Has the Pope Condemned Harry Potter?
This topic was originally posted on 7/18/2005. I moved it up here because of the great dialogue that has emerged in the last several days. Furthermore, I wanted to direct your attention to a page from Christianity Today that lists all of their coverage of the issue of Harry Potter since 1999. Thought you might be interested. Check it out here. Also, be sure to check out the dialogue for this topic and put in your two cents worth.
ChristianityToday.com has an article concerning the recent revelation of the Pope's position on the Harry Potter phenomenon. The article raises the same question that has been tossed around from the beginning of Rowling's masterpiece anthology: whether or not the films and books are fairly harmless fairy tales that employ magic as a form of metaphor, or if they are some subversive ploy to bait children into practicing witchcraft.
I for one have my own opinions on the matter, but I want to hear from you. Tell us, what do you think a Christian is to do with Harry Potter?
-SS
ChristianityToday.com has an article concerning the recent revelation of the Pope's position on the Harry Potter phenomenon. The article raises the same question that has been tossed around from the beginning of Rowling's masterpiece anthology: whether or not the films and books are fairly harmless fairy tales that employ magic as a form of metaphor, or if they are some subversive ploy to bait children into practicing witchcraft.I for one have my own opinions on the matter, but I want to hear from you. Tell us, what do you think a Christian is to do with Harry Potter?
16 Comments:
I think Rowling's books are harmless for kids. She is only using magic as a plot device to tell a story. People use plot devices all the time to tell stories and no one has any problems with them. How can a Christian get all excited about Star Wars and Lucas' "force" and then have a problem with Harry Potter?
Why is that the vast majority of people who have issues with magic in Harry Potter are also strict literalists when it comes to interpreting scripture? Just something to chew on.
What is truly scary is that the parents of many children are ignorant as to spiritual warfare, and spiritual entities.
Comparing Star Wars (I am not saying that it is a good Christian movie) to Harry Potter is not a good example. There are two sides to Star Wars, Light and Dark / Good and Evil. This is a plausible representation of Heaven and Hell, although not a very accurate one. I am not saying that Star Wars is a good representation of Biblical teachings! I am saying that Harry Potter presents witchcraft as harmless fun. Star Wars presents the Dark side as wrong, and evil, and undesirable. If the “force” were replaced with “spiritual relm” in Star Wars, there would be the Godly side, and the ungodly side. Let us focus on Harry Potter though…
Harry Potter involves sorcery and witchcraft. The entire series revolves around this theme, and they all go to the school of magic.
What is wrong with this, is that these things are real. Satan does have demons, and spirits on this earth that work in supernatural ways through magic, and witchcraft.
Here is the real kicker. Guess what! You don’t even have to believe in Satan, witchcraft, or magic for Satan to entice you, and entrap you in his snare. You don’t have to believe in supernatural spiritual happenings, in order for Satan to prove himself to you. Satan would love for kids to “test” him and see if things really can happen through the very things that are being taught in Harry Potter.
The fact is, the Harry Potter books do nothing but 1) Glorify Satan 2) Entice children to dabble in witchcraft 3) Pull children away from God
Ignorance is no excuse in Heaven. We justify allowing children in Christian homes to read this demonic stuff through ignorance alone.
-Matt
Matt,
I don't even know where to begin in responding to your post. Have you actually read any of the Harry Potter books?
I find the comparison between star wars and Harry Potter to be an excellent one. Both Star Wars and Harry Potter are about a cosmic battle between good and evil. Star Wars presents a dangerous eastern-religious worldview much more clearly than Harry Potter "glorifies Satan." I have not read the term "Satan" once in any of the books, so I'm not sure where you get that.
I agree that there is a very real spiritual world with angels, demons, Satan, etc..., but the magic in the Harry Potter books doesn't even remotely resemble the spiritual reality. There are no demons or angels in the book. There are a few ghosts in the book that look a lot more like Casper than they do Satan.
If magic is your main problem with Harry Potter, than we as Christians need to be very consistant by banning all fantasy books that promote magic (including the Lord of the Rings and most fairy tales).
Tristan,
I respect your analogy of Star Wars.
The fact that Satan is not mentioned in Harry Potter books is the most dangerous thing of all.
Magic, spells, and sorcery all come from one source (period).
I never said that Harry Potter mentioned Satan. Harry Potter "glorifies" Satan. Harry Potter makes witchcraft, and sorcery fun and exciting for children, and adults too.
What is the lure in Harry Potter? It is all the supernatural activity that happens within the book. Does Harry Potter glorify God in any respect? No.
This is all along the same lines as Halloween. So many Christians are ignorant as to what Halloween is, and allow their children to participate in it. Harry Potter is no different.
