A Quick Thought About: "Harry Potter"

First let me say that I watched the movie Harry Potter 2 and that I enjoyed it very much as an adult. It was fun and very entertaining. Harry was a wonderful hero and incredibly likable.

Now here comes the tremendous warning that I see regarding this movie series. The target audience is not adults it is our children! Secondly what permeates the movie over and above the struggle of good verses bad is witchcraft. Now I know everyone says, "This is only white witchcraft, not black witchcraft." And I understand what they are trying to say. However let me comment on this subject. Witchcraft, whether white or black, is control. Casting spells, however harmless they may seem at first, is learning to develop supernatural power to control and manipulate someone else. Fundamentally it violates someone's free will. The spell is cast without the person's knowledge or consent. They are being violated - it just isn't a physical violation or an emotional violation. How do we feel with a man or woman is physically violated? We are outraged. Why? Because their free will was not involved - they had no chance to say "yes" or "no." So it is will ALL witchcraft. It may seem harmless at first but it is a means of gaining power to control and manipulate others without their free will. Without asking them. That is violation.

There is a second danger that I see. This movie is so well done and likable that many of our children seeing it would love to be just like Harry. Emulating Harry means emulating his way of life. Witchcraft. This movie is a way of drawing the interest and focus of millions of children to magic and witchcraft. What you focus on you grow into. It is a principal. Sure it is not the horrible "Black Witchcraft" were people are actually sacrificing little animals and even babies or people to Satan. That stuff really does happen in the modern western country of America. And they laugh at regular modern people with technology gadgets, good jobs and a materialistic mindset that deny the existence of the supernatural realm of life. It makes their work all the easier. However, movies like Harry Potter which only show the 'introductory' steps of witchcraft make it look so fun - so entertaining.... why not get involved? And this is the second danger. This move is a huge net that gently draws children into witchcraft.

Now as adults we know that it is wrong to control and violate others. Whether we are talking about how we influence our employee's as bosses or how we influence our friends in conversation or how we use our money or power. Not all adults have good moral or care about others. Their punishment awaits them. However as adults we can filter out the control aspects of this move and automatically say, "That was a very entertaining move, but I know that controlling others is evil. I would not want someone controlling me or my choices." But children do no have that build in yet. They don't have the experience. They are sponges and just see a way to deal with their problems or fears. They see power as a way to solve their own problems. Witchcraft is very tempting for the young man of woman who is combating lots of aggressive fears in school. We don't realize that the more we operate trying to control others we become more susceptible to being controlled by others. This is a true principal regardless if it is supernatural power we are using against others, physical power (strength of our bodies) or emotional power (manipulation) or mental power (trying to convince people of things against their will). Controlling people through the mis-use of any power makes us vulnerable to being controlled.

Conclusion

The fundamental aspect of the Harry Potter Movies is witchcraft. Granted everyone says it is only "white witchcraft - the good kind." However the bottom line is that witchcraft in it's very nature is control. It is supernatural power directed at a person to control their free will and force something to happen to them. It is a violation of a persons ability to choose and be free. Whether "white" or "black" witchcraft is still about controlling others.