Local author warns of spiritual danger in Harry Potter series

Local author Don Parker is at it again.

And this time he has his sights set on the popular Harry Potter series.

Parker’s newest tome, which he said seeks to show the spiritual danger inherent in literature glorifying witchcraft, was inspired by adream he had more than 2 years ago.

“I had the dream and prayed about it afterward and asked God if he really wanted me to write it,” Parker said. “Afterwards the voice said ‘I want you to go after Harry Potter and the sexual revolution next.’”

This past year, Parker published a book called, “All The Voices of The Wind.”

According to Parker, that book, which revolves around a Sumner family’s struggle with the theory of evolution versus intelligent design, was inspired by the same dream, which he said was divine in nature.

“I’m not the kind of guy who thinks God is talking to me every step of the way,” he said. “I still have doubts about what I’m doing. But I heard an audible voice.”

Parker said he began the Potter book by reading some of the books in author J.K. Rowling’s multi-million selling Harry Potter series.

“I read them and decided it was witchcraft,” he said.

So he set out to share his views via the novel “Reforming the Potter’s Clay.”

“The reason I wrote the books is to show them why, rather than just tell them,” Parker said. “If you want to show someone the danger of smoking, you don’t tell a kid, you tell them a story about someone who is dying from lung cancer.”

Parker, a devout Christian, said his new book aims to inform readers of the danger of dabbling – or reading – about witchcraft. According to Parker, the series is just another battle in the war between good and evil.

“According to scripture, there is a war going on between God and Satan,” he said. “And if you’re Satan, you don’t attack head on, you use subterfuge. He sneaks into people’s lives and erodes opposition to his plan. It’s like the frog analogy, where you put a frog in boiling water, they’ll jump out. But if you put it in cold water and slowly turn up the heat, then they’ll boil.

“People are becoming gradually immune,” Parker continued. “Kids 13 to 14 read it and they want to become witches, because in the books witches have power. Kids are powerless. A lot of kids that won’t even read pick up these books.”

“It’s not just kids, it’s the adults also,” Parker said. “You have to wonder what’s going on.”

Parker is not afraid to call the Potter books a conspiracy.

“That’s the perfect word. It’s a Satan conspiracy,” he said. “He has a multi-faceted attack. It’s a calculated, viral attack on our defenses.”

For Parker, it’s obviously about more than writing books for entertainment, a belief he said was validated this spring when he attended a Christian author’s workshop in California.

“I pitched the book at the writer’s conference,” he said. “And it turns out they all liked Harry Potter.”

Faced with the disinterest in his novel, Parker decided the time was right to strike out on his own.

So Parker decided to start his own company, Sword of the Spirit Publishing.

“It inspired me to open a new company,” he said. “I’m on a mission, where they are out to make some bucks.”

“I see a dichotomy in the Christian publishing world where they put out these non-fiction books that aim to educate, but the fiction is just stories to entertain,” Parker said. “I’ve of the opinion that if you want to teach a lesson, tell a story.”

So Parker decided to turn around an old chestnut.

“I turned around the expression ‘if you can’t beat them, join them,’ into ‘if you can’t join them, beat them.’ I’m going to be a thorn in the side of these publishers. I hope to publish things other companies won’t because they want to be lucrative. (I want to publish) things that have a definitive message.

“It’s disconcerting because Christians get on a pedestal and talk about banning and burning the (Harry Potter) books,” Parker added. “But lots of them love the book.”

Parker concluded that he’s not afraid of any of the negative aspects that could come from his unusual stance on the Potter series, or his public proclamation of his inspiration.

“I should be afraid shouldn’t I?” he said. “But I don’t have any fear. God’s positioned me in the perfect place.”

Shawn Skager can be reached at 253-826-3260 ext. 5050 or by e-mail at sskager@sumnerreporter.com.

Sumner Reporter Editor Shawn Skager can be reached at sskager@sumnerreporter.com or 253-826-3260 ext. 5050.