Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

[nutshell]

My wife and I saw "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride" the other day (loved it!), and before the movie they showed a trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter movie. I admit I love Harry Potter and am really looking forward to the movie.

I have two questions:

For the Christians: Do you believe reading/watching Harry Potter can have a negative effect on a Christian and if so, why do you believe this?

For the Wiccans: How does Harry Potter affect teaching others about your beliefs? Does it help or hinder?

 

[Sunstone]

It amuses me that the local religious industry in my town, Focus on the Family, is opposed to Harry Potter on the grounds that it glorifies witchcraft, which they believe is from Satan. I think Harry Potter teaches virtues like courage and loyality.

 

[michel]

It amuses me that the local religious industry in my town, Focus on the Family, is opposed to Harry Potter on the grounds that it glorifies witchcraft, which they believe is from Satan. I think Harry Potter teaches virtues like courage and loyality.

I think Star wars movies should have been banned by religions; 'The force' is a form of summoning spirits, and is therefore witchcraft; the films advocate wars - perpetual laws, and if my memory is correct, the first film almost ended with an incestuous relationship.

Thomas the tank engine oughtg to be banned. To teach children that a steam engine can have a personality (and therefore intelligence) is subversive. It is an affront to intelligent design.

I think Harry potter films should be burned, and perhaps the actors have a frontal labotomy (after all, they have been subjected to all these foul representations of witchcraft).

Anyone caught reading a horroscope in a newspaper should be burned at the stake; indeed, newspapers that publish such irreverent devilry ought to be taken off the shelves forthwith - oh, and playing cards are modern day representation of Tarot Cards, which means, by implication, that they are tied in to esoteric Kabbalistic practices.

Gambling, drinking alcohol and any form of fun should also be banned (just to be on the safe side).

 

[nutshell]

I think Star wars movies should have been banned by religions; 'The force' is a form of summoning spirits, and is therefore witchcraft; the films advocate wars - perpetual laws, and if my memory is correct, the first film almost ended with an incestuous relationship.

Thomas the tank engine oughtg to be banned. To teach children that a steam engine can have a personality (and therefore intelligence) is subversive. It is an affront to intelligent design.

I think Harry potter films should be burned, and perhaps the actors have a frontal labotomy (after all, they have been subjected to all these foul representations of witchcraft).

Anyone caught reading a horroscope in a newspaper should be burned at the stake; indeed, newspapers that publish such irreverent devilry ought to be taken off the shelves forthwith - oh, and playing cards are modern day representation of Tarot Cards, which means, by implication, that they are tied in to esoteric Kabbalistic practices.

Gambling, drinking alcohol and any form of fun should also be banned (just to be on the safe side).

I'm assuming by the extreme language you use, you are being sarcastic. Please tell me I'm right. Thanks.

 

[michel]

I'm assuming by the extreme language you use, you are being sarcastic. Please tell me I'm right. Thanks.

Me sarcastic ??????????????? Never. Humbugs.

 

[JerryL]

I think Star wars movies should have been banned by religions; 'The force' is a form of summoning spirits, and is therefore witchcraft; the films advocate wars - perpetual laws, and if my memory is correct, the first film almost ended with an incestuous relationship.

The Bible had a couple fo those. It definately needs to be banned as anti-Christian too.

 

[Sunstone]

I think Star wars movies should have been banned by religions; 'The force' is a form of summoning spirits, and is therefore witchcraft; the films advocate wars - perpetual laws, and if my memory is correct, the first film almost ended with an incestuous relationship.

Thomas the tank engine oughtg to be banned. To teach children that a steam engine can have a personality (and therefore intelligence) is subversive. It is an affront to intelligent design.

I think Harry potter films should be burned, and perhaps the actors have a frontal labotomy (after all, they have been subjected to all these foul representations of witchcraft).

Anyone caught reading a horroscope in a newspaper should be burned at the stake; indeed, newspapers that publish such irreverent devilry ought to be taken off the shelves forthwith - oh, and playing cards are modern day representation of Tarot Cards, which means, by implication, that they are tied in to esoteric Kabbalistic practices.

Gambling, drinking alcohol and any form of fun should also be banned (just to be on the safe side).

ROFL! I agree we should ban all forms of fun except for affairs with the church secretary.

 

[Scuba Pete]

I never ceases to amaze me how some who claim to have spiritual insight major in the minors. God never condemned fantasy, and niether should I.

 

[Mike182]

For the Christians: Do you believe reading/watching Harry Potter can have a negative effect on a Christian and if so, why do you believe this?

harry potter has one essential theme, its good vs evil, just a little red riding hood, the three little pigs, the adam and eve story! the point im making is that it is a story where presumabley, evil will finally be vanquished, and good will prevail! it is not promoting "evil, dark, and devil-associated magic" rather, it si good clean literature fun, i see no harm in it at all, in fact, the books are soo good, arguably, they have introduced the concept of "reading a book" to a lot of people in the current younger generations, these books are wonderful books, i really do not think the films capture the essense and magic that the books create, and the films are a let down when compared to the books! but that is my personal view on the films ;-)

quite simply, everything has the potential to have a negative affect on a person, and if not everything, then the majority of things! but i think anyone who has anything that resembels intelligence who read these books will be affected for the better, and not for the worse

C_P

 

[michel]

The Bible had a couple fo those. It definately needs to be banned as anti-Christian too.

