Consolidated Harry Potter Thread

[The_RANDy_Corporation]

I agree with the Pope on this one. I look forward to the last book in the Potter series: Harry Potter Burns in Hell

Pope and the peril of Harry Potter
Peter Green


The Pope has said that the Harry Potter books "erode Christianity in the soul" of young people, a German writer claims.

Bavarian-based Roman Catholic Gabriele Kuby, who wrote a book criticising JK Rowling's blockbusters, said the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger made the comments in an exchange of letters two years ago.

In March 2003, Ratzinger wrote thanking her for sending him a copy of "your informative book". He said: "It is good that you are throwing light on Harry Potter, because these are subtle seductions that work imperceptibly, and because of that deeply, and erode Christianity in the soul before it can even grow properly." . . . .

Source (http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/men/news/s/166/166050_pope_and_the_peril_of_harry_potter.html)

[Beowulf]

I'll have to disagree with the Pope on this one. A series of books written on some innocent wizardry and imagination. I enjoyed the series so far. I don't think Harry Potter will infect the minds of children as he suspects.

[nene]

Rubbish.

[Pendragon_6]

I watched intently for signs of encouraging evil in this story. The way its set up is that Harry fights evil. Same as Gandalf. I admit I've only seen the first movie, and have read none of the books. I think the Pope is saying that the mere existence of a story about wizards and witches is enough of an enticement to evil by young, impressionable children.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

(At my own peril), I am with the Pope on this one.

[Trevelyan]

I think this is utterly ridiculous. I dealt with similar stuff when I went to Catholic high school. One of the priests thought The Lord of the Rings was just fine, but Harry Potter was evil. I don’t get it. Both of them involve wizards and magic. The priest was a huge LotR fan, so maybe that had something to do with it....<O:p</O:p

Anyway, it is difficult to take advice from some of these people on what is evil and whatnot when they were so derelict in regards to the child molestation epidemic.

[The_RANDy_Corporation]

Either way, I don't know why any red-blooded American would buy any of this woman's books. She is an avowed anti-American, hates America and hates Americans, even though they have made her rich beyond measure.

[The_RANDy_Corporation]

Here you go:

Galatians 5:
<SUP>19</SUP>The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; <SUP id=en-NIV-29167>20</SUP>idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions <SUP id=en-NIV-29168>21</SUP>and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

[PrezLeefun]

Beo I am with you. If this pope actually read the series he would have a very different opinion- along with Homes. ( read the series- it is a good tool for understanding decision making and predjudice- the main focuses of the book. Magic is just a fun illusion.)

[DesertFox]

I don't give two hoots about the "moral" of the story as re prejudice or anything else. I only know that my eldest niece only became interested in reading when this series came out. She read at grade level when she graduated -- but it was a dramatic come-from-behind effort after years of reading below grade level. It took something that caught her imagination to get her into reading, and Harry Potter was it. Now the girl never puts a book down.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Beo I am with you. If this pope actually read the series he would have a very different opinion- along with Homes. ( read the series- it is a good tool for understanding decision making and predjudice- the main focuses of the book. Magic is just a fun illusion.)

I made it a POINT not to attack anyone who is in support of this woman and her books. I simply made a one line statement -- I support the Pope's position. Although I have not read the book, I DID watch the film (when no one was home) so that I could see for myself. I'm sorry, I do not agree that magic portrayed in this movie is just a fun illusion. I am entitled to my opinion. I am not out proselytizing against her or her books. I merely state MY opinion, and the stance that my husband and I have taken regarding this series. Others are free to do as they like, don't single me out and put me on the defense of my beliefs, else I will change my tack on this issue.

I'll take partial blame, I shouldn't have prefaced my statement -- I'll restate it as it is meant:

I am with the Pope on this one.

[Riverboat]

I'm a little surprised. If memory serves, someone in the Church hierarchy had stated that there was nothing harmful about the series.

At the risk of being on the wrong side of HomeSchooler, let me add that one of my favorite movie reviewers, Steven Greydanus, writes for the National Catholic Register (NOT the NC Reporter) and has a lot of things to say about the concept of magic in fiction. Here's little of his views, plus the links.
****************
In principle, Christians on both sides of the Harry Potter debate ought to be able to agree on this much: According to Christian teaching, in the real world, it is wrong, potentially dangerous, and contrary to true religion to engage in any form of attempted magic (for example, the use of spells and charms, attempted astral projection, or the superstitious use of crystals), or to attempt to engage, summon, control, or otherwise interact with occult powers (as by consulting with mediums, astrologers, psychics, card readers, witch doctors, or any other kind of divination or fortunetelling).

Historic Christian opposition to practices such as these is categorical and decisive. This opposition has been most recently authoritatively restated by the Catechism of the Catholic Church <NOBR>(2115-2117 (http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt1.htm#2114)),</NOBR> and is found in the sources of Christian faith, sacred scripture (e.g., Deut 18:9-14 (http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/deuteronomy/deuteronomy18.htm)) and sacred tradition (cf. Summa Theologica <NOBR>II-II,96,2 (http://www.newadvent.org/summa/309601.htm),</NOBR> <NOBR>96,2 (http://www.newadvent.org/summa/309603.htm)).</NOBR>

Christians have long recognized that these practices are not only based on mistaken concepts of reality, they also render the practitioner vulnerable to deception and harm by evil spirits. Furthermore, they nurture an unhealthy attraction to the gnostic lure of hidden, esoteric knowledge and power accessible only to special elites or adepts.

At the same time, many Christians on both sides of the Harry Potter debate will also be willing to acknowledge that Christians may accept and enjoy at least some fictional works that involve the depiction of magic, and even of “good” magic — magic imagined to be both real and lawful, performed by good characters specializing in good magic: good wizards, sorcerers, and the like. As noted above, many of Rowling’s sternest critics are also passionate devoteés of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. Nor are many Christians today likely to mount campaigns against Glinda the Good Witch or Cinderella’s fairy godmother. Christian defenders of Harry Potter point to all these cases as evidence that magic in fiction, as opposed to magic in fact, can legitimately be treated as good and innocent.

http://www.decentfilms.com/commentary/magic.html
http://www.decentfilms.com/indices/AZ/H.html

[PrezLeefun]

Homes I in no way meant to offend you and I sincerely apologize if I did. But I still suggest giving the book a chance. I once thougt like you did about the series. But then my curiosiy got the best of me- so I decided to read it. The series made me love reading again. There are few things more rewarding than allowing your imagination to soar- that is what Harry does. Granted I am a bit more than fanatic over Harry, but trust that a good is a great thing- Harry is destined for great things.

[PrezLeefun]

In my opinion for the modern young reader HP is great! Harry is a young kid, with alot of problems, who is regularly mistreated and mentally abused at home. He is not the best student and has few friends. However the talents that he does have show both how incredible and how human is he is. To me that is the foundation for a good book, and a foundation for alot of kids to find a character they can relate with.

No one I know has gone out seeking true knowledge of witchcraft because of Harry Potter books. And I do not encourage any form of paganism. I have done my best to witness to them about The Lord. Most of the people I have know and have met that practice some form of paganism (mostly wicca) have left the catholic church because of their dissatisfaction with the church. Each individual described their reason for leaving differently. I mention the catholic church for one reason only all the wiccans I know were born into the catholic church.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Homes I in no way meant to offend you and I sincerely apologize if I did. But I still suggest giving the book a chance. I once thougt like you did about the series. But then my curiosiy got the best of me- so I decided to read it. The series made me love reading again. There are few things more rewarding than allowing your imagination to soar- that is what Harry does. Granted I am a bit more than fanatic over Harry, but trust that a good is a great thing- Harry is destined for great things.

Prez, I'm not mad or upset; what bothered me was being singled out. I HAVE given HP a chance, all that will be given. I was willing to waste almost two hours on the movie, I am NOT willing to waste several in reading a book or books, that I know enough about already to have made up my mind.

Look at it this way -- there are times when something that is just fine for one, is sin for the other. My biological family has a history in the occult -- I have had difficulties with issues of the occult, ergo, we (my husband and I) feel it is better for me and MY offspring to avoid OVERTLY occultic things.

River, you have no fear of the wrong side of me, hun, because I know this issue on that basis too. I am speaking PERSONALLY and for MY family -- this series is not right. J.K. Rowling is NOT a Christian -- C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were men of faith. Yes they used similar means, I do not believe they had similar motivations. Whether they did or didn't, I guess, is in the eye of the beholder -- in OUR eyes, HP is not right for us.

[The_RANDy_Corporation]

*smiles contentedly to himself

[PrezLeefun]

Had a good fart Randy?





( I'm kidding, I'm kidding- just couldnt help myself)

[RayChuang]

Having actually read the first five Harry Potter novels (and finished about 1/8 of the newly-released Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), I have to disagree with Pope Benedict XVI's views on the novels.

For one thing, these novels are not anti-Christian. If they were anti-Christian they wouldn't be celebrating Christmas and Easter at Hogwarts, that's to be sure. Besides, the main villain in the novels--Lord Voldemort (neé Tom Marvalo Riddle) has all the hallmarks of Satan as defined by Catholic and most Portestant teachings.

I mean, look at J.R.R. Tolkien's novels set in Middle-Earth. Middle-Earth of course doesn't have Christianity but its worldview is very Christian--Roman Catholic to be exact (Tolkien was a devout Catholic throughout his life).

[The_RANDy_Corporation]

Had a good fart Randy?

( I'm kidding, I'm kidding- just couldnt help myself)


If I did, I wouldn't be smilin'! :fart:

[ThomasIsUnderrated]

The Potter books are certainly anti-Hitler, anti-Chamberlain, and pro-Churchill. (Anyone who doubts this should read Book 5, Order of the Phoenix.)

As for the occult and other issues, it's hard to say. Wizards don't choose to be wizards in the books. You're either born with magical ability or you're not. However, there are good wizards (such as those who are part of the Order of the Phoenix) and bad wizards (such as the Death Eaters), and that much is the person's choice.

The books do make a clear line between good and evil. Some liberal critics have charged Rowling with not blurring the line more, but it's pretty cut and dry, Good v. Evil. (Of course, sometimes a person wonders whether a new character is good or evil, but once that revelation is made, they tend to be at either extreme of the spectrum.)

As for ideology, yes, some liberal sentiment does get in. For example, sometimes the author will focus on a bad guy's past to explain his future. However, it's made clear that a person's past does not allow them to shirk responsibility for their present-day actions.

Also, Rowling is clearly against strict, overly intrusive government meddling with schools. Dolores Umbridge, from the Ministry of Magic (thus representing the State, ), becomes the High Inquisitor in Book 5 and starts to meddle with the educational process at Hogwarts. She forbids teachers from talking to their students about anything but the subjects they teach (including after-school times), has routine "inspections" of the teachers (in which she'll sometimes poke fun at the teacher in front of the students), takes control away from the teachers regarding clubs and groups, etc. And is she fair in her application of these new rules? Of course not. Anything that is critical of the State and its head-in-the-sand view is banned. As you can tell, Umbridge is portrayed as a nasty individual. (Her personality is clearly modeled after Lord Halifax.)

