harry potter

[lissy]

wow, good thoughts, canuckster1127. in a way, i think what you said ties in with something god has been revealing to me in the last few years, about really listening to the holy spirit to guide us. in the "gray areas", such as this fantasy thing, god has dramatically changed my thinking about how to live my life and how to look at things. i have always had very strong christian values, good taste in entertainment and how i spend my time, talk, dressing modestly, yet even at that i really think i was always still asking the wrong questions, shopping for clothes, how short is too short/low or whatever, or how much bad content in a movie is to much? and so on. even though like i said, i always had strong values, but still had a tendency to look at life with the wrong questions, and god has dramatically shifted my focus and made me realize what it REALLY means to be 100% focused on him, ONlY asking, in all aspects of my life, how far can i go to honor god? and let me tell you, it has been AMAZING how far god has taken me spiritually. and that really says a lot because i do not consider myself to have lived a mediocre christian life. it just goes to show how much bigger we have made that "gray area" in our lives than it should be. and that is what causes confusion over many issues. in spite of all this, i still feel like there is something that is holding me back a little, and it might be this harry potter thing. god had given me a greater sense of when i am being drawn closer to or away from him, and much more sensitized to the "gray areas"
and thank you ffc, that verse did help. what has also helped was readingt he one before it that talks about causeing people to stumble, which i think can apply to causing non-believers to stumble and not just other christians, because it made me think, for people i know that may not believe, would they see me as being inconsistent if they knew i was a christian, but said witchcraft/sorcery is ok if it's make believe? and that would not be good for my testimony.

[FFC]

and thank you ffc, that verse did help. what has also helped was readingt the one before it that talks about causeing people to stumble, which i think can apply to causing non-believers to stumble and not just other christians, because it made me think, for people i know that may not believe, would they see me as being inconsistent if they knew i was a christian, but said witchcraft/sorcery is ok if it's make believe? and that would not be good for my testimony.

You make good points. Not to add confusion to confusion but my problem is where do we draw the line when it comes to stopping something that causes someone to stumble. There is always something that we don't see a problem with... that somebody else does. There is a deeper truth in there somewhere that only wisdom from God (James 1:5) and the Holy Spirit can provide who guides us into all truth.

[bluesman]

In issues like this I worry about parents not allowing their kids of appropriate age to watch and read this material.
I can understand not allowing the Simpsons and even Sponge Bob (to young ones). I can even understand disallowing some Rap and the music video channels.

Where in the OT it says "do not suffer a witch to live" I have to override such
with "let those without sin cast the first stone" If God has a problem with Wicca then he can deal with it. I would advice people to stay away from Wicca though.

My main point though is over-protective adults and parents and their kids who after leaving home, actually chose to go away from God.
Maybe I am repeating myself on this topic, but I feel strongly on this point.

Decide for yourself what is right and wrong for you to read, but don't think that the same choice is correct for the minors in your care.

Michael
Thomas

[lissy]

thanks everyone, this helps me to remember that i need to keep others in mind when i make decisions on what to allow in my life, and not just worry about myself because one of the most important reasons i want to live a god-honoring life is to be a good witness to others, and thinking more about how my choices affect what i want to teach my kids someday when i get married and have a family. (i'm only 21, and nobody special in sight yet!) but i have already at a young age gained a perspective to help me realize the importance of thinking ahead to these things, as well as how others see the way i live now

[lissy]

bluesman, if you are ok with harry and disney, why not dreamworks movies like shrek?

[ryo dokomi]

this is my point of view, i did not read all of the posts before this. my view is that it is a personal desision. i used to read the books, but i felt myself being drawn away from God, (my life is Christ) and so i desided to not read the books. i am still drawn to them because i love and enjoy the story. but, again, i felt myself being drawn away from God. that is the important factor. If you are drawn away from God by reading the books, watching the movies, or anything else, then you MUST stop. but if you are the same, or closer despite them, then you MAY be okay. there are factors like the underlying themes, and such, but a main part is if you are drawn away from Him.

[bluesman]

bluesman, if you are ok with harry and disney, why not dreamworks movies like shrek?

I did like very much Shrek I, but the problem was with Shrek II.
The movies are targeted towards kids young and old.
If you watch and listen you find that Dreamworks's movies try to added in
"hidden"? humor of a more "adult" nature. Some of the humor I just don't want my twin boys learning.
I am not saying these movies are evil, but they could do without certain moments of humor. Its just the increasing trend of what is acceptable to put in movies being of questionable moral value.

I just believe that there are better kids movies out there from a moral stand point than Dreamworks. I also found with my 2 boys that they don't much care for most of the Dreamwork movies. I find they like the movies that were made by the likes of Disney. There might be some quite fine movies by Dreamworks, I don't know. I don't watch most of their movies anymore and don't always check who made the movies I do watch.

Answer this though. Who did the voice work in Shrek? Take a look of what other movies these actors made. Cat in the Hat was so bad I didn't watch but maybe 15 minutes. Eddie, I admit has cleaned up a lot.

I judge a movie by its over-all moral qualities and not because for example it contains "witchcraft"

Michael
Thomas

[madscientist]

Ya i believe this depends on the ppl. Similar to LoTR, Pokemon or Da VInci Code. Its believed these will broing ppl away from God. In some cases this can be true as i read about pokemoin on G&S christian life issues. i believe there ar ppl who get affectet. But i dont think this is due to withccraft etc. This is due to being obsessed with it (poke) and forgetting god. This can be a movie, actor, book, person, place, action etc.
Its been made a big deal bcoz of beoing very famous. ALl children know HP. To b honest, i dont like any of these, except for LoTR (not a big fan either).
I think disallowing ppl from those will bring them to do it even more. SO i think its finer to watch it, read it etc if it does not disrupt relationship with God. If you know whats in those stories is untrue, just pure fiction and u believ gid i think that shud b no prob...

[bluesman]

Whats wrong with Pokemon?
Its a great game ! I love it .
Okay maybe its a little weird being close to 40 and owning a Game Boy.
I think it a way you can bond with your kids by playing Pokemon with them.

Michael Thomas

[madscientist]

Whats wrong with Pokemon?
Its a great game ! I love it .
Okay maybe its a little weird being close to 40 and owning a Game Boy.
I think it a way you can bond with your kids by playing Pokemon with them.

Michael Thomas

Ya i agree... ya well i quite never had those things. Only i knew them all 150 by heart (Ii memorize random stuff! not to freak u ppl out...) but never liked em too myuch
But ya good way 2 bond woth kids etc i agre...

[jenna]

This is another old post, But bluesman and madscientist, do you still play pokemon?

[madscientist]

Ehh well as for me, i never really played it . Just little some 7 years ago (and i was 10 or 11 by then!) and played on my cousins game boy but no i dont really. but i know ppl of my age - a few that still do. But then there are much worse games than those ones. Violence and all that... so pokemon becomes rather a nice adventure then.
What about you jenwat3 - tried sometimes ago??

[jenna]

Yeah, my kids got into it, so I did too. They've outgrown it but I still play it.

[madscientist]

Oh well. how old are they? dont think theres anything wrong with it i mean. some people are in their twenties thirties etc and they still play games. i used to play more some yrs ago when i had a few ganes; now i have access to so many, some of them never even tried to install and play none. no time or soemthing. but see the irony? didnt have any and wanted more and so. now when i do they stay in my cupboard or what and dont ever see them. hmm. another side of human nature i guess.

[FFC]

Yeah, my kids got into it, so I did too. They've outgrown it but I still play it.

I can't even say it.