SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?

DramaGeek

One day my MIL told me how awful the Harry Potter series is, that they are evil and having them in your home is simply inviting the devil in.  She cited their friends, who couldn't understand why their children were acting so poorly.  They decided to remove Harry Potter from their home and voila! problem solved.  According to her, HP is of the devil and will allow you to be demon posessed.

Has anyone else heard this line of reasoning?  If you are a Christian and against Harry Potter, why?  And if you are against it, are you also against other similar books/authors, such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Earth Sea, George MacDonald's books, and A Wrinkle in Time?

musicalsunlight

I think it is ludicrous that people find HP to be the devil's work. There is a lot of Christian allegory within the books if you look carefully. After people accused JK Rowling of being a Wiccan/believing in magic, she spoke publicly about being Christian. So no, I do not think that HP is evil.

ETA: and correct me if I'm wrong, but Narnia books are written by the very same CS Lewis who has written numerous books on Christianity and his beliefs, correct? because I've always seen Christian themes through those books as well.

drama1308

what?!?! This is ridiculous! While I've never read HP I don't think they can be evil.

So I guess the question is, have you been possed since you own HP ?

RebeccaJac

From a purely theological standpoint, you CANNOT be possesed because you own a Harry Potter book. There are doorways that open you up to supernatural evil (seances, oijua boards, etc.) but a HP book? Nope. Sounds like the nocebo effect to me. Often times people give Satan credit for things he actually doesn't have power over. He only gets the ground we give him, nothing more.

Whichcraft is real and dangerous. The occult is real and dangerous, but HP never contacts the spiritual side of wichcraft. His wizzardry manifests itself in purley mechanical ways. The overall message of HP brings to light that evil is real and needs to be combated with bravery. 

The Chronicles of Narnia were written for the sole purpose of telling the story of God's love to children. J.R.R. Tolkien was also a Christian author. 

iamjoesgurl

I honestly don't know anything about HP - never read the books & never have seen the movies.  But I have also heard people say that the books have evil undertones.  C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkein were close friends.  They were also Christians.  I don't know what (if any) differences there are between the "magic" in HP and the fantasy in Lord of the Rings or the Chronicles of Narnia.  These books are not Christian fiction but there is a lot of symbolism that is driven by the faith of these men.  I'll be very interested in being educated on this.

SuMmErKuTiE

I've never understood people who think the HP books are evil either. The detail in the stories is incredible and JK Rowling in my opinion is the most talented writer ever. No one has done what she has done with such detail.

I think the reason people may think they're bad is because they're witches and wizards attending Hogwarts School for Witchcraft & Wizardry. But the witches are female wizards, not evil women with green faces casting evil spells on people. In fact, the children at Hogwarts are taught to use defensive magic against evil (such as Voldemort and the deatheaters). I see no difference between the HP books/movies than Lord of the Rings (which is also about a magical place with magical creatures and wizards... Gandolf anyone?) and the Chronicles of Narnia books/movies which are also set in a magical place. I think people who are that closed minded are missing out on very incredible stories.

kalizoomba

Lots of people think that -- but I don't see any difference in Harry Potter and any other fantasy/science fiction book. Personally, I've never read Harry Potter, but I don't think it's evil. I don't see why they single Harry Potter out. What about the Twilight books/movies? (okay, I guess I have heard some bad things about them too). I'm trying to think of another example, but right now nothing is coming to mind...

musicalsunlight

In both LOTR and HP there is a single male that has a destiny to meet with the overarching evil entity in order to save humanity. Both are under the impression that their lives must be (or likely will be) sacrificed for this reason. Sound a little familiar? I mean obviously it is not overtly the same as Jesus' life, but the allegory is there. These books in fact, as RebeccaJac said, promote the idea that evil must be fought with love and bravery and belief in the good. (Spoiler) The reason HP defeated the Dark Lord was because of love, which I believe is a pretty powerful reference to God's love.

