September 2, 2000 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - Church of England vicar Brian Coleman is holding a special "Harry Potter" family service this weekend at the All Saints Church in Surrey, England ("Church to Lure Young with Harry Potter," London Sunday Times, Sept. 1, 2000). A banner featuring a serpent will be displayed. The church door will become the gateway to a magical platform at the Hogwarts school of wizardry, which is where Harry Potter was trained in occultism. Coleman will wear a wizardâs robe for the service. An 11-year-old boy will play the part of Harry Potter. A special Harry Potter liturgy (order of service) has been created by one of the church members. This has been posted on the Internet for other churches to use, and according to the Sunday Times, other Church of England clergy are interested in it. Coleman argued that "young folk are all very much into Harry Potter; we are using this interest."

Using witchcraft to win people to Jesus Christ. What an hour of confusion and utter apostasy!

The Harry Potter books, which have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide in more than 30 languages, glorify witchcraft. The hero namesake of the books is a young wizard, the son of a murdered wizard and witch. His adoptive parents, who are not witches, are depicted as foolish and cruel; but he escapes to attend the Hogwarts wizardâs school, where he learns to cast spells, use chants and crystal balls, ride broomsticks, turn himself into an animal, and perform other occultic rituals. Textbooks at the wizard school have titles like "The Standard Book of Spells." The directors of the school are ghosts who died gruesome deaths. One is named Near Headless Nick; he was killed by being struck 45 times in the neck with a blunt axe. There is a "Sorcererâs Stone" that has the power to give immortality. The world of witchcraft is depicted as exciting and desirable. Witches are intelligent and caring; whereas non-witches, called Muggles in the books, are dull and uncaring. Harry Potter and his wizard friends lie, steal, break rules, disobey authority figures, and take revenge. Harry Potter also makes and uses drug potions, including the psychedelic drug thujone, which has been banned in the United States since 1915. The wizards practice Hindu-type meditation "to clear the Inner Eye." There is swearing and violence. A three-headed dog mangles the leg of a professor; a mysterious figure drinks blood from a unicorn carcass; children are attacked and paralyzed; a dead cat is hung upside down by its tail. There are creatures called Dementors that "suck out peopleâs souls." There are ghosts who haunt bathroom toilets. In the second volume, a monster speaks to Harry through the walls of a castle, saying, "Come . . . come to me. . . . Let me rip you. . . . Let me tear you. . . . Let me kill you." When Harry kills the monster, its eyes are punctured and "a sudden shower of dark blood spattered the floor." The fourth volume contains a torture scene and two deaths. The final battle scene "is bloody and frightening. Voldemortâs servant must exhume the bones of the Dark lordâs father, draw Harryâs blood, and sacrifice his own hand in order to restore Voldemortâs body." In the Harry Potter books, death is described as "going to bed after a very, very long day" and merely "the next great adventure."

There is no doubt that the Harry Potter books are influencing children. Phyllis Curott, a witch interviewed by ABCNews.com, observed that the books depict wizards and witches as "positive," "friendly" and "good"; therefore, the books "might change the way people feel about us." The headmaster at a school in Raleigh, North Carolina, noted: "The throngs that line up to meet Rowling [to autograph their books] are often teeming with children clad in wizard cloaks and sporting lightning-bolt scars tattooed--temporarily--to their foreheads" (John Murray, "The Trouble with Harry"). The Pagan Federation in England has had to appoint a youth officer just to handle the flood of inquiries from Harry Potter fans.

The female author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, claims that the books are mere harmless fantasy; but the Bible solemnly condemns every form of witchcraft. Occultism is not a game; it is very real and it is rebellion against Almighty God. To fill the minds of children with such things is a great evil. Like Star Wars, the Harry Potter books promote the unscriptural myth that there is both good and evil wizardry. The Bible mentions wizards 11 times, and in every case it is a strong warning. Consider some examples:

"Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God" (Lev. 19:31).

"And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people" (Lev. 20:6).

"A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them" (Lev. 20:27).

"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee" (Deut. 18:10-12).

"And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:19,20).

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11).

Since the 1960s, Western society has been overrun with occultism. The Beatles and other rock stars led the way in popularizing demonic and idolatrous eastern religions. Movies like Star Wars have glorified occultic themes. Many current television shows focus on this, including Sabrina, the Teenage Witch; Charmed; and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

The Bible warns that in the last days men will worship devils and be involved with sorcery. In fact, during the Tribulation, even during the terrible judgments which God will pour out upon this sinful world, men will refuse to repent of these very sins. "And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not WORSHIP DEVILS, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of THEIR SORCERIES, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts" (Revelation 9:20,21).

It is frightful to think of all of the Christian parents who allow their children to be involved with the wicked things of the world like Harry Potter. One of the reasons for this is that so many pastors are either too ill-informed or too cowardly to warn their people of these things. Join us in praying for more pastors who are wise enough to discern the difference between good and evil and who love people enough and fear God enough to warn of evil even if their hearers do not want to be warned.