[shoemoodoshaloo]

Ah, crying witch. Reminds me of the good ol days in Salem. I'm glad we have a progressive pope. Hey, rattie, lighten up a bit.

[Longhorn_Platinum]

:unsmile: I agree with the pope. And The RANDy Corporation. And HomeschoolrsRUs. And John Hagee. The Harry Potter series can be a primer into basic witchcraft. That's not to say that all who read it will become witches, but it can certainly open the door for demonic oppression. Even if I'm wrong, I'm erring on the side of caution. Xane will not be permitted to read Harry Potter books.

[PrezLeefun]

How old is Xane?- I wouldn't suggest it for those under 11. This book was sad- and somewhat disturbing. We find out how evil the arch villan really is. He beats all literature villians- disturbing I tell you! I'm a bit sad- a good character died.

[Longhorn_Platinum]

:unsmile: Xane is 4½. I'll let him read Harry Potter when he's 18. He'll be an adult then, & can make his own decisions. Although, Mrs. Platinum & I will strongly recommend that he read something else. If he's learned to trust us, Harry Potter won't even be an issue by then.

[PrezLeefun]

News Flash LP- your kids may trust you; that doesn't mean they'll obey you.

[grannygirl]

Being the Harry Potter fan that I am, I'm going to have to disagree with the Pope on this one. There is a clear line between good and evil in the books, and as such, good overcomes evil. It's all innocence and imagination, so I do not see how it could harm anyone. Yes, I have the whole series.


Granny

[ThomasIsUnderrated]

News Flash LP- your kids may trust you; that doesn't mean they'll obey you.

I'm sure LP knows his own child better than you do.

[ThomasIsUnderrated]

There is a clear line between good and evil in the books, and as such, good overcomes evil.

I agree.


It's all innocence and imagination, so I do not see how it could harm anyone.

I think it might be inappropriate for younger children, but most older children should be able to handle the fantasy.

However, it is up to each parent to make that choice for his/her child, so I'm not criticizing those who choose to forbid their children from reading these books.

[Longhorn_Platinum]

News Flash LP- your kids may trust you; that doesn't mean they'll obey you.

:unsmile: He'll obey me until he's 18. It'll be awfully hard for him to read the entire Harry Potter series, without several encounters with Mr. Switch, & I don't think he wants that. After he turns 18, I hope he trusts what I've taught him, enough to avoid Harry Potter. If not, he's on his own.

:unsmile: Enough about that, already. This thread is not about child-rearing.

[ThomasMore]

The thread title states, "Pope rips on Harry Potter."

I do not find convincing evidence that he has done so.

The linked article states that a German writer named Gabrielle Kuby has written a book denouncing the Harry Potter books as being occultic -- this article is really a published press release for her book. Kuby claims that the then-Cardinal Ratzinger gave his imprimatur to it.

I went to the Vatican's website and typed "Harry Potter" into the website's search engine. Given the level of Christian debate over the books, I was surprised to find only the most minor of comments: a short reference in a rather long newsletter, in which a priest spoke favorably of the books. That hardly constitutes Papal denunciation.

The fact that the Vatican has so far refused any comment whatsoever on Kuby's claim suggests that the Catholic Church is not very exercised about this subject.

Hypothesis #1: Author wants to sell books, invokes Pope's name to get attention.

Hypothesis #2: Author actually knew the Pope when he was a Cardinal, sent him a copy of her book, and writes (either factually or with exaggeration) about his response.

Further comment on Hypothesis #2: Kuby's book appears to make the argument that the Harry Potter books glorify the occult. The Catholic Church abhors the occult as dangerous and evil, as do Christians generally. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was at the time the Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, the one person most responsible for overseeing Catholic doctrine. Taking Kuby's quotes at face-value and reading them for what they really say, it appears that the Cardinal responded courteously and in agreement with the condemnation of occultism.

I am not convinced that the Pope has evaluated any Harry Potter books, that his personal opinion of them really is negative, or that the Catholic Church has taken a position that they are evil or dangerous.

As for myself, I have not read any Harry Potter books, so I cannot opine knowledgeably as to whether the books tempt people to the occult. I saw two of the movies, and found them to be no more dangerous than Disney's "Sleeping Beauty," Baum's "Wizard of Oz," or Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings." This is purely my opinion, and I do not fault those who view this with a more cautious eye.

[shoemoodoshaloo]

LP, I don't think you have to worry about your kid reading a book behind your back. When he hits 13, you'll be hoping that all he's doing is reading books.

[Longhorn_Platinum]

:unsmile: Yes, of course. I should be happy for Xane to read Harry Potter, because at least he's not shooting bottle rockets into heavy traffic, smoking cigarettes, or gettin' nekkid with chics. Sorry, but I don't buy this relativist thinking. They're all wrong, & I'm not going to compromise, & hand him a Harry Potter book, just because I think it will keep him out of other trouble. Nice try, shoemoodoshaloo, but I'm not buyin' it.

[ConservativeYouthMovement]

It is the same as saying watching a violent movie will make a person violent. Reading a book about the occult wont make you follow the occult unless you would have followed the occult anyway.

I dont really follow christian morals as far to not watch a movie or read a book, and to be honest I dont particularly understand the logic behind it. As for harry potter, the movies never really interested me, and your kid will probably thank you some day for never subjecting him to it.

[shoemoodoshaloo]

:unsmile: Yes, of course. I should be happy for Xane to read Harry Potter, because at least he's not shooting bottle rockets into heavy traffic, smoking cigarettes, or gettin' nekkid with chics. Sorry, but I don't buy this relativist thinking. They're all wrong, & I'm not going to compromise, & hand him a Harry Potter book, just because I think it will keep him out of other trouble. Nice try, shoemoodoshaloo, but I'm not buyin' it.

Aw man, you found me out. I'm actually an associate to Harry Potter and am trying to solicit you.

Dude, all I'm saying is by the time your kid becomes a teenager, what he reads will be the least of your problems.

When I was 13, I wanted so badly to listen to songs that had cuss words. My parents didn't like it, but I just snuck past them and did it at a friend's (something that parent's can't avoid unless they pick their child's friends). Here are the lyrics:

"Kim"

[Eminem]
Aww look at daddy's baby girl
That's daddy baby
Little sleepy head
Yesterday I changed your diaper
Wiped you and powdered you.
How did you get so big?
Can't believe it now your two
Baby you're so precious
Daddy's so proud of you
Sit down bitch
If you move again I'll beat the shit out of you

[Eminem]
(Eminem as Kim)
(Okay)
Don't make me wake this baby
She don't need to see what I'm about to do
Quit crying bitch, why do you always make me shout at you?
How could you?
Just leave me and love him out the blue
Oh, what's a matter Kim?
Am I too loud for you?
Too bad bitch, your gonna finally hear me out this time
At first, I'm like all right
You wanna throw me out? That's fine!
But not for him to take my place, are you out you're mind?
This couch, this TV, this whole house is mine!
How could you let him sleep in our bed?
Look at Kim
Look at your husband now!
(No!)
I said look at him!
He ain't so hot now is he?
Little punk!
(Why are you doing this?)
Shut the **** up!
(You're drunk! You're never going to get away at this!)
You think I give a ****!
Come on we're going for a ride bitch
(No!)
Sit up front
(Well I can't just leave Haley alone, what if she wakes up?)
We'll be right back
Well I will you'll be in the trunk

[1] - So long, bitch you did me so wrong
I don't wanna go on
Living in this world without you

[Repeat 1]

You really ****ed me Kim
You really did a number on me
Never knew me cheating on you would come back to haunt me
But we was kids then Kim, I was only 18
That was years ago
I thought we wiped the slate clean
That's ****ed up!
(I love you!)
Oh God my brain is racing
(I love you!)
What are you doing?
Change the station I hate this song!
Does this look like a big joke?
(No!)
There's a four year old boy lyin' dead with a slit throat
In your living room, ha-ha
What you think I'm kiddin' you?
You loved him didn't you?
(No!)
Bullshit you bitch don't ****ing lie to me
What the ****'s this guy's problem on the side of me?
**** you asshole, yeah bite me
Kim, KIM!
Why don't you like me?
You think I'm ugly don't you
(It's not that!)
No you think I'm ugly
(Baby)
Get the **** away from me, don't touch me
I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!
I SWEAR TO GOD I HATE YOU
OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU
How the **** could you do this to me?
(Sorry!)
How the **** could you do this to me?

[Repeat 1 (2x)]

Come on get out
(I can't I'm scared)
I said get out bitch!
(Let go of my hair, please don't do this baby)
(Please I love you, look we can just take Haley and leave)
**** you, you did this to us
You did it, it's your fault
Oh my God I'm crackin' up
Get a grip Marshall
Hey remember the time we went to Brian's party?
And you were like so drunk that you threw up all over Archie
That was funny wasn't it?
(Yes!)
That was funny wasn't it?
(Yes!)
See it all makes sense, doesn't it?
You and your husband have a fight
One of you tries to grab a knife
And during the struggle he accidentally gets his Adam's apple sliced
(No!)
And while this is goin' on
His son just woke up and he just walks in
She panics and he gets his throat cut
(Oh my God!)
So now they both dead and you slash your own throat
So now it's double homicide and suicide with no note
I should have known better when you started to act weird
We could've...HEY! Where you going? Get back here!
You can't run from me Kim
It's just us, nobody else!
You're only making this harder on yourself
Ha! Ha! Got'cha!
(Ahh!)
Ha! Go ahead yell!
Here I'll scream with you!
AH SOMEBODY HELP!
Don't you get it bitch, no one can hear you?
Now shut the **** up and get what's comin to you
You were supposed to love me
{*Kim choking*}
NOW BLEED! BITCH BLEED!
BLEED! BITCH BLEED! BLEED!

[Repeat 1 (2x)]

Nice huh? If you're a good parent (which I'm sure you are), your kid will be able to deal with things like this and like Harry Potter. He's going to be exposed to bad influences, but ultimately, your parenting is what will make him make the right choices. Just don't think you can hide him from books, movies, music and other influences (when he becomes a teenager that is).

[PrezLeefun]

It is the same as saying watching a violent movie will make a person violent. Reading a book about the occult wont make you follow the occult unless you would have followed the occult anyway.

I dont really follow christian morals as far to not watch a movie or read a book, and to be honest I dont particularly understand the logic behind it. As for harry potter, the movies never really interested me, and your kid will probably thank you some day for never subjecting him to it.

Harry Potter has absolutly nothing to do with the occult. It is chock full of psuedo-latin and a woman's over active imagination. You guys would know this if you read the book. It has nothing to do with real witch-craft, wicca, or celtic religions or practices. I am dead tried of people saying that it is occult and satanic when Harry is more of a Christ figure than a symbol of paganism.