RebeccaJac

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_spinoff-harry-potter-evil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:af1108c9-c024-4a85-b920-0eb6f40f8bc2Post:dedb234a-79d5-426f-9c6e-df22e1b13296">Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?</a>:
[QUOTE]I've never understood people who think the HP books are evil either. The detail in the stories is incredible and JK Rowling in my opinion is the most talented writer ever. No one has done what she has done with such detail. I think the reason people may think they're bad is because they're witches and wizards attending Hogwarts School for Witchcraft & Wizardry. <strong>But the witches are female wizards, not evil women with green faces casting evil spells on people.</strong> In fact, the children at Hogwarts are taught to use defensive magic against evil (such as Voldemort and the deatheaters). I see no difference between the HP books/movies than Lord of the Rings (which is also about a magical place with magical creatures and wizards... Gandolf anyone?) and the Chronicles of Narnia books/movies which are also set in a magical place. I think people who are that closed minded are missing out on very incredible stories.
Posted by SuMmErKuTiE[/QUOTE]

<div>But witches and wizards do exist in real life. They do harness the power of evil to do the supernatural. This is where the concern comes in. HP has the potential to glamorize this lifestyle any may result in kids too young to understand the spirtitual ramifcations calling on evil to preform wizzardry. </div><div>
</div><div>Witchcraft is not a made up fantasy, it does exist. </div>

yodacub

My pastor used the latest HP movie as a sermon illustration this past week.  The sermon was about "putting to death" the evil things in us, and he used the scene when Harry was "dead" and saw the thing that was Voldemort's horcrux that had been inside of him.  It was a very appropriate image.

When the books were first popular, my parents purchased the book on tape and we listened to it as a family on a trip and discussed it.  We all agreed that it was clearly a classic good vs. evil kind of thing, and that the magic in it wasn't occult, it was just a part of the fantasy world.

Obviously, I think HP is not evil, it's just fiction.  Even if JK Rowling wasn't a Christian (based on the post above, I actually know nothing about her religion), it would still be a worthwhile series to read if you enjoy fantasy books. 

yodacub

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_spinoff-harry-potter-evil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:af1108c9-c024-4a85-b920-0eb6f40f8bc2Post:a2cebdbf-642d-4f46-8951-ae56931b1dbb">Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil? : But witches and wizards do exist in real life. They do harness the power of evil to do the supernatural. This is where the concern comes in. HP has the potential to glamorize this lifestyle any may result in kids too young to understand the spirtitual ramifcations calling on evil to preform wizzardry.  <strong>Witchcraft is not a made up fantasy, it does exist. </strong>
Posted by RebeccaJac[/QUOTE]

You're right, it does exist and is a force of evil in real life.  But in these books, it's just a fact that some people can wave wands and say words and do things.  What they do with their magic, for good or evil, is up to the individual.  And the good wins.  Your point is valid, but the books in no way encourage the kind of witchcraft that actually exists.

RebeccaJac

Right, I responded before saying I don't think their evil, but the reason people get uptight about them is because it does exist. 

HP's magic is mechanical, not spiritual, but people get upset because it can cause a kid to want to dabble in the real, spiritual, evil witchcraft.

DramaGeek

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_spinoff-harry-potter-evil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:af1108c9-c024-4a85-b920-0eb6f40f8bc2Post:75c8c373-3c9f-4e50-afa3-b9415e32804b">Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?</a>:
[QUOTE]In both LOTR and HP there is a single male that has a destiny to meet with the overarching evil entity in order to save humanity. Both are under the impression that their lives must be (or likely will be) sacrificed for this reason. Sound a little familiar? I mean obviously it is not overtly the same as Jesus' life, but the allegory is there. These books in fact, as RebeccaJac said, promote the idea that evil must be fought with love and bravery and belief in the good. (Spoiler) The reason HP defeated the Dark Lord was because of love, which I believe is a pretty powerful reference to God's love.
Posted by musicalsunlight[/QUOTE]

This was H's and my argument for the books not being evil.

My ILs are very nice people, but they are the type of Christians to believe what their pastor tells them, with no questioning, no researching, no thinking of their own.  It makes me really sad that they will just blindly follow.

yodacub

Ah - sorry, I missed that you had posted up farther, RebeccaJac! 

aggiebug

As Christians I think it is our responsiblilty to THINK and to disern what is right and wrong.  I think this include books.  HP, are wonderful books that stretch the imagination and have encouraged millions of people to pick up a book when so many other books do not have that power.  They aren't evil, they are not meant to be an attack of Christianity, nor are they meant to be religious in any way. 

