If We Muggles Partake of Potter, May We Still Consider Ourselves Christians?

With the release of both the latest Harry Potter movie, the Order of the Phoenix and the final installment of the series, Deathly Hallows, this gives rise, yet again, to the ongoing debate of Christianity vs. Harry Potter.

While in a store the other day, I was privy to a conversation being had by persons speaking of the release of the movie and book for Potter. They spoke of the "un-Christian" nature of it. They talked about how one of their pastors were preaching against it from the pulpits. I found that it took everything in me to keep from commenting.

When did it become un-Christian, I began to wonder, to read a book? At what point, did getting more children to read than play video games, become Satanic? I find that the people who speak about this supposed "unchristian" behavior, are, in fact, uninformed". They don't know the facts.

What they don't know is this: There is a popular misconception that the author of the series, J.K. Rowling is a "self-professed" witch. To quote a character in her book, one Delores Jane Umbridge, 'This is a lie.' Ms. Rowling, now remarried, began writing her books while on welfare simply because she could not afford books for her children and because there was a story in her. She is not now, nor has she ever professed to be a witch.

There is also the belief that if you read or deal with any kind of witchcraft, it is against God's teachings. Verse 10 of Chapter 18 in the book of Deuteronomy begins: "¹⁰ Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, ¹¹ or casts spells, or who is a medium or spirits or who consults the dead. ¹² Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive our those nations before you. ¹³ You must be blameless before the Lord your God."

This is where many derive their understanding of how God and religion feel about Harry Potter.

However, what no one ever seems to take into account is.....yes, I'm going to say it: C.S. Lewis and the Narnia series. Because he was a self-professed Christian and talked about it incessantly, Christian bookstores overlooked the fact that his stories had a great deal of witchcraft in them and all of the movies, apparel and the like were carried within.

Further, as a child, I never ever remember shows like Bewitched or cartoons like Super Friends being boycotted. And of late, I don't remember shows like Angel or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Charmed, or cartoons like The Winx Club, W.I.T.C.H. and Teen Titans and the Justice League being railed against.

The simple response of why is this: IT'S FICTION. This is what people continue to forget. Though Daniel Radcliffe is interviewed whenever there's a release, he's just Daniel Radcliffe. THERE IS NO HARRY POTTER. THERE IS NO ANGEL. THERE IS NO BUFFY and she's not really out slaying any vampires. These are just stories. They help children read. And anyone reading a Harry Potter book as I do learns that good triumphs over evil. But wait, isn't that in the Bible too? At least it is in mine.