands wizard role

Potter fans turning to witchcraft

TV shows fuel children's interest in witchcraft

 Opinion Roundup: Positive About Potter

In a brief message to Family Friendly Libraries, titled Harry Potter Takes Drugs, a physician shares his concern.

  Article from Christianity Today, "Opinion Roundup: Positive About Potter: Despite what you've heard, Christian leaders like the children's books." They may like the books, but they are compromising God's warnings. (See Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). Their assurance that "Rowling's witchcraft bears little resemblance to modern wicca," is wrong. I have talked and walked with dozens of contemporary witches -- to understand their beliefs and to tell them about God's love -- and discovered that their beliefs and practices are essentially the same as Harry's. 

It's wizard: Harry Potter's spells can be spoken in class

July 2000  

Link to Harry Potter and the Source of Inspiration by Danielle Demetriou (at Electronic Telegraph, a British news service)

What do children say about the Harry Potter books? Notice the nature and influence of their heroes:

From "What Readers Think About Goblet?"  San Francisco Chronicle, 7-26.

"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)

"I was eager to get to Hogwarts because all the most funny, interesting, fun... the best stuff happens there. Harry goes and fights Lord Voldemort and has other adventures." (Ava Anderson, age 9)

"I wish I had a pair of omnioculars or a mini model of the Firebolt that really flies!"  (Rosie Shipman, 11)  [It's hard to be satisfied with earthly riches when you mind is out-of-this-world.]

Referring to Draco Malfoy, Harry's malicious enemy: "That guy's cool! Because he's not like everybody, he's not like "Oh, I'm so happy because I'm a wizard." He's mad about everything." (Andrew Sandoval, age 12)

From "Harry's Biggest Fans,"  San Francisco Chronicle, 7-26

"I like the third book because here he meets his godfather and Professor Lupin, a really cool guy [actually, he's a shape-shifter who turns into a werewolf], and lots of things happen...."  (Harry Libarle, age 7)  [2]  

Read the following quotes from a book review in yesterday's New York Times titled "Wild About Harry." The author -- guess who -- Stephen King, the king of dark, occult mystery novels, knows well that he will reap rewards from Rowling's stunning success:

"Can anyone wonder at the fabulous sales success of these books? The Harry Potter series is a supernatural version of "Tom Brown's Schooldays," updated and given a hip this-is-how-kids-really-are shine. And Harry is the kid most children feel themselves to be, adrift in a world of unimaginative and often unpleasant adults -- Muggles, Rowling calls them -- who neither understand them nor care to. Harry is, in fact, a male Cinderella, waiting for someone to invite him to the ball. ...

"The Dursleys, Harry's unpleasant guardians, explain the boy's long absences by telling their friends that Harry attends St.Brutus's Secure Center for Incurable Boys. [Notice the "St." -- a subtle reminder of a Mugglish belief system]

The fantasy writer's job is to conduct the willing reader from mundanity to magic. This is a feat which only a superior imagination is capable, and Rowling possesses such equipment. ...

"Not all the news is good. Harry Potter will soon be appearing at a multiplex near you. The initial project is being helmed by Chris Columbus, a filmmaker of no demonstrable ingenuity; one doubts if the director of "the Goonies," one of the loudest, dumbest and most shriekingly annoying children's movies ever made, is up to bringing Rowlings' scatty wit and vibrant imagination to the screen. ....

"Fantasy, even that as sturdy and uncomplicated as this Young Wizard's Progress, is difficult to bring to film....

"...and if these millions of readers are awakened to the wonder and rewards of fantasy and 11 or 12..., well, when they get to age 16 or so, there's this guy named King."

There's little doubt that Rowling's enticing and addicting introduction to occultism will reap great rewards for Stephen King and other leaders in the world of occult fantasy.

 

But God's Word has several solutions to this occult rage. For Christians, the best answer and protection -- and no one can provide this better than homeschooling parents -- is simply learning to "abhor evil and cling to what is good." (Romans 12:9) As for those who have been captivated by the occult action and images that God calls evil (see Deut. 18:9-12), there is freedom in Christ and His Word:  

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

To glimpse another facet of the Harry Potter mania, see the Unofficial Harry Potter Millenium Site

We have added a page with quotations from the new Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  It is not yet finished. These quotes are important because they help show the allure of the book and the nature of its spiritual message.

Chuck Colson's first article on Harry Potter showed hearty approval of Ms Rowling's popular wizard series. His recent article,  Harry Potter and the Existence of God, raises some equally concerning questions.   I will post his statements and my comments as soon as I find the time -- hopefully tomorrow afternoon. 

Christian children around the world may be reading the Harry Potter books, but apparently Christian bookstores have chosen to be more careful:  Harry Potter can’t bewitch Christian booksellers

It seems that all seven books in the planned Harry Potter series may be made into films. (See http://www.cinescape.com/insider/indexnew.html then click on "Harry Potter tidbits.") This site also includes information about the Dungeons & Dragons film scheduled for release in October.