[Charity]

Christian Potter fans, some articles and links for your consideration.


A must see site for Potter fans
http://www.harrypottermagic.org/index-22.htm (http://www.harrypottermagic.org/index-22.htm)

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What About Harry Potter & Such?
http://www.harrypottermagic.org/about_harry.htm (http://www.harrypottermagic.org/about_harry.htm)


Witches, Wizards, and the Word of God
http://www.biblebelievers.com/jmelton/Wizzards.html (http://www.biblebelievers.com/jmelton/Wizzards.html)

Harry Potter
A new twist to Witchcraft
http://www.exposingsatanism.org/harrypotter.htm (http://www.exposingsatanism.org/harrypotter.htm)


LETTER FROM AN EX-WITCH
WRITING ABOUT HARRY POTTER

click link to read the letter:
http://www.pacinst.com/witch.htm (http://www.pacinst.com/witch.htm)

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE:
WHY IT IS TRULY SATANIC
http://www.daveandangel.com/CRN/Harry_Pott...rers_Stone.html (http://www.daveandangel.com/CRN/Harry_Pott...rers_Stone.html)


HARRY POTTER: SEDUCTION INTO THE DARK WORLD OF THE OCCULT - PART ONE
. . . by Kathy A. Smith
http://www.fillthevoid.org/Entertainment/Harry-Potter-1.html (http://www.fillthevoid.org/Entertainment/Harry-Potter-1.html)

HARRY POTTER : SEDUCTION INTO THE DARK WORLD OF THE OCCULT - PART TWO .

. . by Kathy A. Smith
http://www.fillthevoid.org/Entertainment/Harry-Potter-2.html (http://www.fillthevoid.org/Entertainment/Harry-Potter-2.html)

Here are some good verses from the bible that we should all remember:

2 Chronicles 33:6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Micah 5:12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:

Nahum 3:4 Because of the multitude of the sleeperdoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her sleeperdoms, and families through her witchcrafts.


Galatians 5:
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.

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,

And prudent in their own sight!"




Those of you who see nothing wrong with Potter may enjoy this article which explores both sides of the issue:

Harry Potter Lures Kids to Witchcraft

with Praise from Christian Leaders

http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/Harr...&Witchcraft.htm (http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/Harr...&Witchcraft.htm)


<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Lots more articles and information on Potter.
http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/hpmain.html (http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/hpmain.html)


HARRY POTTER CONDITIONING KIDS TO LOVE MAGICK, WITCHES, AND TO ADOPT THE VALUES AND ATTITUDES OF THE 'COMING GREAT ONE'!
http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1568.cfm (http://www.cuttingedge.org/news/n1568.cfm)


Just who is this little boy with the lightening bolt scar on his forehead that has captured the hearts of millions of kids from all over the world? He is the product of J. K Rowling, a student of mythology who consulted with members of Wicca in order to accurately write about witchcraft in her book series on Harry Potter.
http://www.espministries.com/topic_harry.htm (http://www.espministries.com/topic_harry.htm)

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[PrezLeefun]

Charity I fear, that was a load of junk that has nothing to do with Harry Potter. Those verses refer to the real occult- not an ex-teacher and mother's over active imagination.

[Longhorn_Platinum]

Charity I fear, that was a load of junk that has nothing to do with Harry Potter.

:smirky: Nope. The letter by the ex-witch is really about Harry Potter. I'll check some of the others, when I have more time.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

I received an e-mail concerning the Harry Potter phenomenon recently, and I believe it accurately addresses the issue. It also lays out our family's reasons for avoiding Harry Potter. This is not an attempt to attack or denigrate anyone who supports HP, but I have been addressed in other threads for my lack of openness to the series. I believe this e-mail does a better job than I have been able to do, to articulate why we choose not to endorse Harry Potter. I have asked and been assured that it is okay to post e-mails in their entirety without copyright infringement problems, so here it is.

Harry Potter and the Lavender Brigade
Is it scriptural to favorably present immoral behavior in fantasy stories?
By Douglas W. Phillips

