Guarding Your Child
You can thank J. K. Rowling for this article. Rowling is the author of the enormously popular Harry Potter series, which centers around an unsuspecting boy who discovers he's a wizard and attends the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. When my kids' friends raved about Harry, my daughter, Haley, 9, and son, Taylor, 10, clamored for the book. I decided to prayerfully read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone first.
To my surprise, I discovered a fantasy story complete with mythical creatures, fire-breathing dragons, and a three-headed guard dog. I also discovered Rowling's central characters are imperfect kids who aim to do good. They model self-sacrifice, courage, and kindness, while learning to identify and resist evil.
After reading the first book in the series, I researched what others whom I respected said about it. According to well-known author Charles Colson, it's fine for parents to read the books with their kids. Focus on the Family has presented the series' pros and cons, then leaves that decision to parental discretion. And Christianity Today magazine ran an editorial on "Why We Like Harry Potter." So I chose to read the book aloud to Haley and Taylor.
Not long after I did, I received a letter from a friend who works for a Christian organization. In it she warned that the Harry Potter series was "insidiously engineered to open our children to the world of witchcraft now so cleverly whitewashed by the media." At first, her letter troubled me. By reading Harry Potter to my kids, had I inadvertently exposed them to a tool of the devil?
Protecting my children's spiritual well-being is of utmost importance to me. Unfortunately, our culture barrages kids with a myriad of occult influences daily. Surf the television networks and you'll find family-hour offerings such as Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, and The X-Files. Kids openly tell tales of playing with Ouija boards, "levitating" someone at slumber parties, or making contact with "spirit guides." Beads, charms, or crystals that promise to bring the wearer peace, happiness, and prosperity are the height of fashion. While browsing a mega-bookstore, my son spotted a display case filled with fortune telling paraphernalia. Even the popular Pokemon fad refers to psychic powers.
What's a Christian parent to do? Ignore occult influences entirely? Separate my kids from them as best I can? Or help my children translate what comes through popular culture in biblical terms? As our family has carefully searched God's Word, we've decided to follow option number three.
After prayerfully checking my conscience and my reasons, I feel at peace with my decision to read my kids Harry Potter stories. While the books introduce them to some occult terms the Bible says are real and forbidden, I'm able to use Rowling's story to put these elements into a Christian context.
Originally published in: Today's Christian Woman, 2000, September/October, Vol. 22, Issue 5, Page 52
Related Topics:
Children, Fantasy, Harry Potter, Occult, parenting, Popular culture, Protection
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Ammy
One great reason why you should read the books WITH your child is because there is some questionable language.
lettuce.
I talked to my mom about this and she said that magic and other stuff like that is just like Santa, or the Tooth Fairy. You believe it as kids, but when you grow up, you realize how fake it is and move along. Only really stupid people actually stick to that sort of stuff.
VJ
Great tips on protecting our kids & I appreciate the alternatives listed. However, your rationalizations for reading this book to your kids are not scriptural. I encourage you to use this as an incredible learning experience to explain to your children why it is NEVER acceptable to expose ourselves to witchcraft & ask for their forgiveness. We live in a society of confusion & politically correct compromise. The BEST way to truly discern - GO TO GOD'S WORD! Witchcraft is declared to be an abomination (Exodus 22:18; Deuteronomy 8:9-12; 1 Samuel 15:23; Isaiah 8:19-20). Those who practice it are in rebellion against God (1 Samuel 15:23) subject to the death penalty (Exodus 22:18). They will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21), are detestable to the Lord (2 Kings 21:6; Micah 5:12; Isaiah 47:12; Ezekiel 13:18, 20; Acts 8:11-24; Leviticus 20:27; Exodus 7:11; Revelation 9:21; 22:15), will be cast into the burning lake of fire (Revelation 21:8)
RadWitch
Actually, divination is used a LOT in the Bible, by people who are supposedly Godly. For instance, in the New Testament book of Acts, lots are cast to determine who will take the place of Judas among the disciples after his death. But Christians usually try to ignore this.
Emilie
I am a fan of Harry Potter and have always felt comfortable with the series because the "magic" was always mechanical--involving non-real magic, like swishing a twig to move something. Practices such as fortune telling are also looked upon as ridiculous in the books. However, something in The Deathly Hallows I found questionable. One of the Deathly Hallows (aka Relics of Death) was called the Resurrection Stone, something Harry used to bring his dead parents to him in what he felt was a time of need. Now I'm not sure what to think. Any opinions?
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