Harry Potter

[adherent]

Do you think Harry Potter contains anti-Christian material?
Does it overall convey an anti-Christian feeling?

[scorpia]

They're selfish because THEY think it's wrong and harming, so therefore it MUST be to everyone else. Your statement just brings about thoughts in my head about those people trying to convert others to Christianity to save their souls or something like that. It's like the missionaries preaching and converting native peoples ... it's basicly implying: I'm right, you're wrong, you should follow what I follow so you can be saved. Things like that, the self-rightousness, makes me sick at times.

And by saying this one can also be self-righteous and imply that the one saying it in the right and others are wrong.

It is self-righteous to accuse someone else of being self-righteous. Yet I do not see why such behaviour you described is selfish. An attempt to convert, eg. for either way, takes time and effort, not for one's own sake but for anothers. It is more selfless than selfish, in my POV.

After all, what do you expect them to do, let everyone else go to hell just for the sake of feeling better that others are not sickened by them? Isn't that more selfish?

[Marishiten]

It is self-righteous to accuse someone else of being self-righteous. Yet I do not see why such behaviour you described is selfish. An attempt to convert, eg. for either way, takes time and effort, not for one's own sake but for anothers. It is more selfless than selfish, in my POV.

Well no, I don't believe accusing someone of self-righteousness is self-rightous in the same sense, but if it was, then ALL accusations, debates, opinions etc are self-righteous, hence YOU are too for debating me and this whole forum is filled with self-righteous people! Hence, why debate at all? Let's all become inert and humble. Excuse the sarcasm.

And going back some time to the conversion of the natives (be they American or Australian) most of these missionaries did it for THEMSELVES, so put their own souls in good light and to gain favour with God etc. Sure some would have done it as a self-less act, but does not make it any more right. Who are they to dictate what's right and wrong? The natives had their own religion, so by trying to convert was a sign of disrespect and self-rightousness. Why should Christianity be the prevailing religion?

After all, what do you expect them to do, let everyone else go to hell just for the sake of feeling better that others are not sickened by them? Isn't that more selfish?

Let everyone go to hell? Some people don't BELIEVE in hell and are happy with their own god. Some people don't believe in a deity full stop. Why should someone impose their beliefs on someone in order to save them from something that is NOT in their beliefs in the first place?

[scorpia]

Gave this it's own thread

[erindanielbell]

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. 1 Corinthians 10:23

Before my wife and I became christians my wife practiced magic, witchcraft, egyptology and many other pagan supernatural beliefs. These practices attract evil spirits. The bible teaches us that if you belive Jesus is Lord you can recieve the Holy Spirit, well if tap into ungodly supernatural forces you will recieve a spirit but it will not be holy. The bible promotes the supernatural so that we will know what supernatural forces to associate with and which supernatural forces to avoid. If you live in a single family house in the country and you leave all of your doors and windows open then bugs and other critters can come into your home as they please. The bible teaches us that our bodies are temples, therefore if we leave all of the doors and windows open of our spirtual house then any spirit that wants to can come in. Humans are spiritual beings as well as physical beings. You must keep you spirit healthy as well as your physical body.

Christians are called and seperated form the world to be holy. We are to be a shining light in the midst of darkness. The bible is full of examples of people who stood for righteousness, sacrificing enjoying the pleasures of the world for the sake of Christ.

We must examine ourselves to see how much time are spending being entertained verses building our personal relationship with Christ. How much time do you spend in prayer, studying the bible, fellowshipping with other believers, praising and worshiping the Lord? Do you put God on a time limit or a schedule? Do you have a desire to please God and obey his will?

Why is Harry Potter anti-christian? It is anti-christian because it glorifies sorcery and magic. If you drink poison it will harm your physical body whether you want it to or not, even if you are not aware you are drinking poison. Harry Potter is spiritual poison. Drink at your own risk.

The bible teaches us about spiritual wickedness in high places and that there will be a great falling away from the christian faith. We must guard our souls.

[MagusYanam]

Before my wife and I became christians my wife practiced magic, witchcraft, egyptology and many other pagan supernatural beliefs.

Egyptology is a pagan supernatural belief? I'll have to tell my sister that one; as an aspiring anthropology major it might come as a bit of a laugh.

