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What's a Christian to Do with Harry
Potter?
Chapter Four - Page Four |
Continued from page
three Footnotes page
Similarly,
those who are not guided by Scripture may look at all the “magic” in
the Harry Potter books and say “It’s just fantasy. None of this is
real.” They don’t even believe that there are real demonic forces
behind witchcraft and occult practices in our world, much less in the
fantasy world of Harry Potter. However, those of us who believe the
Bible know that, mixed in with all the fun imaginative words, mythology,
fables, legend, folklore, and fairy tale imagery, are some terms that
correspond to real occult witchcraft practiced in our world today and
forbidden by God.
Knowing that the author of Harry
Potter says she does not believe in magic, doesn’t negate the truth in
Ephesians 6: 12, where it says, “For our struggle is not against flesh
and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in
the heavenly realms. So we may wonder if reading the Harry Potter books
could open someone up to the demonic forces at work behind the scenes --
even, perhaps especially if they do not believe such forces exist.
3.
How
Might This Look to Others Who See It? Christians in Corinth had been baptized, publicly displaying their new
allegiance to Christ and denunciation of idol worship. Those who were
against eating meat sacrificed to idols thought people who saw a
Christian eating meat sacrificed to idols might think he condoned or was
promoting idolatry. Onlookers might be led astray, thinking that one
could be a Christian and still be involved in idol worship.
·
Today
Christians have raised the question of whether reading the Harry Potter
books, might give the impression that they allow, condone, promote, or
are unconcerned about real occult witchcraft. They worry that kids who
read or view Harry Potter might be misled into thinking that real
witchcraft is okay because they even see and hear Christians who are
into it. There is evidence that this is an important consideration.
Marketers of books and other products are eagerly following after the
Harry Potter crowd with offerings like: “Teen Witchcraft Kits”,
“A Spell-A-Day Tear-off Calendar” that features real spells
to cast, and other products that cross the line into occult involvement
in our world being presented in the wake of Harry Potter’s popularity.
4.
Issues
of Freedom in Christ and Conscience: First century Christians were just learning what it meant to be “free
in Christ.” Some of the Corinthians asserted that they were free in
Christ, that the idol was nothing to them because there is only one true
God, so eating meat sacrificed to idols wasn’t an issue. They had no
pangs of conscience about it. Others were not sure, some were still so
used to thinking in terms of there really being idols that were in
competition with God, that their consciences were very troubled by the
thought of eating meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. They
associated the eating of that meat directly with the practice of
idolatry so that one was an extension of the other. For them, to eat
meat sacrificed to idols was tantamount to worshiping that idol.
·
With
Harry Potter, some Christians say, “The magic in Harry Potter is not
occult. It makes no contact with spiritual forces of darkness in our
world.
It is the same kind of literary magic I have allowed my kids to see in Sword
in the Stone or Sleeping
Beauty, so they feel complete freedom to read the books, and don’t
feel any pang of conscience. Others -- especially those who have had
experience with occult practices of the same name as those mentioned in
Harry Potter -- are not sure or may be adamantly sure that there is a
direct association between the literary magic of Hogwarts and the
practice of real witchcraft, so that to them one is an extension of the
other. Therefore, their consciences are very troubled by all that is
associated with Harry Potter; for them, to be involved in any way is
tantamount to dabbling in real witchcraft or condoning it.
Paul
settled their dispute with principles they could apply conscientiously:
(My paraphrased application
follows. Look in your Bible to read the whole answer)
1.
Don’t
be a know-it-all. (1 Cor. 8:1)
2.
An
idol is nothing to the person who serves the one true God. (1 Cor.
8:4-6)
3.
It
depends on how someone thinks of
it. Those who associate
eating that meat with worshiping an idol, violate their conscience.
It’s not the act of eating, but what that means
to the person that matters. No better or worse for eating. (1 Cor.
8:7-8)
4.
We
are free in Christ. However, our freedom is to be limited by our
sensitivity to other Christians and that which violates their
conscience. Those who have no pangs of conscience, were to be aware that
others who did might see them eating meat sacrificed to an idol and be
emboldened to do likewise -- even though the Christian whose conscience
is troubled by the act would be violating their conscience to do so. In
this way, the Christian who was exercising his freedom in Christ did not
sin by eating, but did sin by causing his fellow believer to do
something he believed to be wrong. (1 Corinthians 8:9-13)
5.
