HarryPotterKoinonea-HageeB-11-06-01

The Harry Potter novels have created a new idol for millions of children around the world. To some of them the fictional Harry seems almost real. But concern is growing among some Christian segments that the Potter series, replete with lessons in practical witchcraft, is opening a door to an occult reality for the world's children. Other Christian leaders deny such danger, but J.K. Rowling, the author who created Harry Potter, admits it is actually happening.

In a Newsweek interview she said, "I get letters from children addressed to Professor Dumbledore [headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the books], 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."

Children everywhere love supernatural thrills, mystical stories, fairy tales and legends; e.g., Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Grimm's Fairy Tales, etc. But Harry Potter's birthplace, Great Britain, is a wonderland of options for exploring practical witchcraft, and plenty of youth are catching Harry's occult vision. Two British reports on this phenomenon reveal that popular forms of occult entertainment "have fueled a rapidly growing interest in witchcraft among children."

John Buckeridge, editor of the British Christian magazine Youthwork, is worried. Unlike many U.S. church leaders, who give Potter novels the thumbs up, he foresees serious danger ahead. "The growing number of books and TV shows like Harry Potter and Sabrina the Teenage Witch encourage an interest in magic as harmless fun... However, for some young people it could fuel a fascination that leads to dangerous dabbling with occult powers. So what starts out as spooks and spells can lead to psychological and spiritual damage."

Another Side to the Issue
Obviously, Christians have the right to debate such an issue as Harry Potter. But at the same time, it should be pointed out that much of the church is in the midst of a headlong rush to adapt itself to the new oncoming global religious belief system, generally by compromising Christian beliefs. The mass media's promotion of alternative religion and morality has prompted even Christians to replace or blur the pursuit of God with the pursuit of pleasure and other forms of morality. God's standards would hardly win a popularity contest today.

Christians who refuse to compromise are often demeaned as old-fashioned killjoys, bringing reproof and embarrassment to those who fear offending the world with the whole truth of the gospel.

God gave us His Word that we might know Him. The Bible reveals His heart, will and ways.  It alone can show us what is truth or error; not current opinion. Compromise is a gradual process, so slow that it isn't obvious at first that belief is drifting toward non-Biblical doctrines. Harry Potter and friends are praised for their courage, loyalty, and a willingness to sacrifice for one another, even at the risk of their lives. But those qualities can be found in almost any culture.

Harry's occult skills of witchcraft, sorcery, casting spells, spiritism, interpreting omens and "calling up the dead" fit into a cat-egory God tells us not even to discuss. "For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord..." (Eph 5:10-12, Deut 18:9-12)

Calling Harry Potter's world "a delight...safe, inoffensive, and non-occult," is misleading assurance. True, "magic must have rules," but the primary rule of the occult is that Satan doesn't offer free and easy favors for long. He may indulge seekers in a free ride for a while, but as soon as his victims become captivated by his lures - all of which are counterfeits of what God offers those who follow Him - he begins to demand his payback. Suddenly the bright side of evil turns dark, indeed. Attempts to resist or turn back usually lead to spiritual terrors and oppression.

Today's pagan movement is attractive to anyone disillusioned by unfriendly churches and bad experiences with Christianity.  It entices seekers by showing the "light"side of occultism. Contemporary witches - both men and women- that I have met are sincere, often compassionate, usually well-educated and frustrated with today's rampant materialism. Few look evil. That's not surprising when Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

The younger generation of pagans shows another side. Many dabble in black magic and the other "dark arts" that are so seductively taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Apart from the fantasy setting and dramatic demonstrations of magic, there is little difference between Harry's skills and the real world of the occult.

Focus on the Family's critic, Lindy Beam, comes closest to the truth when she wrote, "Apart from the benefit of wise adult guidance in reading these books, it is best to leave Harry Potter on the shelf."

It might be good to remember God's definition of wisdom: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." The fear of the Lord involves a sober awareness of what He loves, of what He despises, and of the consequences of disobedience and rebellion against Him. Among the obvious evils in the Potter series are the practices listed in Deuteronomy 18:9-12: witchcraft, sorcery, spellcasting, divination, calling up the dead, etc.

One thing is certain. As the new religious belief systems expand and are accepted by more and more Christians, the lines between genuine Christian belief and the new values will increasingly blur. Opposing it will not be a popular move. There will be social and other pressures to conform to the new transformation of the Church.

Jesus warned long ago, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you... If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also...for they do not know the One who sent me." (John 15:18-21)

Harry Potter is a method of witchcraft, divination and sorcery being introduced to your children through characters in a book, which has now been made into a movie. It is portrayed as harmless magic, and all magic is sorcery.

