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Prologue
With
the amount of publicity and media hype that has surrounded the Harry Potter
books, I’m sure the media blitz for the movie (released November 16) will be
just as intense. Since ninetyandnine.com
published two Harry Potter articles
I largely disagreed with, I would like to share the viewpoint that Apostolics
should avoid (because of the messages they present) the Harry Potter phenomenon.
And yes, I have read all four existing books for the express purpose of writing
this article.
I’m
Not Wild About Harry
(Harry Potter, That Is)
By P.E. Huffman
November 12, 2001
Paul
implores us to “Prove
all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil”
(I Thessalonians 5:21-22). As
Christians, I believe that God requires us to measure everything in our lives to
His standards¾even
the things that we read. Books, both fiction and non-fiction, can be a useful
tool in helping us understand new ideas, acquire knowledge or just relax. Still,
our reading choices must stay within the parameters that God gives us in the
Bible, for ultimately we will be judged by His Word.
While
there are many topics in the Harry Potter books that should cause concern to an
Apostolic, there are two main areas upon which I’m going to concentrate.
The
First Concern
There
is rampant moral relativism that can be found throughout the books. “Laced through every one of Ms. Rowling’s books is the
yin-yang, occult doctrine of dualism. This is the key doctrine of occultism,”
states the Logos Resource Pages.org.1
Dualism
teaches that there is evil in good and good in evil. Dualism believes that there
are no clear-cut lines between right and wrong, good and evil.
·
The
most obvious example is of Harry Potter (the hero of the stories) and Lord
Voldemort (the villain). Harry has obtained powers (through Voltemort’s
attack on him as a child) that only an “evil” wizard uses, such as
parseltongue (the ability to speak with snakes).
·
In the Goblet
of Fire, Lord Voldemort has taken on some of Harry’s “good” magical
qualities by drinking a vial of Harry’s blood.
·
Both
Harry and Voldemort have wands containing the same elements (supposedly all
wands are meant to be different).
In The
Sorcerer’s Stone, Professor Quirrel states that, “There is no good and
evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it…”2 Admittedly, this professor was an evil character; it still seems to be
the prevailing philosophy among the good characters as well, for almost all of
the characters seem to have a Machiavellian (the ends justifies the means)
attitude. Harry and his two best friends, Ron and Hermione, see nothing wrong
with lying, stealing, cheating and rule breaking to accomplish their goals.
Examples of each can be found easily in the four books, but I’ll share one:
·
In the
Sorcerer’s Stone, Hermione attempts to follow the rules at first, but is
portrayed as having “a bad temper,” and being a “bossy know-it-all.”3 Eventually Hermione gives in to peer pressure
and tells “a downright lie”4 to cover up for a misdeed by Harry and Ron.
Because of this, the three become friends.
A
disregard for rules is not limited to just the good children, but can be found
in the good adults as well.
·
Hagrid,
the groundskeeper for Hogwarts (Harry’s school), raises a dragon (which is
considered illegal by the wizarding community), and when he realizes that he
might get caught, asks Harry and company to cover up for him and to aid him in
getting rid of it without the authorities knowing.
·
Ron’s
dad works for a wizarding governmental agency that enforces wizarding laws.
The particular agency that Mr. Weasley works for makes sure that muggle
objects (things that belong to non-wizards) are not bewitched.
Yet Mr. Weasley collects these objects secretly, so much so that Ron
says, “If he raided our house he’d have to put himself under arrest.”5
Through
these and many other examples, Ms. Rowling blurs the line between good and bad.
In fact, when Ms. Rowling’s good characters break rules they are usually
ignored, rewarded or given such a light punishment that it is of no consequence.
An example from the Sorcerer’s Stone:
·
Broom
flying in class is outlawed, but when the teacher has to momentarily leave,
Malfoy, a class bully and Harry’s enemy, taunts Harry into flying his broom.
Harry flies after Malfoy and is subsequently caught by the teacher. Instead of
being disciplined, freshman Harry (because he is an excellent broom flyer) is
rewarded with an expensive broom and allowed to play on the varsity Quidditch
(sports) team.
