Author Calls Potter "Christian Literature"???
Homeschooling mother and literature expert Nancy Brown once banned all "Harry Potter" books from her home, having heard witness after witness to the book's "evil" content. But when a trusted friend recommended she give the boy wizard a second chance, she did – with great trepidation. The results of her tests were a surprise to both the Catholic community, and to Brown herself.
"I began reading the first book, and immediately I started absorbing the plot line and the character. The fact that they were witches immediately fell to the background. First and foremost, they were people," Brown told WND.
After she encountered the humanity of the characters, Brown found that the themes became infinitely relatable, and even spiritual. "The choices that Harry Potter had to make were important. His momentary despairs, his aching feelings for his parents – these things resonated with me. I thought, 'Gee, these books really do have good themes,' although they were couched in a story about witches and wizards."
But Brown's conclusions are in opposition to the positions adopted by others regarding the books.
Caryl Matrisciana, a well-known expert on contemporary cults, paganism and the occult, says "There is no doubt children are being seduced into believing the dark-arts are 'fun,' benign and a positive power for personal enablement. But responsible parents must be aware that the supernatural world is a reality and dabbling with its dark-side is not harmless."
(That's an understatement if I ever heard one!)
"Our children are immersed in its cruelty and depravity in a daily battle vying for their spirits and they want the power to tackle it," she continued. "But," Matriciana says, "the spiritual" themes in the "Potter" books stem from the books' entanglement with Wicca, not Christianity.
Her acclaimed DVD program, "Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged," dramatically documents Potter references to evolution, reincarnation, sorcery, divination, spells, curses and other occult influences. (All of which are clearly forbidden in Scripture. Read Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, focuses on the sociological implications.
"These books and movies teach rebellion against authority," he said, and "when they add to this rebellious attitude the stupid aphorism that 'You're really a good person,' then one must seriously ask, 'What are these narcissistic children supposed to think?'"
Quite simply, they will think that "their rebellion is part of their goodness, and then they become part of the growing crowd of rebellious young people," he concluded.
