I do not, I cannot compromise on the issue of Harry Potter. And I am genuinely stunned at the extent to which most Christians do. I know many godly, wonderful Christians who are Christ-like in nearly every way in their lives - but mention Harry Potter, and you can see the stronghold. And it is a stronghold in the church. It is Achan’s idol hiding in our tent, and we have got to confront it.
Who is Harry Potter?
Harry is an orphan. The evil wizard, Lord Voldemort killed Harry’ parents who were a witch and a wizard. Lord Voldemort repeatedly fails at attempts to kill baby Harry, which leaves little Harry with a lightening bolt scar on his forehead. Lord Voldemort loses some of his power in the process, making Harry legendary in the world of the occult.
Some “good wizard forces” leave Harry on the London doorstep of his Aunt and Uncle who are Muggles (People who are oblivious to witches and wizards). For the next ten years Harry is treated horribly by his uncaring relatives which earns the reader’s sympathy.
He is lonely and friendless, picked on and made fun of. Then one day, he receives an invitation to attend Hogwarts, the most famous boarding school for witchcraft and wizardry. Harry learns how to use his power and battles Lord Voldemort and seeks revenge upon his mean relatives.
The Harry Potter stories make it sound like magic is just fun. You can fly on broomsticks, make objects come to you, get revenge on bullies and a whole lot more. And face it, that all sounds really fun and exciting. What kid hasn’t dreamed of flying or making a teacher you don’t like blow up like a balloon?
Evil forces exist, and magic is one of their best ways to trap you, especially by calling it “good magic.” Magic is not good, no matter how they make it look, because BEHIND the magic are dark forces. ALWAYS. If you have touched any of these things, know that Jesus wants you to belong to HIM and give you REAL purpose and power. And HIS is the only REAL power for good there is.
Call him Lord Voldemort or whoever you want, but the reality is the real Dark lord is satan. And he is real. Don’t fall into his trap through the seeming innocent stories of Harry Potter.
The “Real” Lessons Taught By Harry Potter
1. Harry Potter’s main focus is to de-sensitize readers to the occult.
It’s cleverly packaged, but its introduction to the occult is a perfect way to introduce tolerance and acceptance of what God calls an abomination. Everyone in marketing knows that if you can get them when they’re young, they will be yours for life.
2. Adults in Harry Potter’s world are depicted as hateful and strict.
Although the main characters in Harry Potter’s world are unfair where he’s concerned, there is a prevailing theme of the entire adult world being bad, while the wizards and other creatures in the School of Witchcraft are good.
3. There’s an intolerance towards those who don’t believe in witchcraft.
In the Harry Potter series, anyone who doesn’t accept or understand the warlock, Harry or the witchcraft society to which he belongs is a "Muggle." The Muggles are the ones who are wrong. Even more disturbing is an incident where Harry is forever connected to the extremely evil Voldemort by the lightning bolt mark left in the middle of Harry’s forehead.
4. Harry Potter is increasing the numbers of the Wiccan group.
In England, the Pagan Federation has been barraged by inquiries about Wicca, mostly from teenage girls that the group has appointed a youth officer whose primary responsibility will be to respond to Harry Potter fans who want to know how to be become witches. With shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the youth of today are seeking out more information to satisfy their curiosity about the occult. Sadly, many are turning to witchcraft in hopes of better controlling their lives and futures.
5. Harry Potter teaches children to be rebellious.
There are absolutely no good role models anywhere in these books. Children (even the good characters) lie, call names, hate, steal and break rules in general. The Bible says rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. (I Samuel 15:23; 2 Timothy 3:1)
6. Harry Potter teaches children to be crude.
In a world where manners are sometimes hard to find, it should not be the goal to introduce children to even more bad habits, rude responses, etc. In the book there are references made to vomit flavored treats and other crude references to body substances. This new philosophy in entertainment laces movies and literature with crude humor that worldly children will respond to, while also inserting so-called “adult” humor. This guarantees a larger market for what is being sold.
7. Harry Potter teaches children to use profanity and blaspheme God.
There are at least five places in the book where the Lord or Heaven are used in vain, as a type of exclamation or profanity. There are also references in the book to witches celebrating Christmas and Easter. Of course, witches and wizards worship the horned god and the goddess.
8. Harry Potter mocks separated, Bible believing Christians.
In the Potter book, those that are opposed to or who do not understand the witchcraft that is practiced are referred to as “muggles.” These are people who believe it is dangerous or morally wrong to practice magic. The book makes a distinction between what is exciting (witchcraft, power, etc.) and what is boring (those people who oppose the occult practices).
