Bible Question:
My husband and I have had a recent disagreement on the "Harry Potter" books. I believe that Satan has been on the rampage, softening the line between good and evil, making it seem "harmless" and "child's play" and he believe's there's nothing wrong with our 6 year old daughter reading them. He says that she knows that witchcraft is not real, and that's all that matters. We are both Christians, and have recently become members of a church, and are relatively new to this all (about 3-4 years). Anyone have an answer? |
Bible Answer: PART ONE: Throughout history Satan has consistently enticed mankind into his dark, supernatural realm. Although sometimes subtly occultism such as witchcraft is undoubtedly infiltrating and often capturing the masses today. The occult is actually the very crux of the rebellion that the vast majority of today's entertainment world is peddling today. We recognize that the enemy love's to sidetrack not only us but the church in general. He often uses well meaning people to accomplish this purpose. Our children find their entertainment inundated with the occult practices, extreme violence and heroes such as the fictional boy-wizard Harry Potter. M. K. Rowlings is the author of the Harry Potter series. She has signed a contract to write 7 books in he series and has warned us that each one will become progressively darker. She has also intimated that some of the scenes in the books were taken from real life experiences she has had. In books 2 and 3 were a disembodied voice repeatedly hissing "kill"; a monstrous, flesh eating spiders; children being attacked and paralyzed and an apparently dead cant hung upside down by its tail. (I wonder how many children have already tried to do that to cats?) In book 4 the evil character cuts up Harry's arm to extract blood in order to bring the most evil character back to life. (This is an occult practice done to supposedly pass mystic power from one person to another during some occult rituals). It is also interesting to note that Harry Potter has an odd birthmark on his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt. The lightning bolt has long been a symbol of power in the occult and Satanism. You can now buy an assortment of items such as capes. magic hats, wands, and fake tattoos, each one designed to emulate Harry Potter. The items are called the starter kit for future witches and warlocks. In a Harry Potter birthday kit you can enroll your child in Hogwart Wizard School, battle a Basilisk (a legendary 14th century reptile with fatal breath and glance), practice Quidditch (a game invented for the series that utilizes levitation by another name, and take a class on magic potions! He's a charmer, that Harry Potter. He even has modern day witches enchanted too. A 39 year old computer programmer from Canada, who has been a practicing witch for more than 25 years, (that would of made him 14 when he started), stated " For once the witches aren't ugly old hags, for once they're the protagonists rather than the villians". Most people are unfortunetly ignorant of where the road really leads. Our casual acceptance of the philosophies all around us can short circuit nearly every part of our Christian walk and can certainly derail our ability to stave off spiritual attacks. We have become increasingly tolerant of witchcraft and other occult practices in our society. Show such as "Bewitched" and "Sabrina the teenage Witch" taught us to do more than just tolerate witchcraft. They promoted and encouraged it. Above all, it worked subtly on our senses teaching us to accept it as the norm. Just as a person who is poisoned a little bit at a time doesn't die after the first dose, in the end after enough "doses" our ability to recognize the evil began to shut down and we were doomed. By the time we realized what was really happening we had become too weak to climb out and soon became the delicacy on the Devil's dinner plate. By giving ungodly entertainment our time, mind, money, or emotion, even though we are not involved physically, is the same as if we were actually participating. In Romans 1:32 Paul states this: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them. The Full Life Study Bible explains it like this: "Being entertained by watching other people sin and engage in ungodly actions, even while you yourself abstain, brings you under the same divine condemnation as those engaging in such evil practices...Those who use the immoral actions of others for entertainment and enjoyment are directly contributing to public opinion favorable to immorality and therefore to the corruption and eternal damnation of an indefinite number of other people." It is also spiritually damaging to allow these influences a place in our lives and homes. Entire households are weakened and can lose their spiritual battles because of the actions, attitudes, and even physical possessions of one member (see 1 Sam 15). PLEASE SEE PART 2 |