Harry Potter and horoscopes.
I have a very strong opinion about these two and things of the like.
I will give you my opinion and tell you why I hold that opinion.
GET THEM OUT OF HERE.
Yup, that is my opinion.
I am not writing this blog to make you change your mind and I am not judging you or your opinions, I am just giving you the facts.
Let’s start off with definitions of the things that I want to discuss in this blog just to make sure we on are the same page, definition wise.
“In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, the astrological aspects, and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person's birth. It is used as a method of divination regarding events relating to the point in time it represents and forms the basis of the horoscopic traditions of astrology. However, no studies have shown any scientific support for the accuracy of horoscopes, and the methods used to make interpretations are, at best, pseudo-scientific.”
Tarot Cards:
Tarot cards are cards that are used to connect the user with the collective unconscious in order to get information about a person or situation.
Ojai board:
Ojai board is a board game that is used to communicate with the spirits of the dead.
Astrology:
“Astrology is a pseudoscience claiming divination by the positions of the planets and sun and moon.”
Palm reading:
Telling one’s future by reading their palm.
Psychic:
“A person who possesses, or appears to possess, extra-sensory abilities such as precognition, clairvoyance and telepathy, or who appears to be susceptible to paranormal or supernatural influence. Also, a person who supposedly contacts the dead.”
Magic:
“In a restricted sense magic is understood to be an interference with the usual course of physical nature by apparently inadequate means (recitation of formularies, gestures, mixing of incongruous elements, and other mysterious actions), the knowledge of which is obtained through secret communication with the force underlying the universe (God, the Devil, the soul of the world, etc.); it is the attempt to work miracles not by the power of God, gratuitously communicated to man, but by the use of hidden forces beyond man's control.”
Sorcery:
“The belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world”
Now, here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church has to say about the items listed above:
Divination and magic:
2115 God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence
2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.
2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.
These are just a couple areas in the Bible where it points out these as well:
Leviticus 20: 1; 6; 25-26
The LORD said to Moses: should anyone turn to mediums and fortune-tellers and follow their wanton ways, I will turn against such a one and cut him off from his people.
To me, therefore, you shall be sacred; for I, the LORD, am sacred, I, who have set you apart from the other nations to be my own. "A man or a woman who acts as a medium or fortune-teller shall be put to death by stoning; they have no one but themselves to blame for their death."
Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God
Deuteronomy 18: 10-14
Let there not be found among you anyone who immolates his son or daughter in the fire, nor a fortune-teller, soothsayer, charmer, diviner, or caster of spells, nor one who consults ghosts and spirits or seeks oracles from the dead. Anyone who does such things is an abomination to the LORD, and because of such abominations the LORD, your God, is driving these nations out of your way. You, however, must be altogether sincere toward the LORD, your God. Though these nations whom you are to dispossess listen to their soothsayers and fortune-tellers, the LORD, your God, will not permit you to do so.
The Catholic Church says that these things are WRONG.
These are all things of the occult.
Occultism is the study of the occult or hidden wisdom or forbidden knowledge.
Again, it all goes back to knowledge of certain things is meant for God alone.
There is a strong religious element related to the occult.
Religious, huh?
It is called SATANISM.
Satanism is the belief and worship of the devils.
I sure as heck do not want any part of worshiping the devil and I pray with every fiber in my being that you do not want a part in that either.
The main reason (among many) I hold my position so strongly is this:
All of these things are acts of taking things into your own hands.
Feeling as though you need to see into the future and speak with the dead is giving yourself authority over God.
It is choosing evil over God.
Choosing ANYTHING over God is wrong.
But especially evil.
It is in direct violation of the FIRST commandment:
“I am the LORD your God, thou shall have no other gods before me”
The last two things I want to bring to this blog are seemingly harmless everyday things: yoga and Harry Pottery.
Yoga is a harmless form of exercise used to strengthen your body and relax yourself, right? Wrong. Very Wrong.
What should be a very simple and morally correct exercise is very much wrong.
Fr. John Hardon says that “yoga is incompatible with Catholicism because the best known practice of Hindu spirituality is yoga. “Inner” Hinduism professes pantheism, which denies that there is only one infinite Being who created the world out of nothing”.
The full article can be found here: http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0275.html
And now on to Harry Potter:
Here are the main problems: the magic, the sorcery, the occult, and the biggest problem is the author STUDIED witchcraft to write the series.
The mere fact that the author studied witchcraft should automatically be a red flag and turn people off but it doesn’t seem to do so.
If you were an avid satanic, would you read a book by the Pope or anyone who studied the Christian religion deeply? My guess is no. I know that if I were a satanic, I would not read books that adamantly go against what I believe. In fact, I think most satanics would consider anything Christian (the opposite of what they believe), evil.
We should feel the same way.
Anything that goes against our one true Catholic faith is wrong.
A books that is fun and full of imagination is only so fun until is messes with a person’s soul; which is exactly what Harry Potter does.
In 2003, before Pope Benedict XVI was pope, he wrote a letter in response to a woman who was speaking out against Harry Potter.
This is what he said: “It is good, that you enlighten people about Harry Potter, because those are subtle seductions, which act unnoticed and by this, deeply distort Christianity in the soul, before it can grow properly."
Evil is supposed to be cunning.
Evil is cunning.
Way back in Genesis, the devil posed as a serpent because the serpent was the most cunning of all animals.
The devil is not stupid.
He knows what he is doing and I feel that we need to be aware of that.
I thank you for reading this blog.
There is a lot of harsh information contained in these few pages; however I believe it to be important information and I pray that you think so too.
The world we live in today is a world that is at constant battle of good and evil.
The evil is sly and cunning and the good is sometimes hard to find.
But God will reward those who seek out the good and avoid the evil.
Here are two outstanding books that, though they are fiction, are very real at the same time and have helped me to realize the common ways in which the devil works to turn us away from God:
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
The Gargoyle Code by Fr. Dwight Longenecker
The Gargoyle Code is the modern day version of The Screwtape Letters and the daily reading coincide with Lent.
My prayers are with you all as we continue on this journey of Lent and as we continue to fight the battle. Victorious is the Lord!
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