Word of Truth Ministries – Kenya

DIALOGUE BETWEEN MR PHILIP OCHIENG AND MR REUBEN KIGAME

Below is a summary of an article that appeared in the Daily Nation in April, 2001 and which caused a big stir in the nation. As far as we know, several people responded to Mr Ochieng but he dismissed them and their arguments, declaring that they were simply "shouting" at him and not "arguing" reasonably. It is until he received Mr Kigame’s article below via email that he went quiet on this line of attack. We share this as a Ministry to encourage a commitment to the bold defense of our faith in public and to request you to stand with and support the activities of Word of Truth Ministries, an organization committed to the proclamation and defense of what we believe and why we believe it. We pray that the Lord will also use the discussion below to root you deeper in the Christian faith. If you have never made the commitment to follow Jesus, we hope, too, that you will consider His claims and put your faith in Him.

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Let me begin this discussion with a bit of personal confession. I wish to observe that I am not qualified to probe Christian media in their entirety because I have worked actively with radio more than television and the print media. I must, admit, nevertheless, that I have numerous friends in the latter with whom I hold discussions and have been a guest on several TV programmes, besides contributing articles to various print media. Radio has been close to my heart since 1976 when my father bought the very first transistor for the family and little did I know that I would ever be involved in broadcasting as a blind man. It was quite a surprise to many of my friends that I was willing to spend precious money to purchase a television set for my family, since I was unable to appreciate the visual.

I mention all this to say two things: First, that I am deeply committed to Christ as the Lord of my life and hence consider myself a Christian. Second, I am greatly interested in media, especially insofar as it affects the faith and daily living of individuals in society. Right here, however, is my conflict. With a deep interest in both Christianity and the media, I am brought to wonder what the concept of “Christian media” entails, whether there is a biblical mandate for it, and, more seriously, whether what we see in Christian media today furthers or hinders the growth and publishing of our common faith.

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PART TWO: THE BIBLE AND HARRY POTTER

By Reuben Kigame

In the last Issue of “Reason”, we surveyed what Harry Potter is all about, showing the two sides of what has become a very controversial print series. In this second discussion, we will shine the biblical torch on Rowling’s books and test her writing using God’s ultimate standard for truth.

Let us begin by observing that there is no empty controversy, and that every contention is often about something specific. Therefore, instead of shining the biblical torch on all the themes in Rowling’s books, – something we cannot achieve in this limited space – we will narrow our focus on the main object of controversy in her books, that is, the use of magic as a platform for passing on the lessons she intends for her readers.

Many Christian ministers and apologists object to children reading the Potter series on the basis of their magical content. They argue that the books open the door for the readers’ involvement in the occult, something the Bible forbids. Both Rowling and readers of the series do not dispute that the books contain and depict their characters as using magic, ranging from the defeat of Harry’s chief enemy, Lord Voldemort to such acts as the drinking of unicorn blood to gain supernatural powers. While many Christians outrightly challenge Rowling’s decision to employ magic in her books, arguing that the Bible condemns it, she and some of her admirers argue that not all magic is evil and hence not all of it is ungodly. They observe that this harmless kind of magic, variously known as “white magic” is what is employed throughout the series. In “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”, Rowling actually goes to great lengths to discuss the quality, value and dangers of books, perhaps as a means of responding to her critics who say her books are dangerous. John Granger in “Looking for God in Harry Potter” defends the position that the series is entirely Christian in its message and symbolism and that Harry Potter is really a type of Christ especially in his overcoming of death with life and hate with love.

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PART 1: WHAT IS HARRY POTTER ALL ABOUT

By Reuben Kigame

Shortly after the publication of J.K. Rowling’s first book in the Harry Potter series, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997, a cross-section of the Christian community went out in arms against what was largely perceived as an explicit induction of children into the world of the occult. The American church was particularly vocal in that the book was released in the States under a more alarming title, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, a variation adopted for greater marketing potential. With the release of the second and third books, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, respectively, the barrage from church leaders grew in intensity. However, when the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was released, the battle lines were drawn, and the church had to make up her mind as to whether the series was good for children.

Whilst the initial response by the church to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was largely based on hearsay, by the fourth book, a number of her leading lights had had a chance to read through the publications. Now the debate was narrowed down to whether it was healthy for children to be introduced to the blatant magic content of Rowling’s works. It is this latter concern that I wish to explore in this and the subsequent articles to be published in the next Issues of Reason.

WHO IS J.K. ROWLING?

Joanne Kathleen Rowling, no doubt one of the wealthiest people on earth due to the sale of hundreds of millions of her books, came to popularity during the last half of the 1990s. Although a divorcee, Ms Rowling has come to be cherished as a great educator and entertainer of whole families, but especially children. Rowling, one of the greatest British minds, has partly managed such appealing authorship due to her great learning. John Granger, author of Looking for God in Harry Potter, a classical scholar of merit, has observed that Ms Rowling’s great intellectual pedigree can be attributed to her exceptional performance at secondary school where she emerged top of the class, and her high school and university preparation. At high school, she is said to have passed her A-level exams in French, German and English exceptionally. At the University of Exeter, Rowling not only took double French but also studied the classical languages, excelling in them with an unbeatable competence. Granger observes that she is familiar and fluent with the languages, philosophy and literature of the Classical and Medieval worlds. This explains why her books clearly reflect a deep understanding of concepts and principles of the works of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine and Aquinas. She has read these “greats” in the original languages with the kind of attention they deserve.

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(Taken from a local Christian magazine in Kenya published following an interview with Mr. Kigame)

WHAT IS THE MEANING AND THE HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS?

The word "Christmas" does not appear anywhere in the Bible, yet the appearance of a word does not imply that what it refers to does not exist. This is the case with terms such as "trinity", "incarnation" and "rapture."

Whenever the Church uses the term "Christmas", it is with reference to the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ to whom all Christians direct their allegiance. Events surrounding this birth such as the recitation of the Messianic prophecies, the virgin birth, the visit of the wise men, the worship of the shepherds prompted by an angelic annunciation, etc, are enchanted and enacted in a celebrant mood. Although we notice the start of the celebration of Christmas in Rome in the year 336 A.D., its significance is evident to the disciples before this date as seen in the Gospels and the Epistles. In a Christmas sermon to an Eastern Roman empire congregation in 386 A.D., St. Chrysostom declared, "It is not ten years since this day was clearly known to us, but it has been known from the beginning to those who dwell in the West."

The following Christmas themes reveal the real meaning of Christmas:

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In the recent past, Kenya has seen an increase in church-planting efforts especially by large, missionary congregations. As a result, various regions which previously had no single church soon acquired one. At the same time, however, one does not need to look too far to realize that more and more churches keep emerging in urban centers and their geographical locations are as DIFFERENT as their diversity in worship and leadership styles. Not only will you find ten or more churches differentiated only by name meeting in a radius of one kilometer, but a kind of loyalty by members that will not allow fellowship in any other congregation in the area, though all will claim to be Christian.

In future issues, we will probably the question of church unity. However, in this column,we would like to answer one question, vis-a-vis, why are more and more church-planters interested in planting new churches in the urban centers than in the rural areas where they are more needed.

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