Sermon Central
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Part 2 Harry Potter - The Rebellion Begins Series
Contributed by Ralph Andrus on Jul 30, 2007 (message contributor)
Summary: The six Harry Potter books published so far have sold 325 million copies worldwide, and have been translated into 64 languages Now book seven is on the market. We need to be aware of what is going on
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It is possible the Harry Potter series will surpass Star Wars and James Bond and become the highest-grossing movie franchise in history by the end of the year. And Potter still has two more movies to go.
- Potter-related products likely in excess of $15 billion.
- Because of it’s success there has been an increase in the amount of books and programs that use the theme of witchcraft and magic
- Each trying to out do the other
- So does pop culture influence us?
- USA Today Wed 7/25/07 - The Walt Disney Co. will eliminate smoking from all its films released under the Disney label and will discourage smoking in films released its under Touchstone and Miramax brands.
Revisiting the Books
+ THE SORCERER’S STONE
> Sorcery
- Latin - sors - chance, sortis - by lots
> Sorcery is based on a belief of accessing and manipulating supernatural power through the help of witchcraft and spirits
- The stone is a occult practice that combined the exploration of minerals with Gnostic practices of sorcery seeking to turn base metal into gold, and through that, attain an inner spiritual transformation and gives Sorcery is nothing less than the attempt to replace God
Sorcery is nothing less than the attempt to replace God
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> Muggles
> Harry’s adoptive parents
> Non-witches - Portrayed negatively
> Idiots, clumsy people
>Wands
It chooses Harry (here a form of animism, objects have intelligence)
> Known as divining rods, focusing energy by controlling the spirits
> His Owl
- Used as a messenger
> Demons in the form of owls attend witches
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> Ghosts - Very evident in the first book
> Interacting with the dead
- Harry makes contact
> Strictly Forbidden in Scripture
>Le 19:31 NLT “Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord your God.
> Le 20:6 GNT “If anyone goes for advice to people who consult the spirits of the dead, I will turn against him and will no longer consider him one of my people.
> Is 8:19 MSS When people tell you, “Try out the fortunetellers. Consult the spiritualists. Why not tap into the spirit-world, get in touch with the dead?” 20 Is Tell them, “No, we’re going to study the Scriptures.” People who try the other ways get nowhere—a dead end!
+ THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS - 1999
> Themes of darkness, disobedience and the occult
- Harry sees the Hand of Glory in a shop (52).
- Used as a charm in black-magic spells
- It was a hand that was cut off from an executed criminal
> Talismans - Charms
- The students are scared so use these charms to protect themselves
> Objects that possess magical or supernatural power of their own and transmit them to the owner,
- The monster in the Chamber of Secrets speaks to Harry through the castle’s walls, saying, “Come ... come to me. ... Let me rip you. ... Let me tear you. ... Let me kill you.”
- Harry also finds out that he can talk to snakes.
> Lack of Morals
- Almost every adventure Harry has comes from lying or disobeying or stealing
- Lying is the way of life at Hogwarts
Harry and his friends choose to lie frequently. The lies produce no negative consequences and no guilt on the part of the "heroic" liars.
- The kids at Hogwarts steal. The stealing is cute, of course, and harmless. They steal food from the kitchen when they want to celebrate. It must be okay because Harry’s father, it turns out, stole food better than anyone else. So, big deal!
- Harry and his friends choose to take revenge on various people. Revenge and resentment are a major theme of the whole series, but it’s all done in a seductively cute and light-hearted manner.
+ THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN - 1999
> Azkaban - is the wizards prison - Undefinable Misery
- Extremely remote, uninhabited island, considered escape- proof.
- Garded by Dementors
> Darker and scarier then the 2nd book
- Many references to madness and death
> Dementors are introduced
> p. 187 - "They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair; they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them….If it can, the dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself…soul-less and evil,"
- Effected Harry p 83 - Harry’s eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn’t see. He was drowning in cold. …He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder…"
+ GOBLET OF FIRE
