10.06.05
Is Harry Potter A Wiccan?
Here we go again. Yet another Christian group is attempting to claim that Harry Potter seduces young children into embracing the Wiccan religion.
I really don’t understand how you can connect the Wiccan religion with Harry Potter. The magic and “witchcraft and wizardry” in Rowling’s books is that of fantasy and fairy tales. It involves wands, magic spells, and mythical creatures. It bears no resemblance whatsoever to the Wiccan creed. Wicca is a neo-pagan religion that reveres nature and the earth; deriving its deities, male and female, therefrom. Some practitioners of Wicca may cast spells, but they are nothing like the fantastical latin incantations found in Harry Potter. For instance, most Wiccans would not claim to be able to cast a spell that breaks natural laws as many spells in Harry Potter do; apparition (the ability to disappear from one location and reappear in another) for example.
I take issue with a couple of points raised in the article, for example:
Internet links and postings direct children from numerous Harry Potter sites to more serious ones educating about real Witchcraft and the fast-growing religion of Wicca.
I’ve visited over a hundred Harry Potter related websites. I’ve found very few references to Wicca on any of these sites. Conveniently, the author Steve Wohlberg fails to give even a single example of these prolific Potter/Wicca links.
Here’s another:
Not only has Witchcraft gone mainstream, but retail outlets worldwide openly display books on Witchcraft, Pagan worship and spells right next to the “harmless” Potter books and are enjoying the financial profits of this growing industry.
Boy, for someone calling himself a Christian he seems to offer up a lot of falsehoods. I’ve never gone into any bookstore and seen a Harry Potter display next to books advocating Wicca or the occult. That’s because there’s a whole seperate section of bookstores for that stuff. It’s usually called the Religion or Spirituality section. He may be familiar with it; it’s where they sell all the Bibles.
Here’s the clincher to Mr. Wohlberg’s triumvirate of made-up evidence.
Beneath the fun, fiction, and fantasy, Wohlberg claims that Harry Potter endorses the world of Witchcraft (in contrast to the non-magical “Muggle” community) and attacks the very core of Judeo-Christian values now believed by millions of people.
Now I get it. Either Wohlberg has not read the books at all, or he is a person incapable of critical thinking. Quite obviously to anyone who reads the books, hatred or prejudice against the Muggle community is portrayed to be the trait of the evil villain Voldemort and his followers, not a condoned and sought after attitude. As for “Judeo-Christian” values, (because of course, we all know that Jews and Christians are the only people who have values), many of them are in fact centerpieces of the story. Rowling has stated time and time again that what makes Harry special are not his abilities as a wizard, but his ability to love. Themes of friendship, loyalty, good vs. evil, forgiveness, and sacrificial love are brought up again and again. What other “Judeo-Christian” values is Mr. Wohlberg looking for?
-->
yitbos96bb said,
October 6, 2005 at 1:05 pm
These guys are nuts. After all, Wiccans can’t create potions to change themselves into other selves or conjur up Patronuses, etc. Some of these people need to just let fiction be fiction.
Lisa said,
October 6, 2005 at 6:31 pm
Some people are so ignorant. I bet that he hasn’t even read a Harry Potter book or seen one of the movies in his whole life! And I bet that he’s never done any research on what the Wiccan religion is. He shouldn’t make claims like that if he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
RavenclawWit said,
October 6, 2005 at 6:53 pm
I agree with both of you. Upon further reflection on this subject, it occurred to me that what may scare people like this is that J.K. Rowling has constructed a world where “religion” of any type is not featured. To them, the idea that people may someday or in some other world not divide themselves based on creed must be abhorrent.
Headmaster said,
October 7, 2005 at 10:07 am
I think it’s interesting that the Google ads now showing up on this site have to deal with Wicca.
Not that I believe there’s a link to Harry Potter, just the opposite.
Just an observation.
David Buckna said,
October 21, 2005 at 3:30 am
Check out my Harry Potter quiz…
http://www.dickstaub.com/links_view.php?record_id=4604
—
Harry Potter, Christ Figure?
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/116/story_11681_1.html
===
Harry Potter and the Prophet of Doom
Is Harry really fated to kill or be killed? A closer look at the seer’s dire prediction.
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/170/story_17089_1.html
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/170/story_17089_2.html
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/170/story_17089_3.html
The 10 Things That Have to Happen In Half Blood Prince
http://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/home.php?page=docs/MagicFormula
===
http://www.nj.com/living/expresstimes/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1121418388103900.xml&coll=2
Finding Christianity — in Harry Potter
Author John Granger sees religion amid the witchcraft.
