Harry Potter, Witchcraft and Christian Faith

[Solomons Porch]

Why condemn So many Christians the books of Harry Potter? What are the fears behind this?

It is not a fear "for me personally" but its a spiritual conviction. I did not allow my children to read these books when they were small. Idk, if I am a christian and am to be imitating Christ I would ask myself: would Jesus sit and read this? Just sayin.......

 

[Jane_Doe]

Yeah ridiculous, but talking snake, creation of the woman from a rib, biggest floating zoo ever, turning water to wine,
Virgin birth, 6000 year old world all sound any more reasonable?

We are all products of our upbringing and for many that is as far as they ever get.

For the record: Mormons do actually believe in a virgin birth and humans being created by God, water turning to wine, and flaming talking bushes. No so much on "magic bulletproof underwear".

 

[Gerlinde24]

Jane, as a former Mormon, I know, that this "magic underwear stories" were published and given at address speech in the seventies, eighties and nineties. Maybe not now, but at this time, every mormon knew such a story.

 

[Jane_Doe]

Jane, as a former Mormon, I know, that this "magic underwear stories" were published and given at address speech in the seventies, eighties and nineties. Maybe not now, but at this time, every mormon knew such a story.

There's a huge difference between being a folk story "everyone knows" and being actual doctrine.

 

[Gerlinde24]

There's a huge difference between being a folk story "everyone knows" and being actual doctrine.

But if a "folk story" tells to the audience as "whole truth", as "doctrine", or/and as "the Lord tells me so", it become a doctrine by speech.
BTW, why do you stay here? They (Christians) hate you, as they hate everybody, which didn't think and act like them.

 

[Jane_Doe]

But if a "folk story" tells to the audience as "whole truth", as "doctrine", or/and as "the Lord tells me so", it become a doctrine by speech.

Good explanation makes Mormon doctrine: Approaching Mormon Doctrine

BTW, why do you stay here? They (Christians) hate you, as they hate everybody, which didn't think and act like them.

Because not all Nicene Christians hate everyone else- far from it. And we never cultivate love for each other by hiding in corners, but by going out and seeing each other.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

Some Christians focus too much on the witchcraft and are worried that people reading these books will become pagans. I'm more more concerned that they become Potter Larpers and obsess over the internal law of the series. This seems to me the true danger of most modern fiction, not ideological conversions but an obsessed attachment to fandoms and the lore of a particular series. I would almost prefer authentic paganism to the devotion some people have towards their fandoms.

The books themselves a fine works of fiction which obviously borrow from historical elements in order to lend it's world some credit. I do not believe for instance these works were written with the express intent to lull people into witchcraft but to provide an exciting story full of unique and interesting plots that use magic in creative ways to get the hero from A to B. Certain Christian themes can be easily pointed out and found in the books and the magic is as far removed from any supposed magic in our world that it's comical to compare the two.

No, Harry Potter is fine, it's simply fine.

 

[Hieronymus]

No it is not.
It romanticizing interaction with demons and magick, which is occultism and witchcraft.
HP is a boy wizard.
What is so hard to get about people's objections?

 

[Hieronymus]

Good explanation makes Mormon doctrine: Approaching Mormon Doctrine

Because not all Nicene Christians hate everyone else- far from it.

I wonder if they love people who they believe end up being torured for ever and ever in hell...

 

[MissRowy]

No it is not.
It romanticizing interaction with demons and magick, which is occultism and witchcraft.
HP is a boy wizard.
What is so hard to get about people's objections?

No its not...And please don't ruin it for those who do enjoy Harry Potter

 

[Hieronymus]

No its not...

Yes it clearly is.

And please don't ruin it for those who do enjoy Harry Potter

Ruin it?
I suppose when you don't want to 'risk' joy being 'ruined', you should avoid this topic.

 

[Daemon]

It's obviously true though.
It's what Potter is all about: a boy magician (or whatever you want to call it) interacting with the supernatural.It has many parallels to religious things, demons, (fallen) angels, occult powers, etcetera.
It's what Potter is all about.
It is all based on occultism and witchcraft, which is made "cool" by the Potter books and many other books and movies.
How can you not see this obvious fact?

It's subjective. Harry Potter can also be perceived as religious, too. For example, the books parallel slightly with parts of Scripture.

Both God/Jesus & Harry exhibit powers to heal, defend and change the world
Both Harry and Jesus set out to help others while defeating sin/evil
Both Harry & Jesus had to be sacrificed for the good of all.
The Bible is equally as magical, violent & full of teaching values as any fiction novel.

