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SUBJECT: Harry Potter Books
QUESTION: Does your church recommend the Harry
Potter books to children?
ANSWER:
No we do not. We do not recommend these books for anyone.
The books are set in surroundings involving sorcery and
witchcraft. WE STRONGLY CONDEMN THESE WRITINGS AS THEY ARE
FULL OF WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY. The Bible is strong in its
condemnation of these things.
Notice:
FOUNDATIONAL SCRIPTURES AGAINST WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY
Psalm 1:1-6
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in
the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law
doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of
water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf
also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the
wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor
sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way
of the ungodly shall perish.
Note: You will
read and hear slick arguments stating that these books are
fiction and the main character fights for positive values
and principles. The issue is that the good cannot justify
the evil setting and the evil means used to produce that
good. Further, the argument that these books are fiction
does not justify reading and learning about evil practices
especially as these books have young children as their
target audience.
These verses above show clearly that we should not place
ourselves even near these evil practices and subjects.
Answer the question, “Would Jesus Christ read these books?”
Exodus 22:18
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations,
wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such
like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told
you in time past, that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God.
Note: God makes
His attitude clear. Those involved in witchcraft will not
enter into the Kingdom. Why would someone desirous of the
Kingdom of God even want to get close to the subjects listed
in these verses, fiction or otherwise?
WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY FORBIDDEN
Leviticus 19:26-28
26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall
ye use enchantment, nor observe times.
27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither
shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the
dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.
Note: The Harry
Potter books are full of enchantments and evil spells.
Following is the Webster’s Dictionary Unabridged, 1913
definition of “enchantment”:
Enchantment
1. The act of enchanting; the production of certain
wonderful effects by the aid of demons, or the agency of
supposed
spirits; the use of magic arts, spells, or charms;
incantation.
Note: These
enchantments and spells produce what the dictionary calls
“wonderful effects”. Problem is they are produced by the
aid of demons which are evil in the sight of God.
Leviticus 19:31
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek
after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your
God.
Note: The verse
says to not even regard them. It says to not seek after
them. It says not to be defiled by them. What is one doing
when he or she reads these Harry Potter books? Notice the
definition of the word “defile”
Defile
1. To make foul or impure; to make filthy; to dirty; to
befoul; to pollute.
2. To soil or sully; to tarnish, as reputation; to taint.
3. To injure in purity of character; to corrupt.
Note: 1
Thessalonians 5:22 says to “abstain from all appearance of
evil”. What harm will come to your reputation and character
if you are known to be carrying around and reading these
controversial books?
Leviticus 20:6
And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar
spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I
will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him
off from among his people.
Note: Why would
one, desirous of obeying God, want to be seen by Him “going
after wizards” (even fictional wizards)?
Deuteronomy 18:9-14
9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God
giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the
abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh
his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that
useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter,
or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a
wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the
LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God
doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened
unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee,
the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
Note the phrase “among you” in verse 10. God does not want
any knowledge or experience of divination, spells, spirits,
charmers or wizards among us. God says that these things
“ARE AN ABOMINATION UNTO THE LORD” and He commands that we
drive these things out from us (verse 12). Does it make for
sound thinking to say that fictional wizards are exempt from
these commands of the Great and Almighty God?
WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY DENOUNCED
Isaiah 8:19
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have
familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that
mutter: should not a people seek unto their God?
Malachi 3:5
And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a
swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the
adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those
that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the
fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right,
and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
Note: Forgetting
the condemnation of sorcerers here for a moment, take a look
at the condemnation against adulterers. Would it be okay
for Christians to read vivid but fictional accounts of
adulterous affairs? After all, they are fiction are they
not? Will movies and fictional novels of sorcery and
adultery be present in the Kingdom of God? Then why place
yourself close to these things now?
QUOTE BY MR. ARMSTRONG ON THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS
When contacted about the Harry Potter books and the many
e-mails we were receiving from both members and public, Mr.
Armstrong stated:
“I don’t have time this moment or I would write a strong
condemnation of the Harry Potter books which are filthy,
demonic, satanic and blasphemous! I picked up a copy in an
airport and scanned it briefly. It was FILLED with
witchcraft, spells; one ‘witch’ talking to another, etc..
These books are not fit for any human eye to see. We need
to place it UP FRONT on the web site and strongly condemn
the Harry Potter writings with plenty of scriptures (above)
about God’s condemnation of witchcraft, sorcery, and
necromancers.”
WEB SITES AGAINST THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS
Some web sites have come out against these books. You may
wish to visit these web sites to see the controversy
regarding these books. Note that some web site pages are
transitory and may no longer be posted.
http://www.christiananswersforthenewage.org/Articles_HarryPotterSorceryAndFantasy.html
HARRY POTTER, SORCERY AND FANTASY This article goes into
detail regarding Sorcery, Witchcraft, the Philosoper’s stone
and alchemy, Ghosts, Astrology, Divination, the Occult,
White & Black Magic and the Occult & Death.
http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/Harry&Witchcraft.htm
HARRY POTTER LURES KIDS TO WITCHCRAFT - WITH PRAISE FROM
CHRISTIAN LEADERS
http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/Harry9-99.html
BEWITCHED BY HARRY POTTER
http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/D&D&Harry.htm
HARRY POTTER AND D&D - LIKE TWO PEAS IN A POD?
http://www.landoverbaptist.org/news1199/potter.html
MAKE BELIEVE WORLD OF HARRY POTTER DRIVE CHILDREN TO EDGE
OF INSANITY
E-mail us if you have further questions about the Harry
Potter books. |