Humans are spiritual beings as well as physical beings. You must keep you spirit healthy as well as your physical body.

Agreed here. But how, demonstrably, is children's fiction harmful to the spirit? Especially children's fiction written by a conservative Presbyterian (Jo Rowling, last time I checked, was a member of the Church of Scotland) which teaches Christian values?

Christians are called and seperated form the world to be holy. We are to be a shining light in the midst of darkness. The bible is full of examples of people who stood for righteousness, sacrificing enjoying the pleasures of the world for the sake of Christ.

It's also full of examples of people who gain God's favour by putting social justice ahead of personal 'purity'. The Good Samaritan is a good example - he stopped to help a person lying beaten and dying on the road, where the Levite and the priest would not touch him, but passed by on the other side, fearful of contaminating themselves. It is this kind of fear that spiritually tainted the Pharisees and the scribes, where God showed his favour to the lepers, the prostitutes and the publicans, the victims and the outcasts of society.

If even one child learns (as so many already have) from a book of fiction the value of courage, honesty and the love of justice and mercy and equality, even set against a fantastical backdrop, it surely justifies the fruit of Jo Rowling's labours.

And by their fruit you shall know them. Or so the Lord Christ taught.

The bible teaches us about spiritual wickedness in high places and that there will be a great falling away from the christian faith. We must guard our souls.

Famous last words from the Pharisee and the scribe, from the priest and the Levite. But what did Jesus have to say on this topic?

39 'Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.'

Jesus also told us in the parables not to bury our talents and guard with fear that which is precious to us, but to use them, and multiply them in the love of Him who gave them to us.

[Desert_Rose2]

Why is Harry Potter anti-christian? It is anti-christian because it glorifies sorcery and magic.

you say you and your wife practiced magic, witchcraft before you became Christians?

Well, taking it that you mean real magic, real witchcraft, then it is obvious that you do not know the content of the Harry Potter books and the kind of 'magic,' 'witchcraft,' therein.

or, have you read them and found what you did is written about? (I say that because you are saying that Harry Potter is about real magic, real witchcraft).

How did you get on with the live mangle roots? Did they bite you or did you wear gloves?

[Aristarkos]

Why is Harry Potter anti-christian? It is anti-christian because it glorifies sorcery and magic.

Some of Christianity IS sorcery-and-magic-like, so it would make sense that some Christians would think of it as real and worry about it.

[OnceConvinced]

Harry Potter is as much about sorcery and magic as the story of Hansel and Gretal is about building gingerbread houses. Harry Potter is pure fantasy and kids know that. (well any kids who have half decent parents). It also has nothing to do with Wicca. Just ask any Wiccan.

[Desert_Rose2]

Some of Christianity IS sorcery-and-magic-like....

I beg to differ. It is meant to be supernatural, Christian faith, but that is not sorcery or magic-like....just super-natural/spiritual.
Different source.

OnceConvinced -agreed.
Funny thing is, on forums I have noticed it is often Christians who say they were previously involved with the occult in some form that object to H.P., or those that have other fears.
I have much doubt that they were involved in the real thing because of that, OR they know zilch about the REAL content of the Harry Potter books.
Because there is no comparison when one knows the facts.
It would be laughable if it weren't so sad.
I believe
1] they may be newish or immature Christians, and therefore it would be right for them to be focusing on learning other stuff at the moment anyway
2]they have fear still that over-rides trust in God, which is understandable.

[Catharsis]

The answer to the Poll question is Yes.

The Harry Potter phenomenon represents only one of many vehicles by which witchcraft is being popularized in the youth culture (and the youth are taking the bait). Movies and televisions shows target young audiences with the allure of how powerful and 'hip' one can be through occult practices, and a plethora of books (e.g., The Real Witch's Handbook) and websites offer detailed instruction and guidance in how one can become a witch.

Today in America, the most popular form of witchcraft is Wicca. Its founder, British occultist Gerald Gardner, was a personal friend of the notorious satanist Aleister Crowley, a member of the Fellowship of Crotona, a co-Masonic organization. Gardnerian Wicca combined the practices and ideas of his coven together with those of the Ordo Templi Orientalis, Eastern philosophy and Freemasonry. Today, Wicca has become an amalgam of medieval witchcraft, feminism, goddess worship, pantheism, "deep ecology," and worship of the earth.