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Your thoughts about Harry Potter!

Of course those books are translated in Dutch as well and available in the book stores, as well as a lot of books with “creepy” titles and themes. One of the most popular youth series here is totally dedicated to the creepy stuff. You already know enough when seeing the titles and front covers; all themed up with “black”, “dark”, “blood”, “monster”, “vampier”, etc.
We never let our children read these books or watch the movies as we think this goes beyond the fairytale stories. We read a lot of reviews and even once tried to look at one of the movies on tv in order to be able to make an even better judgement but switched it off after 10 minutes or so. We had seen enough...
Now they are older (youngest one turned 15 a few weeks ago), and we now encourage them to buy Christian books during the Opwekking (=revival) event. This is an event during Pentecost with over 60.000 Christians in the NL and they have a massive book store. But also the Ranger’s Apprentice (De Grijze Jager) and the other series from John Flanagan is read by all of them, including my wife. Seem to be nice books, but never read one so I can’t judge it.
 
It's well-made entertainment, well produced book and movie. Has several redemptive themes worth considering (to talk about with colleagues in the workplace, etc). And after lot of thought, decided the downsides (namely inaccurate representation of the spiritual world e.g. demons, angels, who has power, etc) decided it wasn't something we wanted to support showing to the kids.

But don't fault people who decide otherwise: Our 17 year-old watched it recently and was totally into it - and questioned why we didn't make it more available. And we told him the above. I think he got it. Totally your call, will not think of anyone more or less based on how they decide this. Feels like it could go either way for lots of reasons.

Great question, thanks for your transparency in asking.
 
I read the first book many moons ago. I found Harry Potter to be the kind of Mary Sue that I can't stand. A token hardship childhood that immediately gets swept away by being taken to a magical land and finding out that he's amazing at everything and that whenever he has need of something, the best possible example will be provided for him. His "hero's journey" is as robust as Richie Rich.

Some people burn the candle at both ends working hard (Hermoiueioaoaine) , some people scrimp and share resources (Ron) but the REAL hero shows up late, gets stuff hastily thrown into his hands, and knocks it out of the park like a legend.

At the end of the book I just kinda wanted to strangle Harry. Which, for me, if my child were inclined to read for fun, I would press some books in his hands that lent themselves to a better ethic.
 
Literal present day occult practices were used as inspiration in the HP books; if not outright copied (I can't remember the details now).

Fiction isn't just innocent fun. It patterns itself on and teaches our children. The occult isn't something to handle glibly. Mature preachers strong in the spirit tread carefully on these subjects as study of them is known to bring attack and negative spiritual influence.

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is venerable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if any excellence and if any praise--think on these things.
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There is so many good stories and histories to read in the English language, more than could ever be read by a child. We have no need to resort to ungodly stories. Not reading HP isn't going to hold back your child in life.
 
I don't normally censor the written word too much in our home. I'm not personally a Harry Potter fan myself but if the older children bring the books home I don't interfere.
 
Jeff Ray said:
In my family, we believe that shielding children from the world does not prepare them for the day when they are on their own and the world comes calling. In order to develop "moral antibodies", children need to be exposed in a safe environment, while their parents can still influence their reactions.
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This is very true, and is certainly a balancing act. I agree with you on the principle, but not on the application of it in this case - we don't allow Harry Potter in our house. Some things go too far. But there are a lot of things that are less blatant where this principle is very correct to apply.

Harry Potter is also extremely well written and designed to be addictive, which is an issue with allowing kids to start reading it - it could start a major obsession.

I see it as a satanic mirror or substitute to CS Lewis' Narnia series. Now, even the Narnia series has problematic elements that a child needs to have discernment when reading, but it's the level of discernment that a child can be expected to have, and the fundamental messaging is positive and Christian even if some of us may take some issue with how Lewis illustrated it.
 
I have not read or watched Harry Potter but my brother has (and loved it). Real witchcraft is consorting with demons, and it seems to me in most of the books like Harry Potter if someone goes along with evil spirits and such things it is the villains. What is called real witchcraft today is usually paganism, though it is of course a step nearer to real witchcraft.

People have often used terms like witch and wizard and magic for fantasy events and abilities, since that is the most popular view of witchcraft, even among some Christians: that it is fantasy. Similarly elves and fairies shrank from evil spirits to friendly and even perfectly good creatures. The terms "black magic" and "white magic" appeared, and also some of the terms became more associated with one or the other: witches, warlocks, and sorcerers on one side, wizards, alchemists, and magicians on the other. Rowling apparently recognized at least that they were all the same, and her distinction between "black magic" and "white magic" was more soundly based on the actual morality of the act done with the magic than on merely shifting connotations of words. Doctor Strange, at least in the early comics, outright called his craft "black magic", yet again he actually battles evil spirits using power from "all natural sources" so to speak.

I agree with something I read in an article a while back: that Harry Potter can be dangerous if one doesn't know what real witchcraft is, or doesn't believe it exists, or doesn't believe it is wrong, and has an interest in the occult. Whereas if someone knows what real witchcraft is, and reads Harry Potter out of an interest in Fantasy, it is the same as reading any other good quality book by a non-christian author.

Since I believe there is real witchcraft I would not want to use terms associated with it in writing fiction, but even many Christians in western society "don't believe in witches", so I couldn't fault them on using these terms. Rather I would fault them on rejecting the existence of actual witchcraft, which is a separate subject from the merits of their books and art, and one problem that unbelievers share with many western Christians.

As a Fantasy writer I have been frustrated with the lack of terminology that actually refers to what Fantasy writers actually talk about: imaginary abilities and possibilities.

