What is wrong with Harry Potter?
No one can argue against the popularity of the Harry Potter series.
Some schools are even willing to use it as part of their curriculum. In a time of
television and computer games, Harry Potter makes children want to read. Thus any
criticism of Harry Potter is seen in a very negative light, considering this positive
reading influence. But still, if one looks a bit deeper into Harry Potter, one sees a
darker picture that could have a much worse influence on our children than we would like
to think.
The following articles give an idea of the the popularity of Harry
Potter:
Wild about Harry
Small wizards in pointy hats and trainers were being interviewed like
celebrities on the platform at Didcot Railway centre. The mothers of small wizards were
being waylaid and debriefed about the spell that had been cast over their children by
You-Know-Who. The fathers of the wizards pressed their noses to the opaque windows of the
railway carriage, hoping to glimpse You-Know-Whos golden head inside.
And yet mysteriously, unbelievably, there are places where the identity
of You-Know-Who is not universally understood. Despite its starring role in the publishing
extravaganza, Didcot, in Oxforshire, is one of them. Some of the station staff had only an
imperfect grasp of who the crowds of little people in starry cloaks were shuffling forward
to meet. We heard Harry Potter was coming, said a uniformed crowd controller, But whats
her name?
JK Rowling, the said-eyed woman at the centre of the publishing
phenomenon of our times, does not mind this sort of confusion. Harry, after all, is her
hero too.
... her
encounters with children are brisk and quite businesslike. I like children, but I am not
sentimental about them, she says.
Shes just a ordinary person, says a boy with a Harry Potter lightning
scar on his forehead and Potter spectacles painted around his eyes. Im here for Harry
Potter.
...Jessica (Rowlings daughter) is nearly seven now. Rowling vowed not
to introduce her to the Potter books until she was seven, but all her school friends were
talking about the latest exploits at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy.
They would be asking her about Quidditch and she wouldnt have a clue.
She was getting a lot of attention at school and it reached the point where I felt I was
excluding her from a large part of my life, as well as from Potter conversations. So I
broke my rule. Now shes totally obsessive about the stories.
Its freaky because this is my daughter...
(Sunday Times Lifestyle 23 July 2000)
Magician for Millions
Judging by the millions of readers hes bewitched so far, Harry Potter
is indeed a very powerful wizard. The entire Newcombe family, for example, lies under
Harrys spell...
... The books have been translated into 27 languages in 130 countries
...
... Rowling nails it when she says,
Harry is smart and good at sports and a lot of things that other
children would like to be, but children feel for him because he lost his parents. If an
author makes a character an orphan, few children will want to be an orphan, too. But it is
a freeing thing, because the weight of parental expectation is lifted.
Harrys adventures have children reading them six and seven times
apiece. Kids put on plays and make up games based on the books. They decorate T- shirts,
mount puppet shows, give readings. One 11-year-old boy even printed up educated at
Hogwarts business cards to hand out to friends. It is commonplace for Potter fans to read
one of Rowlings books in a single sitting, a remarkable fact given that each of her books
is more than 300 pages long. Even Rowling is amazed. I met a boy at a school in England
who recited the first page of the first book to me from memory, recalls the 33-year-old
author. When he stopped, he said, I can go on. He continued reciting the first five pages
of the book. That was unbelievable....
Lately even adults without children are buying the books in large
numbers. Bloomsbury, Rowlings English publisher, even went so far as to print up separate
dust jackets, one for kids, one for adults, to spare adults the embarrassment of toting a
kids book around. So far the adult version of Sorcerers Stone has sold 30 000 copies. That
doesnt surprise Rowling. Before she sold the first manuscript, she says, I wasnt really
aware that it was a childrens book. I really wrote it for me, about what I found funny,
what I liked....
Newsweek 23 August 1999
In the book Harry Potter and the goblet of fire, one finds the
description of the following bad behaviour and occult practises: translocation; witches
and wizards; white and black magic; speaking in a trance; casting of spells;
fortune-telling; bad language; horror, spirits and ghosts; elves; astrology; proclaiming
curses on people; mind-control; transfiguration; violence against parents; rebellion
against authority and more..
Translocation.
Wherere Bill and Charlie and Per-Per-Percy? said George, failing to
stifle a huge yawn. Well, theyre Apparating, arent they? said Mrs Weasly, having the large
pot over the table and starting to ladle porridge into bowls. So they can have a bit of a
lie-in.
Harry knew that Apparating was very difficult, it meant disappearing
from one place and re-appearing almost instantly in another.
