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The Trouble With Harry Potter - 3

CONNIE: Kids want to read them 10 times and buy all the DVD’s, some parents on the other hand want to burn them and then have a prayer meeting around the bonfire. When it comes to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, does the bomb fire brigade have a point?

CONNIE: Hi everybody, I’m Connie Jeffery and welcome to part 3 of our series with Pastor Steve Wholberg. Steve has written a very informative booklet called, Hidden Dangers in Harry Potter. If you would like a copy, write us at the Voice of Prophecy, or stop by and see us on the web. Now let’s listen to Lonnie and Steve again.

LONNIE: Steve, welcome again! Why has…or why are the children all over the world so eager for the next installment of Harry Potter?

STEVE: That’s a big question, and many people are asking that question.

LONNIE: Harry has the look of a nerd and the heart of a hero.

STEVE: Well, I think that there are many reasons why children are so fascinated with Harry Potter. I think one reason is the whole world of the supernatural is fascinating and enticing to our nature, especially as a Christian, I think of our fallen nature. So the natural human nature of man is curious about the black arts and the occult, and of the world of witches and sorcery. I think that as human beings we were created by God to have a relationship with Him, and in our world today, people don’t have that relationship so they are searching for something to fill that void, and sense most people don’t know and feel the power from God, they go and seek it out elsewhere.

LONNIE: This book…you are concerned that this whole Harry Potter Phenomenon is desensitizing kids, to make them open to witchcraft. They’re going to store buying red capes, and they’ve got lighting shaped scars on their foreheads, and wands, and big black glasses. I mean their going all out…talk about this phenomenon of witchcraft, is this just for Halloween only, or is there something to this?

STEVE: I think that parents need to be aware of the fact that witchcraft is a real religion; it is growing in the United States. It’s one of the fastest growing religions in the world. You can go online and go to Amazon.com; you can find thousands of books that deal with witchcraft and the occult. If you just type in the word Harry Potter on the internet you will get about 4 million hits, same as if you type in the word witch.

LONNIE: Now, your book called Hidden Dangers in Harry Potter, says that it is just jammed packed, with witches, warlocks, crystal balls , spells, curses, potions, charms, I mean the list goes on. Is real witchcraft in the Harry Potter books?

STEVE: Yes it is. There are other things that are fantasy. The Potter books are an ingenious blend of fantasy and reality. There are Elves and Goblins, things in the Potter books that everybody knows. But there are other things that are incorporated, there are real spells, and there are real people’s names. There are real places mentioned, and there is real history mentioned. Mrs. Rowling has admitted that about 30% of what are in these books comes from the real world of witchcraft and sorcery.

LONNIE: Of course, the most popular form of this whole religion is Wicca.

STEVE: and that is very much a part of the Potter books. In fact, Mrs. Rowling was once interviewed on the radio, and a caller called in and asked her if she was a part of the craft, because she was surprised at how much she knew about the Wicca religion. If you go into any book store you can go to the occult section and find books like Wicca for a new generation, Teen Witch, and others and a lot of these are targeted towards the younger generation. These books are not fantasy books like Harry Potter is.

LONNIE: So what you are saying is that Harry Potter creates interest in the real thing?

STEVE: There was a publication in England called This is London, and in the article is said that many kids were getting involved with Wicca, and witchcraft. There is a federation of Pagans in England which promotes the religion of Witchcraft, and they went on record stating that they had received a flood of inquiries from young people, about real witchcraft, as a result of kids reading the Harry Potter books. I’m not saying every person who picks up a Harry Potter book is going to want to become a witch. But there is evidence that many kids are getting interested in the occult and witchcraft. The real thing is out there and there is a short line between Harry Potter’s stuff and the real world of witchcraft.

LONNIE: Steve, for 75 years the Voice of Prophecy has been focusing on the Bible as we strive for answers that we do not understand in our incredible world. As the author of this book, Hidden Dangers, tell us a little bit from the Bible perspective. What does the Bible say, that should some warning lights…in exploring a book like Harry Potter which is so big, selling eight and half million books this last printing. I mean she is wealthier than the Queen of England. Well, what does the Bible say?

STEVE: When you look at the Bible, Old and New Testament, there are many verses that talk about witchcraft and sorcery, and they are all negative. There is no white witchcraft, and bad witches and good witches, as there are in the Harry potter books. The Bible say’s that it’s all bad. The Bible even says in Exodus 18: 22 that you should not permit a sorcerer to live. Leviticus says, do not regard them that have familiar spirits, or seek after wizards to be defiled by them, I am the Lord your God. And probably the most sobering verse is in Revelation where it says; thru sorcery all nations were deceived. And in fact, Revelation 18 explains that at some point witchcraft will cover the world, and deceive many, and my concern is that The Harry Potter books are contributing to that.

LONNIE: So Satan could be setting people up for a downfall with something as innocent as the Harry Potter books. So these books are desensitizing us to become more susceptible to evil. I ask parents about these dangers, and if they believe that these are real problems, and they do. They see the inviting and enticing nature of these books, and also see the evil carefully lied out inside. Teachers in the cities all over America are stunned by what these books have done.

STEVE: Satan is a real being. He is a mastermind, and he has an IQ off the charts. He knows how to mingle exciting things with dangerous sins.

LONNIE: Do you see the same dangers in the whole Left Behind series which has just taken off and captivated the world? This series is just like the Harry Potter in that it is deceitful and dangerous. And I should mention you do have a website, and a new book called end time delusions.

STEVE: I see real problems with the left behind series and I think people ought to be aware.

LONNIE: Thanks again Steve.