"This is what your folk would call magic, I believe; though I do not understand clearly what they mean; and they seem also to use the same word of the deceits of the Enemy." - Galadriel in The Fellowship of the Ring

I even invented a word to use as a general term to replace the word "magic" in discussion of Fantasy: "cobha" (a word borrowed from one of my old made-up languages), and recently I have been using or coining various terms to use in the various stories I invent: "sophology" and "royal philosophy" for one, "summoning" for another, and so on.

I disagree with celebrating Halloween simply because it is a pagan holiday. It seems ridiculous to me to celebrate a holiday because it means nothing and has no connection with its own past. If someone wants an innocent celebration, why pick a pagan holiday?

But as to reading dark subject matter as opposed to only reading things that make you happy, this I would say is simplistic as a principle, but innocent enough as a preference (though you would have to avoid much of the Bible and most of the best literature that exists in order to follow this preference completely). It is good to be sad about sad things, and to be repulsed by evil, and to face hard things with courage, and to realize the sufferings of the oppressed and those who fight for them: these all would fall in the general category of dark and in some cases not-family-friendly category.

A lot of horror and tragedy and romance media is poor quality: for the same reason that a lot of media specifically designated as "Christian" is poor quality: these categories often rely simply on being in that genre to get attention and to get away with poor quality. Shakespeare, however, I think is worth reading, at least for adults. Dracula is very good as well (it has a good ending, by the way).

Incidentally, I find ridiculous the idea of a "good vampire" that only drinks animals' blood.
 
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We don't celebrate any of them. We do celebrate Thanksgiving though.
 
We don’t celebrate holidays either...knowing what you believe and whom you choose to follow is life changing. Not celebrating holidays was VERY hard for me, because of the memories I had as a kid. But learning about each holiday’s roots answered why we don’t celebrate them.. it was another step away from the cultural norm and into a more Biblical path. It’s said, ‘knowledge is power and the truth will set you free’.....I wonder if knowing what we believe and why we believe it, and then live in each new truth- that ‘power’ is His Power and that freedom is His freedom. Freedom from the strongholds of the cultural (and church) norm?
FREEDOM to each Man to obey God’s leading and each Woman to obey That Man she gave her life to.
 
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FairyLass said:
Okay! I am just wondering what your opinions are on Harry Potter. Everyone makes a deal out of it by buying the books, movies, and so on. I also saw today a Christian friend of mine posting a picture of her children with a Harry Potter advent calendar. Now I have never watched the movies, read the books or allowed my children near Harry Potter. I became irate when my sister in law knew that I do not allow this around my children and forced them to watch the movies. We do not get along and I felt this was one of her ways to disrespect me. I believe that these movies are solely witchcraft and evil. Do you watch these and should Christians be into Harry Potter? Am I overreacting with this?
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I’m with you, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it.
 
We don't celebrate Easter as it is a secular substitute for a commanded holiday, Passover. Because we are Torah observant and fellowship as much as possible with like minded people we also greatly minimize Christmas. I don't think in a proper context it's intrinsically bad but it is not currently expedient for us. Halloween is just evil. It's straight paganism.
 
Patrick Lauser said:
It is good to be sad about sad things, and to be repulsed by evil, and to face hard things with courage, and to realize the sufferings of the oppressed and those who fight for them:
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This is very true. The tricky part comes in defining such terms as evil, and what constitutes suffering under oppression, etc.
I grew up on Disney and with a very active imagination. As children my sisters and I played with the boy next door and we imagined that the mulberry tree was our spaceship, that we had suits with pockets like Mary Poppins carpet bag. (This allowed us to carry huge laser guns with ease) and if this isn't enough to give you the idea....you probably lack imagination. ;-)
Our older children have watched the lord of the rings, and I read the book. We steer a little shy of fantasy for children because we want them to live in and appreciate reality, at the same time sci fi like star trek, or unreal stuff is evaluated by us, and commented on, based on the ideas presented more then the "realism" of the characters.
Like I pointed out in another post, miracles are real. Phillip was instantly in another city. Phillip didnt say "beam me up" but what God did left Phillip wondering in awe, and the Ethiopian eunich convinced he had just met a messenger sent from God.
Moses matched every trick the magicians if Egypt could do....but his staff snake ate theirs.
Jesus told parables, and the rich man and Lazarus seems to affirm myths of the day...unless you dig deep, and realize that the audience knew who He was talking about.
You may like this booklet written by a pastor.
This is where fantasy and reality connect imho.

And we celebrate the natal anniversaries of our blessings, and Thanksgiving....and the day that this country was born and declared seperate from Brittan. And we sing carols about the birth of our King ALL YEAR! :-)
 

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Man@Home said:
But also the Ranger’s Apprentice (De Grijze Jager) and the other series from John Flanagan is read by all of them, including my wife. Seem to be nice books, but never read one so I can’t judge it.
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We like the Ranger's Apprentice stories and the other series from the same author. Enjoyable stories....if you have time to visit another world.
 
Matthew 21:45
Parables in that verse is plural. The rich man and Lazerus is also a parable and it foretold the denial of Christ's raising by these same people.
Some commentaries say these were Edomites in these positions, some just say the current high priest. Either way it is not affirming a burning hell, but communicating a different message then a simple reading.
 
A well loved wife already posted our positions on Ishtar and Christmas. As far as Halloween goes, I love to say things like, “It never ceases to amaze me, the lengths that professing Christians will go to to observe a Satanic holy day” as they are preparing for their Trunk or Treat or something like it. I have gotten the weirdest looks.

Then they’ll usually say something about it just being a Fall Festival, You mean like Thanksgiving? That’s a Christians’ Fall Festival.
 
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