harry potter and the order of the phoenix

[Shawn1313]

well for one you will have to ask, will they really be hooked on books or on witchcraft and wizardy....???

I am a fan but i believed im old enough to know that its all fiction and stuff, it just really entertains me... but for kids it could be a way of life... they might try to live it, like most of teenagers does, and i think thats dangerous... that is how some cults started.

I don't understand, why this would be bad? I have plenty of Pagan and Wiccan friends. They are awesome people. We just practice two different religions. Not a big deal to me.

 

[Chad]

I don't understand, why this would be bad? I have plenty of Pagan and Wiccan friends. They are awesome people. We just practice two different religions. Not a big deal to me.

Typical of your posts. First, you're a "gay Christian". Now, wiccan and pagan friends. Profile says favorite book is The God Box by Alex Sanchez (who promotes "gay christians").

You do need serious prayer. Its no wonder why you cannot see the truth. You think all the worldly junk that GOD speaks against is "ok". Why? Because your friends accept it so it must be right?

You cannot call yourself a Christian and deny the Word. It does not work that way.

How is it you call yourself a Christian and entirely ignore everything GOD stands for?

Matthew 7:19-23

19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

I Never Knew You

21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

How about some testimonials of ex-gays?

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ba3b8f89aa0a75a1a36a
http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=11005f5b293fc4e8eff4
http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=dcf84487ac37c4e94035
http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=232a0369405ba00b7303

 

[Strypes]

I don't understand, why this would be bad? I have plenty of Pagan and Wiccan friends. They are awesome people. We just practice two different religions. Not a big deal to me.

That would be the reason for your lack of discernment. Religion.

To understand you would need "relationship" with Almighty God through the saving grace of Jesus. Without the Holy Spirit you are in utter darkness.

 

[Etienne Marais]

Do you also believe Harry Potter is wrong because of the fact that the Bible clearly tells us to have nothing to do with witchcraft? I am a anti Harry Potter and as a Christian I wish to state that Harry Potter is daingerous. It is evil and people should know that the Bible clearly tells us to have nothing to do with witchcraft. Keep yourself and your children away from Harry Potter because it is straight out of the hell and dont let satan get away with his trix. As Christians parents should warn children to stay away from Harry Potter or any books with witchcraft. Even if it is just stories witchcraft is still wrong in God's eyes. Please keep on praying for the salvation of JK Rowling and all the actors in the Harry Potter movies. They dont know Jesus Christ the way that I did and need prayers for their salvation. Please keep on praying that they will return to Jesus Christ.

 

[Etienne Marais]

If you want to know facts go to http/.www.talkjesus.com//Harry is evil.

 

[Pressure]

I don't understand, why this would be bad? I have plenty of Pagan and Wiccan friends. They are awesome people. We just practice two different religions. Not a big deal to me.

HAHA. I have a friend whos wiccan, well his mom is. And he is the sweetest person I ever know..and he is gay..bi..im not sure.

So, in general. I agree with your post.

 

[MelechYisrael]

Shawn1313[/B]
I don't understand, why this would be bad? I have plenty of Pagan and Wiccan friends. They are awesome people. We just practice two different religions. Not a big deal to me.


Pressure;140399]HAHA. I have a friend whos wiccan, well his mom is. And he is the sweetest person I ever know..and he is gay..bi..im not sure.

So, in general. I agree with your post.

Being nice doesn't make one a Christian. Being a witch who believes in Jesus doesn't make one a Christian. Practicing witchcraft and being a nice witch, doesn't make one a Christian. And Wiccan is witchcraft. And there is no gray magik. No white magik. No black magik. The source is the same.

You cannot serve two masters. It just doesn't work that way.

If that were the case, then there was no need for me to leave my craft and accept Christ. I could worship Jesus while at the same time continue performing satanic rituals. Works for me.

And just exactly why do you figure God destroyed Sodom and Gomorah? For lack of anything better to do? Or...could it be because they were so depraved in their sexual activities, that it offended Him? It is a willful act that denies Christ.

1 Corinthian 6:9,10 - Do not be deceived, niether fornicators, nor idolaters, nor homosexuals...will inherit the kingdom of God.

Mark 10:6-8 - But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female...and the two shall become one flesh.