I think it is a parents responsibility to allow their children to read books that they can handle.  If a child is too young they might not be able to think critically enough to decern what is real and what is fiction.  But that is with any book.  If you go into a book understanding your faith and your values I think you can apperciate the beauty of the writing and the story. 

But I also though the Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons and the 3rd book whose title is escaping me were good books.  They were fictional and had no bearing on my Christian belief they were just good stories. 


sorry this is probably disjointed lol its a lot of pent up thoughts that gushed into text. 

DramaGeek

lol aggie, I totally understand what you are saying, and I completely agree.  H came from a very strict, fundamental, conservative household where they weren't allowed to listen to anything except Christian music, you know, those kinds of restrictions.  There was definitely not a lot of thinking and deciding for oneself going on.  It's really no wonder that my ILs blame me for all of H's changes - I was a *gasp* theatre major, and we all know theatre and dance is the devil's work.  <eye roll>  Actually, they've never said a word to me about it and have even come to a couple of my shows, but I know they don't really agree with it.  Heck, I went to a Christian college and the theatre and dance departments got all kinds of grief about not being Christian because of our majors.

jessiegirl61610

I love HP...I don't think it's evil...if you know parents who think it's evil tell them to read "Finding the Bible in Harry Potter"

aggiebug

ha I just reread your last post. I hope you know I wasn't taking a direct stab at your ILs!  I can tell you fundamentally disagree with them, but that still wasn't my intent.

BTW It is obvious you are not christian with all your drama  

ravenray

I have never understood the "Harry Potter is evil and will teach your kids witchcraft" line of thinking.   I was never once encouraged to engage in magic or witchcraft.  Certainly one must read them with a discerning mind.  I think it is a good idea to discuss them with your children so you can help them seen where J.R.'s views differ from Christianity.  But keeping your children from reading them?  Naw.  I was kept from reading them for a long time because my mother was overwhelmed by the propaganda against it.  I really enjoy them; they are some of my favorite books because she is such a good writer with lots of symbolism that I really enjoy. 
As to the other books: The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Earth Sea, George MacDonald's books, and A Wrinkle in Time?
As already mentioned The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings were written by Christian authors (good friends too!).  And George MacDonald was also a friend of theirs.  If you haven't read his books I highly recommend them, they have great Christian Symbolism.  A Wrinkle in Time is written by an Christian author who I love.  In general I love Fantasy.  It has never taught me witchcraft. 

DramaGeek

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_spinoff-harry-potter-evil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:af1108c9-c024-4a85-b920-0eb6f40f8bc2Post:b886554a-c3d4-44ad-af64-be1c7d9ccb4e">Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?</a>:
[QUOTE]ha I just reread your last post. I hope you know I wasn't taking a direct stab at your ILs!  I can tell you fundamentally disagree with them, but that still wasn't my intent. <strong>BTW It is obvious you are not christian with all your drama :p 
</strong>Posted by aggiebug[/QUOTE]

Bwahahaha!  That's awesome.  The last time my ILs did the "we're so sorry we upset you but you need to hear the truth" talk my SIL said, "I'll pray that you find God again."  That went over well, let me tell ya.

And I know you weren't taking a direct stab at them.  We used to get along really well, but as H and I have grown together I think they've felt really threatened.  There is a <em>lot</em>  of back story, but basically H and I were raised very, <em>very</em> differently, and H has now come to the "dark side" and they don't like it.  He is much closer to my parents now than he is to his own, because we have a lot more in common with my mom and dad, and while we would never do anything to intentionally hurt my ILs I know that it has to hurt them to see their son so much closer to his ILs than to his own parents.  I do have a lot of sympathy for them, but they've brought a lot of it on themselves by telling him that going to college ruined him, that they don't know what happened because he wasn't raise to be like <em>that, </em>(whatever <em>that </em>is), and things of that nature.

