"Oh, I feel so sorry for those American churches who keep Halloween and encourage their people to celebrate such a demonic custom. They don't know what they are doing!" So said a Bulgarian Protestant minister in a phone conversation with me a few months ago. The gentleman was calling to discuss the beliefs of the United Church of God. When I explained that we observed the biblical Holy Days rather than traditional holidays of the world, he mentioned how sad it was to watch his fellow Protestant churches observe what to him were obvious pagan practices.

We are seeing today a rise in fascination with the occult, in a far more focused way. This winter, movie audiences are being served a double dose of occult entertainment with the release of movies based on the highly successful Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings novels. People, and in the case of the Potter movie, young children, are flocking to the cineplexes to watch the film incarnations of these fictional characters from the world of witchcraft and sorcery.

What does this say about the modern culture of America and Britain? These books and movies are the products of their artistic communities. More importantly, what does God say about such practices and how might that affect the future course of both nations?

A boy named Harry

The Harry Potter phenomenon has grown out of four novels written since 1994 by the British author, J.K. Rowling. In the first book and the movie Harry Potter is an orphaned 11-year-old boy who lives with his uncle and aunt in London. Harry is treated poorly by his family and lives in a small cramped space in a closet under the stairs of their home. When letters start arriving addressed to Harry, the secret of his past and the promise of his future come to light. Harry's parents were witches who were killed by an evil wizard, Valdemoort. The letters are summoning Harry to "Hogwarts," a school for witches. Harry's entrance into this school sets the stage for his adventures in witchcraft and sorcery in the first of the books, titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

The books contain a great deal about the black arts. Author Rowling did her homework in researching the subject to fill the books with authenticity while coating the subject with a veneer of enchantment and fun. This makes the stories wildly interesting for young readers. Harry and his friends, Roy and Hermione, are typical kids dealing with the usual matters of peers, homework and overbearing adults. Readers have no difficulty relating. Values like friendship, loyalty and courage are wrapped around the symbols and imagery of the occult. This makes the books popular with children and with adults who are thrilled to see a child reading rather than playing a video game.

There is no question the books have introduced thousands of children to the pleasures of reading. But at what cost? As children process the stories of witches, magic and sorcery, what will the long-term impact be upon their perception of good and evil? More importantly, what place will remain in their minds for the source of all spiritual truth, the Bible? There is already enough deception in today's world. When black magic is used to convey positive spiritual values, how will the mind be able to discern truth from error?

One movie to bring them all

J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, has been called by many the "novel of the century." First published in 1954, the series (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King), has sold more than 45 million copies in over 25 languages. These books arguably set the standard for fantasy books and movies during the past half-century. All three books have now been filmed and will be released one at a time over the next three Decembers. Predictions are that it will become the most successful movie series in history. Tolkien was a professor of language at England's Oxford University when he created his fantasy world of characters, geography and language. Originally, he thought that no one outside his family would be interested in the story. How wrong he was. The stories, which deal with large human issues such as personal loss and the battle between good and evil, are written in a compelling style and have captured a loyal audience of devotees. The work has spawned a whole industry of commentary that speaks to the transcendent nature of the work. Tolkien captured eternal themes and cloaked them in a world of fantasy.

The cinematic versions of both the Rowling and Tolkien books will no doubt vie with one another for top honors of gross receipts and viewers. New audiences will be introduced to the stories and book sales will continue to increase. But what does this say about the state of our nation? More importantly, what does God say about this fascination with witchcraft and sorcery in the midst of a people?

What would God do?

Witchcraft and sorcery were specifically condemned in ancient Israel, a people chosen to be a model of a godly nation. God laid out laws which addressed how to deal with this problem. God's laws stated that no sorceress was to live among the people and no one was to consult or listen to those who practiced the black arts (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:31). Dabbling in magic cut one off from God and invited termination from the community.

"And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.... A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them" (Leviticus 20:6, 27). Divination with the spirit world was a common feature of the nations around them and something God knew would be a snare for His people.

During the reign of Saul, Israel's first king, the land was purged of witchcraft. Yet Saul is found consulting a witch during a time of crisis when God had departed from him and was no longer working with him as king (1 Samuel 28:7). In the depth of depression, Saul asks the medium to summon the spirit of the dead Samuel to advise him what to do in a time of crisis. The story shows the deceptive nature of the spirit world, as a demon appears in the form of the prophet of God and communicates with Saul, a man who once had the spiritual stature to be chosen the leader of Israel. Poor Saul had drifted far from God and this encounter with the black arts symbolizes the distance between truth and deception. God wanted none of it where the work of His Kingdom was being done.

In Saul's rebellion and God's rejection of him as king, we see the connection between witchcraft and idolatry, the breaking of the First Commandment. Samuel had told Saul "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." (1 Samuel 15:23). Sorcery and witchcraft are toxic elements that poison this vital first connection between the Creator and the creation.

