My Spiritual Battle With Harry Potter
My Spiritual Battle With Harry Potter
By David Traylor
I hate to use the word hate. But I hate it when I fall into a trap. Harry Potter was the bait and I tumbled headfirst into a pit of my own making.
I have always prided (uh!) myself on not taking at face value what I hear. For the last two decades I have tried to test and research the truth of a matter for myself. I developed this habit having been sucked into a number of doctrines, teachings and beliefs that I eventually found out to be, to put it charitably, unbiblical. Then who should come blazing over landscape of popular culture riding their broomsticks but J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter.
I heard all the talk about Harry Potter, witchcraft, magic, witches, dragons, wizards and all sorts of other nefarious things. Then when the film rocketed to the top of charts for weeks and weeks, and when almost every business in the western, and parts of the eastern, world were flooded with Harry Potter toys, games, collectibles, trading card games, clothing, school supplies, sheet music and even valentine items, I knew the civilized world was poised for an awakening of profound darkness in the hearts of the youth of the world. How could it be otherwise with this seemingly unblinking acceptance of a raging river of demonic and unclean retail products?
Cracks began to form in the wall of my opinion when a number of our friends let their children read the book and see the film of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. As an example, a former worship leader at the church I sporadically attend let his son, one year older than mine, read the same book. I was shocked. Then he said that he had read the book himself andÉand liked it! I was appalled! What could these people be thinking? DidnÕt they know what was in this thing?
You don’t have to open a garbage can to know what is in it, do you?
Then we had a friend visit us from New Zealand. He is a powerful spiritual authority and an internationally recognized teacher. We had just been talking about The Fellowship of the Ring film and I highly recommended that he see it. We both are huge fans of world cinema and the four J. R. R. Tolkien hobbit books. We have spent hours discussing film in general and dozens of films specifically. Somewhere in our conversation I told him of my reluctance to see the Harry Potter film. He paused.
His question was: "What’s the difference between Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring?"
"Well," I stammered, "The Lord of the Rings" doesn’t advocate the use of witchcraft by young people!"
He just looked at me. His question remained blatantly insufficiently answered.
After my friend departed back to New Zealand I talked to my wife about the difference between the two films. Both have magic, wizards and unearthly doings of all sorts. She reminded me about our friends and acquaintances that had read the Harry Potter book and had a far different opinion than mine. She suggested that I read it myself and come to my own conclusion.
Well, I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and have come to a number of conclusions. Here they are:
1. I am a pompous and prideful hypocrite.
2. I talk the talk but need to be prodded to walk the walk of even my own talk.
3. Making up your own mind is infinitely better than having the perceived truth of others infiltrating your brain and into spirit .
4. Truth is better than opinion, no matter where or who the opinion comes from.
Oh, the book...I liked it! I look forward to reading the other books in the series as well. I also hope to see the film shortly.
This turn around of opinion has had many ramifications.
I knew I needed to have a sit down talk with my eight year old son. After much pontificating and highlightling the gruesome spiritual ramifications I had heaped on him in regards to this book it was more than necessary that I try to make this crooked way straight.
I told him that fathers make mistakes. I told him I was wrong about the Harry Potter book and it wasn’t so bad after all. I went through a long, and probably way too involved explanation of why I changed my mind. He is a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and I tried to point out their similarities and differences as works of fiction. He listened patiently. Then I asked him to forgive me. He did. He’s a good boy with a good heart. He really seemed to understand.
Then I asked my son if he would like to read the book., "No way!" he said a little louder than usual.
I said, "How about reading the first chapter? If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read any more."
He reluctantly agreed. Sometime later he came out of the bedroom and handing the book to me he said "Here Dad,".
"Wanna’ read the rest of it?" I too cheerfully asked.
"No, thank you."
"Wanna’ see the movie?
"No, thank you."
"You sure"
"I’m sure. Thanks anyway."
"Well, O.K."
That ended that.
Ouch. Make up your own mind about matters of culture and art. Especially before you shout your opinions from the house tops. Don’t listen to me. Find out independently. Learn the truth for yourself and the truth, and your understanding of that truth, will set you free.