DramaGeek

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_spinoff-harry-potter-evil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:af1108c9-c024-4a85-b920-0eb6f40f8bc2Post:77e0a986-5b61-44b5-8818-4095aca9a66f">Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?</a>:
[QUOTE] As to the other books: The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Earth Sea, George MacDonald's books, and A Wrinkle in Time? As already mentioned The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings were written by Christian authors (good friends too!).  And George MacDonald was also a friend of theirs.  If you haven't read his books I highly recommend them, they have great Christian Symbolism.  A Wrinkle in Time is written by an Christian author who I love.  In general I love Fantasy.  It has never taught me witchcraft. 
Posted by ravenray[/QUOTE]

That's exactly the reason I asked about the others.  There are wizards, witches, and magic in all the other series' I named, but most Christians I know accept those because they were written by very publicly Christian authors.  Apparently if you write about witches, wizards, and magic and profess loudly to be a Christian, it's ok?

And raven, that's not aimed at you, it's a general eye roll at the hypocrisy that invades Christianity.  The older I've gotten, the more cynical I've become toward organized religion.  I love my God and am so thankful to my savior for His sacrifice, but I could do without all the people professing to be the end all be all when it comes to what God would say about various things.

ravenray

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_spinoff-harry-potter-evil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:af1108c9-c024-4a85-b920-0eb6f40f8bc2Post:9e0471c6-074a-4bde-b103-9d9d28d7b4e0">Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil? : That's exactly the reason I asked about the others.  There are wizards, witches, and magic in all the other series' I named, but most Christians I know accept those because they were written by very publicly Christian authors.  Apparently if you write about witches, wizards, and magic and profess loudly to be a Christian, it's ok? <strong>And raven, that's not aimed at you, it's a general eye roll at the hypocrisy that invades Christianity</strong>.  The older I've gotten, the more cynical I've become toward organized religion.  I love my God and am so thankful to my savior for His sacrifice, but I could do without all the people professing to be the end all be all when it comes to what God would say about various things.
Posted by DramaGeek[/QUOTE]
<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:'Arial','sans-serif';color:#1f1f1f;font-size:8.5pt;">Oh I know.  It annoys me when people tell me that books will teach me witch craft (um no I don't think so.  I have read hundreds of Fantasy books and have yet to perform a single spell) Sometimes I think in the hype to protect our religion we have gone too far the other way.
</span></p>

DramaGeek

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_spinoff-harry-potter-evil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:af1108c9-c024-4a85-b920-0eb6f40f8bc2Post:858822a2-ff22-4781-a2b9-fcec14b22c10">Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil? : Oh I know.  It annoys me when people tell me that books will teach me witch craft (um no I don't think so.  <strong>I have read hundreds of Fantasy books and have yet to perform a single spell)</strong> Sometimes I think in the hype to protect our religion we have gone too far the other way.
Posted by ravenray[/QUOTE]

One of the girls on the E board said she obviously can do magic since she says "Accio Dog'sName" and the dog comes to her :-P

faith415

My parent's were always given grief about the fact that they let me read all of the Harry Potter books. I'm a PK so there were a lot of people who couldn't believe that my dad would condone them. I think that it's important for us to be discerning in what we read. In the case of young children, we need to make sure that they understand that these books are fiction. Banning them tends to only make people want to read them more. For something like this, I think that it would be better to let people read them and then discuss the books.

I remember hearing that J.K. Rowling said she was a Christian and how the ending of the 7th book especially was supposed to be an allegory for Christ.

aggiebug

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_spinoff-harry-potter-evil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:af1108c9-c024-4a85-b920-0eb6f40f8bc2Post:48db931e-e751-4108-91bc-f7d5d29367f7">Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil? : Bwahahaha!  That's awesome.  The last time my ILs did the "we're so sorry we upset you but you need to hear the truth" talk my SIL said, "I'll pray that you find God again."  That went over well, let me tell ya. And I know you weren't taking a direct stab at them.  We used to get along really well, but as H and I have grown together I think they've felt really threatened.  There is a lot   of back story, but basically H and I were raised very, very differently, and H has now come to the "dark side" and they don't like it.  He is much closer to my parents now than he is to his own, because we have a lot more in common with my mom and dad, and while we would never do anything to intentionally hurt my ILs I know that it has to hurt them to see their son so much closer to his ILs than to his own parents.  I do have a lot of sympathy for them, but they've brought a lot of it on themselves by telling him that going to college ruined him, that they don't know what happened because he wasn't raise to be like that, (whatever that is), and things of that nature.
Posted by DramaGeek[/QUOTE]