We
have many freedoms and rights as Christians that we may waive out of
love for others. Love for others and sensitivity over how exerting our
rights might stumble them should guide us as to how and where we will
claim our rights. (Paul used his life as an example of how he gave up
many rights out of love and consideration for the people to whom he
sought to minister.)
6.
We
are to accommodate ourselves to the cultural sensitivities of those with
whom we have relationship, being careful that the exercise of our
freedoms does not cause them to do anything that they believe to be
wrong because of their cultural context. (1 Cor. 9:19-22)
7.
A
clear command not to participate in idolatry or the sexual immorality
that went along with it. (Here Paul showed his cultural sensitivity by
not to just pointing the finger at pagan idolatry in a pagan
culture, but reminded them of how the Jews committed idolatry with the
Golden Calf. 1 Cor. 10:6-10.)
8.
A
clear command to flee idolatry. 1 Cor. 10:14
9.
Don’t
eat at McIdol’s: After explaining that those who eat at the Lord’s
table (take communion) commune with the Lord, those who ate sacrifices
offered on the Lord’s altar as part of religious ritual took were
connected to the Lord, Therefore, those who ate at feasts in the
idol’s temple, and ate meat sacrificed to idols in that context became
part of their religious ritual and were sitting down to dinner with
demons! “God's people are warned that if they do eat meat sacrificed
to idols, they should not eat it with pagans in their temple feasts, for
to do so is to become "participants with demons."
10.
"Everything
is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything
is permissible"--but not everything is constructive. Nobody should
seek his own good, but the good of others.” Christians should not only ask: “Do I have the
right to do this?” but also ask, “How will what I do impact others?
Will this work out for their good?” Paul made it clear that we do have
great freedom in Christ; but love will cause us to temper our freedom
with concern over how our conduct will impact others. Aim not only to be
right but also to be beneficial to others and constructive in building
up the body of Christ.
Then Paul made some specific
applications:
“Eat anything sold in the
meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, "The
earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."
If some unbeliever invites you to a
meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising
questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, "This has been
offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the
man who told you and for conscience' sake -- the other man's conscience,
I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's
conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I
denounced because of something I thank God for?
So whether you eat or drink or whatever
you do, do it all for the
glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or
the church of God-- even as I try to please everybody in every way. For
I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be
saved.”
We must make personal decisions in
disputable matters on the basis of 1) any commands of Scripture that has
legitimate bearing, 2) applying the scriptural principles and precepts
that relate, 3) the leading of the Holy Spirit, 4) keeping a clean
conscience, and 5) operating under the guidance of appropriate God-given
authorities in our lives.
How
do these principles about meat sacrificed to idols apply to Harry
Potter?
Unabated
Controversy and Division: Both sides arguing over whether or not to eat meat sacrificed to idols
could site Scripture and experience to back up their positions. Both
sides were sure they were right (on the basis of their convictions), and
-- judging from the emphasis Paul put on this point in his reply -- both
sides resorted to judging those of a different opinion as deficient
Christians. There was no way for the entire community of faith to come
to a conclusion one way or the other. Therefore, God provided guidelines
for how we are to treat each other with love and respect while we agree
to disagree.
Could these books really be right
for one Christian and absolutely wrong for another? Yes!
Just as one Christian may be allowed to take a drink of wine or
even sell it as part of their business, another Christian may be
convicted that he should never take a sip -- if the Holy Spirit and his
own conscience convicts him that to do so is a snare for him. Those
Christians who associate the Harry Potter stories with the real occult
would have doubts about reading them; therefore it would be sin for them
according to Romans 14:23. Those who make no such association, who
approve of the Harry Potter books without any pang of conscience, can
happily do so according to Romans 14:22 without being in sin. We see
here scriptural grounds for both positions.
So, if you are not convicted about
reading Harry Potter, go ahead and enjoy them. If you are convicted, do
not read them. But neither are to dictate the conscience of another in
such disputable matters. Furthermore, if you have freedom to read them,
learn how you could go on to make it not only lawful for you, but
profitable for the kingdom of God and the spiritual training of
children.
The only position that cannot be upheld by God’s Word is to judge, look down on or condemn another Christian for coming
to a different conviction than you do. God tells us all, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7). To which I say a hearty, “Amen!” I pray that Christians on both sides of this debate can join me in that.
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