Romans 1:26,27 - For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

Galatians 5:19-21 - now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery...and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:24 - And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

 

[st.maxmar]

Great book and my favorite movie of the series so far

 

[Pressure]

Being nice doesn't make one a Christian. Being a witch who believes in Jesus doesn't make one a Christian. Practicing witchcraft and being a nice witch, doesn't make one a Christian. And Wiccan is witchcraft. And there is no gray magik. No white magik. No black magik. The source is the same.

You cannot serve two masters. It just doesn't work that way.

If that were the case, then there was no need for me to leave my craft and accept Christ. I could worship Jesus while at the same time continue performing satanic rituals. Works for me.

And just exactly why do you figure God destroyed Sodom and Gomorah? For lack of anything better to do? Or...could it be because they were so depraved in their sexual activities, that it offended Him? It is a willful act that denies Christ.

1 Corinthian 6:9,10 - Do not be deceived, niether fornicators, nor idolaters, nor homosexuals...will inherit the kingdom of God.

Mark 10:6-8 - But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female...and the two shall become one flesh.

Romans 1:26,27 - For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

Galatians 5:19-21 - now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery...and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:24 - And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Yes, I never said he was a christian, so the whole being nice comment doesnt count.

And, pretty much the only reason I am friends with him is to be a light in his life. To pretty much show, and teach him that being a christian isnt bondage.

He was a christian, but because of his ways he wasnt welcomed. Which I believe Christians wouldnt just look the other way with those people. I would think they would do what they can to sway that person to a normal lifestyle

 

[MelechYisrael]

Yes, I never said he was a christian, so the whole being nice comment doesnt count.

And, pretty much the only reason I am friends with him is to be a light in his life. To pretty much show, and teach him that being a christian isnt bondage.

He was a christian, but because of his ways he wasnt welcomed. Which I believe Christians wouldnt just look the other way with those people. I would think they would do what they can to sway that person to a normal lifestyle

Well, I'm glad to hear that you are doing what you can do to draw him back into the Lord's embrace. And I do apologize if I assumed you considered him a Christian.

I whole-heartedly agree with you. As Christians, we are to be known by our love...not just for our spiritual family, but also for those who do not know Him. If they do not experience Jesus in us...then they are not so willing to come to the cross. Condemnation and judgment do not draw the unsaved into a relationship with Him.

 

[Janette]

Binary logic

The unbeliever is already deceived. Harry Potter doesn't get them any further from God than they already are. If they are seeking God, they will see in the pages of Harry Potter nothing more than humans making human choices, for good or evil, and Good triumphing because ultimately it must. If they are seeking loopholes, then they will see world of powerful magic to be explored and tasted. Therefore, like Yoda's cave in Star Wars, there's nothing in these books that you don't take in with you when you start reading them.

Being with God is a binary thing. You are or you are not, there are no degrees. There are degrees of understanding what all it means to walk with Him, sure...but that's just the journey *after* the binary decision is made.

People with agendas and delusions of self-superiority *create* ranks and degrees, but that's their problem. The dying four year old child softly singing "Jesus loves me" and grasping the meaning of that wondrous Truth to the best of her tiny mind's ability as our Lord carries her home is going to the EXACT same Heaven as the wizened old pastor who has walked faithfully with the Lord for most of a lifetime. And neither of these blessed souls begrudges the other's position or method of reaching Heaven.

====

As for the dreaded Potter....

Let's read all 7 Harry Potter books in a paragraph:

Harry Potter took an ability he was born with and used it to help people and save lives. Voldemort took that same ability he was also born with and embraced every unethical, selfish, murderous opportunity to use it for his own ends. You could word for word replace every instance of "witch" or "wizard" with "scientist" and rewrite the entire series of novels only in terms of fictional technology and the story would not change. As I prefer sci-fi to fantasy, I think the change would have been an improvement.

In any case, that kind of inborn ability is not witchcraft or magic as defined in Scripture.

Satan's a sneaky wretch, but he lacks the ability to imbue random people at birth with any kind of power for his purposes. Assuming such nephilim did exist, they would either be demons themselves and therefore as defeated as the rest of Evil's children, or they'd be fully sentient and therefore essentially human...as open to embracing salvation as anyone else with free choice (and that might explain why we're told to preach the gospel to every creature and not just to every man/woman/child).

Even if he could bestow such ... gifts ... on random humans, the joke would be on him, for mankind rises or falls on the Free Will choice to believe the Lord Jesus is our Savior or not, to be judged by our actions or absolved of them by His blood...not for what qualities we are or are not born with.