What The Bible Says About “Harry”
The Bible clearly and repeatedly states that God detests witchcraft and sorcery. Fortune-telling and witchcraft, which were common among the pagan nations, were expressly forbidden.
1. Wizardry / Consulting Mediums. The Word describes the witch at En Dor whom Saul engaged to conduct a seance and bring up the spirit of Samuel (1 Sam 28:3,9; familiar spirits, KJV). The woman succeeded either by the power of God or the power of the Devil. As with other practices in this list, it was forbidden by the law of God, practiced by bad kings, and condemned by the prophets. In two places the prophet Isaiah hinted that consulting mediums may be a kind of ventriloquism (8:19; 29:4).
2. Sorcery. Sorcery or witchcraft is forbidden in the law of Moses (Ex 22:18; Deut 18:10). Sorcery was
apparently practiced by the worst of the kings of Israel and Judah (2 Kings 9:22; 2 Chron 33:6), but it was denounced by the prophets (Nah 3:4).
3. Conjuring Spells. This phrase, also translated as charm, appears in Deut 18:11, once in the Psalms (58:5), and twice in Isaiah (47:9,12). Sometimes it is rendered as enchantments. A different Hebrew word lies behind this translation in Isa 19:3. Because it is related to a word for bind, it may mean casting a spell ("spell-binding"). One scholar suggests it has to do with tying a magic knot.
4. Magic. The Hebrew word translated as magic appears only in connection with Egyptian and Babylonian magicians. The first cluster of verses relates to Joseph in Egypt (Gen 41:8,24); the second appears in connection with the plagues (Ex 7:11-9:11); and the third deals with Daniel and the various government-supported magicians of Babylon (Dan 1:20; 2:2,10,27; 4:7,9; 5:11). This term is never used in connection with the nation of Israel, so apparently it was not a threat or a temptation. In all the Old Testament contexts the ineffectiveness of magicians is underscored.
Magic actually comes from a Greek word that appears several times in the New Testament. Simon the sorcerer is one example (Acts 8:9-25). And Elymas the sorcerer is another (Acts 13:6-8). They may have been something like the "itinerant Jewish exorcists," also mentioned in the Book of Acts (Acts 19:13), who attempted to drive evil spirits out of people in the name of Jesus.
Still another New Testament word translated sorcery comes from the same Greek word as our English word, pharmacy. Quite obviously this has to do with drugs; a more relevant and contemporary application could hardly be found. The denunciations contained in Rev 9:21; 18:23; 21:8; and 22:15 apply to those who use drugs to bring on trances during which they claim to have supernatural knowledge or power.
5. Enchantments / Interpreting Omens. Behind this phrase, also rendered as enchantments (KJV), lie four different Hebrew words. The most common of the four occurs in Gen 30:27, in reference to Laban’s "experience"; in Gen 44:5 and 15, referring to Joseph’s cup; and in Num 23:23 and 24:1, describing Balaam’s activity. Lev 19:26 and Deut 18:10 specifically outlawed this practice as well. Another of the words used for the practice seems to mean "whisper," and it may indicate the way the enchanter lowered his voice. In Eccl 10:11 interpreting omens is connected with snake charming.
6. Witchcraft. The practice of witchcraft, or divination, was a means for extracting information or guidance from a pagan god. The word describes the activity of Balaam the soothsayer, or professional prophet, who was hired to curse Israel (Num 22:7; 23:23; Josh 13:22). It also describes the woman at En Dor who brought up the spirit of Samuel. All the major prophets condemned divination (Isa 44:25; Jer 27:9; 29:8; Ezek 13:9).
The only places where information is given on the actual means people used in divination is in Gen 44:5 and Ezek 21:21-23. In the case of Joseph’s divining cup, the diviner apparently interpreted the shape of a puddle of oil floating on the water in the cup (Gen 44:5). Ezek 21 describes the king of Babylon as he tried to decide which way to approach Jerusalem. It portrays him as throwing down a handful of arrows, hoping that a certain one will point to a route which he believes is the will of his god. It also records that "he consults the images, he looks at the liver" (Ezek 21:21). Reading and interpreting the livers of sacrificial animals was another form of determining the will of the gods. All these forms of superstition, of course were forbidden among the Hebrew people.
