Question:  Dear Greg,

I have 4 children and 5 grandchildren. My question is:  Should we let our children and grandchildren become involved with the Harry Potter books and movies?  I have heard several preachers that teach that we should not let them become involved.  What is your opinion about the thought of getting involved with the fantasy of Harry Potter? 

Thanks

            Margaret

Answer:  Dear Margaret,

            At the onset I should explain that I have not seen the movie nor have I read any of the Harry Potter books.  I have one grandchild who is four months old and another on the way, so this is not a burning issue in my personal life!  However, I have been asked many questions about Harry Potter, so while I have not seen the movie or read the books, I have read a great deal of material on both sides of this question.  A few thoughts:

1.      Because of the voices of concern that have been raised, I would advise any parent to first read the book(s) or see the movie before deciding whether to allow your children to do so.  Grandparents are not generally in the position of saying “yes” or “no” but still need to be aware in order to intelligently discuss the material so they too would be wise to read and view the books/movie.  Harry Potter does not look like he is going away.  This advice is not lightly given (see the movie and read the books yourself) – for I realize it means time.  But time is a key factor in parenting.

2.      Christians should discriminate between fantasy and evil.  Fantasy is not automatically bad.  Grimm’s Fairy Tales are filled with fantasy with a moral to the story.  “The Ugly Duckling” is not reality, but the moral at the end of the story is uplifting, inspiring and virtuous.  Children have active lives in the fantasy world, and part of our job as responsible adults is to help them channel that creativity.  Animals do not talk in the real world, but in fantasy they can – we can help children discriminate.

3.      Christians should ask God for help in discerning good and evil, right and wrong.  The Bible tells us that there is a fallen world of demons and Satan, and that witchcraft is diabolical and evil.  Therefore, while we may or may not “ban” the movie or books, at the very least, the topic of the reality of witchcraft and evil should be discussed.  As I understand it, Harry Potter does involve some mention of witchcraft.  Christians, therefore, have an opportunity to talk with their children about good and evil.  Witchcraft is not fantasy – it is real, dangerous and biblically prohibited.

However, the fact that literature, art or film depicts witchcraft does not mean that that source should automatically be off limits.  The Bible, for example, tells the story of Saul and the witch at Endor.  The subject itself is not off limits, but the subject should be branded for what it is.

One point to remember in discerning good from evil in the fantasy world – what is the intent of the author?  Is the book/movie overtly (or even covertly) teaching children to sacrifice animals, spread their blood around in some Satanic ritual, to take drugs, to be immoral, to be accepting or witchcraft, etc.?  What is the lesson/moral of the story?  I am told by friends who have seen the movie that Harry Potter is depicted as industrious, courageous and respectful.  This fact alone does not mean that everything in the movie and book is biblically appropriate, but it is a positive.

4.      Should we – can we – stop our children from seeing or reading this material?  Our parents may not have wanted us to listen to or see Elvis, Chuck Berry, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones.  They may have been successful in “stopping” us – to a point.  But at what cost?  And what methods did they use to try and enforce the prohibition?  I remember that the Beatles’ music was condemn by many “because the Beatles had long hair.”  My generation saw through the flawed logic – length of hair had nothing to do with quality of music.

Banning something often makes it more attractive (thus the famous “banned in Boston” promotional – if it was banned in Boston, more people wanted to read it).  Am I saying that we should give up and roll over because sin is inevitable?  No, but we should choose our battles carefully, so that we have a chance of winning.  I would guess that 99 percent of American and British children between 10-12 know all about Harry Potter, and that 95 percent of those same children know far more about Harry Potter than their parents do.

            So, if a parent decides not to allow a child to read the books or see the movie, the parent should: a) know that the child will eventually see the movie and read the books anyway, b) the child will hear “all about” Harry Potter from their friends, and c) be prepared to give reasonable and sound reasons about objections that lead to your position.

            Our world presents a long list where parents must draw the line, a long list of prohibitions.  How many prohibitions can we invoke before losing our relationship with our children?  On the other hand, how many prohibitions do we need to impose so that we can avoid losing our children to immorality?  In a world filled with child abuse, hatred, crime, drugs, child pornography, the breakdown of the family, etc.  Harry Potter does not seem to call for the kind of absolute “line in the sand” that other issues do.  If this were 20 years ago and my children were 10-12 years of age, I would not place Harry Potter at the top of my list as public enemy No. 1.  I would not ignore this craze either but learn as much as I could about it to promote discussion and understanding.

            In Christ

            Greg Albrecht