Israel historically was seduced by the mixture of false prophets and diviners whose work destroyed the nation's covenant relationship with God. Those teachers and sorcerers who claimed a higher or purer spiritual knowledge continually worked against the nation and were a prime part of why Israel and Judah went into captivity.

Ezekiel shows the murky mixture of false prophets and divination. "'Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, "Hear the word of the LORD!"' Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!... They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, "Thus says the LORD!" But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, "The LORD says," but I have not spoken.' Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,' says the Lord GOD. 'My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD'" (Ezekiel 13:2-9).

When Judah faced imminent destruction at the hand of Babylon, Jeremiah included sorcerers in his denunciation of the spiritual deception which hindered the people and their leaders from listening to the warning from God. "Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, 'You shall not serve the king of Babylon'" (Jeremiah 27:9). "For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD" (Jeremiah 29:8-9).

Opposing the work of the gospel

The Bible clearly shows how the truth of the gospel of the Kingdom of God is unalterably opposed to witchcraft and sorcery. Wherever the gospel is preached and practiced, Satan and his agents appear to hinder its work of redemption and salvation. Jesus Christ repeatedly encountered the spirit world (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 8:26-39).

The book of Acts lists four separate encounters with sorcerers and those who practiced divining as the Church of God spread the gospel through the Roman world of the first century (Acts 8:9-11; 13:8; 16:16; 19:13-15).

In Ephesus, where Paul saw significant success, the impact of the Church caused many who practiced black magic to reject sorcery by burning their books in a public display. "Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver" (Acts 19:19).

Satan has deceived the whole world, hiding the plan of God from human comprehension (Revelation 12:9). He has cleverly counterfeited the details of God's purpose through the ages. Whether it is false religion, science fiction, fantasy creations or outright witchcraft, the objective of each is to hide the true purpose of human life and the means that will bring His spiritual creation to completion.

When we read human works such as the Lord of the Rings or view the hugely popular Star Wars series, we see the significant themes that God first set down in Scripture. When we read of the cosmic struggle between forces of good and evil, light and dark and the movement toward a final titanic struggle where good triumphs over evil, we are reading, or viewing, as the case may be, human recreations and retelling of the biblical epic. The Bible shows the true source of both good and evil. It reveals how and why physical suffering and loss on the human level came about. It also shows that God in His divine wisdom provided a Redeemer, Jesus Christ, long before the foundation of this present age (1 Peter 1:20). The Bible contains the original and true story lines of all time.

Everything else is second-rate literature.

We need to understand this when we see these movies or read this literature. The danger lies in misunderstanding that the source of spiritual deception is Satan. The devil uses many tools to cloak his presence and influence. The apostle Paul wrote, "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them" (Ephesians 5:6-11).

Can God bless America?

Today America, with its chief ally Great Britain, wages war against terrorism. The wake-up call of Sept. 11 has galvanized the nation to defend its freedom and way of life. Young men and women bravely march off to war in a valiant effort to prolong and extend our way of life. The plea that God will "bless America" has resounded from millions who are both outraged and troubled at what happened on that dark and fearful day.

Since Americans have asked God's blessing on the nation's efforts, they should also ask what God truly thinks about its culture and what it exports to the world through movies, music and literature. In the end, His opinion is all that matters. Let's ask what can happen to a people called by God to a high and noble purpose, who then turn from the way and follow after wickedness.

Return again to the scene of ancient Israel. In Deuteronomy 28 God laid before them their potential and their destiny. "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.... The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you" (Deuteronomy 28:1, 9-10). Incredible national blessings would come to Israel if they obeyed God's way and modeled that way before all the nations.

In verse 15 God shows what would happen if they failed in their mission and turned away from the commandments. "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you." He goes on through the rest of the chapter to show the fruit of a long national decline that could end in either of two ways-captivity or repentance and ultimate restoration. Sadly, the story of Israel ended in captivity after many years of warning by God through His prophets. Israel would not turn from its many sins, among them idolatry and witchcraft, as we have seen.

America and Britain are a modern parallel to ancient Israel. They have been blessed among all the nations of the earth, yet have not kept faith spiritually with the Creator. The words of Isaiah describe much that our nations need to understand. "Israel does not know, My people do not consider. Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD.they have turned away backward..The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it" (Isaiah 1:3-6).

For more than two hundred years America and Britain have been a deep well of blessing poured upon the world. In today's globalized world America leads the way in exporting a popular culture that has an aura of freedom, but contains corrupt seeds. Movies which popularize witchcraft and sorcery do not do us credit. I can only repeat the words of my Bulgarian friend, "how sad." One day our nations will be held accountable for purveying such a culture of deception.

In the coming Kingdom of God there will be no room for those who practice sorcery. "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie" (Revelation 22:14-15). WNP