As I said before, most of Harry's detractors have never read any of the books, so they don't know what is really in them. A few claim to have read one, or read "enough of it to judge", but to be honest, I doubt them.
If they had read the first book even, then I can't see how any Christian would have missed the fact that Harry, as a baby, was saved from Voldemort's evil killing curse by his mother's sacrifice. And that sacrifice; her laying down her life for him, provided him with a protection that prevented Voldemort or anyone being controlled by Voldemort from harming, or even touching him. Does this sound familiar? Let me help you: the Blood of Christ.
Now I can hear some of the most narrow-minded of you objecting that Harry's mother is not Jesus, and that now the book is evil because it's trying to replace Christ with someone else, and is therefore idolatrous. But that's absolute nonsense. Harry's mother is not supposed to be a Messiah: she's simply a woman whose actions resemble those of Jesus--in other words, she's following His example. Literature is full of Christ-types and Christ-like characters and actions, as well it should be. C.S. Lewis's Aslan, for example, whom Christians almost universally love. (More on this later)
Further on in the series, we begin to learn the secret power behind the mysterious protection which Harry's mother's sacrifice affords him, and indeed, the power which Harry possesses but Voldemort does not, and which he must tap into in order to defeat him. That power is Love. I was going to say that Christians need not be reminded that Love is also the main theme of the Bible, of Christ's life and teaching, and of the Christian life. But then I remembered reality, and that Christians actually very sadly DO need to be reminded of that. So, go back to your Bibles and read 1 John 4 and 1 Corinthians 13. And the rest of it, come to that.
Then, at its end, it turns out that the only way Harry can defeat the Dark Lord and free the world from his evil and tyranny is to lay his own life down for the good of others. And we're back to the same theme, but on a larger scale. Again, Harry is not a replacement Jesus: he's not represented as the Savior of the World, and he's not providing eternal life. He is a Christ-type, not a Christ; a smaller, metaphorical copy which helps us to comprehend and understand the larger original.
There are many other examples of themes which can be seen as Christian in the books: courage, hope, unselfishness, tolerance, forgiveness, self-sacrifice, goodness, kindness, friendship, forbearance, charity, patience, endurance, not returning evil for evil but overcoming evil with good. In fact, Christian virtues can be found in every chapter and on virtually every page. To cite them all would be to basically reproduce all seven books.
So what is it that so many Christians object to, mostly without ever having really read the books for themselves? Magic? No, it can't be; or if it is, they are hypocrites, because The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings both have magic, and Christians love those. Magic in this world, as opposed to a world in an alternate universe? No, because The Lord of the Rings takes place in this world, just in the legendary past.
I contend that the answer is one word: witchcraft. I believe that these Christians saw that word, and immediately, without any further examination or consideration, succumbed to a reflexive reaction of hysteria. Wizards are okay; Gandalf is a wizard. But if you say "witch" among these kinds of Christians, it's like saying "bomb" at an airport--it doesn't matter what you really meant, in what context you said it, or even what the rest of the sentence was (for instance, "I DON'T have a bomb.") The word itself causes a hysterical and extreme reaction, and I believe, now, constitutes a felony. "Witch" is okay, in Narnia, because the witch is evil. But if you use it in a positive sense, then you are seeking to lead children astray into following the Devil.
