WHAT'S
THE BIG DEAL ANYWAY?
Harry
Potter? You might ask, "What is the big deal with a young boy
wizard who is a hero to millions of young readers around the world. Who
has inspired millions of children to embrace the reading experience once
again or for the first time in their lives?
The children are reading!
The children are reading!* Are the cries and shouts of praise being
heaped upon J.K. Rowling (sounds like bowling) the author of the wildly
popular four books that have been published out of seven in the series.
Harry Potter promoters and supporters range from, beginning readers to
the elderly. Never in the history of book writing has there been such a
response, never has a single author been able to bridge age gaps,
religious gaps, race gaps, social gaps, economic gaps, etc. Sales and
distribution is second only to the Bible!! That does not even seem
possible, does it?
*Editors
Note: This response to me is a bit like a mother who has a picky
toddler, and is having a problem getting him to eat, looking out and
seeing the child happily munching a pile of doggie doo-doo and gleefully
shouting, "Oh HOORAY! he is eating!"
OVERVIEW:
The
Harry Potter books highlight
the adventures of a likable young wizard who is orphaned in infancy,
raised by “muggles” his non-magical relatives, and later informed of
his magical abilities and invited to study at Hogwart’s School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry
Potter is a standard tale of good vs.
evil, and good always wins in the end right? Harry, the hero, often
triumphs because of his upright character and pure motives.
Unconditional love and courage are held as ideals of great importance.
By following Harry and his best friend Ron, the reader gets a glimpse of
true loyalty and friendship, as well as self-sacrifice. On the other
hand, witches, wizards, and other magical characters play the lead
roles. And of course Harry and his friends are wizards (at least wizards
in training). Harry and his friends, practice spells, create potions
(drugs) and use them, and use hexes and magic on others. And the
face-offs with “evil” are predictably intense. Each of the books
chronicles a year of education at Hogwart’s. Book one, his first year,
book two his second, etc.
Please
keep in mind that the proponents of Harry Potter justify the means
because of the end. They say Harry wins over the evil Lord Voldemort.
So, good triumphs over evil and that is a good message! Never mind that
through out the books that witchcraft, wizardry, sorcery, and evil
components are littered through out the stories. There is no such thing
as a GOOD wizard! Occult experts, ex-occultists,
ex-wizards all confirm that in order to do the things that Harry and his
friends do in these books that the forces of evil must play their part
for the wizards to have success! The source of the power is the
same according to God. How can evil destroy evil?
NOTE:
This is just a brief introduction into the world of Harry Potter. The
Occultic ties and undercurrents of darkness are so unbelievable that I
can not begin to fully inform you of its vast extent. The more I read
and the more I dig the more I find…The problems with Harry Potter are
so vast to explain them in a short article is an absolute impossibility!
So, here is a short overview with some minor comments for your review.
THE
CHILDREN:
Kids,
millions of kids and many adults are
just wild about Harry Potter! Here are the statistics.
A
U.S. consumer survey reported that over half of all children in the United States between 6 and 17
have read at least one Harry Potter book. In fact, "there
are 116 million books in print in 200 countries. They have been
translated into 47 languages (USA Today; Monday, October 22, 2001; Life
– Section D).
The
movie was just released and grossed $293,000,000.00 (million) in the
first twenty-four hours!
I
do not have any current earning statistics, but I do know the first
three Harry Potter books have earned, a conservatively estimated,
$480,000,000.00 (million) in three years. That is not including book
four yet! On July 7, 2000 news cameras focused on huge crowds of kids
congregated at bookstores around the country waiting for "the
witching hour," midnight! (There’s a clue for you.) What were
they doing there, so long past their bed times? They were waiting to buy
Rowling’s 700 plus page newest release Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire. She directed her publisher how book
#4 was to be released. Which she states, "Is the darkest yet!"
In fact, she orchestrated the release down to the minute. At 12:01 a.m.
July 8, 2000, bookstore doors opened and kids pressed in, they ran, they
pushed and shoved and began shelling out $25.95 for book #4.