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 63)
Dr Kurt E. Koch wrote in his book Occult ABC the following regarding
this practice:
Translocation
Translocation is an even more remarkable phenomenon than levitation.
Translocation is a change of place by means of demonic powers. This idea is found in
popular myths and folklore. Among the Muslims there are stories of flying carpets. In
Germany we have tales of witches who ride on a broomstick on the witches sabbath, and the
tale of the seven-league boots.
On the mission field, however, I have heard accounts from missionaries
which have nothing to do with such fantasies.
Example 259 In Japan I was told that there were a few Shintoist priests
who possess demonic powers. They have the power, given them by Satan, to dematerialise on
the top of one mountain and to reappear a few minutes later on the top of another
mountain. When one hears such a story for the first time, one dismisses it as pure
fantasy. I, however, have heard such stories on every continent except Europe and North
America ...
Example 260 In India I have heard stories about translocation from
reliable and responsible witnesses. Indian sorcerers can cross rivers by means of
spiritist translocation ...
Example 262 The most impressive and best attested example I have is
from Haiti. This island is well known as a stronghold of Satan, being renowned for voodoo.
When I was lecturing in Haiti, I heard some most remarkable things. An American
missionary, who had been working in Haiti for fourteen years, told me some of his
experiences. I will recount one example of riding on the wind.
A voodoo sorcerer wished to send a letter to a colleague, who live some
one hundred-fifty mile away. He sent his boy off with the letter. When he had gone about a
hundred yards from the house the boy became invisible. About half an hour later, he had
reached the colleagues house. The sorcerer wrote a reply. About two hours later, the boy
had returned with this reply. He had covered about three-hundred miles without using any
means of transportation. The letter of reply was the evidence that the boy had been there.
(Occult ABC, page 249-250)
Witches and wizards.
They made their way slowly through the rows, staring eagerly around. It
was only just dawning on Harry how many witches and wizards there must be in the world; he
had never really thought much about those in other countries.
Their fellow campers were starting to wake up. First to stir were the
families with small children. Harry had never seen witches and wizards this young before.
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 75)
Not only are witchcraft and wizardy described as normal practice, but
also that there are many young witches and wizards in the world. Children are led to
believe that witches and wizard are normal practice and that they may at even a young age
participate in it.
The following was reported by Associated Press.
"Potter Charms Modern-Day Witches"
by Deepti Hajela (Associated Press, May 30, 2000)
NEW YORK (AP) - He's a charmer, that Harry Potter.
The adolescent hero of J.K. Rowling's series rides a broom, owns an Invisibility Cloak and
magic wand and has cast a spell over young readers the world over. He's got modern-day
witches enchanted, too.
``For once, the witches aren't ugly old hags,'' said Michael Darnell, a 39-year-old
computer programmer from Winnipeg, Canada, who has been a practicing witch for 25 years.
``For once they're the protagonists rather than the villains.'' Darnell is one of the
thousands of North American adherents of Wicca, a faith linked to witchcraft. No one knows
how many people practice Wicca, but estimates run from 300,000 to more than 1.5 million
people following what they describe as a nature-based belief system that existed in Europe
before Christianity. However, witchcraft has always had a darker image in popular culture,
often linked to devil worship and decried by some Christians as an affront to God. From
Shakespeare to Salem, witches have usually been portrayed as evil, curse-casting
troublemakers. Not in Harry's case. He and his friends go to school to learn witchcraft
and have all kinds of magical adventures along the way. In his world, the non-witches are
the weird ones - a welcome change for witchcraft practitioners. ``If somebody wants to
write about us as being fun, interesting, magical people, we don't mind that at all,''
said Jane Raeburn, 35, a writer in Wells, Maine, who has been practicing Wicca for 10
years. The Potter books - the fourth volume is scheduled for release July 8 - don't
actually deal with the philosophical precepts of Wicca or any specific religious
tradition. Instead, Harry and company fight the good fight against the forces of evil
aided by the stereotypical pop culture notions of witchery - flying brooms, magical
instruments, spells. That in itself has been enough to concern some Christian parents.
Last year, the series topped the list of books that parents or certain groups tried to
have taken off shelves, according to the American Library Association. The books were
removed in some schools after parents raised concerns that the series was promoting
witchcraft. Modern-day witches find that laughable...
In the Potter books people without magic powers are looked down upon.
