What's a Christian to do with Harry Potter?: an Interview
CN: Scripture tells us "Whatever you do, do it heartily as unto the Lord." Those who are blessed with the ability, and have developed the skill of telling stories with elements of fantasy and allegory should do so to the glory of God. Jesus certainly used allegories and parables as one of his primary teaching tools. The human heart longs for more than this world. Fantasy writing touches that part of the person. When one seeks after "other worlds" they are following the longing God put within them for himself and His realm beyond. God help us all if the only writers who become skillful at touching this part of the human mind and spirit are those devoid of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I pray for more dedicated Christian writers God can use in this way.
MI: Any other relevant information not covered above that you would like me to include ?
CN: I did not write this book to be an advocate for Harry Potter among Christians, but to help all Christians make the most of this opportunity because the days are evil (whether we think Harry Potter is or not!).
**Author's Note: Connie Neal asked me to "please be so kind as to stress that your article is about me as the author, not a description of the book." Neal stressed that "I worked carefully under the Lord's direction to make sure readers understood that: 1. I am absolutely against all forms of witchcraft and sorcery in our world, in keeping with God's word. 2. I do not want to persuade people to my opinion, rather I want to urge all Christians to come to the opinion that is right for their family before God. For some Christians, it will be sinful to read Harry Potter, if doing so violates they conscience. 3. I am trying to help people deal with the reality that Harry Potter has overwhelmed pop culture, one-third of all American homes have a child under 18 who has ALREADY read a Harry Potter story. My book gives concerned adults a way to know what they're talking about, and to WARN THEM AGAINST REAL WORLD OCCULT."
Neal added: "I just read a story in the Sacramento Bee that was provocative, suggesting that I have 'FAITH IN HARRY' -- I do not have faith in Harry ! I have faith in Jesus Christ, but if I can use
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