This
was the publisher’s dream come true (Scholastic
the largest publisher and distributor of children’s books in the
world) with advanced orders topping 1.8 million and a first printing of
5.3 million copies. Newsweek Magazine said, "Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth installment of the series,
promises to break every book-selling record in the book." (Newsweek; Why Harry’s Hot by Malcomb Jones; July 17, 2000; p.53).
But,
there is more to come! Ms. Rowling plans seven books in all. Each book covers one academic year at the
at Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the boarding school
Harry attends and learns from different wizards/witches. And
she admits that each book will grow darker and darker and deal more with
death and loss and evil!!
Friends,
the bottom line with these books is that they teach occultic/pagan
rituals, spells, charms, and practices. The author J.K. Rowling has had
to have a significant acquaintance with the occult according to many
experts in the field of witchcraft and the occult.
Some
specific items worth noting that are in DIRECT contradiction with the
Bible and its teachings:
I.
Contact with the super natural
while in “this world” Pg. 14,15
II.
Contact with the Supernatural spirits after “crossing over” to
Hogwart’s School of Wizardry and Witchcraft”
Pg. 115-133. FORBIDDEN by God!
III.
Magic, Spells, Charms, Potions and Tricks.
Starts on page Pg.137 through entire book
Harry
and friends learn to make drugs and the glory of
taking them. Listen professor Snape explain: “I don’t think
you really understand the beauty of the soft shimmering cauldron with
its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through
human veins, bewitching the mind. Ensnaring the
senses, I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even
stopper death…
IV.
Rowling consistently depicts Satanism correctly.
Many satanic symbols, names, stories, and creatures are vividly and
correctly described throughout the books. She has a very intimate
knowledge of the occult and sorcery and pagan customs.
V.
List of Books a first year student will require:
1.
The Standard Book of Spells
2. A
History of Magic
3. Magical
Theory
4. A
Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration
5. One
Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
6. Magical
Drafts and Potions
7. Fantastic
Beasts and Where to Find Them
8. The
Dark Force: A Guide to Self-Protection
VI.
Attitudes, Values and Emotions
1.
The fundamental occult philosophy that the “ends justify the means”
permeates all of these books. To achieve a goal that is deemed good,
Harry and his friends consistently break the rules, steal, defy
authority figures and use witchcraft on others. (And Harry is a “good
wizard?”)
2.
No absolute standard of good or evil. One of Harry’s professors tells
him. “There is no good or evil, there is only power, and those who
seek it.” Pg. 291. This is Satan's big lie!
3. Hatred towards others. Pg. 196
4. On and On…
(In book four there is
advancement in the debasing teachings by the author. Some found below)
4. Revenge. Pg. 85
5. Gambling. Pg. 87-89
6. Drinking. Pg. 88-89
7. Thrill of Murder. Pg. 217
8. Cheating. Pg. 343
9. Placing Hexes. Pg. 367
10. Refusing to forget or forgive
offenses. Pg. 649
11. Planning torture. Pg. 650
12. Beastiality. Pg. 454
13. Cold blooded murder.
14. Etc, etc.
IT’S
HAVING NO EFFECT ON CHILDREN!
Friends,
it is so amazing to me that some dare to fight for these Harry Potter
books, praising them for bringing the children back to the bookstores.
Never mind that they are leading unsuspecting children to Satan’s
world of darkness.
Many
argue that it is fantasy and children can tell the difference. If that
is true then what do they say to this quote? “Harry is an absolute
godsend to our cause, an organization like ours thrives on new blood,”
said High Priest Egan of the First Church of Satan in Salem, MA.
“We’ve had more applicants than we can handle lately. (Since 1995,
open applicants to Satan worship have increased from around 100,000 to
now…20 million children and young adults!)
In
England the Pagan Federation has reported that they have had to hire a
“Youth Official” for the first time in their history! The spokes
person said when questioned as to why the increased curiosity, she
replied, we always ask the new interests why they came to call and she
said that they were led there by book like Harry
Potter!
Ouija
Board sales are up!
A
friend
walked into a Barnes and Nobles Book store on Monday the tenth and saw
an entire “end cap” display of occult and satanic books next
to the Harry Potter display!