As well as being extraordinarily popular, the [Harry Potter] books have encouraged millions of children to start reading for the first time.... For those who have a problem with the idea of fantasy and alternative universes alongside ours, we need to recognize that almost all children play imaginative games in their minds starting at a very young age and have no difficulty whatsoever in distinguishing between fantasy and reality.... Additionally, the Harry Potter books send a strong message about moral order. There are beautiful and enjoyable human relationships among the characters, and there is a depth of commitment and service among them.... Finally, I see the books as valuable because they consistently include the three fundamental themes that can be found as a subtext in almost all good literature: the beauty of creation, the appalling reality of evil, and the universal human longing for redemption.... J.K. Rowling does not profess to be a Christian, as far as I am aware, but she has insight into the themes that are at the very heart of what Christians understand to be true about the nature of the universe in which we live.... All truth is God’s truth, and non-Christians recognize that truth to one degree or another.... It is said that because magic is a part of the ... books, they may have the effect of interesting children in the reality of the Occult.... The magic is simply a part of the imaginative worlds.... Some people have gone on record as stating that they believe that J.K. Rowling is purposely and explicitly teaching Occult and even Satanic practice. As a Christian, I have to say I am profoundly ashamed of those who have responded with this kind of malicious gossip. We must recognize that whenever she talks about evil magic she presents it as evil.” (Jerram Barr, Professor of Christianity and Contemporary Culture and Resident Scholar at The Francis Schaeffer Institute)[1]
Breaking News
This morning, the publishing industry surprised the world by releasing a new, unexpected companion volume to last week’s sixth installment of J.K. Rowling’s hugely successful Harry Potter series. As word of the new release spread like wildfire, crowds of frenzied children and teenagers began thronging at the doors of hundreds of local bookstores in the United States and U.K., hoping to be among the first to receive their own copy of a book bearing the title: Harry Potter and the Lavender Brigade.
Harry Potter and the Lavender Brigade continues to perpetuate all the sorceries, incantations, and spells which have delighted children around the world. But this installment of Harry Potter introduces a new theme — homosexuality. In Harry Potter and the Lavender Brigade, we discover that the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is expanding its curriculum base to provide mandatory training in homosexuality for all of its recruits. Harry discovered in Book One that he was born with witchcraft in his blood.
Now, recent discoveries show that the same students born with the gift of magic also possess a genetic predisposition toward homosexuality. With this in mind, the goal of Hogwarts is to teach its students the proper and moral way to be homosexual witches. Students must learn about safety, monogamy, and even social etiquette.
But the race is on. A second witch training academy run by evil witches has also discovered their own homosexual predispositions. Unlike Hogwarts, they intend to use their homosexuality for evil. They teach their students evils like sexual promiscuity. They openly encourage pedophilia. It is the mission of Harry and his intrepid gang of sodomite warlocks and lesbian witches (dubbed “The Lavender Brigade”) to once again stop the menace of bad witches.
No Cause for Concern
Perhaps some Christians have concerns about children’s literature in which homosexuality is both a defining characteristic of the protagonists and a thematic element which runs from beginning to the end of the novel.
Relax. Don’t be so uptight. Don’t worry, Christian parents. Harry Potter is not the real world! It is an imaginary world. Children know the difference between the two. They are not going to start dressing up like their heroes or pretending to do the same things their heroes do in the stories. After all, it is just a pretend story. Thoughtful Christian critics will recognize that the author has created an alternative reality with a completely different set of rules. Sodomy may be wrong in the real world, but it is not wrong in Harry Potter’s reality, and it would be sophomoric to think that, just because the book is one long story about the glories of good homosexuality in the world of Harry Potter, that it desensitizes children to the problems with homosexuality in the real world. We should be ashamed of any Christians who would claim the author is promoting perversion. She makes strong distinctions between good homosexuality and bad homosexuality. Bad homosexuality is always presented as really bad.
And here is the clincher: Harry Potter and the Lavender Brigade is a brilliant, well-written adventure that includes all the great themes of classic literature — the creation of an alternative reality where different rules apply, a carefully-executed plot, and clear elements of good versus evil. The story presents the beauty of creation and the appalling reality of evil. (Keep in mind that all truth is God’s truth.) There is even a strong redemption theme in the story as the leader of the pro-pedophilia group realizes the wrongness of his ways and joins the good sodomites of Hogwarts. In the end, good sodomites triumph over bad sodomites and order is restored to the alternative universe.
Confession
Okay, so there is no Harry Potter and the Lavender Brigade. I made it up.
What I have not made up is the fact that Pottermania has engulfed the youth of a generation, setting an unprecedented frenzy of sales of the recent installment, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.[2] Within the first twenty-four hours of its release, nearly seven million copies were sold in the United States alone. Assuming a 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. sales schedule, that means they averaged nearly 600,000 copies an hour.
Also not made up is the fact that there are growing numbers of intelligent, reasonable, Christian teachers and scholars — some are friends whom I dearly love and respect — who are on record as giving their blessing to Harry Potter and supporting the inclusion of Harry Potter books as a healthy, positive part of the literary diet of Christian children. I disagree with them for many reasons, but it is the limited purpose of this article to focus in on and address what I see as their root argument.
The Argument for Potter
To begin with, there really is no debate between us over the basic facts of the Potter series. We all agree that Harry Potter is a story about young children engaged in the study and practice of witchcraft. The heroes of the stories are always good witches. Typically, the bad guys are bad witches. Second, in fairness, it must be acknowledged that these men recognize the wickedness of the occult and would squarely oppose the practice of witchcraft in the real world. None of them would want their children attempting to cast spells or dabbling in the dark arts.
What, then, is the fundamental argument employed by honorable Christian thinkers like Mr. Barr of Covenant Seminary (cited above) to endorse Harry Potter and to justify the creation of children’s books which are simply drenched in the glorification of sorcery?
It is this: Fantasy worlds are not the real world. Authors need not follow the same moral rules in fantasy realities. Things which are downright wicked in the real world may be introduced in a fantasy world and presented as good, if this literary device helps to serve the broader purpose of telling a great story.
My question is: If we may bend God’s moral laws in fantasy realities, then why is “Harry the Hero-Witch” okay for our children, but “Harry the Hero-Homosexual” not?
Both witchcraft and perversion are deemed “works of the flesh” and “abominations” in Scripture.[3] Both are immoral acts for which the practitioner stands condemned. Why would one be cute, fun, appealing, and — most importantly — legitimate in a fantasy reality, and the other unacceptable?
Not for Debate Today
Before presenting my argument, please permit me to clear away some debris.
First, it is not my purpose today to offer a broad-sweeping critique of the propriety and/or impropriety, strengths and/or weaknesses of fantasy as a genre. This is a worthy, big, important subject, but not my subject for the day. Nor am I arguing that because something is popular it is therefore inescapably evil. (I happen to like ice cream, and it does not bother me that ninety percent of Americans like it, too.) Mass entertainment appeal can raise concerns, but this argument will not carry the day one way or another.
Nor am I going to argue that Harry Potter is bad because it presents bad attitudes toward authority. To the extent that the bad attitudes of protagonists are either left unresolved in the story or presented to the reader as acceptable behavior — that is a big problem. But if this debate were really about bad attitudes, our criticism for Harry Potter would be similar in kind to that which might be expressed for 95% of the popular children’s literature and television programming of our day — media which is contributing by bad example to the discipleship in selfishness of a nation of bratty, disrespectful boys and girls.
Nor is it my purpose today to justify or condemn the Harry Potter series by comparing it to, or distinguishing it from, The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia. Similarities and distinctions between these series abound, but at the end of the day, neither the brilliant C.S. Lewis nor the ingenious J.R.R. Tolkien are the standard by which literature is to be judged. That standard is the revealed word of God alone which is a sufficient guide for all of faith and practice, including the development of biblical principles for evaluating literature. If either Lewis or Tolkien are guilty of employing literary devices inconsistent with a biblical worldview, then to the extent which they have missed the mark, we must be willing to say so. If not, great! But at all costs, we must not allow sentiment and experientialism to drive our theology. The issue is not whether Tolkien, Lewis, Rowling, or any other author can tell a great story, foster creative thinking, or entertain the reader — but whether they have done so lawfully.
I am less concerned with slippery-slope arguments, psychological arguments, or even empirical data about the number of children who have joined covens after reading Harry Potter. Some of the arguments are valid, some less so, some may be straw men, but none of these arguments are necessary if it can be demonstrated that, in its premise and execution, Harry Potter is inherently unbiblical, being in plain violation of the revealed law of God.
To Be Debated Today
The question is this: Is it biblically lawful to create alternative literary realities in which necromancy and witchcraft are presented as glorious, healthy, positive, and good?[4]
I say no because I believe to do so is inconsistent with revealed law. If pro-witchcraft fantasy realities are unlawful, then the fundamental question of whether Harry Potter is healthy literature is resolved.
Stated another way, the question is: Does the creation of “alternative fantasy realities” allow authors to employ literary premises which declare “good” that which God has declared morally reprehensible in the real world?
And another: If certain acts are abominations over which God pronounces the death sentence in the real world, should Christians glory in the same abominable practices when presented as desirable and declared to be “good” in the fantasy worlds of literature?
The Case Against Potter
The case that I would like to respectfully make in response to my brothers who defend Harry Potter is built on four propositions:
1. The seriousness of God’s prohibition on witchcraft and His declaration that it is immoral to practice dark arts make it unlawful even to pretend that witchcraft is a good thing;
2. Man may not lawfully escape the righteous rule of God by entering fantasy realities in which the law of God does not apply;
3. To create fantasy universes built on propositions which are immoral is to undermine the character of God Himself or establish false gods; and
4. God holds man accountable for vain imaginations. This means that fantasy is only lawful insofar as it does not undermine the moral law of God.
Point #1: The Seriousness of God’s Prohibition on Witchcraft
When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD.... (Deuteronomy 18:9-12)
The Bible, both Old and New Testament, has much to say about witchcraft, all of which is supremely negative. In anticipation of nitpickers and legalists who want to wiggle out of the prohibition against witchcraft, the Bible details by specific precept and numerous examples the wickedness of those who seek such supernatural powers and the judgment that will fall upon them.
The prohibitions against witchcraft elaborate to include witchcraft in any form or expression. Sorcerers, mediums, soothsayers, spell-casters, astrologers, and those who practice any dark art fall under the prohibition.
Witchcraft is declared to be an abomination (Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 8:9-12; 1 Samuel 15:23; Isaiah 8:19-20). Those who practice it are in rebellion against God (1 Samuel 15:23) and were subject to the death penalty (Exodus 22:18). They will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21), are detestable to the Lord (2 Kings 21:6; Micah 5:12; Isaiah 47:12; Ezekiel 13:18,20; Acts 8:11-24; Leviticus 20:27; Exodus 7:11; Revelation 9:21; 22:15), and will be cast into the burning lake of fire (Revelation 21:8).
Furthermore, God describes sorcery as an immoral “work of the flesh” and lumps it in with idolatry, murder, and adultery, declaring that those who do such will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 9:21).
The biblical response of God’s people to witchcraft is to (1) drive it from the land (Deuteronomy 18:9-12); (2) flee from every vestige of it, even if this means publicly burning expensive books (Acts 19:19); and (3) rebuke attempts to mix the spirit of sorcery with the spirit of Christ (Acts 8:1-40).
Point #2: Man May Never Escape the Righteous Rule of God
Supernatural powers, by definition, are the means to suspend or work outside of the natural law order created by God.[5] Our God reserves supernatural powers to Himself because He alone is the creator and the object of worship. He will share His glory with none other. Witchcraft is an abomination, not because of some arbitrary, localized principle applicable only to ancient Israel, but because it is rebellion against God Himself, who never, ever changes. Witchcraft is man’s attempt to be like God. It can involve the explicit false worship of devils, but it need not. Conjuring, sorcery, and divination are all attempts to have powers reserved to God. They are attempts to live outside of the reality in which God has placed man.
I am frankly amazed at the efforts of some to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel when it comes to the issue of witchcraft. It truly seems like we are often more interested in justifying the theology of Walt Disney, than we are in sticking to the plain teaching of Scripture. The fact is that the Bible makes no distinctions between cute, harmless sorcery (or necromancy or divination) and a bad kind. Any attempt to participate or dabble in supernatural dark arts is a crime in God’s universe. You can dress up cute little fairies in bonnets, but the minute they attempt to cast spells or invoke supernatural powers reserved to God, they become moral criminals.
Note that we are not discussing fiction about potential scientific discoveries. The exploration of the natural universe is explicitly given to man by God as a means of understanding Him better and for executing his duty under God to take dominion over the earth. And let’s not kid ourselves — Harry Potter is not about scientific children who create amazing flying-broom machines. It is about sorcerers engaged in witchcraft. Under the Hebrew economy, Harry Potter, the great hero of a generation of children, would be put to death[6] by direct order of the King of Kings and author of all reality — Jesus Christ Himself.
Nor are we criticizing Harry Potter for the inclusion of talking animals in its storyline. The Bible begins[7] and ends[8] with revelations about talking animals, a fact which establishes beyond any doubt that the inclusion of talking animals in storytelling is not per se an abomination which assaults the very character of God. Similarly, dragons,[9] demons,[10] giants,[11] and unicorns[12] may be the stuff of fantasy lore, but they are also real creatures discussed, as such, in the Bible. None of these elements assault the righteous rule of God, but a fantasy universe filled with “good sorcerers” does.
Point #3: Man May Not Refashion a God of His Own Imagination—Even in a Fantasy Reality
The eternal quest of rebellious man is to escape the law and dominion of God. Man wants to create realities of his own where he is free to operate without the constraint of the rule of law as prescribed by God. The moral law of God and its application in the universe reflect the eternal, transcendent, immutable character of God Himself.[13] Consequently, those who seek to create alternative realities in which the moral law of God is suspended are, in fact, creating alternative realities governed by something or someone other than the God of the Bible. This god need not be explicitly revealed by name. He can be implied or simply assumed. Even the perceived absence of a god in an alternative reality presupposes some unifying, eternal, transcendent principle or “force.” The point is this: Every alternative reality has a god. Those alternative realities which alter the moral law of the God of the Bible thereby substitute a false god as lord over the universe they have created.
Like the Babel-builders of the past, twenty-first century man is discontent with the rules and realities given to him by God. He wants a different reality. It is the quest of some fantasy literature to satisfy this ungodly longing by recreating God in man’s own image. This happens when we construct literary worlds which rest on propositions which challenge the very character of God Himself.
Note that the use of allegories, parables, types, and symbolism can be employed in literature lawfully and to the glory of God. Jesus Christ modeled this Himself in Holy Scripture.[14] Christ-honoring authors may draw from a host of techniques and circumstances when employing such literary devices. But the moment an author redefines the moral law order of the universe, he has left the realm of legitimate analogical reasoning and creative allegory, and has declared war on God. This is the case for fantasy realities in which murder, perversion, or witchcraft are presented as good things.
The character of God is challenged when we posit alternative realities which redefine the moral law order of God to allow men to delight in that which would be deemed wickedness in the real world. Creating worlds of good witchcraft versus bad witchcraft is a prime example of the problem. No such world can exist — anywhere — not even in our own imagination, without redefining the nature and attributes of God Himself. The essence of witchcraft and the desire to employ the tools of witchcraft are an assault on the Lordship and sovereignty of God. By virtue of the fact that Harry and his friends are “good guys” in pursuit of the very powers reserved to God Himself in the real world, the god of Harry Potter’s universe is, ispo facto, a different god than the God of our universe.
And no one need ask, “What Would Jesus Do?” in the real world to Harry and his friends, because the Bible answers the question with deafening specificity:
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)
Point #4: The Bible Forbids Not Merely Acts, But Vain Imaginations
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? (Psalm 2:1)
Not all imagination is wrong, but vain imagination is wrong. A “vain imagination” is one in which man seeks to create a reality at war with God and His law.
We live in a world in which millions of men and women leave what they perceive to be a humdrum life of marriage to escape into a fantasy-world of alternative reality. They do this in their minds.[15] They are aided and abetted in this practice by literature, images, and film which become the mediator between the individual and the fantasy world. In their alternative fantasy realities, these men and women are not married to their boring, overweight, selfish wives and husbands. Instead, they are able to enjoy intimate relations, free of guilt, with seemingly perfect individuals who appear nearly superhuman in their emotional and physical perfections. Since this is only a fantasy — the argument goes — there is nothing wrong with it. Some argue that modern man can actually cope better in the real world if he regularly visits his fantasy world.[16]
Christian advocates of Harry Potter make the same mistake: In effect, they are arguing that little children may freely take witchcraft into their hearts by identifying with their sorcerer-hero and rejoicing in his magical powers — just so long as they would not engage in dark arts in the real world. After all, little children know the difference between reality and fiction.
This response misses the point. The Bible offers no refuge to the individual who says, “It is okay for me to imagine and rejoice in the vanity of immoral speculations, because I am not doing it in the real world.” If you imagine such things in your heart, you stand condemned. The Lord Jesus Christ answered those legalists who wanted to limit the scope of the culpability before the law to the physical world. He explained that they would be condemned for having wicked imaginations in their fantasy world as well:
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)
The same principle that applies to pornographic literature applies to witchcraft-glorifying literature. Men do not have the right to enter fantasy worlds in which they delight in their hearts in acts of adultery. Nor do they have the right to enter fantasy worlds in which they delight in immoral acts of witchcraft.
The Use of Witchcraft in Literature and Entertainment
For the record, I do not oppose the appropriate inclusion of witchcraft in literature. The Bible tells the story of actual witches. It describes the practices of these witches and reveals the laws against witchcraft. We learn of the divinations of Jezebel,[17] the consultation by Saul with the witch of Endor,[18] and the influence and rebuke of Simon the Sorcerer.[19] Witchcraft is in Old and New Testaments. But witchcraft is always presented as an incontrovertible evil.
Just as there is nothing funny, glorious, or desirable about adultery, perversion, or murder — there is nothing funny, glorious, or desirable about witchcraft (see Galatians 4:24).[20] It is one thing for a story to include adultery, perversion, murder, and witchcraft in their true despicable form as an element necessary to make a righteous point, but it is another to portray abominations as virtues. Any television show, film, or literature which does the latter is encouraging others to identify in their imaginations with evil.
To put it bluntly: Bewitched — bad! Walt Disney’s Merlin from Sword in the Stone — bad! Glinda the Good Witch of Oz — bad! The White Witch of Narnia — not necessarily bad at all, because she is presented as the incarnation of evil. Gandalf? You will have to do the math yourself.[21]
Concessions
At this point, I am losing some of you. You have cherished fond childhood memories of these icons of twentieth-century culture. There is massive sentimental value associated with these stories. If the principles articulated in this paper are true, then there could be some substantial boat-rocking in your life — perhaps even some changes in your reading or viewing diet. I hear you. My own boat has been substantially rocked over the years as I have considered the implications of the character of God and His law-word upon the icons of modern culture.
Let me offer a little help and a few concessions:
Concession number one: There are some genuine challenges and tough calls involved when evaluating what constitutes Christ-honoring literature. I fully recognize the complexity of faithfully applying these principles, for example, to the use of various literary devices that appear to incorporate mysterious transportation vehicles or tools which possess unusual powers. Meditation, prayer, and reasoned analysis are the need of the hour. Faithful men may disagree on some applications. But the challenge of application never absolves us of our personal duty before the Lord to rigorously examine everything in light of Scripture.
Second, there is not a man on the planet who is perfectly consistent in the application of the biblical principles he understands, let alone the ones with which he is grappling. Here again, the fact that there are inconsistencies in our behavior, or holes in our thinking, does not relieve us of the biblical duty to become more consistent in the application of our Christianity as we take every thought, frame, and note — everything — captive to the obedience of Christ.
Third, many Christians are uncomfortable tossing out an otherwise “good story” because it has one offensive element. I certainly understand this challenge. For some, the answer is to perform a balancing test which weighs the good against the bad to see which comes out on top. But when it comes to Harry Potter, no balancing act is needed. This consideration need not apply. Why? Because the premise of the stories is witchcraft, the plot of the story is witchcraft, and the protagonists are all witches. From beginning to end, Harry Potter is a story immersed in a subversive lie about a genuine abomination called witchcraft. Period! Harry Potter calls evil good, and thus falls under the explicit censure of our Lord.
Conclusion
Harry Potter favorably models for children that which the Bible clearly and unequivocally declares to be an abomination.[22] It creates heroes of a class of individuals that the Bible declares to be villains. In the world that God created, the heroes of Harry Potter would (absent their repentance) be enemies of the Church and eternally damned souls.
Moral evil does not become acceptable simply because it is presented in an alternative reality. There is no such thing as good witchcraft, good bestiality, good sodomy, good child sacrifice, or good Dagon worship in this reality (the only reality created by God); and man is not at liberty to free himself from the law of God by concocting fantasy worlds of his imagination in which the transcendent, eternal, binding moral law of God no longer applies.
Finally, the Bible, not sentimentalism or personal experience, is the only standard by which the Christian may evaluate his culture.[23] By this standard, Harry Potter fails the test of biblical acceptability. Just as Christians should oppose the glorified homosexuality of a hypothetical Harry Potter and the Lavender Brigade, so they should also recognize the systemic poison of any and all Potter books that are built on the false proposition that witchcraft can be a good thing.
But these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day: The loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness because of the multitude of your sorceries, for the great abundance of your enchantments. (Isaiah 47:9)

