Disclaimer: OK, so this is a post I really don't want to write, but I have been wrestling with this issue lately and feel almost compelled to write as a way of giving shape to my own thoughts and provoking others to think Biblically about this important issue. Reluctantly, here goes . . .
Many people I respect- some of whom I know well personally and others whom I only know through their writings- are enthusiastic fans of Harry Potter. Good, solid, godly Christian people. I love Narnia and Lord of the Rings, but I am not comfortable with the way magic is portrayed and used in Harry Potter. I am not a fan.
At the risk of sounding like a crazed fundamentalist, let me give a brief overview of the Bible's teaching on magic: Practicing magic is bad. God forbids it.
Perhaps you'd like a bit more elaboration: "When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead." - Deuteronomy 18:9-11 (NIV, 1984)
But some would object to that restriction, since it comes from the Old Testament Law. Consider these examples from the Book of Acts: In Acts 8, Simon the Sorcerer is condemned when he does not abandon his sorcery and tries to buy the power of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 19:18-19, the Gospel speads in Ephesus and "Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas"
But the Harry Potter books are fiction, right? Surely, fictional people inhabiting a fictional world cannot be blamed for practicing magic, can they? Well, no, but they can set a bad example for those in the very real world who read about them, can't they?
But how is Harry Potter and its magic really any different from Narnia and Lord of the Rings? Aren't all of these just fantasy stories with wizards and magic? Well, now we're onto an interesting line of questioning. My answer here is, "No, they're not the same." Here's why:
1. In Narnia and Lord of the Rings, the "good guys" (protagonists) never seek magical powers for themselves, even to use them in the pursuit of good. Now, to be sure, they are given magical powers at times. In Narnia, the Pevensie children are given magical items to use (the cordial, the horn, etc.) as gifts from Father Christmas. Later, Lucy is given access to the Magician's spell book in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. However, her use of the book is to be limited to the one spell she is forced to use to free her friends, and when she tries another spell, it is a sin and leads to sad consequences. I see a big difference between the sovereign gift of magic and the pursuit of it. Harry Potter encourages peering into secret things, and this leads to spiritual danger.
2. In Narnia and Lord of the Rings, the pursuit of magical power is seen to have sad, negative and even enslaving consequences. Uncle Andrew is a classic example of a "magician" who seeks magical powers and is a sad, pathetic character. In Lord of the Rings, the ring is a powerful symbol of both magical power and of evil.
3. In Harry Potter, the students at Hogwarts learn to develop magical skills and to practice magic much as magic is praciced in the "real world." The use of spells, potions and magical items in Harry Potter is patterned after real-life use of magic. This is my concern: That Harry Potter will entice boys and girls with a taste for learning and practicing magic.
While many may scoff and dismiss such a notion as ridiculous, let's keep in mind that Wicca is a recognized religion in the US military and that thousands of teenagers read books on magic and practice magical arts. Many who later come to Christ from the modern world of witchcraft testify that such magic practice is rife with demonic activity. They speak of "spirit guides" who are really demons and of mystical experiences that can only be described as demonic.
Now am I saying that J.K. Rowling is a Wiccan priestess enticing our children into magical arts? NO! Rowling is a fine woman who identifies herself as a Christian and who has even hinted at deeply Christian themes in her books. Many have seen Harry Potter as a type of Christ-figure. I wouldn't disagree with Rowling's claim to faith or with those who have seen Christian themes in Potter.
OK, so I can't write any more because I'm so deeply torn. I'm not sure I really believe all of the points I made above, but I need someone who is a thoughtful Christian and a knowledgable Harry Potter fan to engage in this discussion and prove me wrong.
Come on, Enchanted Warrior and Timeless&Treasured! Help me out. Prove me wrong.
I'm not going to claim to be a thoughtful Christian or a knowledgeable Harry Potter fan (I've only read the first five), but here're my two cents:
ReplyDeleteIf reading Harry Potter tempts a Christian to practice magic, become a Wiccan, etc, then they should not read Harry Potter. I haven't seen this happen, but I suppose it's possible somewhere for some person. That's not the same as saying no Christians can read HP, or even that most shouldn't.
Thanks, Tim. I think that's very helpful. My concern has been for covenant children reading them who haven't figured out yet for sure who they are and who they're following. Escapism and a fascination with sorcery could be a potent combination for some of them.
ReplyDeleteThe Harry Potter books are extremely well-written. The Harry Potter franchise is extremely well-marketed. But I think we should not discredit the books for the fact that they are engrossing and easy to be lost in.
ReplyDeleteI did not read them until just recently, as a graduating senior in high school. I am really, really glad about that. What was a slight temptation for me to read instead of doing more important things (like studying for AP Government), if I were less sure in my foundation of who I am and Who I live for could have been a big temptation for me to live in my mind in the magical world of Harry Potter.
However, this is a reflection of the maturity of the reader and not of the suitability of the books. Having read them all, I can say that magic misused is recognized as such. If it may happen to lead to a positive ending for the main characters? That is the fault of all children's literature. Just look at the classic rebellion of Cinderella against her stepmother.
