lovely
Member
- Apr 20, 2005
- 3,012
- 0
Aero,
I do not consider myself in a position to decide what is best for other households, and I respect every believer's liberty in Christ. I actually believe that the Holy Spirit should be the one who convinces us and changes our hearts on every matter...even the smaller ones...otherwise we are doing the work of cleaning ourselves. The Holy Spirit's conviction on a believer can change them for good, if God decides they need it.
By God's grace, I have moved beyond desiring anything that remotely protrays witchcraft as something harmless or good. Witches and Wizards working for the good reminds me of Saul disobeying God and saying he did it only to be able to make it a sacrifice to God. The principal is, obedience is better than sacrifice. There are many wonderful books, videos, tapes, etc. that teach the children the Truth in a way that does not make evil good, and so I do not see the benefit of those that contain witchcraft.
When I was a single person, I didn't take these things seriously either. I had friends who were very heavy into the occult, and I just wrote it off as nonsense...I didn't even believe in the stuff at all, and they were actually practicing witchcraft. They would have Taro Card parties, and all kinds of things in the name of 'entertainment'. God eventually made me more sensitive to it, and I distanced myself. As time went on I became more and more senstitive about offending God in my entertainment personally...mostly with sexual immorality and other such things. God eventually changed my heart about witchcraft as well. It was not a burden, it was a blessing because God was giving me the grace to please Him.
After having my first child, I was already prepared to be careful, but still little things would sneak in...videos and books would be given to us that had just one little thing in them. Why? I began to feel that the deceiver really wanted to plant those things in our home. I started becoming more vigilant about it, and even today we will come across something now and again that is not appropriate. My children are also very quick to catch it now, because they know that we do not want to use things that portay evil as good for our entertainment...we want to obey the Lord, and now they try to imitate us in this. We just want things that edify and relate rich spiritual truth that can help them overcome...it is just too important to me to add in the things of darkness, esepcially when I know it breaks the principal of obedience is better than sacrifice.
Anyway, I do not condemn others in this at all, but I do warn them that the trade off is not worth it when there are alternatives that are rich in Truth, and will lead our children toward the Lord and His perfect law of Love. Witchcraft is not the only thing we watch for either. Disobedience to parents is another. Those movies where the children disobey the parents and still win the day...the parents, especially the fathers, are portrayed as bafoons. I want my children to honor God by honoring their parents, and so I do not put those images in front of them to emulate. I especially want them to honor their dad and follow him, because he can show them Godly wisdom. When I see these types of books and movies, it angers me, because I am jealous for the hearts of my children as God is jealous for my heart.
As far as the 'evil' tag on Harry Potter, I can not compromise about that...it is evil to portay evil as doing something good. Satan is never doing good, though he likes to appear to be, and the abominations never promote good. I want my children to be able to see right and wrong in a world that loves to blurr the lines. I don't want them to imiate satan, or think in those terms, but I want them to imitate God. Ephesians 5
I don't condemn you, or others, but this is where God has me and I would prefer not to return to things that I have been liberated from by God's grace...I am free to please Him and obey Him now under the New Covenant of Christ Jesus, and part of that involves speaking the truth of what I have learned. It would be a compromise to say that it is not evil, but instead I think I should speak the truth boldy before others out of love.
All that being said, please know that I do not condemn you, or others, if you feel you can redeem these things, because I have been there myself and I was a believer who loved God. I do not doubt that you are as well. If God shows you, then I am sure you will turn from it. If He doesn't, then He is busy teaching you other things that will fulfill His plan for you in the body, and who am I to quarrel with that?
Captain Sarcastic,
I appreciate your zeal for defending what you believe. I don't agree with you, and I believe I have given scriptural evidence as to why I believe what I believe. I am not sure what fundamental propaganda you are referring to exactly, but I assure you I have not read it, and have no intention of bashing the author of Harry Potter. If she is my sister, I give her grace, but I pray that she would rethink how she uses her gift. I just want to please God like every believer, and God's Word would have me imitate Christ and Holiness. He would also have me protect the minds and eyes of the souls He has entrusted me to not lead astray. I don't think I would look good with a millstone around my neck. It would be deceitful to promote anything other than what the Lord has taught me about this subject. So, this is where I remain planted.
