Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix

[MrVersatile48]

Romans 3:9-27

No One is Righteous

9What shall we conclude then? Are we any better[a]? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.

10 As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;

11there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.

12All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."

13"Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit."[c]
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."[d]

14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."[e]

15"Their feet are swift to shed blood;

16ruin and misery mark their ways,

17and the way of peace they do not know."[f]

18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."[g]

19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Righteousness Through Faith

21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,

23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,[h] through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunishedâ€â€

26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.

Footnotes:

Romans 3:9 Or worse
Romans 3:12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7
Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
Romans 3:25 Or as the one who would turn aside his wrath, taking away sin

 

[MrVersatile48]

The Gospel According to J.K. Rowling

The magic world of Harry Potter begins yielding to a 'deeper magic.'
Bob Smietana


[WARNING: PLOT SPOILERS THROUGHOUT THIS REVIEW.]

I first met Harry Potter when my grandmother was dying...


http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/200 ... -12.0.html

I don't have time to read that, so I'll just again stress that the whole HP series has lured many vulnerable kids into the occult - as forbidden in Deut 18:9-13

& that the 'greatest civilisations' - Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece & Rome - as well as the Canaanites - were judged by God for their occultism - as will the prophesied revived Roman Empire of Daniel 7 & Revelation 13 etc

Satan is 'the great deceiver' & the 'father of lies', who 'masquerades as an angel of light'

His Revelation 9 titles both mean 'destroyer'

See also Isaiah 14 & Ezekiel 28

Don't let him deceive & destroy the quality of your life

Especially your eternal destiny

God bless!

Ian

 

[MrVersatile48]

(A Bit Less) Positive About Potter

How Focus on the Family, Prison Fellowship, and others have  and haven't  changed their views about the books over the years.
Ted Olsen


"Harry Potter books and films have been attacked in the past by evangelicals for allegedly glamorizing the occult," say the papers. But Christians "are now eschewing condemnation for praise, embracing Ms. Rowling's tales as powerful religious fables for our time."


It's a narrative as fictional as the Potter books themselves.


In late 1999, I noted that, contrary to media reports, no major Christian leader had spoken against the Harry Potter series, and several had actually supported the books. Some readers were upset with my summary, but the most prominent critic they could come up with at that time was Texas pastor John Hagee. Four books and five films later, it's time for an update to that piece.

One of the most prominent evangelical supporters of the series in 1999 was Charles Colson.

"The magic in these books is purely mechanical, as opposed to occultic," he said in his BreakPoint broadcast. "That is, Harry and his friends cast spells, read crystal balls, and turn themselves into animalsâ€â€but they don't make contact with a supernatural world. … The plots reinforce the theme that evil is real, and must be courageously opposed. … [Harry and his friends] develop courage, loyalty, and a willingness to sacrifice for one anotherâ€â€even at the risk of their lives. Not bad lessons in a self-centered world."

Now, eight years later, Colson tells his listeners, "Personally, I don't recommend the Potter books. I'd rather Christian kids not read them. … Dare [Christian kids] to have Daniel as their role model, not Harry Potter." ..


Meanwhile, Focus on the Family wants to make it clear that The Washington Post was wrong when it reported, "Christian parenting guru James Dobson has praised the Potter books." The Focus on the Family website issued a response, which it promoted on its daily radio program, that explains:

This is the exact opposite of Dr. Dobson's opinion  in fact, he said a few years ago on his daily radio broadcast that "we have spoken out strongly against all of the Harry Potter products."

His rationale for that statement: Magical characters  witches, wizards, ghosts, goblins, werewolves, poltergeists, and so on  fill the Harry Potter stories, and given the trend toward witchcraft and New Age ideology in the larger culture, it's difficult to ignore the effects such stories (albeit imaginary) might have on young, impressionable minds...

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/200 ... -43.0.html

 

[MrVersatile48]

As many on the book thread seem unaware of the dangers, here's the reply I just put there:-

Wicca is another word for witchcraft - Rowling claimed she researched spells carefully & the books & films have led many kids to take witchcraft classes

All the empires that ever ruled the world were condemned & destroyed by God for their occult practices - all of which are forbidden in Deuteronomy 18:9-13 etc

Must go

Ian