2007-03-14 15:28:04 · 23 answers · asked by Ava 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Some people are sure to say, "Because it encourages witchcraft and/or Wicca!"
Speaking as a witch and a Wiccan, let me say that Harry Pottter has about as much to do with the practice of Wicca as the Tooth Fairy has to do with the practice of dentistry.
Wicca is a religion with its own liturgy, cosmology, theories of magic, and so forth. Nothing in Harry Potter even comes within sniffing distance of anything Wiccans do or believe.
Harry Potter is a fantasy series that raps off its "spells" in bastardized Latin and never addresses the question of Deity or religious worship. Wiccans practice a carefully thought-out system of sympathetic magic in which everything in the universe is considered to be connected in one vast energy web; create their spells in English (or whatever their native language is); operate by a strict code of ethics, the Wiccan Rede, which can be stated as "If it harm none, do what you will"; honor Deity as Goddess and God; cast "circles" to create sacred space before they worship, and perform highly ritualized acts of invitation to the spirits of the cardinal directions and the Deities once they are in sacred space; and celebrate eight holy days a year attuned to the change of seasons and the solstices and equinoxes, as well as twelve or thirteen esbats associated with the full moon. There are other Wiccan practices as well, but those are the basics -- and as anyone who has read Harry Potter can see, they have no similarity whatsoever to what is done in that popular childrens' series.
I hope this clears up any confusion that the uninformed might have about how our practices relate -- or don't relate -- to Harry Potter.
2007-03-14 15:32:37 · answer #1 · answered by prairiecrow 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Most don't have any problem with it. But the few who do make an awful lot of noise. It's that some people are only happy when they are opposing something. (I wish they had thought to oppose the war with all that energy). Some (not necessarily all) do that in order to stop thinking about their own failings.
It's true that Christianity is against magic. However we have never opposed Grimm's fairy tales or Anderson's fairy tales. Most don't oppose Tolkein's Lord of the Rings either. (Although some thought they had to in order to be consistent with opposing Harry Potter!) it's only a story for crying out loud! Let's not make a mountain out of a mole hill.
EDIT:
Prairie crow, thank you for your point. I had a good laugh at your comparison to the tooth fairy being a dentist! LOL But that's just the point I wanted to make - if we are in disagreement with magic, let's disagree with real magic - not the play stuff in children's books.
2007-03-14 15:33:31 · answer #2 · answered by Mr Ed 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That's not true. I'm a christian and I don't mind Harry Potter at all it's just fantasy.
2007-03-14 15:31:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
My opinion is that some Christians fear anything magical or powerful other than God. The Bible says to stay away from any kind of witchcraft or astrology. Christians believe in Satan and his power and don't want to get "sucked" into delving even the least little bit into a negative power.
2007-03-14 15:33:07 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
95% of Christians love Harry Potter. It is only the die hoards who don't like him. He is very popular among Christians.
2007-03-14 15:32:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think that they do is STUPID, I'll say it right out. Just because you read a book with wizardry as a theme doesn't mean you believe it. That's one of the dumbest ideas in the universe. I'm an atheist, if I read the bible, does that make me Christian? No.
It is a fantastic book with a great storyline, with humor, darkness, and everything else a good book needs. Why hate it?
2007-03-14 15:31:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
because the bible tells u magic is bad and is a sin. im a christian but i like harry potter. just cuz i watch certain movies doesnt mean i believe in them. its just harmless entertainment to me.
2007-03-14 15:33:02 · answer #7 · answered by emilybailey1980 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I dont I love Harry Potter!! Dont assume anything!!!
2007-03-14 15:30:54 · answer #8 · answered by bcooper_au 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It seems to me that witches would find it worse than Christians. It's so fantastical! (as in fantasy elements) But it is a great story; there's no reason to have anything against it. Some fundies don't like it because the Bible warns against divination.
2007-03-14 15:34:40 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
They don't grasp the idea of FICTION. Many of them believe the Bible is 100% true. They sometimes have to perform amazing feats of mental gymnastics to maintain tat belief.
So they don't understand that others can read books, enjoy the story, and never believe a word of it.
I feel sorry for such people. They miss out n so much!
2007-03-14 15:38:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