Harry Potter to be or not to be

[Scarletprayers]

Stephen, I fix a mean Fudge Pie!

[chicagoburbite]

it's not for kids, that includes you. just kidding. i would not want my kid's heads filled with hp.

I think it depends on the kids, and the parents.

BINGO my kids are completely grounded in the Word and read a vast array of books and authors. Rowlings in one of them, Max Lucado another. they understand the difference between fact and fiction.

[chicagoburbite]

is there anything in hp that points to GOD. are we not to separate our selves from unGODLY things of this world?

So does that mean you don't (wouldn't) let your children watch any Disney movies or cartoons? They do not point the way to Christ either.

[chicagoburbite]

is there anything in hp that points to GOD. are we not to separate our selves from unGODLY things of this world?

See my response to you below

[Guest Biblicist]

My question is would you be comfortable reading those in front of Jesus, and having Him join you in what you are reading?

You say that as if Jesus doesn't realize some of the things that go on down here.

[nebula]

...I for one am tired of being looked down upon when I have had bad experiences relater to the HP series. Someone had the books in my house at one point. Yes it was a child and she asked me why she was allowed to read them if God was against what they stood for. Try answering that to a teen. She is now actively involved in wicca. Once she was a very promising girl in our church. No longer. She has been in and out of JDC numerous times and is living on probation because of her new lifestyle. I pity her. I pray for her. I wonder what would have happend if her mother had just taken some control. If your child asks to read the satanic bible do we comply with that? As was asked before....where do we draw the line?

Ouch! That is painful.

However, having been a Christian all through my childhood and teen years, I have a hard time believing that HP was the sole cause of her turning away. If her relationship with Jesus was strong and active, she wouldn't just turn her back on Him like this over a book. I had been tempted towards witchcraft and neopaganism during my teen years, too. Yet I chose to stick with Jesus - not because of anything my parents said or did, it was my walk with the Lord that was on the line, and it was my choice.

I don't say this to slam you nor your experiences. However, I have a difficult time believing that she'd be a strong, vibrant Christian right now if she hadn't read the HP series. That is giving too much power to these books.

But it is true that evil is subtle, and I agree that bad seeds can be planted if the soil is fertile for such seeds.

Instead of book banning, a more effective guard would be to choke the evil seeds out with the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. If you have ever physically felt the presence of the Lord, you would know that nothing can replace or compare to that, and things such as witchcraft will not be so appealing.

I pray this girl will come back to find her own walk with the Lord, to know His reality, and to be captivated by Jesus.

[chicagoburbite]

Soooo hypothetically speaking...a child reads this and turns to you and says I want to be a witch/wizard. Response? How do we respond when we tell them that it is wrong against God....then we get the question of well then why do we read it if it is bad? There is a story behind this trust me.

And how many children (when I was growing up) put a towel hanging down their backs and were suddenly Superman or Batman (or Robin in my case, my brother always got to be Batman). Yet we knew we couldn't fly, we knew we couldn't hit "Pow" "Bam" "Zowie". My parents knew we knew the differnence between fiction and reality. We still learned Bible verses and attended church, this was just a fantasy moment we played now and then.

[Guest Biblicist]

it's not for kids, that includes you. just kidding. i would not want my kid's heads filled with hp.

I think it depends on the kids, and the parents.

BINGO my kids are completely grounded in the Word and read a vast array of books and authors. Rowlings in one of them, Max Lucado another. they understand the difference between fact and fiction.

There you go CB, if you make sure your children know The Truth, they will not be confused about fiction.

[chicagoburbite]

LPT, I'm with you...........I read everything when I was a child, I didn't think I was going to crawl into a wardrobe and be transported to another world, or find the Who's of Whoville.......................and your right everytime a new book or movie comes out about HP its the same old, same old.

What you choose for yourself is one thing, what you try to cram down other peoples throats and basically call them sinners for doing is something is.

And yes, I would read with books with Jesus sitting there, I'm pretty sure He knows the difference between fact and fantasy.

In agreement. (Btw I was "Robin" to my older brother's "Batman"... all fantasy play that we knew was fiction)

[sweetycakes]

I like harry potter, i've liked harry potter since the first book came out and i intend to read the new book.

ITS FICTIONAL!! its not like the real satanic rituals going on today so im not bothered.

I don't agree with that.

I was reading recently online that since the advent of Harry Potter, occultic websites have been bombarded by children wishing to learn more about witchcraft.

HP is often the first doorway for a child into an interest in the occult, which is then taken further by programs on TV such as Charmed, Bewitched, and the like, which has more of an appeal to teenagers, who are then drawn in to reciting spells from books they have bought.

I don't think it is harmless at all, or good.

Ohhh i didn't know that children, after reading the books, then went onto research witchcraft online.

Yeah i can see why HP is such a problem now hmm..

Not sure if that is a 'tongue in cheek' response from you, James. Probably not, in my estimation.

Anyhow, my advice is this: Stay away from all forms of the occult.