Ian,

There was an article in Time Magazine titled "Who Dies in Harry Potter? God". This is the author speaking when asked who dies in the newest instalment of the series.

Let us not fellowship with the darkness.

You may not listen to what I am saying. But seek God about whether he wants you to be reading it.

Whatever is pure, whatever is praiseworthy, think about such things.

Becoming like the world to win the world has not worked so far.


Murray

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Murray Beninger

Murdog,

The writer of the article hadn't even read the book yet. It's a lot of conjecture. But Harry does ask, 'what happens when we die?'

If you want the rest, you should pick up the book.

In missions studies we learned one good principle. If you want to witness the Muslims, the first thing you should do is pick up and read the Koran.

If you want to witness to this generation, you need to pick up the culturally relevant stories that enthral it.

In missions there's also a lot of talk about using native beliefs to introduce Christian teachings, like Francis Xavior and Chinese Poetry, or Don Richardson's Peace Child.

Don Richardson had to learn about the spiritual beliefs of Sawi people before they could minister the Gospel, because the Sawi people had an entirely different set of values than the missionaries, they needed to find something in the Sawi culture that would give them a relevent entry point for the Gospel -this was the Peace Child.

For Christians working in youth ministry, our 'Peace Child' could and can be Harry Potter, because we have the answer that Harry Potter doesn't have!

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Ian Smith

dear brother ian,

i witness to the gang bangers, prostitutes, addicts and homeless, what type of culturally relavent things should I do to better reach them?

Try Heroine?

In Christ - Jim

Try Soul Food.

I appreciate that brother David Wilkerson was successful in reaching out to gangs as a caucasian country-bread pentecostal minister... but there are also many very successful gang outreaches among the african american community -and they use elements of african american culture that are positive to engage with these people.

I'm saying that Harry Potter is one way to engage with middle class, middle america kids... who are bombarded every day with a vast number of worldviews through advertising and media. This bombardment isn't going to stop, but we can use it as a bridge to bring them the Gospel.

This isn't a new idea, in fact it's one of the oldest in Evangelism.

Pick up a copy of Justin Martyr's writings, read his conversation with the Jew named Trypho. When trying to evangelize this young man he used his Jewish roots, but he also quoted extensively from Greek philosophy, Roman teachings and popular topics of the day. He didn't just stick to the NT, and he didn't just rely on the young man's heritage from Abraham, but also used elements from the surrounding culture to make a case for the Messiah. You'll see the same thing repeat itself over and over through Acts, the letters of Paul and the writings of the early church fathers.

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Ian Smith

what's wrong with it?
here's a ministry that post a thing on it
http://www.letusreason.org/Current28.htm

in his love
charlene

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charlene

1Co 10:21 - Show Context
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons.

2Co 6:14 - Show Context
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

There is a difference between evangelism and getting into something evil. I would admit I have never read the book but I am a booklover and have seen the devistating effect in ordinary bookshops, in the last few years the amount of witchcraft material has increased.

This is an article from someone who has read the book.
http://www.leannepayne.com/harr

ypotter/index.php[url=http://www.leannepayne.com/harrypotter/index.php]Witchcraft Articles[/url]

In evangelizing I would agree in adopting someone's dress or food (not in the case for cannibals)
but I would not agree in adopting there lifestyle
How can you help them if you become like them, you help someone who is into pornography by reading pornography would be propostrous.

Ga 5:11 - Show Context
And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased

The gospel is an offense

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Dominic Shiells

Ian,

I understand what you are saying, but I believe you can reach out to these young people without having to read Harry Potter books, watch MTV, etc.

I have never picked up a Harry Potter book but I do know that it glorifies sorcery and witchcraft and does not glorify God.

Jim,

I almost made a similar point about buying some teens a Playboy magazine to build common ground but I didn't think it constituted a right spirit. I do understand where you are coming from though.

Ian, I believe if you truly seek God about how to witness to a lost generation he will tell you.

I know Paul said to be all things to all men to help win them to Christ but I believe he meant that lawfully, not to indulge in the same kind of foolishness that the heathen enjoys.

"Come out from them and touch no unclean thing and then I will be a Father to you."

Murray

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Murray Beninger

I've seen these same kind of writers pull apart the writings of CS Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and others and make them out to be pagan savages... it's true that the books use a fictionalized world where witchcraft exhists, but they never claim to be reality... just as Transformers, a movie about giant robots from outerspace doesn't claim to be reality. It's just a story.

Did you know that Clement of Alexander early church father used references from Pagan literature in his sermons and writings? That hey quoted extensively from Homer, Plato, Aristotle. Even though Homer believed strongly in a pantheistic worldview.

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Ian Smith

Clement of Alexander was a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnostic]Gnostic[/url]
Clement of Alaxandria was dodgy

Col 3:2 - Show Context
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

The book does not glorify god! like Dietrich Bonhoffer it promotes witchcraft.
Art katz says that fantasy sometimes takes people away from reality
It is important to use set your imagination on godly things

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Dominic Shiells

I always wonder what strange heresy will be attributed to me by my nay-sayers after I've gone to be with the Father.

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Ian Smith