What
does a child learn through the messages presented by these characters? “1)
Rules are made to be broken if they do not serve one’s own self-interests; 2)
Rules need not be obeyed if no good reason seems to exist for them; 3) Lying is
an effective and acceptable means of achieving a desired end,” states author
Richard Abanes.6 And 4) If you’re popular with people, you don’t have to follow all
the rules that everybody else does.
It
appears as though Rowling’s definition of good is loyalty and bravery, for she
stated, “If the characters are brave and courageous, that is rewarded.”7
Yet through dualism, Rowling’s “evil” characters show loyalty and bravery,
too. Some of the evil “characters save each other’s lives, magically heal
each other’s wounds, remain loyal to their side in the face of enemy
persecution and sacrifice themselves for each other,” notes Abanes.8 Voldemort
rewards
those that are good and/or loyal to him.
No truly
good (as defined by the Bible) characters can be found in these books. The
characters that may show a positive quality or two are generally portrayed as
evil, prudish or obnoxious. Examples include:
·
The
Dursleys (Harry’s non-magical relatives with whom he stays when he is not at
school), who forbid him to practice witchcraft (which is the biblical thing to
do). Yet they are portrayed as
abusive, ignorant, unimaginative and self-serving.
·
When a
gossip columnist for a witch newspaper reveals that Hagrid has a disregard for
long-standing wizarding laws regarding magical animals, even though she is
correct, her character is portrayed as a highly unlikable busybody.
·
There
is a Professor Snape, who correctly rebukes Harry for considering “rules to
be beneath him.”9 Yet Snape is portrayed as hateful, ill-tempered and unjust.
·
Percy
Weasley, a good character that follows all of the rules, is considered to be a
stick in the mud.
So,
despite this evidence of Rowling blurring the line between good and evil,
everyone gushes about how the Potter books show good conquering evil, when in
reality both the good and the evil characters are evil. The reason that Harry
Potter and friends are portrayed as good is that they are not as
evil as Voldemort.
It
troubles me a great deal to find that publications like Christianity
Today saying that “Rowling's series is a Book of Virtues with a
preadolescent funny bone”10 and Christian speakers such as Chuck Colson
proclaiming that the Potter books “inspire the imagination within a Christian
framework—and prepare the hearts of readers for the real-life story of
Christ.”11
Scripture
states, “God is light, and in him is no
darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Paul said that Satan has tried to transform
himself, “into an angel of light”
(2 Corinthians 11:14). But in reality, Jesus explained that Satan, “…was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth,
because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44). The Bible shows that there
is a definite distinction between good and evil. The only reason that there are
gray areas in our lives is because we have not sought God out through His Word
and through prayer and fasting. There is
a line between black and white, right and wrong. We only lose sight of that line
when we stray from our Lord Jesus and get caught up in our own carnality.
The
Second Concern
If
the moral relativism isn’t enough, the other area of concern is the blatant
witchcraft and occultism. While
much of the book is fictional hocus-pocus, there is still a substantial amount
that could stir the interest of a curious child. Rowling herself admits that
approximately one-third of sorcery-related materials appearing in her books
“are things that people genuinely used to believe in Britain.”12
“What
Rowling fails to mention is that a vast amount of the occult material she has
borrowed from historical sources still
plays a significant role in modern paganism and witchcraft,” states Abanes.13
This
includes the textbooks from which Harry is supposed to learn from during his
first year at Hogwarts: The Standard Book of Spells, A History of Magic, One
Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, and Magical Drafts & Potions. 14 While the authors’ names for these books are fictional, the
titles have almost exact counterparts written by Wiccans (a modern euphemism for
witches) and can be found easily at most chain bookstores. While not
representing all forms of witchcraft, there is a London-based sect of
serpent-venerating occultists, called the Ordo Anno Mundi 15
that offers to teach initiates witchcraft (through seven degrees) that is
similar to what students at Hogwarts are supposed to learn. Topics such as
Ancient Runes ,16 Divination,
17
Spellcasting, 18
Animal
Transformation (Transfiguration), 19 and Magical Lore (History).20
Many names or partial names of characters in the Potter books are direct
or indirect references to real-life witches and occultists from times past. The
most prominent name from the first book is Nicholas Flamel. Flamel “was a
French alchemist who allegedly succeeded in making the philosopher’s stone
(the British name for “sorcerer’s stone”) in the late 1300’s,” states
Abanes.21 “Book I takes place
in late 1991-1992 (a school year cycle), a date easily discerned by calculating
subtle time markers in Book II (Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). In the
Sorcerer’s Stone, Flamel is 665 years old. This number subtracted from
1991/1992 comes to year 1326/1327 for Flamel’s birth (as recorded by Rowling).
