The Issue of Witchcraft and Sorcery
The strongest argument on the opposing Christian side, is the Bible’s firm stance on witchcraft and sorcery. Hogwarts isn’t exactly a school of the liberal arts. As the primary setting for the first six books, this is where Harry and his friends are transformed into witches and wizards. The Word says in 1 Samuel, “For rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry” and again in Micah it reads, “I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells.” The first passage, takes a New Testament approach and focuses on the condition of the heart, stating that rebellion and stubbornness toward God’s will and instruction draws this sin out. Witchcraft in the second Scripture is characterized by belief and trust in knowledge from below instead of knowledge from above. In Exodus, God declares all such witches should perish. All of these statements are true and as we apply them to our world we can stand by this one hundred percent, but in a work of fiction what are the rules? Children’s shows and movies such as "Sabrina The Teenage Witch", C.S. Lewis's "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", "The Wizard of Oz" and all fairytales incorporate this element of magic and wonder that we can accept as a separate fictional world; are we too hard on Harry Potter because of it’s overwhelming influence on pop-culture? Is it really turning the hearts of our children toward witchcraft as the Bible explains? How is this different then other beloved fiction works that incorporate these same elements? Every parent has the right to protect their children and grow them steadily in godliness, but we should ask and answer these questions in order to fully understand this argument – as well as our own position.