Can you honestly argue that Harry Potter is a Godly book? Do you really think that these children that are reading these books are being drenched with Biblical principles? I really don’t understand how anyone can argue that witchcraft & sorcery are okay, as long as the good guys win.
The wolf will come in sheep’s clothing,
-Matt
Matt,
Let me explain what is at the heart of my thinking on this issue. I approach the Harry Potter debate with the mind-set that creativity and art are intrinsically good things; however, few American Christians have had much success in the arts for the past 50 or so years. We have failed to write stories, produce movies, compose music, etc... that inspire our culture. The best we have done in recent years is to produce Christian art that resembles and mimics the secular art that is cutting-edge.
Our failure in the arts is also accompanied by a large number of conservative evangelicals who have taken an isolationist approach to the secular arts. Rather than engaging the culture, they flee. They boycott the arts of the culture hoping that they and their children will not become corrupted by our pagan society.
I believe that following Jesus means confronting the evils of our culture and engaging society in creative ways, which is a calling that very few Christians answer. Rather than answering this calling we offer our society anemic, inarticulate, and inconsisitent arguments against much of its art, and I don't think society takes us very seriously.
Let me respond directly to your questions:
1. "Does Harry Potter glorify God in any respect?"
-No more than Frodo or Luke Skywalker do, but the Harry Potter books are ultimately about a battle between good and evil.
2. "Can you honestly argue that Harry Potter is a Godly book?"
-I'm not trying to. I am not of the opinion that everything a Christian reads or watches has to promote Christianity 100%. I believe that Christians should critically evaluate art and hold onto the good (I Thes. 5:21).
3. "Do you really think that these children that are reading these books are being drenched with biblical priciples?"
-Ahh, but I don't think the problem is with the books themselves. I would have no problem with my children (if I had children) reading the Harry Potter books, but I certainly would not tell them to base their worldview on the books.
4."I really don't understand how anyone can argue that witchcraft and sorcery are ok."
-I'm not arguing that real witchcraft and sorcery are ok, but the Harry Potter books do not promote or even resemble real witchcraft and sorcery. The magic in Harry Potter is based on fantasy and not supposed to be taken seriously. There are no demons or evil spirits in the books. The magic comes from wands and potions, not from Satan or other demonic forces.
Do you apply your standard to all literature? If you believe that all books that contain wizards, witches, sorcery, and magic are evil and if you include the Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia, and all other fairy tales along with those books, then at least you are consistent to your standard, and their is little else for me to say. However, I have the sneaking suspicion that you do not apply your standard to those books, so my question for you is what is the difference?
My other question still remains; have you actually read any of the Harry Potter books?
Tristan,
I agree with many of your points, especially where you mentioned the lack of creativity and captivating expressions of Christianity in art from Christians in the last 50 years. But I wonder if you have made some grave errors in some of your other arguments.
For example, how on earth can you so easily, concretely, and directly compare Harry Potter with The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia? Save for the mutual usage of words (IE. magic, wizard, etc.) there is no comparison. Tolkien and Lewis are noted Christians who wrote Christian allegory based on a Christian worldview. Yes, Lewis may have spoken of magic, and yes, Tokien may have had wizards, but it is quite a stretch to say that it is the same as in Harry Potter. This leads me to ask you the question: Have you even read the L.O.T.R. or Chronicles of Narnia?
If you had read all of the L.O.T.R. books (particularly the Silmarillion) you would have known that Tolkien's work is based upon a monotheistic premise - a high authority who bestows powers according to his will. Even the wizard Gandalf acknowledges the powers that be that work to shape the course of history.
If you had read the Chronicles of Narnia you would have known that power and authority are welded together. That authority is Jesus, in the character of the great lion Aslan — creator and sovereign ruler of Narnia, son of the Emperor Beyond the Sea. Good power is power that is bestowed by Aslan and exercised in accordance with his will. This good power is at work when the children Peter, Susan, and Lucy use gifts bestowed on them by an agent of Aslan. Evil power, on the other hand, is power that is seized or conjured — rather than bestowed — and exercised for selfish ends. Those who resist the temptation to use such power are commended, as was Digory, in The Magician’s Nephew. But those who wield it (such as Jadis, also in The Magician’s Nephew) and the White Witch (in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) are eventually vanquished by Aslan.
On the contrary, Rowling's work invites children into a world where witchcraft is "neutral" and where authority is determined solely by one's cleverness. Magical power is gained through inheritance and learning. It is not granted by a higher authority, because there is no Higher Authority — at least none higher than Harry’s mentor, Albus Dumbledore, and the evil Lord Voldemort. When one reads Rowling’s series they find that she seems to effectively divorce power from authority.