In the real world, Flamel was born in 1330, give or take a few years.”22
The book even goes on to reveal Flamel’s religious beliefs regarding death.
These beliefs are consistent with modern pagans and
are anti-biblical. Other real-world occultists mentioned are Paraclesus (a 16th
century Swiss alchemist) and Aldabert Waffling (an 8th century Roman
Catholic archbishop that was excommunicated for practicing witchcraft).
Rowling sometimes uses anagrams of occultists for the names of her
characters as well. An example of this is the last name of the fictional book
Unfogging the Future (found in the Prisoner
of Azkaban), Cassandra Vablatsky. Just as we find out that the Tom Marvolo
riddle is “I am Lord Voldemort,” Vablatsky is probably an anagram for Helena
Petrovna Blavatsky. Blavatsky “(1831-1891) was the founder of Theosophy, an
occult blending of metaphysical thought, spiritualism, channeling, science,
Eastern philosophy, Transcendentalism and mental healing,” states Abanes.23
The
Big Picture
What
is disturbing about Rowling’s books is that they make light of such topics as
demon possession (Sybill Trelawney and Ginny Weasley), contacting the dead
(Harry’s parents and others in The
Goblet of Fire), crystal ball gazing, tea leaves and astrology (while
Trelawney makes it look bad, the centaurs in Sorcerer’s
Stone make it look acceptable), as well as many other things. Because of the
way all of these practices are presented, people, especially children, will
directly or indirectly perceive these things as “normal” when they are
confronted with the real issue.
A
major difference between kids making heroes out of the characters from the Harry
Potter series as opposed to literary and real heroes from the past (Cinderella,
Peter Pan, Daniel Boone, Evel Knieval) is that while kids could possibly get
hurt from jumping a bike off a homemade ramp or attempting to fly by jumping off
something high, there are no widespread cults that promote that behavior and
offer a set of values that try to take the place of Christianity; there is that
association between the Potter books and Wicca/Witchcraft/Paganism.
Yes, there have been quite a number of children’s stories in the past
that contain witches, but in
contrast, most of those stories portray the evil associated with them correctly.
While some people may point out the one or two examples of good witches, or say
that they were never affected by any of the stories, should that discount what
the Bible tells us we should do? Maybe we should rethink some of our views
regarding those stories as well.
Christian
Priorities
Can
someone learn to cast a spell through the Harry Potter books? No. After reading
a Potter book, will a child go out and start worshipping Satan? More than likely¾no. Then what’s the problem? The problem is
that in the midst of the stories Rowling writes are a set of unbiblical beliefs
that could cause a child to be confused or desensitized. When combined with an
entertaining story and experiences that a child can associate with, it becomes
easy to accept the messages presented.
“The
world of imagination and fantasy can help pass on to the child cultural and
social messages [and] function as a way to experience vicariously things an
individual could not do first-hand,” states The
International Journal of Adolescent Medicine & Health (April-June,
1995). Apparently the advertising community believes this, too, for
“captivating stories that prompt people to identify with another person's
experiences have proven to be far more powerful tools for manipulating behavior
than mere facts and data. That's why most ads tend to offer funny or feel-good
glimpses of human behavior rather than boring facts about a product's worth. Stirring the imagination instead of the mind, the producer
can implant all kinds of false memories and unwanted desires into receptive
minds,” states KJOS Ministries.24
The Bible clearly states that we should stay away from witchcraft
(Deuteronomy 18:9-14, Galatians 5:20, Revelation 22:15) because it is a real
power that will ultimately destroy those who participate. Witchcraft is also
equated with outright rebellion against God (I Samuel 15:23). While we are not bound by the law of the Old Testament, where
it sentences witches to death, we still need to hold true to the moral
principles that God laid out for us.