7. Spiritism. The word for spiritist always appears with witch. The root of the word in Hebrew is the verb "to know." In modern English wizard means someone very wise or inventive, a very clever or skillful person. But in the Bible it is always a forbidden thing, a kind of black magic. This is why most modern versions translate the word as spiritist, fortune-teller, or sorcerer.
8. Passing a Son or Daughter Through the Fire. This phrase refers to the practice of child sacrifice. This seems incredible to us today, but the very fact that it was outlawed by God indicates it must have been done in Bible times (Deut 18:10). Second Kings 16:3 records that King Ahaz sacrificed his son in this way. No doubt he thought that such a sacrifice would appease some pagan god. His grandson, King Manasseh, sacrificed his sons two generations later (2 Kings 21:6; 2 Chron 33:6). Second Kings 23:10 reveals that it was mainly the pagan god Molech who required this awful sacrifice. But other false gods apparently also demanded it (2 Kings 17:31; Jer 19:5).
Over the last thirty years we have sacrificed more than 31 million unborn babies on the alter of hedonistic self-indulgence under the guise of the “right to choose”. Every day there are almost 3000 abortions, 1,100 of which are teen abortions alone!
Spiritual Pornography
If you were ignorant of what the Bible says now you know the truth, and now you are responsible for that truth. No more can you say that you didn’t know. No more can you say it is simply a fun story for kids, nothing more, or pretend that it has nothing to do with the occult. It has everything to do with the occult! It is in fact satan’s most hideous secret, and it is his coup d’etat over Christians who accept it! And in God’s eyes, it is no different than reading vile pornography.
Knowing that Harry Potter is based in the evil ancient bloody celebrations of demons and all things of the occult, can you give even one good excuse to read or watch Harry Potter, or to pass our children through this unholy fire in the name of "fun"? I am afraid that any argument is just a justification of our own spiritual cowardice in refusing to confront Harry Potter for who he really is and who he represents.
The excuses are many, but the one most prevalent is that we don’t want our kids to feel different or "left out." Yet I doubt you would have any problem at all keeping your children from going to a porno movie or drunken orgy even though it might make them feel "different" and "left out" because their friends do?. Why do we feel “literature” and “entertainment” is so important that we’d rather our kids participate than to be seen as "different"?
When did we forget that we are to raise our kids to be different, separated from the things of the world? Why do we insist on our kids being drug free, abstinent, a good Christian example, yet Harry Potter is scratched off of our list of ungodly realities?
I can only surmise that it is a special spiritual blindness that has to be one of satan’s special triumphs. Satan doesn’t care if you dress up entertainment as a devil or a saint. By reading or watching Harry Potter you give satan the power he craves, and if you are a believer, you give him the mockery of believers he delights in.
I know "literature” and “fantasy movies” can be seen as good alternatives. I concede that if it is for the purposes of “education” then it can be a powerful tool. But is not that just a subtle compromise? I mean, why do we NEED education in the ways of the evil one? How can you put a holy face on a story that is rooted in evil, that has its history in evil, that is "sacred" to those who have sworn their hatred to the Christ we claim to love? What message are we sending our children? Is it not, at the least, that it is okay to compromise if you have a good justification to do so?
Does this seem harsh? Make you uncomfortable? Good! Take the blinders off, then. Get honest! Why are you protective of this evil masquerading as a children’s story? Are you afraid of being seen as a fanatic, extremist, afraid you will be made fun of? Just trying to keep an open mind? Of such hearts strong disciples of the crucified Christ cannot be made.
Are you afraid, parent, that your child will feel separated, different? And if you allow this compromise, how then will your children fare when they are ridiculed because they won’t smoke, or drink or take drugs, or when your daughter is rejected, teased and taunted for maintaining her sexual purity? A little leaven leavens the whole loaf, Jesus said. If you bend on Harry Potter then the next compromise will be so much easier.
My deepest prayer is that all who read this will abandon Harry Potter altogether, in any form of recognition, blatant or "sanitized", and boycott this compromise completely, not in spite of our kids, but because of them, because we love them and we love the truth more than our own lives. Believe me, our kids won’t die if they don’t read or watch Harry. And no, letting them won’t kill them; but they will be the weaker for it; and it will be impossible to explain on ‘That Day’ why we who were sworn to the truth of God’s Word allowed our little ones to celebrate the worship to satan, demons and every unholy, unclean thing in the name of entertainment and education.
Harry Potter is the whitewashed Baal we have placed on God’s Altar. May God give all of those who read this the courageous heart of Josiah ( 2 Chron 34) who did not rest until every idol was destroyed.