Were you a less busy man, I would encourage you to read the books. They are a powerful glimpse inside my generation-- in fact, had I read them at the beginning of senior year and not the end, I would have seriously considered using them as inspiration for a better thesis than the one I wrote ;)
I hope that Andrew Peterson is an appropriately qualified guide on the subject. He does not actually address your specific question head-on, but I think he says enough thoughtful things to compensate. ; )
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rabbitroom.com/2011/07/harry-potter-jesus-and-me/
What I will add is that the seventh book deals very directly with the idea of the pursuit of power and, in general, lands along a line very similar to that of LOTR. I don't have time to flesh this out and it's tough to explain if you haven't read the book, but I can say more if you'd like.
Thanks, Matthew and Katie. It's fun to have two of the smartest students I've ever taught turn around and teach me. I am actually intrigued enough by Andrew Peterson's article to want to read the books- like, right away. Well, after I read the third Wingfeather book.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I still hold my concern for young covenant children who can become lost in the world of the books and develop a real fascination with magic. This is not likely to happen to me, to Andrew Peterson, to Ben Shive, to Katie Bascom or to Matthew Loftus, but none of us is a confused 12 year-old.
From Timeless&Treasured:
ReplyDeleteHa-ha! Prove YOU wrong? I wouldn't even begin to try. No, seriously, I have all the same thoughts here that you have. It was banned in our home for over a decade. You knowing what an avid reader Kirsten is, she needed to discover for herself what all the hype was about. She was 14 when we finally allowed her to read them. We felt she had enough of a spiritual foundation to discern what she read. Of course, you know the rest - the craze caught on around here like wildfire, with little sisters becoming engaged, and it was THE story that finally prompted Hannah to become a reader. I still certainly have my misgivings. Every "spell" that gets cast around here in fun makes this momma give a sermon on witchcraft and demonic powers.... often with rolling eyes in response along with "moooom, it's just a story, it's fiction..... it's the 'Wizard of Oz' of OUR times". Yet, every verse you mentioned is still what we need to use to guide us. Bottom line.... there are a million other things out there to read that would be a better use of our time, and could build us up and make our faith stronger. But Rowling is a brilliant writer, absolutely fascinating, and my young author is in awe of her. I wish her stories weren't centered around magical powers, but they are. I would never put them on a list of books Christians should read. But in our home, since we did allow our olders ones to read them, they are now also used as a teaching tool. We have had many, many discussions about the spiritual warfare that is real and happening all around us, about what kind of power comes from God and every other power that comes only from Satan. Even though it is often met with rolling-eyes and "I know Mom, I know" - it is still going to be said over and over and over. Just like every other lesson we try to teach our children... we repeat it over and over with the hope of one day it actually sinking in and them owning it as their own. This is what God commands us to do as parents. If I could go back and make that decision again, maybe I would not have let them read it. Now that I have, we can use it as a teaching tool against something very powerful that they NEED to be equipped for. They live in the world, though not of the world, where DO we draw the line as Christian parents?
OK, I've just read John Granger's article in CT on Harry Potter and I think I'm now (finally) sold on reading them for myself. However, he did also confirm the idea that Rowling's depiction of magic in the books is highly "realistic." The problem is not really with J.K. Rowling but with the rise of neo-paganism and witchcraft in the world.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/july/harryherestay.html?start=1
I feel like it's appropriate (though perhaps redundant) to point out that the magic in Harry Potter is not like the magic in Lord of the Rings. It's more like the swords and horses that the hobbits swing and ride-- part of the fantasy world created by the author to make the stories interesting and fun. It's the exact same thing as the lightsabers in Star Wars or gadgets that James Bond uses. Any magical elements, whether in science fiction or fantasy, has to have a system and rules for the story to be any good-- this is a pretty basic rule of sci-fi/fantasy writing.
ReplyDeleteI am rather skeptical of the "realism" in the Harry Potter books, as I have not exactly seen a rise of teenagers flying on brooms. Certainly I could see someone reading the books and being more intrigued by witchcraft, but a Christian teenager who might be so easily influenced by a book should also probably stay away from Van Til because of the risk of becoming a total jerk in college.
I feel like the more important aspect of spiritual warfare that the HP books bring up are not at all related to the rise of neopaganism, but the existence of people like Snape, Draco, etc. who are tempted to use the very real power they have to build themselves up at the expense of others that need our prayers.
What I meant by "realistic" is that J.K. Rowling said she did quite a bit of research into alchemy and related sorcery-like stuff to make her books more authentic. Thus, for those who may be interested in neo-pagan "witchcraft," the leap would not not be huge, as what they would encounter would seem somewhat familiar from the world of Harry Potter.
ReplyDeleteI don't recall reading prohibitions in the Bible against either light sabers or swords. I also don't recall too many books in the teen section at Barnes and Nobles on how to build a light saber. I do know that many young people have picked up erroneous views of God from Star Wars, which does reflect a California New Age version of a Buddhist worldview.