Harry Potter: Even Worse than the Smurfs

Mark Tesreau July 9th, 2007

Recently, I listened to the pastor of a well known mega-church sermonize from Revelation 21:8 that we should not see the Harry Potter movies because Harry is a sorcerer and sorcerers are going to Hell. So as not to take him out of context, his comments were as follows.

"I really think you ought to think long and hard before you let your children go see Harry Potter at the movie. I really want to encourage you in that area. God has, in the Old Testament and the New, come down hard against sorcery, and that's what Harry Potter's about. You say, 'Well it's just fiction.' Well, it's the wrong kind of fiction, in my opinion.

Now, don't get mad at me. You don't mind if I preach what's in the Bible, do you? You say, 'I didn't see Harry Potter in there.' Well, sorcery…you saw that, and he is one. So, just stay away from him. Amen."

First, let me say that I agree with the pontificating preacher who shall remain nameless when he says that we should pray, study the Word of God, and "think long and hard" before we let our children go see Harry Potter. For that matter, I believe a parent should think long and hard about every form of entertainment in which they allow their children to engage, not just Harry Potter. We have been charged with a sacred trust "“ the very souls of our seed "“ and to throw them unprotected, unprepared before the wolves of this world would be the greatest of evils. Nothing and no one should get a "free pass" to the hearts and minds of our children.

Secondly, the fiery friar emphasized that in the Old and New Testaments, God has "come down hard against sorcery." Again, I completely concur with this statement, but not to the extent that it insinuates God has come down harder on sorcery than He has any of the other sins, specifically those noted in Revelation 21:8, which are "cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars." According to that text (the text from which he preached), not only are sorcerers going to Hell, but so too are cowards, unbelievers, abominable (or detestable) persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, idolaters, and liars.

I'm not too arrogant to deny that I'm guilty of more than one of the above-listed sins, and God forbid anyone try to hold me to the standard of Romans 1:29-32. I confess that I am completely overwhelmed and crushed by the weight of God's holy law, and whether or not you want to admit it, you are too. We are all in bad shape when we try to measure up. I can't. You can't. Your pastor can't. My pastor can't. No one can.

In addition, the pompous pulpiteer opined that Harry Potter is the "wrong kind of fiction." He is certainly entitled to an opinion. He even has the right to be wrong. But since this statement is completely (by his own admission) his opinion, I'd really have to know upon what criteria it's based in order to respond appropriately. What is the "wrong" kind of fiction? What is the "right" kind of fiction? Who gets to decide this stuff? Heck, if I were really mean-spirited, I might say something like it's his sermons that are the wrong kind of fiction.

There are those out there who don't want to bother themselves with these kinds of questions. For them, finding a strong, charismatic personality to follow blindly is good enough. But before you decide to take the easy way out and adopt someone else's opinions as your own, just remember that these are the same kinds of folk who told us that it's wrong to drink root beer from a bottle, that there was no such thing as "Christian rock", that Star Wars would turn us to the New Age movement, that the Smurfs were demons, that Cabbage Patch dolls were possessed, that Tinky Winky was gay, and that Proctor & Gamble was run by Satanists. Coincidentally, four hundred years ago they told us the earth was flat and the Sun revolved around it.

At the end of his comments on Harry Potter, the pastor asked, "You don't mind if I preach what's in the Bible, do you?" No, I don't mind at all. My favorite preaching is the kind from the Bible. My least favorite is the kind that espouses man's precepts as though they were God's doctrines (Matthew 15:1-14).

Believe it or not, I do have a moral compass. I'm sure that if you've read this far, some of you are actually questioning that. I believe in testing the spirits. I believe in guarding one's heart. I believe in the process of sanctification. I love the Law of the Lord. It is perfect, and it is my meditation all the day. But when issues like this become the source of division and derision in the church, and I'm not sure who's overreacting and who's underreacting, I try to remember two things.

First, I remember the words of Thomas a Kempis, "In things essential, unity; in doubtful, liberty; in all things, charity."

Second, I remember the words of the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

And so I ask myself, has J.K. Rowling exalted her fictitious Harry Potter against the knowledge of God? After viewing the first four movies (I have yet to see the fifth film) and reading the first six books, I can honestly say that I don't believe she has. Harry isn't (or doesn't yet appear to be) a sorcerer even remotely in the vein of those warned against in Scripture. He's a wizard not unlike Gandalf or Merlin or the Great and Powerful Oz.

But make no mistake about it. If Rowling should ever decide to cross that line with her beloved hero, I won't hesitate to cast him down and bring him into captivity to the obedience of Christ, or as Harry would say "“ Expelliarmus!

Remember, nothing should get a "free pass" into our minds and hearts. Take every thought captive "“ be they from a novelist, a preacher…or even a blogger.

Mark Tesreau is a husband of one, father of three, and an all-around nice guy. Mark has no handyman skills, but he's a technology guru and a pinball wizard. He loves The Andy Griffith Show, admires GK Chesterton, misses Rich Mullins, and is discovering the hard way just how amazing grace is. Mark is a displaced Memphian who wants to be a writer/pastor/troubadour when he grows up. You can eavesdrop on his life at ragamuffinwriter.com.

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This entry was posted on Monday, July 9th, 2007 at 1:47 pm and is filed under Books, Culture, Harry Potter, Movies, Religion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.