The title of the mysterious Book IV was revealed today as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. We hope to post a new article comparing its world view and success with that of latest rule book for Dungeons and Dragons' role-playing fans around the world. Amazon.com lists both books in its top pre-publication sales.  

Harry Potter game: "A game based on J.K. Rowling's popular Harry Potter series of children's books is being developed by Nintendo for its new gaming platform code-named 'Dolphin,' according to the GameSpot Web site. The site speculated that the game would be timed for release with the upcoming feature film version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which is now in development." 

January 2000

 The popular magazine, Christianity Today, gave a hearty endorsement of the Harry Potter books in its January 10 issue. Ponder these quotes from an editorial comment with the provocative title, “Why We Like Harry Potter:”

 “…you may have read newspaper accounts and heard radio reports of how Christians are fighting school boards over having the books in libraries. As a concerned parent, what should you do?

 “We think you should read the Harry Potter books to you kids.

 “… Reporters love the dialectic of first presenting the Christian stick-in-the mud who objects to or is outraged by something, followed by the ‘reasonable’ person who demonstrates how to be both moral and fun-loving. What remains unreported is that many Christians such as Charles Colson and Wheaton College literature professor Alan Jacobs – enjoy and defend the Potter series….

 “The literary witchcraft of the Harry Potter series has almost no resemblance to the I-am-God mumbo jumbo of Wiccan circles. Author J.K. Rowling has created a world with real good and evil, and Harry is definitely on the side of light fighting the ‘dark powers.’”

 ___________________

Berit's response:  The editors of Christianity Today have obviously not met many contemporary witches or watched many Wiccan circles. Contemporary witchcraft is not confined to the old spooky images dramatized by Hollywood or older occult books. Nor does it ordinarily demonstrate the New-Age-Shirley- McLaine type of I-am-godism. Both male and female witches may believe that they -- like all the rest of nature -- are the goddess and therefore one with everything else, but they  probably won’t talk about it unless they trust you. And when they do, you will find that they are very much like other non-Christian people. That's why it is so easy for those who seek spiritual empowerment to get caught up in their movement.

In other words, if you leave out some of J.K. Rowling's more dramatic fictional manifestations such as riding on broomsticks, “the literary witchcraft of the Harry Potter series” actually does resemble the communications and beliefs of contemporary witchcraft. I will try to find time to post some of my personal encounters with friendly witches who taught me a lot about the nature of their seductive spirituality. One such encounter is already posted. See Twist of Faith, chapter  4.

 Nor do the editors understand the nature of the spiritual battle. The opposing forces in the Harry Potter books are not good and evil, but the light and dark sides of occultism. As in animist cultures around the world, the “good” people must depend on benevolent occult forces to win over the darkly evil forces. Meanwhile, the Bible tells us that every spiritual entity or power not of God is of the “evil one.”  I  wonder how many Christians will be deceived by Christianity Today’s irresponsible and unbiblical conclusions.   

---

The first three books in the Harry Potter series continue to occupy four top slots on the New York Times best-sellers list. Books 1, 2 & 3 take the three top spots on the list of hardcover books. Book 1 takes second spot on the paperback list. This cultural phenomenon will surely make Biblical Christianity more intolerable and increase the pressure on our children to conform to earth-centered spirituality.

October 1999: Sixth-graders in Santa Rosa, California, ride their "broomsticks" in daily games of "Quidditch" adapted from the magical airborne game played by Harry Potter and his classmates at Hogwart’s School for witches and wizards. But, says the staff writer, "one student sits out. That student said that she and her family are Christians…." This brave girl has chosen the narrow path of following Jesus in a world that mocks God, His guidelines, and anyone who refuses to compromise. But God will surely reward her faithfulness in wonderful ways that far exceed the approval of her peers. Today is her -- and our -- training ground for tomorrow’s spiritual battles.

In the Harry Potter books, this girl would be called a Muggle, someone who doesn't like or believe in witchcraft and wizardry. Muggles are no longer tolerated by those who embrace the new spiritulity. A New York Times ad for the Harry Potter audiocassette states: "Don't be a Muggle! Share a magical listening experience with your family." (See Preparing for Persecution) For other reports, click on "Some adults here wish Harry Potter would just – poof! – disappear" and "'Muggles' Seek To Muzzle Harry Potter In Schools."

Extra

Sirius Rising: Both the Palermo Stone and Manethos' King List, record 17 and 34 year cycles of Kingship, linking the heliacal rising of Sirius to the progressing quarter phases of the Moon. The Book of Sothis states that the total reign of Gods, Demi-Gods, and Human God-Kings spanned 36,525 years. This figure not only coincides with the figure for the annual heliacal rising of Sirius and the length of the true year - 365.25 days -, it also represents exactly 25 "Sothic Year" cycles of 1461 years. Isis, the Great Mother, embodied in the star Sirius, brought a spiraling, resonant harmony to the Earth...."

Click here for the article, "Bewitched by Harry Potter."

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