Doug Phillips is the president of Vision Forum Ministries, the founder of the San Antonio Independent Christian Fillm Festival, and a faculty member of the Christian Filmmakers Academy, dedicated to bringing a presuppositionally biblical approach to film and culture.

[1] This week, a very thoughtful article by seminary professor and Christian apologist Jerram Barr, offering a defense of the Harry Potter series, was presented on christiancounterculture.com. The article reflects the sentiments of a growing number of Christian thinkers that books and film immersed in ostensibly pagan motifs and literary devices are basic to a healthy cultural diet for children and are pleasing to Christ — so long as they include moralisms, a redemption theme, and a good story line.
[2] Scholastic Corp., the U.S. publisher of the Harry Potter books, said the sixth installment of the series sold a record 6.9 million copies in the first twenty-four hours after thousands of fans packed stores for the book’s midnight release.
[3] “When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD...” (Deuteronomy 18:9-12). “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 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” (Galatians 5:19-21).
[4] Some would argue that the world of Harry Potter is not an alternative fantasy reality, but a reality that exists alongside normal humanity, and that we are simply unaware of its existence. It really makes no difference to the thesis of this paper whether Harry Potter’s world is a real alternative reality or only a quasi-alternative reality. My argument is that man may never posit realities in which moral evil is acceptable.
[5] “MIRACLES: The miracle proper is a work of God (Ex 7:3 ff; Deut 4:34-35, etc.; John 3:2; 9:32-33; 10:38; Acts 10:38, etc.); but as supernatural acts miracles are recognized as possible to evil agencies (Matt 24:24; 2 Thess 2:9; Rev 13:14; 16:14, etc.)” (International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia).
[6] “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” (Exodus 22:18).
[7] “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1).
[8] “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” Revelation 4:8).
[9] “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?” (Isaiah 51:9).
[10] “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones” (Mark 5:1-5).
[11] “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown” (Genesis 6:4).
[12] “God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows” (Numbers 24:8). “But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil” (Psalm 92:10).
[13] “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (II Tim. 3:16-17).
[14] “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them” (Matthew 13:34).
[15] “Men who will not be governed by God’s word will not be governed by reality, because reality is not of their making. God having created all things, reality reflects the mind of God, not man. Hence, it is the essence of sin to resort to imagination to escape God’s law world” (R.J. Rushdoony, Systematic Theology, vol. 1, pg. 474).
[16] Ibid. Rushdoony further elaborates: “Why should an unreal female be exciting, and a far better and real woman not be so? The key is the essence of imagination: the fantasy woman is totally the creation and creature of man, whereas the real woman is God’s creation and creature. It is essential to imagination to create a man-made world and a man-ordained decree of predestination. It is the essence of sin to demand such a world.”
[17] “And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?” (2 Kings 9:22).
[18] “Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor” (1 Samuel 28:7).
[19] “And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus” (Acts 13:6).
[20] “Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar” (Galatians 4:24).
[21] Permit me a brief bunny trail: For the same reason (biblical revelation) that I categorically reject the notion that there can be good witchcraft and bad witchcraft, I believe it certainly could (where carefully and properly executed) be appropriate and God-glorifying to vest an allegorical figure representing Christ or His angels (to whom authority is delegated) with the same authoritative powers reserved to the Deity. But this is a far-cry from spell-casting “good witches.” Further, we should heed God’s warnings and be careful not to allow the lines of distinction between the two to be blurred.
[22] Deuteronomy 18:9-12.
[23] “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians 10:5).

[Longhorn_Platinum]

I think this is utterly ridiculous. I dealt with similar stuff when I went to Catholic high school. One of the priests thought The Lord of the Rings was just fine, but Harry Potter was evil. I don’t get it. Both of them involve wizards and magic. The priest was a huge LotR fan, so maybe that had something to do with it....

:unsmile: Or, it could have something to do with this....

At this occult school, Harry Potter learns how to obtain and use witchcraft equipment. Harry also learns a new vocabulary, including words such as "Azkaban", "Circe", "Draco", "Erised", "Hermes", and "Slytherin"; all of which are names of real devils or demons. These are not characters of fiction!

:unsmile: (That was from the letter by the ex-witch, from a link that Charity posted.)

:unsmile: I've never read Lord of the Rings, but I'm guessing that its characters are all fictitious, unlike Harry Potter, which taps into the real world of the occult.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

This says it better than I have been able to:

FreeConservatives - Regarding Harry Potter (http://www.freeconservatives.com/vb/showthread.php?t=25276)

[PrezLeefun]

But this installment of Harry Potter introduces a new theme — homosexuality.-

Homes, that like the rest of that article was complete crap. Stop reading junk and falsehoods about Harry Potter and read the book.

[PrezLeefun]

:unsmile: Or, it could have something to do with this....



:unsmile: (That was from the letter by the ex-witch, from a link that Charity posted.)

:unsmile: I've never read Lord of the Rings, but I'm guessing that its characters are all fictitious, unlike Harry Potter, which taps into the real world of the occult.

Sorry but; once again crap. All the names have meaning for the character or place in question. They were all carefully chosen and accurate in describing it's owner. You should read this...

source www.mugglenet.com (http://www.mugglenet.com) click on name meanings at the link bar on left side of screen.

A Titles</FONT>



Abraxan (powerful flying horse, mentioned in FB) - Abraxus was the name of a flying horse that pulled Helios, the sun god's chariot through the sky in Greco-Roman mythology.
Accio (summoning charm) - Latin for "to summon."
Alastor - Greek God who sought revenge on people.
Albus - In Latin means white (maybe for white beard). Wisdom. Or.. Governor of Britain at the death of the emperor Pertinax, Decimus Clodius Albinus (Albinus=Albus?) attempted to seize the throne but ended up as Caesar in alliance with another imperial contender, Septimius Severus. After Severus defeated two other rivals (Voldemort and... maybe Slytherin?), the now expendable Albinus was forced into another attempt at usurpation, an attempt that came to an end at the bloody battle of Lyon.
Aragog - "Arachnid" means spider and "Gog" was the name of a legendary giant (combined, the name means giant spider). Also possibly derived from the Greek word 'agog', meaning leader.
Argus - In Greek mythology, Argus was a monster that had a hundred eyes and was ever-so-watchful.
Arthur - Could represent King Arthur. The legend presents Arthur as a leader in ancient times who defeats the Saxons and other enemies. He thereby unites the people of Britain in peace and harmony.
Avada Kedavra (killing curse) - Aramaic phrase that means "may it be destroyed." Also similar to "Abracadabra", which is an ancient spell (dates from the second century) used by conjurors to invoke spirits or supernatural powers for protection against disease or aid.
Avis (spell that Ollivander used to make birds fly out of Krum's wand) - Latin for "bird."