Sorcery: Using your imagination to attain power and the manipulation of power to obtain your desire or satisfy a lust for power or things.  In Harry's world, you pursue self. Whenever you use your imagination in the areas of lust, you are pursing self. This is what Harry Potter's books are teaching children.

It's almost portraying that God becomes your servant, because if you say certain things enough times or say it a certain way, God is obligated to come through for you which is what witchcraft is all about. The person becomes - in control - of their life and can somehow manipulate God by doing certain things and that is born out of the lusts of the flesh.

What is the difference between a spirit guide and a demon? Scripturally, there are some demons given much more territorial positions like the Prince of Persia, and the principalities and powers and rulers of darkness, but the source is all demonic and they are Satan's ministers designed to lead humans against the Word into a destructive relationship with the enemy.

Satanists might call demons spirit guides, and those in Wicca might call it - forces of nature, - which the enemy would love because then it makes it seem natural. But they all have the same purpose: to reproduce witchcraft and package it for younger and younger children so that they will see witchcraft as acceptable and normal behavior.

Publisher of Scholastic Magazine, a magazine which is distributed to almost every classroom in America, is now marketing the Harry Potter information to schools. It's remarkable that the Bible is outlawed in the school while parents are paying taxes so teachers can teach their children witchcraft! Through this anti-Christian material that has been accepted, witchcraft is being accepted in schools and innocent children are being led to enchanting websites that are being run by witches in our land.

What can you do?
If your child's life is not that important to you, you don't do anything. Educate everyone around you so there won't be just one person protesting. Come together at the schools to protest this material and your voice will be heard with a group moving against this propaganda.

A lot of people say - you're trying to burn or ban the books, or teach what you want to teach. No, I'm trying to keep you from teaching what you want to teach which is a religion in the schools, and witchcraft is a religion.

No one wants to go to India and live there (unless you're going as a missionary) because pagan countries emphasize the things that Harry Potter does. But people from India want to come to America because the foundation is Christian and represents healthy living.

Through Harry Potter's material, schools will teach the children it's okay to lie, steal, push curses on people you don't 'like (even the adults say the ends justify the means) and says things against establishment and Christian morals. For example if the child stands up for lying about something, he's told it isn't the right thing to do, yet the book teaches you to stand up for something when you want it. Those who are Christians and people who are non-believers in witchcraft in the book are called "muggery," or fools. They are saying the people who don't believe in wizardry are a fool. How do the Harry Potter books attack the Word of God? First, there is no right or wrong. People who do wrong, are rewarded. There is no sin, so there is no Savior. You have no absolute right or wrong, and you become a law unto yourself. (I Samuel 15 says that rebellion against God's Word is as the sin of witchcraft.)

God sent His Son so that we could have eternal life.  Harry Potter says if you die it's an education. The headmaster, when he gives permission for his occultic partner to die because they're going to destroy the stone, Harry is shocked and says "He's going to die," but for the most part the most organized mind thinks of death as being just the next adventure, going to bed and having a long night sleep.  Which makes killing another person not that bad because you?ve promoted them to adventure in another life.

Amazon.com had over 5,000 books offered on Wicca for children.  On TV, there's Sabrina the teenaged witch and it's targeting the teenaged girl with training your boyfriend into being a sex slave, designed for teenage girls. The adults and youth have been targeted with a direct onslaught of witchcraft in an deceptive form. When your kid brings home a book on fantasy or magic and it's witchcraft, on what basis are you going to say "You aren't going to read this book," when you've allowed witchcraft in your home?

If you are a wizard you have demons.  Satan has a tight ship in his kingdom and he's out to kill, rob and destroy and many Christians think there is an invisible bubble around them, ignoring the fact they're supposed to put on the armor of God and that they wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers and the rulers of darkness of this world.

Just as Satan came to Jesus in the wilderness, when Jesus quoted the scripture and Satan quoted it back to him and twisted it. If he did it to Jesus, he'll do it with the average believer to make his doctrine acceptable.

The Purpose of Occultism
The purpose of occultism is to find the power within you and develop your psychic abilities to have more and more power to have what you want. ; Each time, Harry gets stronger and stronger in each of his books. The reader absorbs the psychic ability and while Harry Potter may only be opening the doorway to the occult, the fact is there is a fascination being generated and the children don't fear witchcraft anymore.

Copies of the Harry Potter book have sold over 100 million copies in 40 languages. The driving force is the spirit of witchcraft and the Harry Potter books are a repackaging of witchcraft for children. It is made to appear exciting, fun and harmless. Children are reading the books and being shown that magic and wizardry is fun.