Well, now you come to mention it.......................

Incidentally, and slightly off topic, on a British soap, a couple who desperately wanted a child, found to their chagrin that the husband's sperm count was too low for any hope of them being able to have a child of their own.

The wife managed to get someone ( I can't remember who, in the soap) to provide sperm, which she self administered using a Turkey Baster( I joke not - with a plastic tube the kind with which one sucks up the meat juices - by squeezing a plasic ball at the top, and realeasing it), and then she inseminated herself, by 'basting' her own self with the contents..............................:biglaugh:

I joke not; this appeared in a soap (which no longer runs - I wonder why) - about ten years ago.

I have not found any evidence as to the incident, but this site relates to the show:-
http://www.memorabletv.com/showsaz/brookside.htm

I believe that all turkey basters ought to be impounded immediately, as they will prove to be a temptation for women to do away with the need for a sexual union in a loving relationship in order to procreate.

 

[Sunstone]

Well, now you come to mention it.......................

Incidentally, and slightly off topic, on a British soap, a couple who desperately wanted a child, found to their chagrin that the husband's sperm count was too low for any hope of them being able to have a child of their own.

The wife managed to get someone ( I can't remember who, in the soap) to provide sperm, which she self administered using a Turkey Baster( I joke not - with a plastic tube the kind with which one sucks up the meat juices - by squeezing a plasic ball at the top, and realeasing it), and then she inseminated herself, by 'basting' her own self with the contents..............................:biglaugh:

I joke not; this appeared in a soap (which no longer runs - I wonder why) - about ten years ago.

I have not found any evidence as to the incident, but this site relates to the show:-
http://www.memorabletv.com/showsaz/brookside.htm

I believe that all turkey basters ought to be impounded immediately, as they will prove to be a temptation for women to do away with the need for a sexual union in a loving relationship in order to procreate.

I would agree, but I think an exception should be made allowing church secretaries to use turkey basters.

 

[Sunstone]

I agree with Corrupt Priest that the essential conflict in the Harry Potter books is good vs. evil. The books also show the power of such virtues as courage and loyality to overcome evil. Where's the harm in that?

 

[JerryL]

I agree with Corrupt Priest that the essential conflict in the Harry Potter books is good vs. evil. The books also show the power of such virtues as courage and loyality to overcome evil. Where's the harm in that?

Man has no personal power. Only piety and acceptance of God can allow man to overcome his inherently sinful nature.

Teaching other, non-God methods (especially the witchcraft may be used to make a happy / successful life) is sacreligious. It's obviously the devil trying to convince us that we don't *need* God.

 

[lilithu]

For the Christians: Do you believe reading/watching Harry Potter can have a negative effect on a Christian and if so, why do you believe this?

The only "negative" effect it could have is to make people more tolerant of different ways of doing things, and unfortunately, some (by no means all) Christians see this as a bad thing. As C_P points out, the ultimate moral of HP is good versus evil and the triumph of of good, of always trying to do what's right even when it's hard, even when both evil and stupidity are against you. It is a great moral to teach to kids and adults alike.

For the Wiccans: How does Harry Potter affect teaching others about your beliefs? Does it help or hinder?

There's nothing really overtly "Wiccan" in HP. What it does hold in common with real witchcraft is the belief that we can affect reality by our thoughts and desires. When the witches and wizzards cast spells and jinxes with their wands, it's not the wand that's doing it - they only serves as a focusing agent - it's the heart and mind of the person. In witchcraft, one envisions what one wants to be reality, and then one makes it so.

A pagan friend of mine absolutely loves the fact that chocolate is a "magical" cure against the dementors. Something sucks all the joy out of life, all your hope, all your reason for love, and it can be fatal if it really is all. And then chocolate, something that we think of as "every day" but also associate with the warmth of childhood and with love, is the cure. Rowling does not put overt references to the external rituals of Wicca in her books, but she clearly exhibits a solid understanding of the worldview of the earth-based belief systems.

 

[nutshell]

Thanks everyone for your posts (even the sarcastic ones ). As I said in my original post, I love Harry Potter. I too see it as a battle between good and evil and as long as good wins, I'm down with it.

On a related note: When I was about 12, I was reading "The Elfstones of Shannara" by Terry Brooks. A group of us went camping one weekend and I took my book along. Upon returning, I was horrified to learn I had left my book in the car of the family I rode with. I went back to their house to ask for my book. The mother gave me a disgusted look, handed me the book, and said, "No child of mine would read this demon-filth." I was dumbstruck and she promptly shut the door.

The ignorance of some people!!!