Yeah, it's good & well to twist your perspective to say everything is supernatural etc, but so is the Bible. It's not natural for a corpse to resurrect, but after three days, Jesus does. By definition, that should be classed as necromancy.

The Bible teaches us to love thy neighbor, but so does Harry Potter where it states love is the greatest, purest magic of all.

 

[MissRowy]

It's subjective. Harry Potter can also be perceived as religious, too. For example, the books parallel slightly with parts of Scripture.

And what scriptures would they be?

The Bible is equally as magical, violent & full of teaching values as any fiction novel.

Actually I reckon the Bible is more violent in parts than any books I have read. Its not magical at all.

 

[Hieronymus]

It's subjective. Harry Potter can also be perceived as religious, too. For example, the books parallel slightly with parts of Scripture.

Both God/Jesus & Harry exhibit powers to heal, defend and change the world
Both Harry and Jesus set out to help others while defeating sin/evil
Both Harry & Jesus had to be sacrificed for the good of all.
The Bible is equally as magical, violent & full of teaching values as any fiction novel.

Yeah, it's good & well to twist your perspective to say everything is supernatural etc, but so is the Bible. It's not natural for a corpse to resurrect, but after three days, Jesus does. By definition, that should be classed as necromancy.

The Bible teaches us to love thy neighbor, but so does Harry Potter where it states love is the greatest, purest magic of all.

Exactly what a daemon would say...

 

[JacquelineDeane55]

Sorry, but my parents are against J.K. Rowling because she has stated before that she is a practicing witch. She is an actual witch, you guys. So they won't have anything to do with her or her books.

That is why her books are about witches and wizards, because she herself is, in fact, a witch. That is where it all comes from.

Christians should not be supporting a witch, which GOD has commanded that people should not do. He said, Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. In the Old Testament, I believe.

 

[GeorgeJ]

She is an actual witch, you guys.

Do you have any reliable source for that claim other than just hearsay? If not, you're spreading lies and rumors.

Christians should not be supporting a witch, which GOD has commanded that people should not do. He said, Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

So you believe she should be put to death?

 

[Lucian Hodoboc]

Flat out forbidding the reading of it, without them having read them spurred me to rebel.

I think Lucifer used a similar analogy when he rebelled against some of the things that God forbade.

 

[BisonBubbles]

My opinion is always that if it causes you to sin then you should stop reading/watching.

The content of Harry Potter has never caused me or any other Christians I know to sin. In fact, it got me reading in the first place, and that has had a large, positive impact on my life. I don't think most kids of an appropriate age will have difficulty discerning between reality and fiction. I didn't.

That said, parents should always know what their kids are reading and be able to discuss the more controversial ones with them. And of course, a parent will know more about what their kid can and cannot handle. Also, there is some issue with age. I feel like the first book is too elementary for a 17 year old, but the seventh book is too mature for an 11 year old. You would have to pace them.

 

[thecolorsblend]

After a long time I read again the Harry Potter books of J.K. Rowling, Right now I am in the last quarter of the fifth volume, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". Where the evil Lord Voldemort Harry used to kill the headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
Some time ago I met the Catholic author Gabriele Kuby, and we talked about our favorite books. When I mentioned Harry Potter, she told me that the books were bad because they kept children from the Bible, to the magic and witch cult. I told her that she was wrong. It is only fiction, which, however, has parallels to our world. The exclusion of people who are "different" who consider themselves to be something "special". The rise of racism and populism, all of this occurs in the HP books. And, the author shows us that resistance and compassion are the best weapons against ignorance and prejudice.
My questions to you all (whether or not you are Christians):
Why condemn So many Christians the books of Harry Potter? What are the fears behind this? As someone who has been hanging out with witches for a while, I know that no magic is taught in the books. There is more magic in the book "The Mist of Avalon".

I find that a lot of people dismiss the concerns about authentic witch craft being taught in those books. When I ask them what qualifies them to say those aren't really spells and what research they've done to support their opinions, they look like a deer in the headlights.

Meanwhile, the people who have researched magic frequently are alarmed at what's printed in Harry Potter books.

So who should we trust? The people who have never bothered investigating the matter or the people who have investigated it?

 

[Brightmoon]

To simplify what I was trying to say before.

My personal perspective is..

Flat out forbidding the reading of it, without them having read them spurred me to rebel.

If they had read them with me, I would have had the benefit of a christian viewpoint on anything questionable.

this is exactly the reason I never forbid my children from listening to rap. I explained that this stuff was a fantasy and if they really treated their friends and girlfriends like that it would just cause trouble . I also put my foot down about listening to only rap.they HAD to listen to other kinds of music , classical ,jazz ,metal ,rock ,r&b , stuff from the 40s on up.