In a degrading way they are referred to as Muggles. For children this creates the
impression that you are nothing if you do not possess magical powers. In an article in the
Joy magazine of October 2000 Whats wrong with Harry Potter the following was written on
this topic:
Muggles
Non-witches, called Muggles, are usually portrayed in this book quite
negatively. The family that adopted Harry after his parents died his mothers sister and
her husband, are painted in the worst possible way.
Their admittedly bad character and opposition to witchcraft (which they
see as weird) are combined, so that one is left with the impression that opposition to
witchcraft and the occult is silly, narrow-minded, cruel and the result of stupidity and
ignorance.
One sees this portrayal of Muggles even more clearly in foreign
translations of the books. In Italian, Muggles is translated as Babbani, which sounds like
babbioni, meaning idiots, ant the Dutch word is Dreuzel sounding like dreutel, slang for a
clumsy person.
Naturally, part of this is a plot device so that Harry can finally
escape a painful environment, and many children may identify with this. However, what is
Harry escaping to? The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy!
In fact, many troubled teens do escape to the world of the occult which
seems to offer empowerment, meaning, and a sense of belonging. Are these not what Harry is
seeking at Hogwarts? Is a model based on the occult a safe place of escape?
(Joy Magazine October 2000 page 10)
White and black
magic.
The whole idea of white and black magic as two opposing forces are
strongly portrayed in the book. One can decide if you want to practice white or black
magic. The following are examples of this:
And I trust you remember the many proofs I have given over a long
career, that I despise and detest the Dark Arts and those practise them? Mr Crouch shouted
...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, page 122)
Durmstrangs another wizarding school? said Harry.
Yes, said Hermione sniffily, and its got a horrible reputation.
According to An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe, it puts a lot of emphasis on the
Dark Arts.
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 147)
Dr Kurt E. Koch writes:
Black magic is distinguished from white magic by its form. In the
worldwide literature of magic, it is maintained that black magic is done by the help of
the devil and white magic with the help of God. This definition is false. White magic is
just as dependant on the powers from below as is black magic. The evidence is not
difficult to find. The effects of white magic are the same as those of black magic. In
white magic the three highest names are used for these evil ends. Usually a magic charm is
added to the three highest names, taken from the Six and Seventh Books of Moses or from
another book of magic.
(Occult ABC page 135)
Joy magazine writes:
White Magic, Black Magic
A popular claim made by witches today is that they are white witches or
that they practice white magic and use their powers for good. This idea is central in this
Harry Potter book, since Harry is learning how to use sorcery in a good way. Spells are
sometimes used on Muggles.
God condemns all sorcery, so there is no such thing as white or dark
magic; it all comes from the same place. Characters in the book use sorcery to fight dark
or black magic and there is even a course at Hogwarts teaching students how to protect
themselves against the dark forces, all the while they are studying the very stuff of
sorcery charms, potions, spells, etc. But God condemns all sorcery, so there is no such
thing as white or dark magic; it all comes from the same place. The only people who make
these distinctions are occultists. Remember, Harry is not learning magic tricks; he is
learning occult magic.
(Joy Magazine October 2000 page 14)
In the report "Potter Charms Modern-Day Witches" by Deepti
Hajela (Associated Press, May 30, 2000) the witches of the Wicca witches association refer
to the influence of Potter as follows:
``For once, the witches aren't ugly old hags,'' said Michael Darnell, a
39-year-old computer programmer from Winnipeg, Canada, who has been a practicing witch for
25 years. ``For once they're the protagonists rather than the villains.''
"Potter Charms Modern-Day Witches" by Deepti Hajela
(Associated Press, May 30, 2000)
According to this witch the good about Potter is the fact that witches
are not portrayed as bad people (villains).
``It portrays witches in positive ways ... but it does not portray my
religious beliefs,'' said Chad Anctil of the Witches' League for Public Awareness. A big
admirer of the Harry Potter books, Anctil loves the writing and the entertaining stories.
But he said ``it is difficult for the religion to be taken seriously when books like this
portray it as magic.'' The common thread that draws witches and non-witches to the book is
its engaging storytelling, which explores the difficulties of growing up and has kids
dealing with issues of right and wrong - and standing up for what they believe. ``What
you're talking about are the choices people make,'' said Christina Aubin, parenting
coordinator for the Clearwater, Fla.-based Web site, The Witches' Voice. Her 10-year-old
daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan. ``It teaches her to think for herself,'' Aubin said.
