What are your thoughts on Harry Potter and other Witchcraft Entertainment?
Before I begin, each week we have a discussion. Sometimes they may be controversial. However, I want to make it clear that NONE are going to become a mean spirited type of discussion. We are all sisters in Christ and we should act accordingly. If ANYONE posts a mean come back or has the profound need to force others to believe what they believe to the point of arguing, their comments will be deleted and never again approved on this site. So play NICE!
OK…on to the discussion part…
What are your thoughts on Harry Potter and other Witchcraft Entertainment?
Again…BE RESPECTFUL and KIND in your responses or you will be banned from the site. Period.
I will be doing a devotional on this in early 2011 on witchcraft, and I thought it would be a good discussion topic to see where my Christian Mom readers are at on this topic. Please know that I have a VERY clear and STRONG view on this topic and have wrote several pieces on it already. However, I am certainly NOT going to attack you if you feel differently. Do not be offended though if I DO reply with Scriptural evidence that contradicts your views. It is not… I repeat NOT meant to offend. This topic is meant to help us as Christian Mothers and daughters of the King learn HIS view on things and to become BETTER Mothers and examples to our children and the lost world we live in.
It is alarming how much witchcraft has become a prominent place in our society. Even Christians are buying into it in the name of entertainment. Well, quite frankly, I find it shocking to see how far from the Word’s standards we have come. From Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings to Princess and the Frog and everything in between. We have packaged it as “in your face” witchcraft, cutesy and even subtle. However, it is still all the same. Witchcraft.
Witchcraft and all that it implies is very UNHEALTHY and strongly prohibited Biblically…to participate in, endorse or let alone use for entertainment purposes. Our viewpoints and lifestyle should be measured by Biblical standards…NOT worldly…
A few Scriptures I found that I think are worth a read if you have become desensitized to this aspect of the world we live in.
- Lev. 19:26, 31; 20:6, 27
- Deut. 18:9-14
- Exodus 22:18
- 1 Samuel 15:23
- 2 Kings 17:13-18; 21:6
- Isaiah 8:19-20; 44:25
- Acts 8:9; 13:6; 17:11; 18-22
- Galatians 5:19-21
- 1 Timothy 4:1-2
- James 3:15
- Rev. 19:21; 21:8; 22:15
There are MANY more…LOL…but these should be helpful to get you started. I would also urge you to pray and ask God what He thinks about what you watch, read, listen to and allow in your life… and your children’s lives. I do not mean to seem “preachy”, however, I feel that we cannot ignore the Word of God, and act like we can just pick and choose the portions of it that we want to acknowledge. His ENTIRE Word is for teaching, learning, reproof and a GUIDE for ALL we do! God loves us and would not warn against something unless He was trying to protect us…and NO form of entertainment means more to me than my obedience to my Daddy’s Word. <3
OK, how about you? What is YOUR thoughts on this controversial topic??
If you would like to participate in past discussions, click here.
I watched Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and The Wizard of Oz as a child, and have shared them all with my children. We have also read all of the Chronicles of Narnia, and seen all of the movies released to this point, as well as reading and watching all of the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter books and movies, and the more recent Disney films. They are works of fiction, with no basis in reality, and as such they have no impact on our daily lives or our faithwalk.
Hi Lara,
I don’t allow any kind of witchcraft shows in our house. My boys haven’t seen Harry Potter or any of those things. They don’t even watch TV during the “Halloween” season because the shows all have to do with some sort of ghosts, witches, or goblins of some sort. I take what the Bible says and listen to what the Lord is telling me. We don’t celebrate Halloween, or let the kids play with witchcraft toys either. They are actually selling a Ouija board for kids now.
I have too much to say on this topic for a mere comment! In fact,I think I have already commented here on this topic before. I’ve been slowly gearing up for a blog post series that deals with this issue as one who was formerly steeped into witchcraft and the occult.
So until then, the short answer is: If God tells us to have nothing to do with it, and it is an abomination to Him, then why do we blatantly support a series that is nothing BUT witchcraft?
God tells us to have nothing to do with immorality and the like and many Christians feel strongly that we shouldn’t be watching things with nudity, fornication and other unbiblical things. I don’t see how this is different.
My thoughts are along the lines of Teresa’s. Fantasy, be it in books or movies, was something that I was brought up with so when it comes to fantasy with my children I don’t have a problem with it – as long as it is age appropriate and we have a discussion about it being only fictional.
You mentioned Harry Potter in the title so I will use that for my example. I love Harry Potter, the books and the movies. The series is nothing more than a struggle of good verses evil set in a fantasy environment (my opinion). When my son, 6 years-old, wanted to read the first Harry Potter book I said ok. I read it with him and afterwards we watched the movie. The whole way through we constantly talked about how it was not real. However, age appropriateness is crucial for me so when he asked to read the second one I firmly said NO. I told him he needed to be older – as the story goes on it does take on a darker feel, and for a 6 year-old, even if he knows it is fake, it just isn’t a good fit (my opinion).
LIkewise, I allow my daughter to watch the Disney movies with witches and fairies and such. She is 4 years-old and will tell anyone who asks that it is fake. If she thought it was real I would not let her watch them.
Of course, I really believe that the distinction between fantasy and reality is one that parents need to take seriously – we have to teach it to our kids and that is what my parents did for me and what I do for my kids.
Fiction and Non-Fiction are key words in the vocabulary of my home and both kids know what they mean.
Great discussion!
I love that you have brought this topic up!! I live in an area the witchcraft is very much real and prevalent. I grew up being taught what God’s Word says about witchcraft and that we are to be cautious.