Should Christians Read Harry Potter

To Read Or Not To Read

It’s a story, born out of a hurtful divorce and the disappointment of loss, brought to life on a napkin in a London café, we’ve all heard the name…J.K. Rowling’s book series "Harry Potter." With over 400 million copies sold the character’s of Hogwarts have stirred quite a buzz especially in Christian circles. Some Christ followers, love Harry’s story and identify with the virtues embodied by the main character such as: courage, the value of friendship and selflessness. On the flipside, other Christians see the books as promoting witchcraft and sorcery to an unassuming young generation. Who’s right and is it wrong to read these? How can Christians let the Spirit of God guide them in their reasoning…

According To The Measure Of Faith

The Bible reminds us “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” – (Romans 12:3). The Apostle Paul goes on to say that everything that does not come from faith is sin. How can we apply this when dealing with whether or not to read "Harry Potter"? The problem with this issue is that both sides of the Christian argument are looking for an answer that’s black and white, but maybe the answer is hidden in the gray. These Scriptures tell us that we have to operate according to the measure of faith we’re given, so perhaps the first step to answering this question is “Do I have the faith to do so?” All things are lawful, but all things do not edify. If we violate our conscious and act not in faith, we’re tip-toeing down a path of sin. With that in mind, what if anything can these characters teach us…

If Anything Have Any Virtue

There is a moral framework inside this fictional piece, Harry’s parents died to save him and he in turn demonstrates this same act of self sacrifice in the book to save his friends. These are qualities certainly worthy of admiration. Even Harry’s tragic flaw and inability to share his pain, timidity or even ask for help teaches the reader that nursing secrets keeps us from growing and makes ourselves and others miserable. Through Harry's journey the book teaches the importance of avoiding prideful people and valuing friendships with loyalty. And most importantly encourages us to not be afraid to stand in the gap to fight evil when others shrink back. We mustn’t forget though there is a dark-side to the story…

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.

What Was the Author's Intent

A wise person once said if you want to know the purpose of something you have to go back to the original intent of it's creator. So what was Rowling thinking when she imagined this world? At the time, she found herself going through difficult times of poverty and depression. When describing the ending of her book series she tells Oprah, “If it was an escape for all of these children, you can image what it had been for me.” And you see this played out in the juxtaposition between the main character and his creator: Rowling experienced the loss of her mother - Harry lost both of his parents, Rowling went through a bitter divorce and Harry also experienced rejection from his living family early in life, Rowling bounced back and overcame (from being barely able to pay her bills to becoming the only self-made author billionaire in history) – Harry's story too also ends in valiant victory. And what about the Christian imagery? Rowling, an Anglican and now a member of the Church of Scotland (The Telegraph), defends her use of imagination, witches and wizardry to Christians by telling Oprah, “In a hundred, two hundred, three hundred years from now there will be a new children’s story that has witches and wizards and magic. It will always be with us.” While she confesses openly that she doesn’t believe in magic, she hopes the books encourage children to embrace the vivid use of their imagination.

Am I Still A Good Christian If

No matter which side you fall on as brothers and sisters, we should be slow to judge one another. We must continue to behave as Heavenly siblings especially when it comes to matters we disagree on the most. Jesus tells us that we will know what people are made of by their fruit or what their life produces. So there is some level of critical thinking that needs to take place on our part, in discerning the fruit in people's lives and using God's wisdom to teach us how to properly navigate relationships. What the Bible does not condone is looking down on others (including yourself) as if salvation is dependent on the books we read instead of the saving blood and work of Jesus Christ. Especially, when we all know Who truly has the final say.

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