"Potter Charms Modern-Day Witches" by Deepti Hajela
(Associated Press,
May 30, 2000)
When visiting the Witches Voice website on Internet, one find webpages
like Dreamthorn's Pagan website with information like NEW DEMONOLOGY SECTION. GET YOUR OWN
DEMON TODAY! JUST CHECK IT OUT!
Not only are there pentagrams on this website, but also information on
how to get your own demon! Even worse material can be found on this pagan website.
It is quite obvious that white magic does not stay white magic, but is
a doorway for entering the darker world of black magic and the occult. In this way our
children are led step by step deeper into the occult. When Harry Potter proclaims a
message that it is okay for children to experiment with magic as long as it is white magic
and is used to do good, it in actual fact opens the doorway for our children to enter the
dark world of the occult.
Speaking in a trance.
You werent there, said Harry. You didnt hear her. This time was
different. I told you, she went into a trance a real one. And she said the Dark Lord would
rise again...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 134)
Dr Kurt E. Koch writes:
Speaking in a Trance
Speaking in a trance is a practice of mediums. It only takes place when
a medium is present who has mastered this form of spiritism. The medium puts himself into
a trance, a kind of deep sleep, and the spirits are then said to be able to speak through
the medium to the people present.
(Occult ABC, page 219)
Spiritism and Christianity stand opposed like fire and water. Spiritism
immunizes against the Holy Spirit.
(Christian Counselling and Occult, bl. 49)
Casting of spells.
The following is one of many examples where the casting of spells are
described in the book and presented as acceptable and something that needs to be studied.
Hermoine was immersed in The Standard Book of spells, Grade 4...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 136)
Dr Kurt E. Koch writes:
Distinct from all these subdivisions and parallel forms of magic, there
is what we may call genuine magic. This is the form of magic condemned in the Bible, the
art of casting spells, of sorcery: the devils art...
I have come to know the sinister practises of genuine magic through my
ministry of counselling and by visiting more than four hundred mission fields.
(Occult ABC, page 128)
Some of the Bible texts that condemn this practise are: Ex. 22:18, Jer.
27:9, Miga 5:12, Maliagi 3:5
Fortune-telling
Many examples can be quoted where the book refers to this subject. This
are only two of them.
Double Divination this afternoon, Harry groaned, looking down.
Divination was his least favourite subject, apart from Potions. Professor Trelawney kept
predicting Harrys death, which he found extremely annoying.
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire bl. 171)
Trelawneys rambling talks on fortune-telling never held him exactly
spellbound...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 177)
Dr Kurt E. Koch writes:
Clairvoyance, or second sight ... have roots in the occult. If one
observes the development of a clairvoyant, the physic, occult nature of his activity
always become evident.
Example 41 Let us take as an example Pastor Delbert Larkin. He lives in
the USA, where he is head of a physic research centre. He was ordained as a pastor by an
international association of spiritists. Larkin discovered his gift of second sight when
he was only fifteen. He foresaw the death of one of his schoolmates.
(Occult ABC page 38)
Bad language.
Although bad language is not an occult practice, the use of the Lords
Name in vain is a form of rebellion against God. The following is some of the examples in
the book where the Lords Name is used in vain.
Mr. Malfoys cold grey eyes swept over Mr Weasley, and then up and down
the row.
Good Lord, Arthur, he said softly. What did you have to sell to get
seats in the top box?...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, page 92)
Krum gets the snitch but Ireland win good Lord, I dont think any of us
were expecting that!
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 103)
Dont tell me you dont know? he said delightedly. Youve got a father and
brother at the Ministry and you dont even know? My God, my father told me about it ages
ago ...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 150)
Horror, spirits and ghosts.
Many references are made to horror, spirits and ghosts.This are
projected as normal in the world of Harry Potter. Can we honestly say that the following
is good material for our children to read?
Amos Diggorys head was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large
bearded egg. It was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around
it and the flames licking its ears.
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 141)
Harry looked up, and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves, the
poltergeist, a little man in bell-covered hat and orange bow-tie...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 152)
... and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of
the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Pearly white and
semi-transparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, with a particularly large
ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive and ensuring that his head
didnt wobble too much on his partially severed neck.
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 154)
We held a ghostscouncil the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance
but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down.
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 160)
Elves and their communication with witches and wizards.
Numerous examples could be quoted where elves are mentioned and their
communication with the witches and wizards.
There are house-elves here? she said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly
Headless Nick. Here at Hogwarts?
Certainly, said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her
reaction. The largest number in any dwelling in Brittain, I believe. Over a hundred.
