In The Bible witches and witchery are condemned. So does mean a christian boy should stop watching Harry Potter?
2007-09-09 08:39:12 · 19 answers · asked by Tcdog08 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Here is one response from Bill Keller:
One of the things I try to do each day, one of my main goals of this
Devotional, is to help you translate your Christian faith into your very
real daily life. For those who have been reading these Devotionals for a
while, you also know that I hold the Bible to be God's inspired, inerrant
Word, and THE Absolute Truth and our final authority over all matters in our
life. There is no room for compromise. One of the biggest things that has
hit our popular culture in the last couple of years that is an issue for
anyone with children, are the Harry Potter books and movies.
Harry Potter has received much international attention due to the fact it
has become very popular with children, and the books have actually helped
many kids learn to enjoy reading or read at a higher level. These books and
movies have also come under incredible attacks from the Christian community
due to the witchcraft, sorcery, magic, and other occult/mystical/New Age
aspects to the storyline.
***Please do not miss this. My goal today is NOT to bash the Harry Potter
books and movies, but to encourage parents to take an even greater role in
monitoring what your children read, hear, and watch. Even more important, to
take the TIME to put what is in our popular culture like Harry Potter and
all else that is out there, and put it into a Biblical context for your
children.
PARENTS: YOU CANNOT CONTROL ALL THAT YOUR CHILDREN WILL SEE AND HEAR. YOUR
CHILDREN ARE NOW, AND AS EACH DAY GOES BY, MAKING EVEN MORE DECISIONS FOR
THEMSELVES. THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB THAT YOU HAVE IS TO LAY A BIBLICAL
FOUNDATION IN THEIR LIVES FOR THEM TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS!!!
I am not going to debate the content of these books or movies, because it
clearly has witchcraft and sorcery as a big part of the storyline. The
elements of Harry Potter that are dangerous have been with us in so many
other forms for many, many years since Biblical times. Yet, when has anyone
really spoken out so boldly about witchcraft, about sorcery? These are the
Biblical issues that make Harry Potter dangerous. When I was growing up, my
favorite movie and one of the most popular in movie history, was the Wizard
of Oz. Witches good and bad, a wizard, magical spells were all part of this
classic story. STORY.
My parents who were both wonderful Christians, would explain to me in my
younger years the fantasy aspects of Oz. They also provided a daily
environment of prayer and time in the Word, with the church being a large
part of our family life. Because of that, I clearly understood the Wizard of
Oz was a fictional story, and not real!!! I have spoken recently with some
older saints who were alive when the Wizard of Oz first came out. They tell
me that this movie, which is now considered one of the most loved of all
times, received the exact same criticism from the Christian community of
that day as Harry Potter is getting today.
The real bottom line to this Devotional today is for you parents who have
children, to play an active role in their lives. God gave each of us free
will, that means your kids too. But while they are growing up, until they
leave home, God has given you the responsibility of building a spiritual
foundation in their life. It is without a doubt the most important job or
ministry you have. In that capacity, you should know and be aware of what
they watch on TV and on the Internet. You should know and be aware of the
books they read. There should be open and honest discussion about the
content of what they are watching and hearing on a daily basis so that you
can help them understand this world we live in. More importantly, help them
to put the things they are taking in each day in a Biblical perspective.
This daily interaction with your children will give them the spiritual
foundation from which they will build their life on, FROM WHICH THEY WILL
MAKE THEIR DECISIONS!!!
Please do not think this Devotional is an endorsement of the Harry Potter
books and movies. Personally, I think the Left Behind series is much better
and much more profitable because of its content. I will not, however, tell
you that your child will be irreversibly harmed by reading these books or
seeing these movies. It all boils down to your involvement in their life!!!
You need to know what they are reading and what they are watching, so that
you are able to give them perspective. You can't shield them from the things
in this world that are not pleasant. They are living in a sin-filled world
where they are going to be exposed daily to the effects of sin on our world.
Your intimate involvement in their lives, especially in those 0-18 years
when they are developing into what they will be as adults is critical.
Rather than trying to control their environment, which is ultimately
impossible, help them to understand it so that when they start making their
own decisions they will have a Biblical basis for those decisions.
I love you and care about you so much. Is Harry Potter a legitimate issue?
Yes, due to the popularity of the books and movies. Is Harry Potter the
anti-Christ. NO! Will reading Harry Potter or watching the movies destroy
your children's lives? Most likely no. Again, what I want you to take from
this is that as parents, you MUST get involved in your children's lives. You
have every right and responsibility to censor what you allow in your home
but censor it with an explanation of why so that hopefully as they get
older, they can make that same quality decision for themselves. In time,
Harry Potter will be off the radar screen and, trust me, there will be
another "hot issue" to get all excited about. The fact is, as parents, we
need to be constantly diligent about what our children are being exposed to
and put it into a Biblical context for them.
