How many Christians watch Harry Potter?

[jeriko]

Entertainment that does not uplift the name of Jesus is sinful. What we watch on tv is a prime example of how the enemy can decieve us to think that it is okay to watch such a sort because children are involved. The enemies main stream is to kill, steal and destroy. Witches and hocus pocus is sinful, read the word it don't say that Harry Potter is in the Bible but, knowing the true heart of Christ, the Holy Spirit within you should kick in and guide you to appropriate entertainment. As the word says again any unwholesome or foolishness is sinful. In order to stay pure we must surround ourselves in things that will add to our salvation to grow closer to Christ. The word says not to be unequally yoked so don't watch anything that you wouldn't watch in front of Christ himself. Hope that helped God Bless!

May I kndly disagree. Some things...Most things in this world do not uplift the name of Christ. A majority are sinful, but we need to be careful with a bold, all encompassing statement.

Going to a broadway show like the Lion King is that sinful?
Watching the news is that sinful?
Reading a newspaper is that sin?

The Apostle said, "all things are permissible to me, but not all things are profittable." Paul also quoted non biblical texts in his writtings. Paul used the present culture to expound Christ. We need to look at entertainment and use those good aspects to do the same.

All entertainment is not sin, most of it is sinful, but in and of itself it is a product of sinful people.

 

[wild01]

wizards first rule.


those of you who like Terry Goodkind will get that reference, and laugh, while those of you who are afraid reading any fantasy book that uses magic as a part of the plot line will be to afraid of corrupting yourselves to discover that, while to believe everything written in any fiction book is dangerous, many of these books contain incredible wisdom and insight as long as you can read them with a discerning spirit.

Purposely sheltering yourself is just as bad as embracing pop culture. We are not called to just be not of the world,
We are called to be in the world and still not of the world. It's easy to never compromise if you lock yourself in a room and never give yourself the chance to be tempted. However, that is not what God has called us to. In order to be in the world and not of it, you have to be in the world. You have to be willing to get up and go into the places that sinners hang out in. rub shoulders with them, understand where they are coming from, without compromising who you are in Christ.

Closeminded boycotting doesn't get us anywhere, if someone has a legitimate critique of Harry Potter then please feel free to post it, but keep in mind that in order to critique a book you have to have read it! Relying on someone elses word is just as bad as taking your pastors word for what the bible says without confirming it and checking whether he used the passeges in context.

I'm surprised noone has called for a boycott of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe yet after all even if it is based on a christian book written by one of the greatest christian authors in recent history imo the evil empire Disney is behind it and no good can come from Disney

end rant
if anyone needs me I'll be in the beer thread

 

[sherri]

If jesus wouldn't do it - it's sin.

And I'm sorry, but as much as many christians love to justify the movies and books because they love them....would Jesus watch or read a fiction story that glorified witchcraft and made it look attractive?


No.

 

[gitamerah]

I used to. Then I was told in a dream that Harry Potter is evil, and so is Disney. At the time, I was an avid Harry Potter fan. Though I understand why Harry Potter would be seen as evil, I couldn't find any reason why Disney would be evil. But, I did give up Harry Potter, for a time.

Eventually, I took it up again. But then, during a church retreat, the Lord led me to give it up again... along with all other forms of non-Christian entertainment. I was seriously upset with the Lord for making me give up Harry Potter, LOTR, and all those things.

I didn't understand why. Some of these things seemed genuinely harmless. Stuff like Princess Diaries, etc. But the Lord told me to throw it all out. All of it.

Eventually, after some rebellion on my part, I grudgingly obeyed. I didn't understand why I had to do it, but the Lord told me everything is beautiful in its time. And He was right. My relationship with the Lord has grown closer since then.

Now, I began to see things in those Harry Potter, etc. that isn't good. Beyond the obvious witchcraft, etc. All these things I used to like had one thing in common:

They don't glorify God. They glorify human effort and success without God's intervention. They teach you that if you're good enough, you're saved. Is that what Christ taught us? No. No human is "good". All have sinned. No one can be "good" enough to be saved. We need His grace to save us and get us through tough situations. Harry Potter doesn't teach that. Most of his successes were credited to his own goodness, tenacity, and pure luck.

 

[Genuine]

I originally read the first Harry Potter book because of the "uproar" about it and I wanted to make a decision on the facts instead of opinions. I didn't see a problem with it. It's a struggle of good vs. evil, as most movies are. Since then I've watched all the movies, pure entertainment for me.

I want to make sure though that y'all understand I respect the decisions of those of you who have decided not to watch/read Harry Potter.

 

[JulianaTheory]

I have never seen a Harry Potter movie or read any of the books. I have had no desire.