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 161)
Dr Kurt Koch writes:
The idea that these spirits are demonic in origin is in accordance with
the Bible. I have observed furthermore that the elves, goblins, and all these little
people appear especially to people who have a psychic disposition. This is another
indirect confirmation that these little fairy-tale creatures are not ethically neutral.
Rather, they correspond to the spirits and demons of the open places of which the Bible
also speaks...
What does the Bible have to say on the subject of goblins, nature
spirits, sprites and demons of the open air? In Isaiah 13:21 satyrs are mentioned in
connection with wild beasts. Their role is to destroy the land and make it unsafe. Isaiah
34:14 is an even clearer reference. The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the
wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl [night
hag] shall also rest there, and find for herself a place of rest. Here we have the
combination of wild animals, satyrs and night hag or screech owl, demons of the open
places. Satyrs are mentioned again in 2 Chronicles 11:15, where King Rehoboam appoints
priests to offer sacrifice to these demons.
(Occult ABC page 83-84)
Astrology
Die following examples can be quoted of astrology:
My dears, it is time for us to consider the stars, she said. The
movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who
understand the steps fo the celestial dance. Human destiny may be deciphered by the
planetary rays, which intermingle...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 176)
I was saying, my dear, that you were clearly born under the baleful
influence of Saturn, said Professor Trelawney ...
Born under what, sorry? said Harry.
Saturn, dear, the planet Saturn!said Professor Trelawney, sounding
definitely irritated that he wasnt riveted by this news. I was saying that Saturn was
surely in a position power in the heavens at the moment of your birth ... your dark hair
... your mean stature ... tragic losses so young in life ... I think I am right in saying,
my dear, that you were born in mid-winter?
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 177)
Most unfortunately, Professor Trelawney heard him, and it was this,
perhaps, which made her give them so much homework at the end of the class.
A detailed analysis of the way the planetary movements in the coming
months will affect you, with reference to your personal chart,she snapped...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 178)
Dr Kurt E. Koch writes:
Astrology
Astronomy is a reputable science, concerned with the study of galaxies,
fixed stars, and planets. Astrology is the interpretation of human destiny, and a mans
future, by reference to the position of the stars at the moment of his birth. Astrology is
therefore a form of fortune-telling. It has existed for five thousand years. The
Sumerians, Accadians, the Chaldeans, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans all had their
astrologers...
(Occult ABC page 19)
Fortunetelling is dangerous, whether or not its predictions come true.
(Occult ABC bladsy 20)
Putting curses on people.
The following example is only one of many in the book where curses and
counter-curses are presented as acceptable.
But youre behind very behind on dealing with curses, said Moody. So Im
here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other.
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 186)
So straight into it. Curses. They come in many strengths and forms.
Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, Im supposed to teach you
counter-curses and leave it at that.
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 187)
Mind-control.
The book also have descriptions of mind-control.
How did your father subdue you? said Dumbledore.
The Imperius curse, Moody said. I was under my fathers control...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 594)
I was starting to fight my fathers Imperius curse. There were times
when I was almost myself again. There were brief periods when I seemed outside his
control. It happened, there, in the Top Box. It was like waking from a deep sleep...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 595)
Transfiguration.
Transfiguration is the occult practice of adapting another persons
appearance. Here is one example of this in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Wormtail and I did it. We had prepared the Polyjuice potion beforehand ... Took some of his hair and added it
to the Potion. I drank it, I became Moodys double.
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 598)
Violence against parents and rebellion against authority.
Apart from the obvious rebellion of Harry Potter against his parents
and teachers, there is also mentioning of people on the side of dark or black magic who
murdered their own fathers and enjoyed it.
You stand, Harry Potter, upon the remains of my late father, he hissed
softly. A muggle and a fool ...
very like your dear mother. But they both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died
to defend you as a child ... and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved
himself, in death ...
I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave me his name ...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 560, 561)
These sections quoted from the book are only a few examples of many
more from different Harry Potter books that all carries the same question with them:
Are Harry Potter good reading material for our children?
One last quotation from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:
Wormtail was able to follow the instructions I gave him, which would
return me to a rudimentary, weak body of my own, a body I would be able to inhabit while
awaiting the essential ingredients for true rebirth ... a spell or two of my own invention
... a little help from my dear Nagini Voldemorts red eyes fell upon the continually
circling snake a potion concocted from unicorn blood and the snake venom Nagini provided
... I was soon returned to an almost human form, and strong enough to travel ...
(Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire page 569)
Is this the tipe of material we want our children to read?
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