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

B Titles




Bagman - A person who collects money, as for racketeers.
Basilisk - The history and evolution of the myth of the basilisk is detailed in this article (http://webhome.idirect.com/~donlong/monsters/Html/Basilisk.htm). The Greek basiliskos means "little king" or "petty tyrant". Some myths describe the basilisk as a giant bird with a serpent's tail that could breathe fire and kill with its stare. Others call it the king of all serpents, and consider it as powerful as the gods.
Beauxbatons - French for "beautiful wands".
Bellatrix - A pale yellow star indicating the left shoulder of the constellation Orion, the Great Hunter. Bellatrix is known as the "Female Warrior."
Binns, Professor - A bin is what the British call a garbage can. Many students consider boring Professor Binn's information to be rubbish.
Bluebottle (make of broomstick) - A type of annoying fly with a loud buzz and iridescent body.
Bode - To be an omen. Also, a stop or delay.
Boggart - "Baggart" (pronounced the same), an Irish word, means "a threat".
Buboter pus - "Bubos" is an English word for an inflamed, tender swelling of a lymph node, especially in the area of the armpit or groin, that is characteristic of certain infections, such as bubonic plague and syphilis.
Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

C Titles




Cassandra - The daughter of Priam, king of Troy. She foresaw the fall of Troy. After spurning Apollo's amorous advances, the sun god gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy...with the catch that no one would ever believe her.
Cedric - Old English for chief or warleader.
Charlie - A diminutive of Charles, which means manly and strong.
Cho Chang - Cho is Japanese for "butterfly" and Chang is Chinese for "free" or "unhindered".
Colin - Means youth, child, or victor.
Cornelius - See Lucius (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#lucius).
Cruciatus Curse - "Crucio" is Latin for "to torture."
Conjunctivitus Curse (spell that Krum used to "do something" to the eyes of the Chinese Fireball during the first task of the TWT) - Conjunctivitis is the scientific name for pink-eye -- the illness that children often get that makes eyelids crust together.

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

D Titles




Deletrius (banishing spell) - Latin for "to erase."
Densaugeo (spell that Malfoy used to make Hermione's front teeth grow huge) - "Dens" is Latin for "teeth." "Augeo" is Latin for "to enlarge."
Diagon Alley- Diagonally (a straight line on a slanted angle)
Diffindo (spell Harry used to cause Cedric's bag to split apart) - In Latin, "Diffindo" means "to split."
Dolores - Of latin origin. Means lady of sorrows
Draco - Draco is a constellation that looks like a dragon but is a snake. In Latin, Draco means "dragon." There was also Greek ruler named Draco who developed a system of severe punishments for even the smallest of crimes. Draconian means harsh or cruel.
Dumbledore - Means "Bumblebee" in Old English. JK Rowling has said that she chose this name because she imagined Dumbledore walking around the castle, humming to himself.
Durmstrang - "Sturm und drang" is German phrase meaning storm and stress.
Dudley - An aristocratic surname used as a first name since the 19th century.
Dursley - A town near J.K. Rowling's birthplace.

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

E Titles




Ennervate (used to revive someone who has been stunned) - When spelled with two n's, as ennervate, it actually means to add nerve (daring or strength). With one n, as enervate, it means to weaken. The spell in the books is "ennervate," so it makes perfect sense.
Elphias Doge - Doge was the title of the ruler of Venice from the 8th to 18th centuries. 'Corno' meaning horn in italian, was the cap worn by the doge as a symbol, which is mentioned when Mad-Eye Moody shows Harry the photo of the Order, "Elphias Doge, you've met him, I'd forgotten he used to wear that stupid hat..."(OotP pg 158 UK, 174 US). Also, Magus Eliphas Levi was a French occultist of the 19th century.
Evanesco ( vanishing spell) - to disappear or vanish in latin.
Expecto Patronus - In latin, expecto is to await/desire/hope for and patronus is protector.
Expelliarmus (disarming spell) - Latin combination "to expel" and "arma" (weapon).

F Titles




Fawkes (Dumbledore's phoenix) - Guy Fawkes was an English Catholic who, in 1605, tried to blow up the House of Parliament as an act of rebellion against the new Protestant government. In England, November 5th is now known as 'Guy Fawkes Day' (or 'Bonfire Night') where Guy Fawkes is burned in effigy. Every year he is resurrected to burn again. It can also be noted that he is known known as one of the most infamous traitors in English history.
Felix Felicis (Chapter 14 HBP) - Latin for lucky, fortunate or happy.
Figg, Mrs. Arabella - "Fig" means "not literal" and a fig leaf is something that conceals or camouflages. Hmm...
Filch - To "steal."
Firenze - Italian name for the city of Florence.
Flitwick - A town in England. It could also be interpeted as the movement of a wand, ie: flit (to move quickly from one spot to another) - wick (a stick shaped cord of woven fibres).
Fleur Delacour - Means "Flower of the Court" in French. It could also be a clever play on the similar French word 'coeur' meaning heart (Veela's capitivate men's hearts).
Fluffy - "Cerberus" the three-headed dog was the guardian of the underworld in Greek mythology.
Fudge - "Fudge," besides being a delicious chocolate confection, can mean nonsense. As a verb, it means to evade or to falsify. In technological jargon, it means "to perform in an incomplete but marginally acceptable way."

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

G Titles




Gilderoy - A highwayman known for being handsome. May also come from the word "gilded," which is defined as having a pleasing, showy appearance, which covers something of little worth. The name "Roy" is old Old French for "regal one" or king.
Ginny - "Ginevra," Italian female, woman of the people. There is an old myth about a bride named Ginevra, who playfully hid in a trunk on her wedding day. The lid fell, burying her alive; and eventually her skeleton was discovered. This could relate to Ginny being taken into the Chamber of Secrets where her 'skeleton would lie forever'. However, JK Rowling has also said that she picked the name because she wanted something different and special for the only Weasley girl!
Grindelwald - A well known hotel chain in Germany. (Many theories in which the Dark wizard Grindelwald is compared to Hilter have been explored by Harry Potter fans in the past, especially since the date of his demise (1945) is the same as the end of WWII.) Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

H Titles




Hagrid - Possibly be related to the word haggard (Grawp calls him "Hagger!") which means hidden or to hide.
Harry - J.K. Rowling's favourite boy's name. The name Harry is of anglo saxon origin and means 'power'. There was also a magician named Harry Houdini in the 1900s.
Hedwig - A saint that lived in Germany in the 13th and 14th centuries Means "refuge in battle."
Hermes - The Greek Messenger.
Hermione - Means well born or stone. Feminine version of Hermes (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#hermes). In Greek Mythology, she was the daughter of Helen of Troy and King Menelaus of Sparta. Hermione is also a character in Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale.

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

I Titles




Impedimenta (used to slow down attackers) - "Impedio" is Latin for "to hinder."
Imperius Curse - "Impero" is Latin for "to control" and "imperium" is Latin for "absolute control."
Inigo Imago (author of Dream Oracle, a Divination text book) - "Inigo" is a male name meaning ardent or fiery and "Imago" means image. Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

J Titles

none yet

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

K Titles




Knockturn Alley - Nocturnally

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L Titles




Lily - A flower symbolizing purity and innocence.
Lockhart - Town in Australia near Wagga Wagga ("Compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf"?).
Lucius - A latin male first name. Also possibly a connection to the similar sounding 'Lucifer' (the devil).
Ludo - "I play" in Latin. A Roman General named Lucius Cornelius Sulla was usurped by the people of Rome, but defeated them and seized control as a dictator. After doing so, he removed most of the popular say in the government and returned it to the Senate of Rome, which controlled the people, and founded a firm Republic. (Thanks to Rosemary for this great theory!)

Lumos (used to make a wand emit light) - "Lumen" is Latin for "light" and "luminous" means "emitting light" in English.
Ludo - Latin meaning to play.
Luna - The Roman goddess of the moon. Also, it is a term for silver in alchemy, and means 'moon' itself in both latin and italian.
Lupin - Lunar means moon. Lupin means wolf-like. Canis Lupus is the scientific name for wolf.

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

M Titles




Malfoy - "Mal foi" means "bad faith" in French. The similar French phrase "Mal fait" can be interpeted as 'badly made' or 'evil deeds'. Similarly, In Portuguese, (JK Rowling taught English in Portugal for a few years) "Mal foi" means "was
bad" or "is bad". In Arthurian legends, Lancelot (King Arthur's greatest knight and his betrayor) is sometimes called "Le Chevallier Mal Fait" (the 'mal fait' knight).
Marietta - "Little Bitter."
Minerva - The Roman counterpart to the Greek Goddess named Athena. Both women in their respective mythologies represent War, handicraft and practical reason or wisdom.
Mirror of Erised - Erised backwards is desire (as in "you'll see what you desire"). The inscription around the top of the Mirror of Erised, if shown backwards with the spaces rearranged, says: I show not your face but your hearts desire.
Moody - Not in a good mood.
Morsmordre (makes the Dark Mark appear in the sky) - Combination between "mors" (Latin for "death") and "mordere" (Latin for "to bite"). Death bite? No -- Death Eater.
Mundungus - A stinking tobacco.

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

N Titles




Nagini - "Naga" is snake in Sanskrit and "Nagin" means female snake in Urdu.
Narcissa (Malfoy) - "Narcissism" means the excessive love of oneself.
Neville - Old French for "from the new farmland."
Nicholas Flamel - was a real alchemist, and supposedly DID create the Philosopher's Stone (not "Sorcerer’s"). The tale (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/flamel.shtml) was that he had spent decades of his life trying to create the Philosopher's Stone, which could turn any metal in to gold and unlock the secrets to immortality, but could not figure it out.
Nimbus - A rain or storm cloud. Nimbus was also a god in Greek Mythology.
Norris, Mrs. - A character in one of J.K. Rowling's favorite author's (Jane Austen) books.
Nox (cancels out Lumos) - "Nox" is Latin for "darkness."

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

0 Titles




Orchideous (makes flowers spring out of the tip of a wand) - Orchid is a type of flower.

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P Titles




Padma - Means "lotus" in Sanskrit. In Hindu myth this was another name of both the hero Rama and the Goddess Lakshmi. "Patel" (similar to Patil) is a common Indian last-name.
Parvati - Parvati is a Hindu Goddess married to Hindu God Shiva the Destroyer. She gave birth to a baby boy named Ganesh, who Siva beheaded, but replaced the old head with an elephant head after Parvati reamed him out. Sister of the Goddess of the Ganges, Padma. "Patel" (similar to Patil) is a common Indian last-name. There was a character named "Parvati the Witch" in Salman Rushdie's novel 'Midnight's Children', in which the names "Padma" and "Patil" were also significant.
Patronus (dementor defense spell) - "Patronus" is Latin for "protector."
Peeves - "Peeve" means "little devil" or something that gets on your nerves (like a pet peeve).
Pensieve - Perhaps a combination of the English words "pensive" and "sieve". To be pensive is to be wistful or thoughtful and a sieve is utensil of wired mesh used for sifting.
Percival - One of the legendary Knights of the Round Table. The name itself means "pierces the valley" or "destroyer."
Pettigrew - Pettigrew could be interpreted two ways. 1. "Petty - grew" meaning he grew into a petty (unimportant/narrow-minded) person or 2. "pet - I - grew" foreshadowing the incident where Peter grew out of his rat form and back into a man in the Shrieking Shack.
Petunia - A trumpet shaped flower, with white or purple blossoms. The petunia symbolizes anger and resentment.
Potter - "Potter's Field" is often the name given to a cemetary where a city, town, etc., buries those who have gone unclaimed or unwanted (a community's orphans)
Pince, Madam - Pince-nez is french for "pinch [the] nose". They are a pair of glasses with no side ear temples, but just lenses and their frames. They clip on the bridge of the nose. This type of eyeglasses is sometimes seen on stern or bookish people in literature, movies, TV, etc.
Privet Drive - Privet is a type of leaf found on a bush in the UK. The street name could possibly be derived from the word 'private'. It also means 'hi' in Russian.

