The Preacher's Pen

I have been disappointed in the reaction of some to the recent Harry Potter craze. Having read and enjoyed all four books it came as somewhat of a surprise to me that some were attacking the books as ""satanic"" or ""promoting witchcraft."" A nasty Internet rumor even fueled such attacks, despite being untrue. I judge the Potter books to be harmless. Yes, there is magic in them but it is innocuous and in no sense calls upon false deities or Satan for its power. If you remember the TV show ""Bewitched"" you will remember that Samantha did have magical powers but one would be hard pressed to say that the show promoted evil. The Potter books are much the same.

My real disappointment, however, stems from the fact that these wild-eyed ""Christians"" make the news with their bogus claims. The result? All believers look like fools. They remind one of the little boy crying ""Wolf"" constantly, only they not only damage their own credibility but any one else who ever cries ""Wolf!"" This all points to the need to be careful in our attacks on what we perceive to be wrong with this world. Surely there is much wrong, and much should be seriously decried by a people who are serious about holiness (James 1:27). Wolves abound. Yet when we attack everything, can find no good in anything, or carry on about what seems harmless, we only blunt the real warnings that should be issued. We make ourselves appear to be extremist fools.

I am convinced that many have given up on reading religious papers because they tire of constantly reading cries of ""Wolf!"" over matters that seem inconsequential or very far away and irrelevant to them. I am convinced some children quit listening to their parents because everything the child wants to do is attacked as being a concession to worldly culture. I am convinced that some congregations quit listening to their preacher because he seems to think most nearly anything and everything is a harbinger of another giant apostasy.

For certain, we dare not give up warning against sin, nor should we compromise with evil. But we must do better than to become extremists who by our very actions rob ourselves of any effectiveness in God's kingdom.