The Lord bless you both.
I do not consider myself in a position to decide what is best for other households, and I respect every believer's liberty in Christ. I actually believe that the Holy Spirit should be the one who convinces us and changes our hearts on every matter...even the smaller ones...otherwise we are doing the work of cleaning ourselves. The Holy Spirit's conviction on a believer can change them for good, if God decides they need it.
By God's grace, I have moved beyond desiring anything that remotely protrays witchcraft as something harmless or good. Witches and Wizards working for the good reminds me of Saul disobeying God and saying he did it only to be able to make it a sacrifice to God. The principal is, obedience is better than sacrifice. There are many wonderful books, videos, tapes, etc. that teach the children the Truth in a way that does not make evil good, and so I do not see the benefit of those that contain witchcraft.
When I was a single person, I didn't take these things seriously either. I had friends who were very heavy into the occult, and I just wrote it off as nonsense...I didn't even believe in the stuff at all, and they were actually practicing witchcraft. They would have Taro Card parties, and all kinds of things in the name of 'entertainment'. God eventually made me more sensitive to it, and I distanced myself. As time went on I became more and more senstitive about offending God in my entertainment personally...mostly with sexual immorality and other such things. God eventually changed my heart about witchcraft as well. It was not a burden, it was a blessing because God was giving me the grace to please Him.
After having my first child, I was already prepared to be careful, but still little things would sneak in...videos and books would be given to us that had just one little thing in them. Why? I began to feel that the deceiver really wanted to plant those things in our home. I started becoming more vigilant about it, and even today we will come across something now and again that is not appropriate. My children are also very quick to catch it now, because they know that we do not want to use things that portay evil as good for our entertainment...we want to obey the Lord, and now they try to imitate us in this. We just want things that edify and relate rich spiritual truth that can help them overcome...it is just too important to me to add in the things of darkness, esepcially when I know it breaks the principal of obedience is better than sacrifice.
Anyway, I do not condemn others in this at all, but I do warn them that the trade off is not worth it when there are alternatives that are rich in Truth, and will lead our children toward the Lord and His perfect law of Love. Witchcraft is not the only thing we watch for either. Disobedience to parents is another. Those movies where the children disobey the parents and still win the day...the parents, especially the fathers, are portrayed as bafoons. I want my children to honor God by honoring their parents, and so I do not put those images in front of them to emulate. I especially want them to honor their dad and follow him, because he can show them Godly wisdom. When I see these types of books and movies, it angers me, because I am jealous for the hearts of my children as God is jealous for my heart.
As far as the 'evil' tag on Harry Potter, I can not compromise about that...it is evil to portay evil as doing something good. Satan is never doing good, though he likes to appear to be, and the abominations never promote good. I want my children to be able to see right and wrong in a world that loves to blurr the lines. I don't want them to imiate satan, or think in those terms, but I want them to imitate God. Ephesians 5
I don't condemn you, or others, but this is where God has me and I would prefer not to return to things that I have been liberated from by God's grace...I am free to please Him and obey Him now under the New Covenant of Christ Jesus, and part of that involves speaking the truth of what I have learned. It would be a compromise to say that it is not evil, but instead I think I should speak the truth boldy before others out of love.
All that being said, please know that I do not condemn you, or others, if you feel you can redeem these things, because I have been there myself and I was a believer who loved God. I do not doubt that you are as well. If God shows you, then I am sure you will turn from it. If He doesn't, then He is busy teaching you other things that will fulfill His plan for you in the body, and who am I to quarrel with that?
Captain Sarcastic,
I appreciate your zeal for defending what you believe. I don't agree with you, and I believe I have given scriptural evidence as to why I believe what I believe. I am not sure what fundamental propaganda you are referring to exactly, but I assure you I have not read it, and have no intention of bashing the author of Harry Potter. If she is my sister, I give her grace, but I pray that she would rethink how she uses her gift. I just want to please God like every believer, and God's Word would have me imitate Christ and Holiness. He would also have me protect the minds and eyes of the souls He has entrusted me to not lead astray. I don't think I would look good with a millstone around my neck. It would be deceitful to promote anything other than what the Lord has taught me about this subject. So, this is where I remain planted.
The Lord bless you both.