Question for anti-Harry Potter Christians?

Question

I'm a Christian. I also happen to be a huge Harry Potter fan. And I have a question:

All you people who say that because Harry Potter is about magic and witchcraft and the occult (without having ever read it), and is therefore evil, do you allow your children to watch The Wizard of Oz? Do you like Tolkein's Lord of the Ring series, with Gandalf being a wizard?

Why is the Wicked Witch of the West, who kidnaps, threatens and plans to kill a child and her puppy to get a pair of shiny shoes, okay, but Harry Potter is not?

It's not like, in the Harry Potter series, they choose to be witches or wizards or not. It's presented as a natural "talent". Hogwarts, in that respect, is not that different than the school run by the X-Men in the comic series, who train youngsters to harness their powers for the benefit of everyone.

So what's the deal? Why jump on the "Harry Potter is the DEVIL" bandwagon without finding out more, and without banning ALL witches and wizard stories?

Random, I apologize, I am definately not meaning to "attack" anyone. However, I don't feel like it's okay to allow people to walk around condemning people to hell for doing something they are themselves doing, only with a different thing. The best argument I ever got for this was someone telling me that The Wizard of Oz, and Lord of the Rings, are classics, and therefore okay, implying that in 50 years, Harry Potter will no longer be evil. Makes no sense.

I truly have a problem with people who are Christians who give the rest of us a bad name for no other reason than their own ignorance, masked as Christianity.

I want to be clear.

I am ATTACKING no one.

I am trying to point out an inconsistancy that has been used to make a judgement against me and MANY other Christians who actually took the time to pick up the books and read them and find out what they're about.

And to the person who said that they make witchcraft "fun", let me point out that Harry is an orphan (his parents killed by magic), with the two other most important adults in his life ALSO killed by magic.

AND, in the books, it is not something you just pick up and decide to do. Any kid with a brain isn't going to read Harry Potter and go out and buy a wand (which in itself would require a unicorn, or a phoenix, or some other imaginary creature) and start mixing potions or using spells. There is not ONE person in the books who trained themselves to be a wizard or witch, just because "they wanted to". Even if kids thought it was real, they know that THEY are "Muggles" (non-magic) and will never be otherwise.

Gator: fair point. If Harry Potter is more important to me than the Bible, or if I act as though it is, reading it and obsessed with it more than the Word of God, yes, I see that as a problem. But that problem isn't about witchcraft, it is about idolatry.

Quite honestly, I can even respect someone who truly feels this way, as long as they hold true to that belief 100%. The allowances for other children's stories with magic (almost all fairy tales, Wizard of Oz, Chronicals of Narnia and Lord of the Rings, which oddly enough, have some fairly obvious religious undertones) is just not right.

Have your beliefs and hold to them 100%. Then, even if someone doesn't agree with you, at least they might respect you for holding true to what you believe to be right.

Going back and forth based on what is okay at any given time in society, or based on personal preference, is weak.

Answer 1

People fear what they do not understand, and the sort of Christianity you are attacking is that which does NOT understand. It sees only its own perspective and cannot escape itself. This is not what Jesus intended.

Answer 2

I guess what confuses me the most is Christians thinking witchcraft if evil and from the devil when the Bible has many "magical" acts in it. Just because it was Jesus and other holy men in the Bible doing it does not change what it is. There is no devil in the craft. All things can be good or evil depending on the person doing it and Harry Potter along with other fictional characters normally use magic for good. Are we going to eventually go back to witch trails like in Salem because certain religious groups don't understand what it really is?

Answer 3

They never actually said "we don't trust books." The complete and accurate quote is "Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain," which in this case is an enchanted diary. A diary isn't a straight-up book, either. But think about what you are saying. Lots of things are books. Does that mean Harry Potter is anti-literature? A little paradoxical, seeing as HP is itself a book. You're misinterpreting the story and looking too much into what you see to get contrived ideas. J.K. Rowling is Christian, and many Christian parallels can actually be drawn within the books. This subject could be debated until doomsday, but really, Harry Potter isn't anti-Christian, it's not teaching kids witchcraft (and if it is, it's doing it very badly, because I haven't learned anything), and the Chamber of Secrets reference is certainly not a dig at the Bible. No worries. Just enjoy the books for what they are - a really awesome fantasy series.

Answer 4

I know you asked Christians to answer but I will anyway. Its hard enough to get the children of today to open up a book. The Harry Potter series is an excellent way to get children excited about reading and learning. People seem to forget that children are very capable of knowing what is fiction and what is not. I don't see why there is a problem with Harry Potter books in the religious communities. It seems that only fundamentalists believe that Harry Potter will turn their children away from religion. Do they not see that it is a fictional series? Do people have that much trouble figuring out that Harry Potter is not real?

Answer 5

Simple: The Wizard of OZ and LOTR have been around for years, and people have taken the time to dissect these movies to the fullest. The HP series are newer, and times are changing and people are accepting more and more each and every day. Look at the television programming - When was it declared alright to say certain swear words on television for little ears to hear. It's no differnt. Society is changing, and people are accepting things more and more. Some things are overlooked. No one can make people believe in anything, they have to want to. It's crazy, but it's the truth. That's my take on this subject. Hope it helps a little.

Answer 6

Don't feel bad, I am very active in church and I get the same thing. My problem is, the older people in the church want to be so judgemental of me letting my kids watch Harry Potter. Which is worse....judging us or watching a movie.....come on, we aren't going to be the ones who pay the price on this subject. It is harmless entertainment. God is the only one who judges us, so do not worry about other people, just laugh it off. Do you think God wouldn't let those children (the actors in Harry Potter) into Heaven because they acted like wizards? I think not. Everyone needs to just wake up a bit, it is only entertainment!!!

Answer 7

Although I'm niether Anti Harry Potter or a Christian, I know the answer to this. Harry Potter was astoundingly popular and getting alot of media attention so what better way for the religous right to draw attention to themselves than denouncing it as the work of Lucifer? The press lapped it up and the fundamentalists got their scowling faces in the papers!

Answer 8

Mr. Toklien used the word "wizard" because it is the closest thing that could describe the Istari. Besides everyone has an idea about something. Even twins are not same. I am a christian and I dont like Harry Potter. Not becuase it is sorcery or witchcraft or the occult. They have their opinion, please respect that.

Answer 9

God Bless you...

I am a Christian, and I enjoy Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, and many other pieces of FICTION.

The only problem I can see is that some of these are used as propaganda for atheist/pagan apologists, and could be used to lead people astray. However, so long as people understand that they are just works of FICTION...I truly don't see the harm in them...

Now, something like "The DaVinci Code", which the author himself presented as being "more real than fiction" is what I am opposed to. This type of thing is subversive, because the author is deceiving people by portraying something that has no basis in fact as fiction, but then saying that it is true.

Answer 10

I am Christian too & I have no problem with Harry Potter because it is just fiction. I've never heard anyone have anything against it. I even have Christian friends who do like Harry Potter. Why are you so offended by it anyway?

Answer 11

aside from the fact that witchcraft is seen as the work of the devil, the story in harry potter is great. I am a christian and I love the harry potter stories.

I have friends who are wiccan and I don't hate them or see them as evil, I just see them as different. Besides, wiccans believe their powers are gained from a higher authority, a mother earth. They dont have special powers, just faith and prayers in a higher authority.