Just in time for Halloween, Netflix has announced the October 26th debut of its newest series, " Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.” First published as a comic book series beginning in 2014 by Robert Aguirre-Sacasa, the series is a much darker take on the characters and setting of the 90's sitcom "Sabrina The Teenage Witch.” Initially I was pretty excited to hear that one of my childhood favorites was getting a re-boot. Then came the release of the trailers and reviews from those lucky few who were able to see the first four episodes.

 

What I read and saw both angered and disappointed me. Gone was the loveable Sabrina riding through the night sky on her vacuum. Gone was Sabrina's talking cat Salem and her wise but humorous Aunts, Hilda and Zelda. What had replaced them was, to put it simply, Demonic. The premise of the show is that as her 16th birthday nears, Sabrina Spellman must choose between the witch world of her family and the human world of her friends. The trailers open to the happy young couple, Sabrina and Harvey on their way home from a date to the movies. Harvey leaves Sabrina at her door with a goodnight kiss. We then watch the happy Sabrina dance through her home magically queuing the radio to play an up-beat song. Ok, nothing demonic about that, right? What comes next, however, is a graphic portrayal of a satanic black mass, the use of many occult images and scenes featuring Satan himself.

 

You see, Sabrina isn't just being asked to choose between the so called "light and Dark" or to choose whether to be a good witch or a bad witch. No, an almost sixteen-year-old girl is deciding whether or not to sell her immortal soul and become a bride of Satan. I for one, find that deeply disturbing. We also see snippets of Sabrina embracing her "dark" side. In one scene she says, "I'm not an evil person, but these are desperate times," and in another she appears to be summoning a demon during a satanic ritual. I'm sure in coming weeks we'll hear the argument from viewers that Sabrina intends to embrace the "light" and that will somehow justify the entire basis of the series.

What Netflix is pedaling as a teen drama aimed at tackling social issues, is really a blatant attack on Christianity. Children and adults alike will watch this show depicting occult practices and make no mistake, their souls will not be left unscathed. I know this may come as a shock to some, but the Devil is real and he's knocking at our door. I want to make a point of saying that witchcraft is VERY REAL and it is a powerful form of black magic. Witches are people who have chosen to serve the Devil in exchange for power, fame or money. Some witches have been given supernatural powers that allow them to secretly harm others. Father Garbriele Armoth, former exorcist for the diocese of Rome said, "Just as Christ gave his apostles and their followers specific powers for the good of the body and the soul, so Satan gives specific powers to his followers for the destruction of the body and the soul." (An Exorcist tells his story Pg.30.)

 

" Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” will undoubtedly bring "destruction of the soul" and we cannot let this happen. As Christians, we are called upon to be our brother’s keeper. What we allow into our homes and to be openly viewed by our friends and neighbors will undoubtedly shape the souls of those around us. I've heard people say, "It's none of MY business what everyone else is watching," or, "It's just a T.V show it's not meant to be taken seriously…"  

 

 ….WRONG! 

 

It is our business and evil needs to be taken seriously. The teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas tell us that nothing enters the soul by means of intellect which does not first enter one of our senses. This means the things we willingly see and hear will have an influence on our soul.

 

Netflix is no stranger to producing offensive and immoral shows and movies, but for me, this really is the icing on the cake. Nothing can justify our money going to support an industry that is so morally corrupt. Let’s be honest with ourselves. The entertainment industry believes they own us; body, mind and soul.

 

This is why I'm asking all of you to join me today in petitioning Netflix to cancel the upcoming premiere. While we await their decision, if you are a current Netflix subscriber I encourage you to please, cancel your subscription and hit them where it hurts, their wallet.

 Thank You

-Veronica Nethery