"There shall not be found among you anyone who... practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord..." Deuteronomy 18:9-12
In response to the fellow who made the first comment, lloyd, the whole "plot device" argument is very much lacking. If we use this defense, then anything is permissible to watch or read, just so long as it has some form of ‘good meaning’ or intention. So what if Harry Potter uses magic to showcase the cosmic battle between good* and evil? (*on a side note, if Harry is "good" then we have to call into question his ethical failings) The O.C. on Fox may use the plot devices of fornication and adultery to show the destructive consequences of infidelity, but does that mean Christians should watch the O.C. with their children? Where does this line of logic end?
And lastly, Tristan, you said, "...the Harry Potter books do not promote or even resemble real witchcraft and sorcery. The magic in Harry Potter is based on fantasy and not supposed to be taken seriously." You are sadly mistaken if you think that the ‘cutesy’ magic in Harry Potter does not resemble anything in real life. There is a good book out there titled Harry Potter and the Bible that exposes Harry Potter's secret symbols. Rowling knows her history and she know all about occult practices. There are numerous examples of how she used many cultic ideas (numbers, dates, names, symbols, etc.) in writing her material. One need not look very far to see very real connections to real life. Also, Rowling’s books are full of magic spells, hexes, incantations, and magic commands ranging from levitation to transfiguration to essentially creation ex nihilo. Just do a Google search for "Harry Potter spells" and you can find a million sites with all the magic you desire. Sure it may appear fun and silly, but the controlling principle behind it all is undeniable. These sound exactly like what real evil witches and sorcerers do (or try to do) in real life.
Should Christians hold Nazi book burning parties and rid the shelves of our libraries and book stores of the demonic Harry Potter? Well, maybe not. But does that mean that Christian parents should not even think twice about populating their shelves at home with Harry's books and movies? Well, we can only hope and pray that the content we feed our children be unmistakably Christian.
Tristan,
I apologize. I did not intentionally avoid your question. I have not read all of the books. I have read enough to have knowledgeable dialogue about the series. I will not finish reading the books, and I will not support it in any way. I have also seen both movies, although I understand that the movies do not represent the books in an exacting fashion.
The books do, however, lead to the mass ticket sales for the movies.
As far as Christian artist are concerned… I don’t understand how we can justify compromise, and acceptance of ungodly occult literature for our children, just because there hasn’t been a “successful” Christian artist to entertain us in the last 50 years?
In regards to your comment, “…the Harry Potter books do not promote or even resemble real witchcraft and sorcery.”
Let me ask you a question. Have you ever been exposed to real witchcraft and sorcery? Do you know anyone who practices levitation, astral projection and astral travel? I don’t want to glorify Satan’s deception that he has on the world, but many of the very acts in Harry Potter are exact representations of satanic activities.
The problem with Harry Potter is that the majority of parents believe that it is all make believe.
I like that you use the term fantasy in regards to Harry Potter. That is exactly all it takes is for children to fantasize about all the “magic” in Harry Potter. There is no faith required to get caught up in witchcraft, sorcery, or black magic. Satan is more than cheerful to “prove” himself to these children, whom with their parents blessing, fantasize about supernatural spiritual powers.
Tristan, please know that I do not judge any adult who reads these books. If a Christian adult decides to read Harry Potter, I have no qualms with that. What grieves me is that Harry Potter is directed toward children. It has made it’s way into Christian households with the blessing of Christian parents for their children.
If there was a series on witchcraft and sorcery that came out for adults (There are tons of them out there) I would not partake, but I would be less concerned.
It is the children that I worry about. I think that every pastor in America should read Harry Potter. If the pastor knows anything about occults and their activities, he would quickly condemn the series.
I agree, it is sad that we as Christians do not combat evil with a Christ like response.
Just for the record. I do not know Rowlings. From what I have read, I do not believe that she had any intentions of writing an occult book to entice children. I believe that she is simply allowing, unknowingly, herself to be used as an instrument of evil.
I will let you have the last word.
My last word is this, I grieve for the children.
-Matt
Anonymous & Matt,
Thanks for your well-thought-out responses.
I have read much of Narnia & Lord of the Rings (unfortunately not the Silmarillion). My point was not to say that The Harry Potter works were comparable to these other works (especially Lewis' clear allegory to Christ), but simply to point out that we Christians allow some works of literature to contain wizards, witchcraft, sorcery, etc.. without condemning them. It's been a while since reading the L.O.T.R., but I'll trust you on the monotheistic principle (although I don't remember any references to a God, there is at least hints of divine goodness in the story, and we all know that Tolkien was a Christian). I guess where I would disagree is where you mention Rowlings presenting a world where magic is "neutral." Now it is true that both the good and evil sides in Harry Potter have magical/mystical powers (but isn't this also true with L.O.T.R), but there is a distinct difference between the good and evil sides in the Harry Potter books and the way in which they use their magic. The good magicians promote honor, integrity, friendship, sacrificial love, etc... while the evil magicians promote evil.