 

[AutumnDreamer]

I will agree with you! HP and LOTR IMO are both in th esame league. I watched LOTR b/c I had everyone telling me the great spiritual undertones in th emovie, sure there were spiritual undertones, it is all demonic! I hated them, I felt great conviction watching them. I won't watch HP. I will not allow anything to do with witchcraft in my home, that includes disney movies that include witchcraft. Narnia, was different, C.S.Lewis was a christian when he wrote it, he wrote specifically to portray the story of Jesus death and resurrection in a way that would entertain children. JK Rowlings is not in anyway a christian. and the guy who wrote LOTR (can't remember his name) was a christian when he died, but he was not a christian when he wrote LOTR. Magic is different from witchcraft.

 

[plmarquette]

The last Harry Potter episode was a little dark .... but the previous ones were fairly good .... a story of good and evil ... good wins ... context ...

No I am not happy with witches and warlocks , but look at what else the children are subject to on cable tv , mtv , satellite tv , etc. and by comparison ...

Even the discovery and history channels are coming from left field with liberal theologans and heretical texts and spurious gospels ...

short of going to sky angel Christian TV, renting christian videos , or reading books ... we need to pick our battles a bit better ..

 

[pastordavidd]

Hi, I am new here but I can't beleive Christians will watch and promote such a garbage show. I saw a bit of The Goblit of Fire for work and I thought it was a disgusting show for children. Just because kids are subject to worse things on cable or whatever else, any show that promotes something against the bible should not be watched or promoted.

 

[wild01]

Hi, I am new here but I can't beleive Christians will watch and promote such a garbage show. I saw a bit of The Goblit of Fire for work and I thought it was a disgusting show for children. Just because kids are subject to worse things on cable or whatever else, any show that promotes something against the bible should not be watched or promoted.

dave,
Please take the time to read/watch them in their entirety before passing judgement. they are not perfect, but as a fantasy series they are not really bad, so far anyway.

deciding they are evil after watching an excerpt selected specifically to enrage christians is like deciding the bible is pornagraphic because there is a passage that talks about a woman lusting after men with "ahem" 'members' similar to those on donkeys.

 

[pastordavidd]

dave,
Please take the time to read/watch them in their entirety before passing judgement. they are not perfect, but as a fantasy series they are not really bad, so far anyway.

deciding they are evil after watching an excerpt selected specifically to enrage christians is like deciding the bible is pornagraphic because there is a passage that talks about a woman lusting after me with "ahem" 'members' similar to those on donkeys.

I disagree that you have to watch the whole lot to be able to pass judgement. Would I have to watch a whole pornographic movie to be able to pass judement on it? I think not.

 

[AngelusSax]

I disagree that you have to watch the whole lot to be able to pass judgement. Would I have to watch a whole pornographic movie to be able to pass judement on it? I think not.

But you would have to read the entire Bible, rather than reading, say, just the Song of Solomon and deciding the Bible is altogether racy and "unclean" for children's consumption.

To those willing to think, Harry Potter isn't the ultimate evil that some would like to scapegoat it to be.

 

[wild01]

Ezekiel 23:1-21 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.



Ezekiel 23

The Two Immoral Sisters

1 The word of the LORD came to me again: 2 "Son of man, there were two women, (A) daughters of the same mother, 3 who acted like prostitutes in Egypt, (B) behaving promiscuously in their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their virgin nipples caressed. 4 The older one was named Oholah, [a] and her sister was Oholibah. [b] They became Mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah represents Samaria and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.
5 "Oholah acted like a prostitute even though she was Mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians: (C) warriors 6 dressed in blue, governors and prefects, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on steeds. 7 She offered her sexual favors to them; all of them were the elite of Assyria. She defiled herself with all those she lusted after and with all their idols. 8 She didn't give up her promiscuity that began in Egypt, (D) when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin nipples, and poured out their lust on her. 9 Therefore, I handed her over to her lovers, (E) the Assyrians she lusted for. 10 They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. Since they executed judgment against her, she became notorious among women. 11 "Now her sister Oholibah saw [this], but she was [even] more depraved in her lust than Oholah, and made her promiscuous acts worse than those of her sister. (F) 12 She lusted after the Assyrians: (G) governors and prefects, warriors splendidly dressed, horsemen riding on steeds, all of them desirable young men. 13 And I saw that she had defiled herself; both of them [had taken] the same path. 14 But she increased her promiscuity when she saw male figures carved on the wall, (H) images of the Chaldeans, engraved in vermilion, (I) 15 wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads; all of them looked like officers, a depiction of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth. 16 At the sight of them [c] she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. (J) 17 Then the Babylonians came to her, (K) to the bed of love, and defiled her with their lust. But after she was defiled by them, she turned away from them in disgust. 18 When she flaunted her promiscuity and exposed her nakedness, I turned away from her in disgust just as I turned away from her sister. (L) 19 Yet she multiplied her acts of promiscuity, remembering the days of her youth when she acted like a prostitute in the land of Egypt 20 and lusted after their lovers, whose sexual members were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions. 21 So you revisited the indecency of your youth, when the Egyptians caressed your nipples to enjoy your youthful breasts. (M)

 

[kingzjewel]

I used to. Then I was told in a dream that Harry Potter is evil, and so is Disney. At the time, I was an avid Harry Potter fan. Though I understand why Harry Potter would be seen as evil, I couldn't find any reason why Disney would be evil. But, I did give up Harry Potter, for a time.