Never forget, that in a very short time you won't be around to make those
decisions for them and the foundation that you lay in their life now is what
will carry them the rest of their life. I pray today, that you will take the
time and put in the effort to lay a strong, Biblically based foundation from
which they will be able to operate from for the rest of their journey
through this life. Again, I do not want the main point of this Devotional
to be lost. Anyone who reads the Word of God knows that God condemns
witchcraft and sorcery. It is a sin, period. My larger concern is NOT over
the obvious sin that is promoted through Potter, but over the role parents
play in the shaping of their children's lives. Not just in being responsible
and censoring material that could be harmful to them, but in helping them
develop a foundation from which to make those same Biblically-based
decisions for themselves when you are NOT around.
I know everyone loves their kids so much. I spend much of my prayer time
each day praying over your children as you send in prayer requests for
different situations. Open your heart and hear what the Lord is saying to
YOU today through this Devotional and know that there is no book, no movie,
no Internet site, nothing this world can produce that has more power than
the God of this universe. Help them to understand that while Harry Potter is
a fantasy movie like the Wizard of Oz is, God is very real, with very real
powers, and He is the only one who deserves our praise and worship. I know
some will be disappointed I didn't take this time to blast Harry Potter the
way many Christian leaders are today. I think it is FAR MORE PRODUCTIVE to
use this issue to encourage and empower parents!
Never forget that your greatest ministry no matter what else the Lord may
have you doing for the Kingdom, is TO YOUR CHILDREN. There is NO GREATER
ministry that you will EVER be involved in. Anyone who is a parent, is in
full time ministry to God as much as any pastor or anyone that you will ever
see on TV or hear on the radio. As a minister of God, it is YOUR
responsibility to help lay a Biblically-based foundation in the lives of
those children God has entrusted into your care! That is the REAL MESSAGE of
Harry Potter.
In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller
2007-09-09 08:48:37 · answer #1 · answered by peterngoodwin 6 · 1⤊ 5⤋
This can be taken too far. Look at the world, it is full of sin, if you stop a Christian boy wacthing Harry Potter, then you'll have to lock him away from the world also.
God doesn't like witchery ect. because they are the works of Satan and stops the practitioner from relying on God, but He also gave us free will to decide for ourselves whether to accept Jesus as our saviour or not.
2007-09-09 08:54:11 · answer #2 · answered by tah75 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Nah! Bible condems loads of stuff! Before Christianity, England was a Pagan country so witches and wizards were simply a rival religion. Just look at the Catholic/Protestant rivalry!
2007-09-09 12:46:35 · answer #3 · answered by gillie 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You are forgetting Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Craft, The Wizard of Oz!
2007-09-09 08:45:21 · answer #4 · answered by Black Star Deceiver 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Basically yes - many churches are against watching Harry Potter. Think about it - its one of the best selling books of this time and has children hooked - just another plot from the devil who will try anything - even to target children (although many grown ups read the books to!!) and get them in to all sorts of nonsense
2007-09-09 10:25:37 · answer #5 · answered by GG 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It depends entirely on the parents. This is exactly the *kind* of thing Paul was speaking of in Romans 14. A (very) rough paraphrase is:
Some people think that it's wrong, and that's OK. Some people don't think it's wrong, and that's OK too. Respect each other's beliefs in this matter. Don't try to force anyone to follow your own beliefs, arrived at personally. We have to answer to God, not to each other.
Jim, http://www.life-after-harry-potter.com
2007-09-09 14:36:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
enable him who's devoid of sin forged the 1st stone, that being pronounced whether with witches you could first throw them in a physique of water. in the event that they glide they are made up of timber and consequently a witch. they could be burned earlier they could turn you right into a newt. Its on your guy or woman good.
2016-10-04 06:48:56 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is debated issue in Christian circles. Some say yes, others say it actually shows good truimphing over evil. I let mine watch the first 3 films and it's fine, because I teach them the truth at home. It's important that they are in touch with things that other kids are into.
2007-09-09 08:55:37 · answer #8 · answered by good tree 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Some more conservative christians are opposed to Harry Potter, and even have book burnings
2007-09-09 08:46:44 · answer #9 · answered by Tom :: Athier than Thou 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The days of burning witches is over, that was in the ot. When Jesus rose from the dead that changed a lot of things.
2007-09-09 08:53:21 · answer #10 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Honestly, I am wiccan, and I can't stand Harry Potter. Nothing in that movie depicts TRUE witchcraft, so honestly, I wouldn't worry. LOL
2007-09-09 08:47:35 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