I readily admit that I am pretty ignorant when it comes to occult practices. I mispoke when I said Harry Potter does not resemble real witchcraft. What I should have said was the I don't believe Harry Potter promotes or resembles the demonic spiritual reality that we find in the Scripture or in the real world (things like demon possession, etc..). But there may be people who practice witchcraft that I am unaware of. Since there are so many element like flying broom sticks and invisibility cloaks that are clearly ficticious fantasy, I assumed that no one actually believed in the magic in Harry Potter.
Sean,
You states that you have your own opinion on this...
I am in suspense as to what it is...
-Matt
Matt,
Thank-you for bringing that back up :)
I lean towards the comments of "anonymous."
I might type more on this subject later if I have the time. We're moving to Mississippi in less than 2 weeks and things are getting crazy.
Good dialogue though.
Sean,WE can't wait to meet you!!
MS Folks
Great debate!
Through this whirlwind of text, I am left wondering this...
WHAT IS THE MAIN POINT YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE???
Some great "arguments" and "evidence" has been thrown around... some pretty heady interaction... but what is the main premise?
Books have two categories, those that are something, and those that contain something. In category one (books that are something) there is only one book... the Bible. It IS good. It IS Truth. It IS living, etc. There is no other book like it from all of man's history.
And in category two (books that contain something) are all the rest of the books ever penned by... man! They contain evil and/or good. They contain truth, life, deception, death, sin, glory, and so on... (And yes, the Bible fits into this category also as it contains elements that depict evil... i.e. godlessness)
I believe that some books contain much more good, truthful content; while some contain nearly all evil, truthless content. Yes, authors may intrinsically start from one premise or the other but we must agree that God is not continuing to write the Bible which is the only inspired, infallible Word that has always been. (John 1) Therefore no book (regardless of the author) is 100% truth... and if contains nearly all truth then that is simply because it in some way directs the reader to the only source of truth, God, and His divine Word, the Bible.
So, having said that, A book can only contain a percentage of Good and Evil (and good luck agreeing on that arbitrary number for each text). Therefore, what I percieve to be at the core of this global debate, is this question...
"What percentage of Good must there be in a book before it is permissible and edifying to read?"
Now... that question then must be broken down into sub-questions that can be applied to an individual circumstace.
A) How much good must there be for children to read said book by themselves?
(And at what age?)
B) How much good must there be in said book for Parents to read it to their children?
C) How much good must there be in said book for a new Believer to read it?
D) How much good must there be in said book for a mature adult believer to read it for leisure?
E) How much good must there be in said book for a mature adult believer to study it on a scholarly level?
Not unitl we answer that basic, fundamental question will any of this debate even matter, or be cohesive.
As I close, I leave this thought. I have this friend that I met right when I became a Christian. I know him much better now, to the point that you could say that most days he runs my life for me. His name is the Holy Spirit. I have come to understand that He is so faithful and so good at communicating that there is nothing I do that he isn't aware of... including things that hinder my relationship with God. And the Holy Spirit is faithful to convict me... ALWAYS!!! (John 16:8) Therefore, no matter what the recreation or activity, He guides me and directs... and I get this distinct guilty feeling when it is not pleasing to my Father. EVEN THE BOOKS I READ!!! So, it saddens me that no one has mentioned the issue of personal conviction, but that is an area where God is always active. Lloyd, how are you convicted. Tristan, Matt, Ryan, Anon... how are you personally convicted? Discern that; Obey that; Follow that still small voice and I have no arguments with you.
Question my integrity and my walk with God!
Question my obedience to the conviction of the Holy Spirit!
But DON'T question what books I read.
...oh, and Tristan... who got you hooked on such trashy literature anyway?
Wow. Quite a debate. And good responses and thoughts on both "sides". I especially felt like everyone did a good job maintaining civilty and Christian love.
But I heartily agree with Jeremy K. and his comments on conviction and being led by the Holy Spirit. I want to add one thought (though I am rather late to this "conversation"!):
Rowling may or may not be instrumental in teaching children witchcraft, but the Enemy is certainly using her books to strike discord among God's people.
I agree with Tristan. I get a sense sometimes that as Christians we're so afraid of becoming "infected" by the world that we're afraid to engage it. I don't believe Jesus entered Jerusalem dressed in surgical garb and neither should we.
I really like Jermey, I have the greatest respect for him, he radiates the presence of Christ. But I don't agree with his thoughts on reducing such issues to subjective impulses from God's Spirit. I believe there are principles we can follow... we may not all agree on what they are... but we can give it our best shot and then stand side by side in Christian love.
I think Harry Potter is harmless. There is no way that any of the things in the book can happen. Besides that she isn't telling children to practice witchcraft at all. Its just imaginary fun that the author cooked up to give entertainment. The book has many good lessons in it and none involve teaching magic.
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