2007-06-10 12:49:40 · 53 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
And people wonder why Christians are so easily mocked.
2007-06-10 12:53:41 · answer #1 · answered by seattlefan74 5 · 4⤊ 3⤋
Having read the Harry Potter books and watched the majority of the movies, I can tell you that there is very little having to do with the true practice of witchcraft that is in this book series. There isn't a magical school that students go to and get educated in a few years about being proper witches. There are not owls that deliver mail and not a magical alley. And there is no such thing is a Muggle or a magic prison either. This is a series of fiction. There are many books that preceded this series that also involved magic. Do you remember the book Matilda? There was also a movie. It included magic. There are Disney movies that have a great deal of magic. No one screams about that and burns Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. Let me give you something to think about and I will allow you to then draw your on conclusion. One of the most popular and long running dramas on TV is Law & Order. There are now other shows that are based on the same idea but using different divisions in the police department. There are murders, rapes, and other crimes shown on this show. I've never seen a Christian that says that no one should watch it because we may become murderers. There are sins all over the place. Reading Harry Potter isn't one of them. If you actually do research on religions that use witchcraft, the books turn out to be very humourous because they are unlike the religions. They are NOT real.
I leave you with one thought. I have never seen kids that have so desired to read books that are 1000 pages long and desire to have the next book more than anything. It is a wonderful thing to see children read in a world where the united states is one of the most illiterate countries when compared to other countries that are equally developed and civilized. I am a Christian, and I can promise you that these books haven't made my faith change. In fact, over the years, my faith has grown.
2007-06-10 15:39:17 · answer #2 · answered by One Odd Duck 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would disagree because Harry Potter is pure fantasy. However, your pastor does have somewhat of a point of concern. The reason I say that is because the Harry Potter series does depict sorcery and that is its main theme. But I don't think it turns kids on to black magic. If anything, Harry Potter is the good guy fighting the forces of evil.
2007-06-10 12:55:29 · answer #3 · answered by iridealone 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No. It's called Imagination and Knowing how to have fun and Laugh sometimes! If that's the case Tinker Belle, Little Red Riding Hood, The Nut Cracker Suite and all the rest should be a turn off too. Have you ever read Hansel and Gretel? The full version of it? This is what turns so many people away from Christianity..nit picking! In the early days of television, the Pharisees said it was evil and turned down first dibs on it. Now they complain about what's on it! That is being too super-religious.
Maybe your pastor is insecure and is not teaching the way he should. If they are taught a solid lesson in Scripture about the result of witchcraft is Deuteronomy 10 and actually see faith and real Christian love (1st Corinthians13) in action, they have nothing to worry about since it is a fairytale too!
2007-06-10 13:04:31 · answer #4 · answered by ShadowCat 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Disagree. There's never been a single indication of Harry Potter making people want to convert to being witches/wizards.
Think about it a little bit. Did The Wizard of Oz do anything like that? (What's the plot summary of The Wizard of Oz? Under the direction of a witch, a girl and her dog go to see a wizard to find out how to get home.) Are people now running around really trying to use the Force because of Star Wars?
Or, to (hopefully) put this into perspective, if simply reading or watching movies causes someone to adopt the lifestyle of whatever the book/movie's subject was (as your pastor is apparently implying), should we ban the history textbooks presently used in schools because they talk about Hitler, and having our kids read about him would make them want to be mad European dictators with delusions of world domination?
2007-06-10 13:08:49 · answer #5 · answered by Rynok 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If your pastor is talking about Harry Potter in church he is out of line!!
I think that if anyone believes that Harry Potter is capable of that kind of manipulation then there is a serious problem. There is no real life connection between Harry Potter and real life. I have 3 kids that love Harry Potter and we all go see the movies and read the books that have been published. If I thought that there was a chance that they would turn to black magic we would not watch them, but there is no chance that they would take HP seriously.
2007-06-10 12:59:31 · answer #6 · answered by TotallylovesTodd! 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Your pastor obviously hasn't read the books.
There is no promotion of any sort of "dark magic" whatsoever. But that's not even the point.. the morale of the books are really like what the general opinion is. Which is stuff like being tolerant to others. And more things on how to deal with everyday teenage stuff like crushes and things like that.
Ever wondered why the books are so popular?
Well certainly not because JK Rowling cast a spell on her books to make children read them, but rather because she had put in useful messages in them that found their way around the populace indirectly, through mouth-to-mouth advertising for instance.
And mind you, messages about how to perform magic are not useful because no human can perform magic like the way it's described in the books, that's pure fantasy.
2007-06-10 13:03:32 · answer #7 · answered by m_tassadar 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It makes kids be kids and opens their minds to pretend. The magical part of it is also pretending that they have powers like the books they read, and movies. I agree with you it turns childrens minds to think about magic. My kids love Harry Potter and I wouldn't take that away from them
However, I explained them about the big deal some mother made that she was trying to ban this. And I said to my kids there is a difference in enjoying something and being over attached to something...It's all about limitaions and explanations.
2007-06-10 12:55:51 · answer #8 · answered by SDC 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Disagree. Has there been a 20/20 feature on a new breed of witches and warlocks? If so, did I miss it? Because, Harry Potter is only a fantasy book. I highly doubt young people have been turned to the "dark arts" because of it. And if they have, they were probably already on the path.
2007-06-10 12:55:11 · answer #9 · answered by socmum16 ♪ 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I would really like to think that everyone needs to read all things and then make intelligent decisions about what they read. Your pastor sounds like he is fairly simple and doesn't have the faith to believe that young people don't have to be so censored and can make good decisions about what they read. EVERY book you read is only the authors opinion and may or may not be truth. Harry Potter books are stories about imaginary characters doing imaginary things. They have adventures and grow up along the way. The books are written to amuse you-fiction. Fiction is supposed to let your mind soar. . .
2007-06-10 12:59:47 · answer #10 · answered by towanda 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Movies are for entertainment and should not have any effect on our lives. I would believe that Harry Potter has turned as many people to evil magic as Darth Vader turned them to the dark force.
2007-06-10 12:55:11 · answer #11 · answered by S.O.S. 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