Pastor Dick: To Rathburn, Idaho. Susanne is listening on KEEH. Hello Susanne.
Susanne: Hello
Pastor Doug: Hi, how can we help you tonight?
Susanne: I had a question about, basically, secular reading. I like to read fantasy books. I don't believe in anything that's in there because, obviously, it's not real. But as long as I don't neglect, you know, the Bible reading that I do and stuff like that, would it be okay to read them? Or, like the Harry Potter books that came out recently. I don't believe--I mean, I believe it happens out there, but I don't believe it.
Pastor Doug: I'm glad you asked. I'm going to send you something for free. You want to hear the title of a new book we're just carrying at Amazing Facts? We just started talking about it this month.
Susanne: Okay
Pastor Doug: You're ready? I'll send it to you for free. Can you beat that? It's called, Hidden Dangers in Harry Potter, by our friend Steve Wohlberg. Steve Wohlberg actually was an Amazing Facts evangelist. I think this book is being carried by Christian bookstores across the country. I'll answer your question, but I'll send you that for free if you call the resource number when we're done with the call, okay?
Susanne: Okay
Pastor Doug: There's no real sin in reading something other than the Bible, as long as it passes the test of whatever things are true and whatever things are pure. Now, you might read something that has a little fiction in it, an allegory, like Pilgrim's Progress. There's, at least, some spiritual value in it.
Susanne: Um-hmm
Pastor Doug: But I think that we ought to stay away from just empty calories when we read.
Susanne: Okay
Pastor Doug: I mean, there's so little time for us to fill our minds in preparation for the end of the world, why would we want to waste our minds with empty calories? There's no value in it. The other thing that might happen, I'm always on to my kids because they over-spice their food so that they don't enjoy plain food, you know what I'm talking about?
They can't eat it unless there's lots of spice and sugar, and I say, "You guys are losing your appreciation because your tongues are so over-stimulated with this other food that the real good stuff has lost its appeal." We can lose our appeal for the pure bread of God when we stimulate and fever our minds with lots of science fiction and fables and things that are over-stimulating, you know what I'm saying?
Susanne: Yeah, it makes sense. Okay
Pastor Doug: Just because the world calls something a classic doesn't make it great.
Susanne: True [chuckles]. Alright, well thank you.
Pastor Doug: Alright, thanks a lot.