I have an idea for a wonderful series of children's books. I'm imagining a delightful fantasy world. In my world, there is a secret: tucked away on the upper shelves of every home is a product that, when used the right way, can make children's dreams come true: common rat poison, when mixed with orange soda, turns into an elixir that's out of this world. When you drink it in one big gulp, not only does it taste heavenly, it also makes you happy, beautiful—and for 24 hours, it gives you the power to accomplish one wish. One shy, picked-on, but highly intelligent boy has discovered the secret, and he intends to use his new power to help the world. These books will be exciting adventures—easy enough for 8-year-olds but compelling enough to keep teenagers entertained.

What? Parents would worry that this "innocent fantasy" might spill over into the real world? Someone might actually try mixing rat poison and orange soda in real life?

More than sheer fantasy
Though the parallels are hardly exact, this is what we're talking about regarding the Harry Potter series. We're taking something deadly from our world and turning it into what some are calling "merely a literary device." Regardless of how magic is portrayed in the series, we need to remember that witchcraft in real life can and does lead to death—the forever and ever kind. From about age 10 to my early 20s, the supernatural fascinated me. I devoured stories about wizards and magic, power and adventure. At one point, I was reading three or four such books a week. I craved mystical experiences. On the outside, I was a normal kid. I had been confirmed and attended worship nearly every week. My school report cards held straight A's.

On the inside, however, the supernatural was taking over my thoughts. I couldn't stop imagining the spirits, power, and goddesses I was reading about. They entered my dreams. One day, they started speaking to me. I cried out to God, and he rescued me. The voices stopped, and I never read another "mystical" novel for fun again. While I never went beyond reading fantasy books, that's not true of many today. Our world is exploding with interest in real witchcraft. Type "How can I become a witch?" in Google.com and you'll get listings for dozens of related sites. The same query in AskJeeves.com brings up many articles—the main one giving a simple eight-step process for becoming a witch on your own. In just days, my local Barnes & Noble bookstore nearly sold out its floor display of a Teen Witch Kits (complete with paper altars).

Furthermore, author J. K. Rowling admits that some Harry Potter readers have convinced themselves that Harry's world is real. Rowling has said she gets letters all the time, desperate letters addressed to Hogwarts, begging to be allowed to attend Harry's school. When fantasy produces that kind of reaction, we are naive to assume that witchcraft is merely a harmless, fun literary device.