That makes me sad that religion has caused a rift in his family of sorts.  I hope it can get better for all their sakes.  But I am very glad you and him are on the same page and that you do have a good support system. 

xstarx05x

My problem with HP is that it glorifies black magic and influences many people to become involved wth it. meaning, they turn to the powers of Satan instead of God. Does that sound like something worth supporting? 

I can't give a more detailed answer than that bc I haven't studied this much (BIL has done a couple sermons on the topic) but I can say for sure that there are much more things to be doing to glorify God.

DramaGeek

star, what do you think of the other series' (serieses?  series?  Anyone know the proper way to spell the word for multiple series?) I mentioned that are written by authors who publicly claim to be Christian and have wizards, witches, and magic as part of the story?

RebeccaJac

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_spinoff-harry-potter-evil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:af1108c9-c024-4a85-b920-0eb6f40f8bc2Post:1b6a9495-03f2-4531-ba98-2772f647c099">Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?</a>:
[QUOTE]My problem with HP is that it glorifies black magic and influences many people to become involved wth it. meaning, they turn to the powers of Satan instead of God. Does that sound like something worth supporting?  I can't give a more detailed answer than that bc I haven't studied this much (BIL has done a couple sermons on the topic) but <strong>I can say for sure that there are much more things to be doing to glorify God.</strong>
Posted by xstarx05x[/QUOTE]

<div>I would argue engaging with culture does a lot more to glorify God than hiding in a bubble... </div><div>
</div><div>(That's directed at Christianity... no one directly). </div>

aggiebug

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_spinoff-harry-potter-evil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:af1108c9-c024-4a85-b920-0eb6f40f8bc2Post:e1c3aec7-5895-4e50-a245-776c8e69131f">Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil? : I would argue engaging with culture does a lot more to glorify God than hiding in a bubble...  (That's directed at Christianity... no one directly). 
Posted by RebeccaJac[/QUOTE]

precisely!

aggiebug

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_christian-weddings_spinoff-harry-potter-evil?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:464687ae-7bc1-4360-9aea-999e11f1e1adDiscussion:af1108c9-c024-4a85-b920-0eb6f40f8bc2Post:1b6a9495-03f2-4531-ba98-2772f647c099">Re: SpinOff - Is Harry Potter evil?</a>:
[QUOTE]My problem with HP is that it glorifies black magic and influences many people to become involved wth it. meaning, they turn to the powers of Satan instead of God. Does that sound like something worth supporting?  I can't give a more detailed answer than that bc I haven't studied this much (BIL has done a couple sermons on the topic) but I can say for sure that there are much more things to be doing to glorify God.
Posted by xstarx05x[/QUOTE]

and did you read the books?

and who is it influencing to use black magic?

because I think there is a major difference in characters in a frictional novel using magic, than a book influencing real people to use magic.  Again its about being able to discern ficiton from fact. real from fantasy.

xstarx05x

Rebecca, sure there are some Christians who hide from the world, but im referring to engaging in culture without supporting things that deny God's glory. It's called being in the world yet not of it. it's a fine line, which I can't discerne myself, so I pray for God to open my ears to what he says is right for me. We just need to be careful not to compromise too much for the sake of fitting in and beig a people pleaser. Aggie- I meant that the books influence people in the real world to dapple in black magic. Honestly, I never got that far into the first book. That's why I said I don't know much in terms of facts. I've only seen results. Drama- I'm only familiar with narnia and lotr. I know there's definitely a Christian theme in narnia. Not sure about lotr. I don't even know the plots well enough to say thatthe messages glorified god. How does the hero win in each novel/series? Sorry for not having coherent answers. Like I said, this is just what I feel from the little I know.