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

Q Titles




Quibbler - To quibble means to evade the truth or importance of an issue by raising trivial distinctions and objections. A quibble is an archaic term for a pun.
Quietus (cancels out "Sonorus") - Obviously "quiet" means to be silent, and "quietus" in Latin means to be quiet.
Quirrell - Perhaps derived from the word squirrel, for a group of nervous, nut-eating rodents that live in trees. The professor was a scared, shaky man who behaved a lot like one, later an act to cover up his allegiance to Voldemort.
Quidditch - JK Rowling has stated that the origin of this name is entirely made up (she wrote 5 pages of "Q" words until she found one that she liked), but it is still interesting to the note that the word 'quiddity' means the essence or real nature of a thing. Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

R Titles




Reducio (shrinking charm) - "Reduce" means "to make smaller" in English and also"Reduco" in Latin means to reduce.
Regulus (Sirius' brother) - The name of a star in the Alpha Leo (lion) constellation. Although this might seem odd at first, considering he was not a Gryffindor - lions in mythology are often used to symbolise those fierce or pure of heart (pure blood?)
Remus - Brother of Romulus (founder of Rome). They were raised by a female wolf. He was killed by Romulus.
Riddikulus (spell used to transform a scary Boggart into a humorous shape) - "Ridiculous" means "absurd."
Ron - Interesting when taken in conjunction with Arthur (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#arthur): advisor to the king.
Ronan - An Irish saint.
Rubeus - 'Ruber' is latin for red. Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

S Titles




Salazar (Slytherin) - António de Oliveira Salazar was the fascist dictator in Portugal at the same time that Mussolini, Franco and Hitler. He had the same extremist right wing ideology as the others, exercised great prejudice and ruled using fear.
Severus - Sever means "to cut off". Severe also means cruel, strict. In ancient history, Lucius Septimius Severus restored stability to the Roman empire after the tumultuous reign of the emperor Commodus (See Albus) and the civil wars that erupted in the wake of Commodus' murder (if you watched "Gladiator" then you should know this).
Sibyll - Sibyll comes from the Sibyls, who were famous prophets in ancient mythology.
Sirius - Named after the star, Sirius, also known as the Dog Star. It is the brightest star in the sky, often called 'scorching', which quite suits his personality.
Sinistra, Professor - The latin 'sinister' meaning on the left. In ancient cultures (such as the Babylonians) the left side was often associated with evil, black magic or bad luck. We wonder what this means for our dear Astronomy teacher!
Skeeter, Rita - "Skeeter" is short for "mosquito." As most people can attest, mosquitoes are among the most annoying life-forms on this planet.
Sonorous (spell used to magnify a voice like a loudspeaker) - "Sonorus" is Latin for "loud."
Sprout, Professor - A suitable name for a herbology teacher. Sprout means to spring up and grow.
Snape - A town in England, also based after a person JKR knew.
Stupefy (spell used to make someone unconscious) - "Stupefy" in English means "dull the senses of; daze."

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

T Titles




Tom Marvolo Riddle - If you rearrange the letters it spells: "I am Lord Voldemort." The name Tom means twin.
Toujours Pur (Black family motto) - French for "Always Pure". Remember that most of the Black family consider half-bloods to be below them.

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

U Titles




Umbridge - Sounds like "umbrage," which is a feeling of anger caused by an offence. 'Umbra' means "shadow" and can also be interpreted as "jealous or suspicious of another" or "standing in one's light or way."

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

V Titles




Vector, Professor (Arithmancy teacher) -A vector is a mathematical quantity completely specified by a magnitude and a direction.
Veritaserum (truth potion) - "Veritas" is Latin for "truth" and a serum is a potion.
Viktor (Krum) - His first name means the "victorious one," appropriate for the best seeker in the Quidditch World Cup.
Voldemort, Lord - There was a dark wizard in medieval times named Voldermortist. In another language, Voldermortist means "Lord of Evil" or "Dark Lord". Legend has it that Voldermortist once tried to destroy Merlin before the time of King Arthur (Mr. Weasley?), by bewitching good people, and simply bribing those who already were evil. Legend has it that Merlin destroyed Voldermortist by using a simple paralyzing charm (full body bind?), fed him to the many-headed-beast (Fluffy?) of the lake, the Lady of the Lake's pet (Giant Squid?), freed the bewitched people, and destroyed the evil men. That was maybe twelve, thirteen years before Arthur (how long it was from Voldemort's destruction until Harry started Hogwarts). In many European languages 'mort' or 'mord' refer to death or evil. In French, Voldemort means "flight of death" (meaning escaping death).

Back To Top (http://www.mugglenet.com/books/name_origins.shtml#Top)

W Titles


Weird Sisters, The (band) - The Weird Sisters were three witches in Shakespeare's play 'Macbeth' who could forsee the future, and elicited evil in Macbeth by means of equivocation.

[DeclinetoState]

Click here (http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/) before you pass this on any further.

[Tumblehome]

I swear the christian conservative types have sold more copies of this book than JK Rowling ever dreamed possible. Dont these people realize that all they are doing is giving Harry Potter free publicity and creating a taboo that will make kids want to read this stuff?

It isn't the most wonderful literature and personally I've never wanted to read it. Would I let my children read it? Sure. Though I'd encourage them to read many other titles instead, ones that I know are well written and that they'd likely enjoy more.

[Longhorn_Platinum]

Sorry but; once again crap. All the names have meaning for the character or place in question. They were all carefully chosen and accurate in describing owner.

:smirky: SO?? Do you really think it's just some coïncidence that Miss Rowling used names of actual demons for the characters in her book? You can cite all the [i]Harry Potter dictionaries you want, that doesn't diminish the link between Harry Potter & real witchcraft. If anything, your link proves my point.

[Charity]

<TABLE height="100%" cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Straight Talk on Harry Potter
http://www.withoneaccord.org/store/potter.html (http://www.withoneaccord.org/store/potter.html)


Satanism in Harry Potter Books
http://www.cephasministry.com/save_our_children_harry_potter_booklet.html (http://www.cephasministry.com/save_our_children_harry_potter_booklet.html)


Deception By Storm
http://www.hstreasures.com/articles/harry_potter.html (http://www.hstreasures.com/articles/harry_potter.html)


Harry Potter and The Occult
http://www.inplainsite.org/html/harry_potter_and_the_occult.html (http://www.inplainsite.org/html/harry_potter_and_the_occult.html)


HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
http://www.rlhymersjr.com/Online_Sermons/12-08-02AM_HarryPotter.html (http://www.rlhymersjr.com/Online_Sermons/12-08-02AM_HarryPotter.html)


<!-- google_ad_section_end --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=windowbg2 vAlign=bottom align=left bgColor=#ffffcc colSpan=3><TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=left></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

I am compiling more info and putting it here.

http://freedomtoschool.proboards29.com/index.cgi?board=booksfree&action=display&thread=1116021286&page=3#1122319984

[Charity]

I did a web search today on "slytherin" and the very first link on google has a virus in it. Be cautious.

[Longhorn_Platinum]

http://www.inplainsite.org/html/harry_potter_and_the_occult.html


So just how much of Harry Potter is merely imaginary mumbo jumbo and how much of it has Rowlings ‘borrowed’ from the occult? The truth is that Rowling has succeeded in blurring the lines between fantasy and real-life occultism. Actual occultism is incorporated into her books in staggering amounts and is recognized by occultists.

:moo: Charity, your links are quite informative. The one above is especially good.

:moo: And, I'd like to remind those who criticize Harry Potter critics for not reading the books, that they can't really criticize Charity's links, without first reading them. That's according to their own standard.

[Charity]

LP
I have really been investigating this topic for about a week now on the net. I have found some great sites that really struck me as hard evidence that Potter is bad news. I spoke to my pastor Sunday about Potter. He said something I felt was profoundly true. He said that folks seem to have a head knowledge of Jesus Christ and the bible, but not a heart knowledge of what God loves and hates. I can understand those who are not christians defending potter, but what has really been bothering me is that most of the people who think I am making too much of this, are the christians. I just am really having a hard time understanding that. I have always thought that if something were this controversial to the faith, people would not take a chance with it, especially with their tender crhistian children. Anything that I think would compromise my child's faith in God, would have a hard time getting past me. Just how I am I guess.
I am glad there is at least one person here who agrees with how I feel about this. :-)

[ThomasIsUnderrated]

:smirky: SO?? Do you really think it's just some coïncidence that Miss Rowling used names of actual demons for the characters in her book?

You do realize that several of those names come straight from Greek Mythology, don't you?

If anything, your link proves my point.

How does that link prove your point?

[Longhorn_Platinum]

:moo: Charity, I said earliër that if I'm wrong, I'm erring on the side of caution. I guess some Christians err on the side of convenience & personal pleasure.

[Longhorn_Platinum]

ThomasIsUnderrated:
You do realize that several of those names come straight from Greek Mythology, don't you?

:unsmile: Some of them aren't.

How does that link prove your point?

:unsmile: It shows that Rowling was borrowing names from real life, not completely fictitious names, as in Lord of the Rings.

[ThomasIsUnderrated]

I guess some Christians err on the side of convenience & personal pleasure.[/color][/size][/font][/b]

Ouch. :unsmile:

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

But this installment of Harry Potter introduces a new theme — homosexuality.-

It's not about homosexuality. Please note (from the article):


Quote:
Confession
Okay, so there is no Harry Potter and the Lavender Brigade. I made it up.


Homes, that like the rest of that article was complete crap.

Again, please note (from the article):


Quote:
My question is: If we may bend God’s moral laws in fantasy realities, then why is “Harry the Hero-Witch” okay for our children, but “Harry the Hero-Homosexual” not?
Both witchcraft and perversion are deemed “works of the flesh” and “abominations” in Scripture.[3] Both are immoral acts for which the practitioner stands condemned. Why would one be cute, fun, appealing, and — most importantly — legitimate in a fantasy reality, and the other unacceptable?


Stop reading junk and falsehoods about Harry Potter and read the book.

Prez OBVIOUSLY you did not read the post in it's entirety.

Would you care to point-out the falsehoods in the article?

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Click here (http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/) before you pass this on any further.