Eventually, I took it up again. But then, during a church retreat, the Lord led me to give it up again... along with all other forms of non-Christian entertainment. I was seriously upset with the Lord for making me give up Harry Potter, LOTR, and all those things.

I didn't understand why. Some of these things seemed genuinely harmless. Stuff like Princess Diaries, etc. But the Lord told me to throw it all out. All of it.

Eventually, after some rebellion on my part, I grudgingly obeyed. I didn't understand why I had to do it, but the Lord told me everything is beautiful in its time. And He was right. My relationship with the Lord has grown closer since then.

Now, I began to see things in those Harry Potter, etc. that isn't good. Beyond the obvious witchcraft, etc. All these things I used to like had one thing in common:

They don't glorify God. They glorify human effort and success without God's intervention. They teach you that if you're good enough, you're saved. Is that what Christ taught us? No. No human is "good". All have sinned. No one can be "good" enough to be saved. We need His grace to save us and get us through tough situations. Harry Potter doesn't teach that. Most of his successes were credited to his own goodness, tenacity, and pure luck.

disney is all about using different types of witchcraft in its movies. Lion King has the monkey doing some type of leaf reading. Cinderella, the fairy godmother that casts spells. Snow white, the witch making potions. Sleeping beauty white and black magic fighting against each other. Little Mermaid, the witch in essence stealing souls and casting spells. There are more...but most of all think about it ...it's the MAGIC Kingdom of Disney.

Not saying Disney is evil...just the reasons why you were probably warned.

 

[wcwred]

I been talking to alot of christians lately that kep telling me they are watching Harry Potter. Would someone please reply that supports me in letting Christians know that Harry Potter is Evil and is an abomination to the Lord?

Amen! Of course so is anything that glamorizes evil. This would include Buffy the vampire slayer, bewitched, or anything else that could lead a child or "young" person into the "dark arts". Most Christians truly do not understand the concept of spiritual warfare. Most everything we do in the physical, sometimes irregardless of the intention, affects the spiritual. You do not have to be a pagan to strengthen Satan and his demons. Many Christians do it unknowingly every single day.

Charles
(and yes this goes for halloween and easter eggs)

 

[wcwred]

try using the KJV instead

 

[plum]

I will agree with you! HP and LOTR IMO are both in th esame league. I watched LOTR b/c I had everyone telling me the great spiritual undertones in th emovie, sure there were spiritual undertones, it is all demonic! I hated them, I felt great conviction watching them. I won't watch HP. I will not allow anything to do with witchcraft in my home, that includes disney movies that include witchcraft. Narnia, was different, C.S.Lewis was a christian when he wrote it, he wrote specifically to portray the story of Jesus death and resurrection in a way that would entertain children. JK Rowlings is not in anyway a christian. and the guy who wrote LOTR (can't remember his name) was a christian when he died, but he was not a christian when he wrote LOTR. Magic is different from witchcraft.

wow i'm shocked that nobody corrected this.

did you know that CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien (who wrote LOTR) were tight friends and both were faithful Christians? JRR Tolkien a Catholic and CS Lewis a Protestant? Talk about awesome unity. They used to hang out at a pub called the Eagle and Child in Oxford, England (I've been there. neat little place that's still open!) and talk about their books with other authors. What would I have given to be there in the room!

Please be sure to get the facts straight before saying something is "demonic" and "unChristian".

Actually, Tolkien helped lead CS Lewis to the L-rd in 1931.

here's an interesting article:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/archives/00001756.html
and another:
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1776581
ah, and again. these are good reads
http://www.cesnur.org/tolkien/033.htm

so your facts, I am inclined to say, are wrong.

that doesn't mean how you felt was wrong, just that the facts are.

shalom

 

[kiwimac]

Oh and JK Rowling is a Presbyterian.

I have never understood this need by other Christians to take something innocuous and change it into the "mother of all evils."

I have to say that Hp & LOTR are no more inherently evil than Pilgrim's Progress is inherently good.

Kiwimac

 

[wild01]

hey if anyone here wants to actually read one of these books and decide for themselves, I noticed that my church has these listed on ebay, support a good cause

http://cgi.ebay.com/Harry-Potter-an...goryZ377QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Harry-Potter-an...goryZ377QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[svtjones]

lotr and narnia are christian stories. they have been masked by the "story itself".