If
you go (better yet when your child, or neighbor’s child, or
grandchild) goes to the Warner
Brothers Harry Potter Official Web Site. He or she can enroll at
Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
They
will be given a list of supplies and books for first year students
(Books Mentioned above). Now you can just go to any search engine (I
used Yahoo.com) and search for them…and you will find them! I found
that they are all part of the fun of trying to gather all of the items
needed. And I have not researched them yet to find out if the spells are
real. But that does not really matter, look at the bigger picture!
The
problem is when these internet-savy youth search the Internet (and
searching for the “required” reading for first year students is fun
and starts the process of searching) all they have to do is type in
“casting spells” and 45,400 web pages came up!
Friends,
it doesn’t take a rocket-scientist to figure out that it is not a very
large step from the stuff in the books to the stuff in the world. In
fact, while looking at various chat rooms and the discussions going on I
became even more concerned. Kids, young adults, and adults are exposed
to books, Internet sites, and materials by the latest excited kid to
post his findings complete with URLs linked to the sites.
DON’T
TELL ME THAT THESE BOOKS AREN’T HAVING AN INFLUENCE ON OUR CHILDREN!!
So
what do some of the Christian leaders say about Harry Potter?
Charles
Colson
Christianity
Today
NEWS
BRIEF:
HARRY
POTTER, CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE, Charles Colson, Breakpoint Commentary,
#91102, 11/02/1999.
"If
you have a youngster between the ages of seven and 13, chances are a boy
named Harry Potter has moved in with you. So have wizards and witches
and dragons. Kids can't seem to get enough of the Harry Potter books ...
But some Christian parents are wondering if Harry and his friends are
suitable playmates for their kids ... The books are enormously
inventive, and include the kind of humor that makes many parents want to
borrow the books from their kids. But if you're the parent of a Harry
Potter fan, you may be concerned about the elements of witchcraft in
these books." (This question is excellent, and is one we would
expect a Christian author and leader to pose.)
Colson
then goes on to confirm that Harry Potter books feature witches and
wizards, dragons, and other types of witchcraft. But, then, just when
you would think that Colson is going to condemn this practice (since God
condemns it in Scripture and decrees eternal death for
such people) he turns
180 degrees to "assure" Christian parents it is just fine to
let them read Harry Potter!
Read
Colson's words here:
"It may relieve you to know that the magic in these books is purely
mechanical, as opposed to occultist. That is, Harry and his friends cast
spells, read crystal balls, and turn themselves into animals--but they
don't make contact with a supernatural world." What!!
I can’t believe that statement! He must have the spiritual eye-salve
of a gnat!
God
specifically forbids casting spells and reading crystal balls simply
because they do
establish contact with the supernatural world! A witch cannot
cast spells without contact with demonic powers, they need them in order
to do their bidding; you cannot divine the future using any method,
including Crystallomancy, without conjuring up spirits. Finally, only
the highest level of witchcraft in the world can cause a person to
change into an animal (shapeshifting) and then back again. According to
occult experts.
Christianity
Today, January 10, 2000
Why
We Like Harry Potter -A
Christianity Today editorial
The series is a 'Book of Virtues'
with a preadolescent funny bone.
It's
Christmas present shopping time. Time for your 10-year-old to make his
list—and for you to check it twice. But are the Harry Potter books at
the top of his list—the first books topping his list for as long as
you can remember—naughty or nice? These multimillion-selling stars of
bestseller lists cause some anxiety for Christians since the main
characters are wizards and witches.
In
fact, 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 your kids.
First,
we should all be suspicious of the media's hype of Christian parents
objecting to the books. 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.
Second,
Christians should never apologize for rigorously scrutinizing what
influences our children. A major scandal of our day is how seldom this
happens. Modern witchcraft is indeed an ensnaring, seductive false
religion that we must protect our children from. But 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."
Third,
and this is why we recommend the books, Rowling's series is a Book
of Virtues with a preadolescent funny bone. Amid the laugh-out-loud
scenes are wonderful examples of compassion, loyalty, courage,
friendship, and even self-sacrifice. No wonder young readers want to be
like these believable characters. That is a Christmas present we can be
grateful for.