-------

JK Rowling neatly avoided the question of the moral nature of her magic by simply not explaining how it worked.

Barring rules 1-3 above, God doesn't care if I pick up a feather and hold it in air, or tie it from a string tacked to the ceiling, or make it float on a puff of air from my A/C vent...or make it hover by apparently saying "leviosa" while using the (in Rowling's world) natural powers of my own concentration/mind/will to float it in midair.

The wands apparently tuned some "aether" about like an antenna would focus radio waves. Some creatures in the world had hair or feathers or whatever that were natural conductors for this equally natural force. And who created these beasts and forces if not God? The bible specifically mentions unicorns and sea monsters...what other wondrous beasts did He create? Anyway all this magical energy is the stuff of fanciful technology...not magic.

She *did* by the end of the seventh book, make it clear that "great" wizards did their work/manipulation without the need for any words, and sometimes without the need for their wands. So in the end the lesson appears to be that the magic feathers and wands were like Dumbo's "magic" feather...and everything is ultimately an exertion of human effort and human will. That puts us right back to the age old problem of man's will vs. God's will. Again, the answer is binary.

Assume for a moment you could concentrate and make something happen by *your* force of will alone. Ok, now what? Do you spy on the neighbor's wife in the shower...or make "sure" the driver of that speeding car sees the child with the ball up ahead. With every power at mankind's disposal, all we *ever* have before us is the choice of how to use it...according to God's precepts ... or ... not.

Right now radiation therapy is saving lives as doctors work heal the sick to drive cancer from human bodies. And right now shadows are still burned into the radioactive walls of certain old buildings in Hiroshima. It's all about what you choose to do.

-----
As for magic in general, there are only three forms of "magic" described in Scripture:

1) Doing (sometimes miraculous or even "good") stuff via contact with demons/spirits not of God

Almost every modern form of magic popular today demands this of its practitioners at some point. It should also be said that it makes no difference whether you are trafficking with these spirits as an underling, or "ordering them around" like a superior. Either way, you're fraternizing with the enemy. Real Angels do God's work, not yours.

2) Relying on utter superstition/inanimate objects (a form of idolatry) --or-- using a God-given object/talent selfishly or superstitiously.

These are the poor fools who randomly credit objects (decks of cards, crystals, the entrails of an owl, etc.) with magical traits. It should be noted that this EVEN happened with the Ark of the Covenant...but once the people of Israel began to think of that box as a magical talisman and not simply the physical representation of the Lord's throne on Earth, the Spirit of the Lord left...and the box was taken for a time by Israel's enemies.

However, it should also be noted that sometimes people ask the Lord to provide a sign via an object (Gideon was all about signs with his fleece...even to a horrible fault) or event (Abraham's servant asked the Lord to make it be such that the woman who offered to water his camels also be the wife for Isaac). Also sometimes the Lord imbues an otherwise natural object with power for His purposes (Moses' staff, the sticks Jacob put before the eyes of the mating sheep, etc.).

3) Playing off technology as "magic" (charlatans and possibly the mages of Pharaoh whom Moses bested by God's power given to him) for the sake of gaining power.

I am most reminded of the sorcerer who wanted to buy (so he could resell, I'm sure) the Holy Spirit when I think of this type of "magic." Sadly, I am also put in mind of the *millions* people pour out for any of a huge pile of books and tapes they think they need from "preachers" who tell them they've got "the" answer.

To this day, we see people who put utter nonsense out there ("The Secret" comes to mind), all with the primary goal of making money or getting stuff. JK Rowling spun a good tale, but I didn't buy her books thinking I was getting anything more than a bit of fiction, and I am not aware of her marketing them as anything but fiction either.

I did not believe I would come out of reading them stronger, richer, or wiser. I have only one book on my shelves of several hundred volumes to which I entrust that particular quality, and even it I know is but a pale and finite recording of a Truth that is infinite in magnitude.

===

The three forms of magic described above also equate to the three temptations of Christ by Satan in the wilderness. They are not quite a 1:1 match, for Satan was unable to hide behind objects with Jesus, but they do match. Ultimately those are the only three tricks Satan has.

 

[Etienne Marais]

Harry Potter is from the devil. Keep your self and your children very far away. The Bible clearly tells us to have nothing to do with witchcraft. Harry Potter is wrong.