Yet some people insist on saying that the Potter books are just fantasy
and it causes kids to read books who would have never touched a book before.
Does that mean (God forbid!) that we should read pornography? After all, it’s
just fantasy. Jesus makes the analogy that hating a person is the same as
murder, and likewise lust with adultery (Matthew 5). In comparison,
the Harry Potter books are the equivalent to spiritual pornography because
it’s flirting with evil even if it’s not full-fledged participation. The
apostle Paul said to “have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians
5:11).
It’s time for us to take the Word of God seriously and avoid Harry
Potter.
ninetyandnine.com
ã 2001, P.E.
Huffman
-------
P.E. Huffman lives in Missouri with his
wife and two boys. He believes that real men are opinionated!
Bibliography
1.
Harry Potter books are the perfect primer
for teaching the occult!
2. J.K.
Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (New York: Scholastic
Press,1997) p. 291
3. Rowling, Sorcerer’s Stone,
pp. 161,164, 172
4. Rowling, Sorcerer’s Stone, pp. 177-178
5. J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (New York:
Scholastic Press,1999) pp. 62-63
6. Richard Abanes, Harry Potter and the Bible: The Menace Behind the
Magick (Camp Hill, PA: Horizon Books, 2001) p. 38
7. USA Today, 12/2/1999, “Harry Potter’s Kid Appeal: Proof Positive”
8. Abanes, HP & Bible, p. 136
9. J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (New York: Scholastic
Press, 2000) p.516
10. Christianity
Today, 1/10/2000
11. Breakpoint
with Chuck Colson, 11/2/99
12. J.K. Rowling, interview on The Diane Rehm Show, WAMU, National Public
Radio, 10/20/99
13. Abanes, HP & Bible, p. 24
14. Rowling, Sorcerer’s Stone, p. 66
15. Ordo Anno Mundi
website
16. J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
(New York: Scholastic Press, 1999) p. 57
17. Rowling, Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 103
18. Rowling, Sorcerer’s Stone, p. 66
19. Rowling, Prisoner of Azkaban, pp. 353-354
20. Rowling, Sorcerer’s Stone, p. 263
21. Abanes, HP & Bible, p. 26
22. Abanes, HP & Bible, pp. 26-27
23. Abanes, HP & Bible, p. 28
24. Harry Potter and D&D-Like
Two Peas in a Pod?
Other materials used in researching this article
Pro-Harry Potter
1. Marc
Shapiro, J.K. Rowling: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter (New York: St. Martin’s
Griffin, 2000)
2. Elizabeth D. Shafer, Exploring Harry Potter (Osprey, FL: Beacham
Publishing, 2000)
3. Bill Adler, Kids’ Letters to Harry Potter from Around the World (New
York: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc., 2001)
4. Vanity Fair, 10/2001 , Something About Harry
5. Pagan Federation Website
6. Religious Tolerance.org, The Harry Potter Books, Charming
Stories or a Demonic Plot?
7. The London Telegraph Website, Danielle Demetriou,7/1/2000, Harry
Potter and the Source of Inspiration
8. ABC News.com, Witches
Bless Harry Potter
Middle of the Road
1.
Focus on the Family Website, Linda Beam, What Shall We Do With Harry
Anti-Harry Potter
1. Exposing
Satanism.org, Harry Potter: A new twist to Witchcraft
2. Kenneth
Boa; Cults, World Religions and the Occult (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1990)
3. Christian Resources Net, Many
Articles
4. Logos
Resource Pages, Many
Articles
5. Take
A Stand Ministries, What’s
Wrong With Harry
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