True
the HP series has almost no resemblance to the Wiccan Religion,
worshipping nature and becoming self-empowered. The HP series is
more deeply related to occultic and satanic circles!
Publishing
companies offer teaching aids!
Some
publishing companies are offering teaching aids and are promoting the use of them in classrooms around
the world to foster the exploration of “Harry’s World”.
I
read the claim that these books have nothing to do with witchcraft and
the occult. If that is true, why are they being used as a springboard to
promote witchcraft? Public schools are using the books as part of their
curriculum. And what is even more interesting is that "major
publishers have even released study-books and class-room discussion
guides so teachers can lead their students through ‘the origins and
mysteries of Harry’s world,’ including its occult themes."
(Elizabeth D. Schafer, Beacham’s
Sourcebook: Exploring Harry Potter; Beacham Publishing Company,
Osprey FL. See - http://www.beachampublishing.com) In that book, which
is used in many schools, real occult books are suggested in the Reading
for Research section.
Here are exactly, without alteration, some of the books listed for
reading by students…
1.
Drawing
Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in
America Today, Adler, Margot. Boston: Beacon Press, 1986.
Describes modern witchcraft practices in the United States.
2.
A
Cauldron of Witches: The Story of Witchcraft, Alderman, Clifford
Lindsey. New York: Julian Messner, 1971. 3. A
History of Witchcraft Written for Children, Alderman, Clifford
Lindsey. Witchcraft in America.
New York: Julian Messner, 1974. Explores regional witchcraft practices
in New England, New Orleans, the southwest, and other places.
The
first book listed is by Margot Adler. She is a witch and outspoken
promoter of contemporary paganism and witchcraft. Adler says her
interest in witchcraft was fueled at age 12 by her study of ancient
Greek deities, particularly Artemis and Athena for their images of
strength and power. Later, "she was initiated as a first-degree
Gardenarian priestess in 1973 and then formed a A
Pagan Way grove in Manhattan." (Rosemary Ellen Guiley; The
Encyclopedia of Witchcraft; pub. Facts on File; p.2).
Ah
yes, if Harry Potter does NOT teach witchcraft, why is Adler’s book
recommended reading?
There’s
more. When you come to their suggestions of Internet resources and sites
to visit you come across web sites dedicated to teaching witchcraft, the
real thing! They have a section devoted to "Teen Pagan
Essay’s" as well. It is obvious that Harry Potter is a vehicle
for promoting witchcraft in more than one way. And that’s a fact!
Never
in the history of book publishing has there been such a broad-based
success such as is the story of Harry Potter.
It
is no surprise to me that Harry Potter and these four books
  
have
met with such incredible success, author J.K. Rowling said that she came
up with the idea for her books in 1990 while traveling on a train.
Without any warning, she suddenly just saw Harry “very, very
clearly” in her mind. His visible image actually popped into her
thoughts from out of nowhere as a fully formed individual.” During one
interview, Rowling stated: “The
character of Harry just strolled into my head…I really did feel he was
someone who walked up and introduced himself in my mind’s eye.”
(Emphasis added by me)
Rowling
pictured here in a black witch’s robe taken out of USA Today
In
a July 2000 Associated Press article Rowling said, “I truly am bemused
that anyone who has read these books could think that I am a proponent
of the occult in any serious way. I don’t believe in witchcraft
in the sense that they’re talking about, at all.”
In another online venue, she remarked, “I don’t believe in
magic in the way I describe it in my books, I mean, I
don’t believe in the wand waving sort of magic.” (Emphasis added
by me)
So
what type of magic does she believe in? Notice how carefully chosen her
words are…”I don’t believe in witchcraft in
the sense that they’re talking about…” So, what sense, what
type does she believe in?
The
devil has penned these stories and will continue with the next three! I
believe that the devil revealed Harry to her and he moved her mind to
pen them. The
devil has done nothing but repackage the world of Satanism in a
powerfully, fun, well written story of a young likable wizard.
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