DS,
I don't quite understand what you mean ... I clicked the link and it showed reader responses to the article on a blog. Are you suggesting my e-mail should not be shared, is wrong, is right, what? I don't know what you mean by "before you pass this on any further." Could you elaborate please?
Thank you,
Hms

[Longhorn_Platinum]

http://www.withoneaccord.org/store/potter.html


:unsmile: The first link in Charity's second set answers one of the questions that has been raised here.

Some people have said, "What is the difference between these books and the fantasy works of C.S. Lewis (the Narnia books) or J.R.R. Tolkien?" Well, three differences really. First of all, Lewis was a Christian, although he was not really the kind of Christian most evangelicals or fundamentalists would approve of. Tolkien was a devout Catholic. Whatever you might feel about Catholicism, both of these authors come from a strong Judeo-Christian background and there is a moral component in both their works, even though they are fantasy.[16] Fantasy, per se, is not bad. It is only bad if it promotes a godless or "might makes right" view of the world.
The second difference is that our culture and our world have changed enormously since the days of Tolkien and Lewis. Currently, our youth are awash in a culture that promotes evil, occultism, lust and power for its own sake. The magic world-view is all around them. It is promoted in Pokemon, in television, movies and music. More critical, it is often promoted in classrooms. Think about it, we now have several major TV shows where the heroes are witches. We even have one now called "Angel" (of all things) where the (anti) hero is a vampire!

...

This brings us to the third difference. The HP books are filled with much more explicit, appalling evil. There is a huge difference between what went on in Lewis or Tolkien and what kids are reading about in Harry Potter.

Just as a small sample, imagine a ten-year-old reading about:

1) The animal sacrifice of a cat[19]

2) Non-magicians like you and I (Muggles) are portrayed as dull, boring, cruel or useless;[20]

3) Power is the ultimate moral choice, irrespective of good or evil;[21]

4) Blood sacrifices;[22]

5) Cutting off the hand of a living person for a ritual;[23]

6) Boiling what seems to be a baby or fetus alive in a cauldron;[24]

7) Possible demon possession;[25]

8) Werewolves [26] & vampires [27]

9) Bringing a evil wizard back from the dead through the shedding of blood [28]

10) Astral project or travel [29]

11) Casting spells and levitation [30]

12) Being able to shape-shift into an animal [31]

13) Crystal gazing or divination [32]

14) A hero (Harry) who tells lies, [33] steals, [34] breaks the rules,[35] and cheats by copying another student’s homework,[36] (cheating is OK in wizard ethics[37]).

15) Approval of astrology[38]

16) Being taught that people can exist without their souls[39]

17) Communion with the dead, dead souls living within us[40]

18) Harry takes mood-altering drugs (which are REAL herbs that are used by witches and shamans)[41]

19) Use of the "Hand of Glory,"[42] a grisly occult artifact that is the severed hand of a hanged murderer. Its fingers are lit and burned as candles. The hand is placed in a house to make everyone in the house fall into a spell.

20) Use of magic charms[43]

21) Belief that death is just the "next great adventure"[44] (which might be true if you were a Christian, but no one in these books is a professing Christian.) For non-Christians like Harry, death is a one-way ticket to hell!

NOTES:

19 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, p. 139.

20 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, p. 33.

21 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, p. 291.

22 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, p. 656.

23 Ibid. p. 641.

24 Goblet of Fire, p.666. Careful reading of this passage does reveal that the fetus-like creature which is thrown into the cauldron is actually Lord Voldemort. However, many younger children may not get this point (we didn't at first) and it is still an extremely disturbing image.

25 Goblet of Fire, p. 653-54.

26 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, p. p.345, 381.

27 Ibid., p.147.

28 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, p. 463.

29 Ibid., pp. 667-669.

30 Ibid., pp. 344-45.

31 Ibid., p. 534.

32 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 297

33 Sorcerer’s Stone, p. 292.

34 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, p. 165.

35 Prisoner of Azkaban, p.31.

36 Ibid., p. 146.

37 Goblet of Fire, p. 343.

38 Sorcerer’s Stone , p. 257.

39 Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 247.

40 Ibid., 427-428

41 Sorcerer’s Stone, p. 137, 286-87.

42 Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 52.

43 Ibid., p.118, 188.

44 Sorcerer’s Stone, p. 302.

:unsmile: Here is a good summary of why Harry Potter is not just harmless fun:

This is a major concern of mine in seeing these kids devouring Harry Potter books. Whether or not they grow up to be sorcerers, they are immersing themselves in the magic world-view that does not fit with the Bible. You cannot be your own god and also worship the one, true God. This is why these books are more dangerous than they appear. You are what you eat, intellectually and spiritually.
If you consume books like Harry Potter that promote a magical view of the universe, you will come to believe in those things - gradually. This change in beliefs will be very subtle. It will seep into your mind like smoke and before you know it, it will become a part of your mindset.

:unsmile: Even if it weren't for the supernatural world of the occult presented in Harry Potter, the following would be enough reason to prohibit my child from reading these books:

14) A hero (Harry) who tells lies, [33] steals, [34] breaks the rules,[35] and cheats by copying another student’s homework,[36] (cheating is OK in wizard ethics[37]).

NOTES:
33 Sorcerer’s Stone, p. 292.

34 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, p. 165.

35 Prisoner of Azkaban, p.31.

36 Ibid., p. 146.

37 Goblet of Fire, p. 343.

:unsmile: As a teacher, I can tell you that I wrestle with this every school day, & I have seen many students destroy their educations by cheating. And they need little outside encouragement to start. How much worse will it become, if they see their hero Harry doing it? Now, throw in the lying, stealing, & rule-breaking, & you have more than enough reasons to keep Harry Potter away from children.

:unsmile: Just one last thing. A little over a year ago, I had a rebellious student who was in total rebellion against me, & refused to do any work in my class. She'd rather do anything, than what she was supposed to be doing. At one point, we ended up in a tug-of-war over a book she wasn't supposed to be reading in French class, & the book split in half. I turned both halves in to the librarian, who informed me, that according to her computerized records, the book wasn't checked out, but was stolen. The girl & a friend went to the assistant principal, & told him a cock & bull story (for all you Palm Beach demonicrats, that's a pack of lies) about how the book got destroyed & why she was in possession of a stolen book, so that the not-very-bright assistant principal cleared her of having to pay for the book. Not surprisingly, the book was Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban.

[Lazarus]

I personally am a fan of Fantasy Fiction... I have read most of the works of Tolkein, Robert Jordan, George Martin, Terry Goodkind... I have heard many fundamentalist Christians express a criticism of the Harry Potter series and I have been challenged by others to read the series... I have decided to read the series for myself before I pass judgement... As I recall Mary Poppins was a witch of sorts and there were good witches and bad witches in the Wizard of Oz, yet no outcry from the religious side...

I understand the point of the article, Homegirl, and indeed I would not support any literature that promotes witchcraft... But I also know there are certain religious activists who live to start crusades and once a crusade is started many of their followers dont question its legitimacy...

Witchcraft is indeed a serious danger in our world - just as is dabbling with Ouija boards, ghost hunting, spiritualism, seances, etc... They are invitation into the very real world of demons...

I have been hearing this complaint about the Potter books for quite a while now so I think I'll pick up one or two and see what all the noise is about... I have to say up front that I heard accusations of homosexuality made by some of these same people against the Teletubbies and I observed the Tubbies and personally I never saw it - They seemed far more concerned with the disappearance of LaLa's hat than with the shape Tinky Winky's nether regions... So some of these guardians of morality have lost credibility with me... But I will read these books for myself with an open mind and I will render my personal judgement based on what I read compared to the Biblical doctrines I carry in my soul...

One point I want to say to those who are concerned over such as these books... I have seen the results of those who try to protect their children by sheltering them from the world... That is a false solution... We live in Satan's world, and of late he grows more and more bold in the excercise and promotions of his policies... The only, and I want to emphasize "ONLY", way to protect your children from his lies and false doctrines, is to give your children a firm establishment in God's doctrines... A believer in Christ whose soul is saturated in the mind of God and is focused on the person of Jesus Christ cannot be influenced by Satan's doctrines...

The children whom I have seen influenced for evil through such books and pop culture instruments, are children whose parents have abandoned them to that same pop culture as a means of Day Care... Those same children are also targets of drugs abuse, violence, and illicit sex... And their parents scratch their heads and wonder why - afterall they took them to church every Sunday... There is no magic pill for raising children... It takes a great deal of time and effort on the part of the parents... Children who are taught God's mind, whose parents take an active hand in their lives, will be shielded from Satan's influences, whether they come from books or the local pusher...

I will read the books... if there is an undue amount of glorification of witchcraft, I will know it...

[Tumblehome]

My nephew was shocked to discover that Harry Potter is neither Hairy, nor does he make pots!

[TechnoPrincess]

While we have not read the books, my son did see the first movie...with me sitting right beside him. We talked afterward about how it was fiction and not real. We talked about how we only pray to God and we do not cast spells, that his was just a movie to enjoy and was fantasy. My son has also see the Lord of the Rings and knows that it is all fantasy. I have used them as examples to him and to make points about God.

The less credence you give to an idea, the less important it becomes. The more you fear something, the more power it has in your life.

Personally I think that it is each parent's right and perogative to decide for their own children what is right and wrong for them to watch. That definitely does not mean that I agree with all of those choices, but I also don't want someone else making a decision for me to let my child watch something I do not approve of.

There is nothing wrong with Home's opinion that it is wrong for her family to read or see anything having to do with Harry Potter. She knows her family, her beliefs and her faith better than anyone else.

[PrezLeefun]

Homes there is only one real falsehood- that Harry Potter is harmful. I would think that you would do real research- such as reading one of the books before you judge it.

[PrezLeefun]

LP that is like blaming video game for a kid who shot someone from watching it. Its stupid. You can't blame a book, or TV show for someone's poor or downright bad decisions. That girl knows the difference between right and wrong and it is not Harry that makes her do those things. That is just as foolish as saying the devil made me do it. She must take responisibilty for her own actions- and you need not give her a dumb excuse. That riduclous story doesn't prove that Harry Potter is evil.




LP you are being paraniod! Harry is not meant to be a perfect person- he has faults like any other human. As for Harry's salvation....he is not real!!!! duh, wake up, smell the coffee, get a grip! It is a work of fiction! Get off the "kill fictional witchcraft" bandwagon- start worrying about real wiccans.

[Lazarus]

...Personally I think that it is each parent's right and perogative to decide for their own children what is right and wrong for them to watch. That definitely does not mean that I agree with all of those choices, but I also don't want someone else making a decision for me to let my child watch something I do not approve of.

There is nothing wrong with Home's opinion that it is wrong for her family to read or see anything having to do with Harry Potter. She knows her family, her beliefs and her faith better than anyone else.Well put...

[Longhorn_Platinum]

PrezLeefun:
LP that is like blaming video game for a kid who shot someone from watching it. Its stupid. You can't blame a book, or TV show for someone's poor or downright bad decisions. That girl knows the difference between r