By David Traylor
I hate to use the word hate. But I hate it when I fall into a trap. Harry Potter was the bait and I tumbled headfirst into a pit of my own making.
I have always prided (uh!) myself on not taking at face value what I hear. For the last two decades I have tried to test and research the truth of a matter for myself. I developed this habit having been sucked into a number of doctrines, teachings and beliefs that I eventually found out to be, to put it charitably, unbiblical. Then who should come blazing over landscape of popular culture riding their broomsticks but J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter.
I heard all the talk about Harry Potter, witchcraft, magic, witches, dragons, wizards and all sorts of other nefarious things. Then when the film rocketed to the top of charts for weeks and weeks, and when almost every business in the western, and parts of the eastern, world were flooded with Harry Potter toys, games, collectibles, trading card games, clothing, school supplies, sheet music and even valentine items, I knew the civilized world was poised for an awakening of profound darkness in the hearts of the youth of the world. How could it be otherwise with this seemingly unblinking acceptance of a raging river of demonic and unclean retail products?
Cracks began to form in the wall of my opinion when a number of our friends let their children read the book and see the film of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. As an example, a former worship leader at the church I sporadically attend let his son, one year older than mine, read the same book. I was shocked. Then he said that he had read the book himself andÉand liked it! I was appalled! What could these people be thinking? DidnÕt they know what was in this thing?
You don’t have to open a garbage can to know what is in it, do you?
Then we had a friend visit us from New Zealand. He is a powerful spiritual authority and an internationally recognized teacher. We had just been talking about The Fellowship of the Ring film and I highly recommended that he see it. We both are huge fans of world cinema and the four J. R. R. Tolkien hobbit books. We have spent hours discussing film in general and dozens of films specifically. Somewhere in our conversation I told him of my reluctance to see the Harry Potter film. He paused.
His question was: "What’s the difference between Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring?"
"Well," I stammered, "The Lord of the Rings" doesn’t advocate the use of witchcraft by young people!"
He just looked at me. His question remained blatantly insufficiently answered.
After my friend departed back to New Zealand I talked to my wife about the difference between the two films. Both have magic, wizards and unearthly doings of all sorts. She reminded me about our friends and acquaintances that had read the Harry Potter book and had a far different opinion than mine. She suggested that I read it myself and come to my own conclusion.
Well, I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and have come to a number of conclusions. Here they are:
1. I am a pompous and prideful hypocrite.
2. I talk the talk but need to be prodded to walk the walk of even my own talk.
3. Making up your own mind is infinitely better than having the perceived truth of others infiltrating your brain and into spirit .
4. Truth is better than opinion, no matter where or who the opinion comes from.
Oh, the book...I liked it! I look forward to reading the other books in the series as well. I also hope to see the film shortly.
This turn around of opinion has had many ramifications.
I knew I needed to have a sit down talk with my eight year old son. After much pontificating and highlightling the gruesome spiritual ramifications I had heaped on him in regards to this book it was more than necessary that I try to make this crooked way straight.
I told him that fathers make mistakes. I told him I was wrong about the Harry Potter book and it wasn’t so bad after all. I went through a long, and probably way too involved explanation of why I changed my mind. He is a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and I tried to point out their similarities and differences as works of fiction. He listened patiently. Then I asked him to forgive me. He did. He’s a good boy with a good heart. He really seemed to understand.
Then I asked my son if he would like to read the book., "No way!" he said a little louder than usual.
I said, "How about reading the first chapter? If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read any more."
He reluctantly agreed. Sometime later he came out of the bedroom and handing the book to me he said "Here Dad,".
"Wanna’ read the rest of it?" I too cheerfully asked.
"No, thank you."
"Wanna’ see the movie?
"No, thank you."
"You sure"
"I’m sure. Thanks anyway."
"Well, O.K."
That ended that.
Ouch. Make up your own mind about matters of culture and art. Especially before you shout your opinions from the house tops. Don’t listen to me. Find out independently. Learn the truth for yourself and the truth, and your understanding of that truth, will set you free.
posted by KFF at 9:50 AM
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