Rowling, however, uses the word "witch", not in the sense in which it was understood in the late Middle Ages, and even up into the early modern age. That is, as one who practices black magic and is in league with the Devil. She uses it in its older, and more linguistically accurate sense; that is, as the modern form of wicce, which simply meant a female practitioner of magic (being the feminine form of wicca, a male practitioner). Yes, it is the word which modern neopagans have chosen to call themselves by. But it is just a word nonetheless, and just because it is used does not mean that one is in any way associated with that group. For example, Christian Scientists: just because one is either a Christian or a scientist (or both) does not make one a member of that religion. Anyway, Rowling uses the word "witch" as the logical feminine equivalent of the masculine "wizard" because, although slightly different in origin, they are the only suitable words of that meaning still in common use in our language. So, in short, "witch" in Harry Potter doesn't mean "practitioner of black magic in league with the devil". It means "female wizard". And "witchcraft" is likewise just the feminine form of "wizardry". The two somewhat different words are necessary because there is, in our language, no masculine form of "witch" and no feminine form of "wizard". She could have coined a term such as "wizardess" or "witcher", but that would have been clumsy and jarring, and was really unnecessary except to appease the minority who are the subject of this post, and who may or may not have given her a chance anyhow. But both are used in the fictional, fantastic sense referring to her created system of magic, and not in reference to any form of real-world occultism whatsoever. (https://www.etymonline.com/word/witch?ref=etymonline_crossreference)
Among these Christians, this is part of a larger sustained mass hysteria related to all things "occult", and really, in many circles, all things supernatural whatsoever, which is tragically ironic. Dungeons and Dragons. Heavy Metal music. Meditation. Any form of healing or therapy that is not scientific Western medicine. Halloween. Aliens and UFOs. Martial Arts. Some even include truly silly things, like Japanese flower arranging. Other groups go to even more ridiculous extremes, and proscribe Disney movies, fairy tales, and all fantasy novels and movies. Or having pictures of dragons in your house. Or playing cards, because playing cards are descended from Tarot cards. I came across one which includes abstract art, because it's "hypnotic" (and hypnosis is an evil form of mind-magic). Many include the practices of other Christian groups in their list: Some non-charismatics claim that charismatic manifestations are demonic (which is the exact thing that the Pharisees were saying about Jesus when he told them that the one unforgivable sin was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit). Some Protestants view Catholic sacraments and liturgy as magic and superstition; other only include peripheral Catholic practices and phenomena, such as Marian apparitions, relics, and Stigmata. And while most Christians love the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, both of whom were avowed Christians, a few view even those as occult and diabolical. I could go on citing examples ad nauseaum, but you get the idea.
While we're on the subject of words, let us also address the word "occult", which comes close to "witchcraft" in inciting panic and hatred. Occult simply means "hidden". Nothing more, nothing less. (https://www.etymonline.com/word/occult)
I am tempted to be harsh in my criticism of these prejudicial fears. But let us be patient and charitable. I myself, once upon a time, was confused on certain of these issues, and even embraced a few of them, having been influenced by certain teachers and preachers when I was young and naive. Well, relatively naive.
The charitable view is that people fear what they don't understand. And the problem is that so much of the Church has taught that certain knowledge is intrinsically forbidden, so that Christians can't understand these things, and therefore must take the word of their leaders that they are bad. But the leaders themselves, in most cases, haven't studied these things, and are only repeating what they've heard. This is precisely why I have studied the occult; because I wanted to understand for myself, and form my own judgments. Same reason I study the Bible, theology, and church history for myself. Same reason I read the Church Fathers first-hand, rather than just accepting what someone else says they say.
So, rather than harsh words, I will use the word ignorant to describe the people who engage in this hysteria and fear-mongering. And while that has some unkind connotations, its true meaning is just a lacking of knowledge. And that is what is behind it: ignorance; a lack of knowledge. A lack of both intellectual knowledge, in that they don't understand the true nature of the occult, or of things which they think or fear are occult; and of experiential knowledge, in that they haven't investigated or explored these things for themselves, or in the case of Harry Potter, haven't read the books.
I don't expect everybody to have read as many books as I have. And I don't claim that in-depth study of the nature and history of magic and the occult is for everyone: it can be perilous, and requires a certain maturity and strength of character. But I do wish Christians would take the time to learn some things for themselves, rather than being led by the nose into ignorant hysteria. And I wish even more that they would be guided by Love, rather than fear, prejudice, and judgmentalism.
No comments:
Post a Comment