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Harry potter books are real fun, and have a lot of good examples of life skills and friendship in them. The witch craft is incidental and adds to the element of makebelieve.
There is only one more to go before the end of the series, and a lot of adults and children will be devastated that there are to be no more.

One thing I like is that she never writes down to the reader. It is better for the reading skills of children and more readable for adults.

I cant't believe she won't write any thing else, even if she has no use for yet more money.

Can't wait to find out what it will be.

Terry_____________________
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.

 

[jeffrey]

Harry Potter is good verses evil, where good wins. Is that not also what the Bible teaches? We left a Baptist Church because our son brought a Harry Potter book with him to church. They told him that book was not aloud in their church. Cool. We left along with the book.

 

[FFH]

"But now, O Lord, thou art our father, we are the clay, and thou our POTTER, and we all are the work of thy hand." Isaiah 64: 8

The only true POTTER is Jesus Christ.

Harry Potter series is about using witchcraft to solve your problems. True it is fantasy but so was the movie "Jaws" and it had an affect on me as a kid. I would not even get into a fresh water lake, as a kid, one time, even though I knew there were no sharks in fresh water lakes. The thoughts and images seen in the movie "Jaws" kept coming to mind. It put fear a fear in me that lasted for months and It took a lot of reprogramming, of my thoughts, to get me into any body of water. Kids minds are very programmable. Kids sometimes confuse fantasy with reality and in many movies fear is programmed into the childs heart and mind. The movies do such a good job these days that it is hard, for kids, to distinguish what is real and what is fantasy, what is good and what is evil. I know kids that actually try some of the things that are in done in the Harry Potter books and movies. Some don"t know the difference between fantasy and reality, or good and evil, and will try witchcraft. I have worked with youth for fifeteen years and I know the destructive forces of certain movies, music and books on a young mind.

Harry Potter series is from the Devil. It is a subtle trick of the Devil to pull us away from the powers of prayer and faith.

Let's not substiture prayer and fasting for magic and witchcraft.

Faith not "the force" .

Prayer not magic or witchcraft

Any movie or book that shows magic or witchcraft as a means for fighting evil is clearly a movie made by the Devil. Whether it is fantasy or not it is teaching kids the wrong message.

SUBTLE TRICKS OF THE DEVIL.

We cannot fight evil with evil.

Fighting evil using witchcraft and magic does not work.

 

[Faint]

"But now, O Lord, thou art our father, we are the clay, and thou our POTTER, and we all are the work of thy hand." Isaiah 64: 8

The only true POTTER is Jesus Christ.

Harry Potter series is about using witchcraft to solve your problems. True it is fantasy but so was the movie "Jaws" and it had an affect on me as a kid. I would not even get into a fresh water lake, as a kid, one time, even though I knew there were no sharks in fresh water lakes. The thoughts and images seen in the movie "Jaws" kept coming to mind. It put fear a fear in me that lasted for months and It took a lot of reprogramming, of my thoughts, to get me into any body of water. Kids minds are very programmable. Kids sometimes confuse fantasy with reality and in many movies fear is programmed into the childs heart and mind. The movies do such a good job these days that it is hard, for kids, to distinguish what is real and what is fantasy, what is good and what is evil. I know kids that actually try some of the things that are in done in the Harry Potter books and movies. Some don"t know the difference between fantasy and reality, or good and evil, and will try witchcraft. I have worked with youth for fifeteen years and I know the destructive forces of certain movies, music and books on a young mind.

Harry Potter series is from the Devil. It is a subtle trick of the Devil to pull us away from the powers of prayer and faith.

Let's not substiture prayer and fasting for magic and witchcraft.

Faith not "the force" .

Prayer not magic or witchcraft

Any movie or book that shows magic or witchcraft as a means for fighting evil is clearly a movie made by the Devil. Whether it is fantasy or not it is teaching kids the wrong message.

SUBTLE TRICKS OF THE DEVIL.

We cannot fight evil with evil.

Fighting evil using witchcraft and magic does not work.

Sounds like someone is under the Imperious Curse.

 

[FFH]

Harry Potter is good verses evil, where good wins. Is that not also what the Bible teaches? We left a Baptist Church because our son brought a Harry Potter book with him to church. They told him that book was not aloud in their church. Cool. We left along with the book.

Harry Potter has no place in a church. The same thing happens in every church. Kids are bringing Harry Potter series books to church, and reading them during church. The Bible is being left at home and the Harry Potter books brought to church. Do you want your kids learning how to combat Satan and evil using Harry Potter methods or methods of the Bible.

We would all rather get our philosophies from movies, music and books rather than the Bible.

Personally I use the Bible and it's teachings to combat evil.

I use good priniciples and sound doctrine from the mouth of Jesus Christ to combat Satan and all of his evil in this world. Why settle for Harry Potter when you can have the true "Potter" as a guide and strenth.

"But now, O Lord, thou are our father, we are the clay, and thou our POTTER, and we all are the work of thy hand."
Isaiah 64: 8