Friday, July 15, 2005
By JOHN A. ZUKOWSKI
The Express-Times
===
Harry Beasts
The animal symbols in Potterdom are powerful pointers to Christian reality.
An excerpt from John Granger’s Looking for God in Harry Potter | posted 07/15/2005 09:30 a.m.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/128/52.0.html
===
http://www.allaroundphilly.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1306&dept_id=187821&newsid=14904749&PAG=461&rfi=9
07/22/2005
Church bridges religion with world of Harry Potter
By: Irika Blair Moskowitz
Far off places and magic spells filled the air July 17 as a Huntingdon Valley church celebrated Harry Potter and his link to Christianity.
St. John’s Episcopal Church hosted its first-ever “Harry Potter Service,” which compared the teachings of Jesus to the lessons taught at Hogwarts. The 9:30 a.m. Eucharist featured a brief drama that favored the J. K. Rowling series.
“Harry Potter can communicate important values on a level the church can’t always do,” the Rev. Dr. Guy Collins said. “I hope this service will inspire children to become not only someone who can do magic, but someone who cares and shows the values of love and compassion.”
Collins, a former English priest, came up with the idea after attending a similar service in London.
He rewrote the script and modeled the second part of Sunday’s sermon after a faculty meeting at Hogwarts. There, characters Dumbledore, Snape, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid and Harry discussed how Hogwarts’ lessons are consistent with Christianity.
This service comes after Pope Benedict XVI condemned the Potter series. He called them “subtle seductions” capable of corrupting young minds. He also said the stories’ wizardry and witchcraft would only harm a child’s developing relationship with God.
St. John’s parishioners seemed to think otherwise.
“I think you’ll find the church only thinks of those wizards and witches who used the dark arts. They fear us at our worst so they think we’re all like that,” Ben Dettinger said as he took on the character of headmaster Dumbledore. Dettinger was one of five local parishioners who starred in the play.
Co-star Bill Ockenlaender added to his comment. As the voice of the all-powerful sorting hat, Ockenlaender sorted major Christian figures into Harry Potter “houses.” He grouped St. Peter as a Hufflepuff, “diligent and loyal,” Judas as a Slytherine both “ruthless, yet purposeful” and of course Jesus as a chivalrous Gryffendor. By incorporating examples into his script, Collins hoped to show the congregation that there are all sorts of people.
“Life is not just black and white,” he said. “People can’t just be separated into good and bad. No matter who you are, where you’re from, what religion you profess, or how many Harry Potter books you’ve read, we are all still loved by a common god.”
That was the theme of Sunday’s service: God’s love is universal.
St. John’s Singers concluded the service by singing “I Am The Very Model Of A Proper Hogwart’s Sorting Hat.” But that wasn’t the end of Sunday’s Harry Potter spirit.
Eight-year-old Patrick Walls dressed as his favorite character. His costume reinforced how J. K. Rowling’s books relate to positive life lessons as well as Christian values.
“I’m trying to be Ron Weasley because I don’t like how Malfoy always bullies Ron around. Ron doesn’t like bullies and neither do I,” he said. “That’s why my clothes are all messed up.”
Walls was just one of the many wizards and witches who filled the crowd of 50. Teenagers and parents also got into character.
The drama also featured Tamara Zurakowski as Professor McGonagall, Craig Hammond as Snape, Bryan Woods as Hagrid and Rob Walls as Harry.
All were impressed with the service’s success.
“We thought it went just wonderfully,” parish administrator Bonnie Dalzell said. “It left us all with a good happy feeling and I felt the message of Christianity really came through.”
St. John’s is a parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania as well as part of the Episcopal Church of the USA. ECUSA is a member of the worldwide fellowship Church known as the Anglican Communion.
©Montgomery Newspapers 2005
—
Bible School To Use Harry Potter Theme
POSTED: 10:41 am EDT August 17, 2005
CARLISLE, Pa. — A church in Carlisle has decided to use J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter tales in its Bible school. Saint John’s Episcopal Church has doubled vacation Bible school enrollment since doing so.
This summer the theme is “Wizards and Wonders: The Journey with Harry Potter,” as preschoolers take flying lessons on miniature broomsticks at a makeshift Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. Older students play a game of Quidditch, and more than 100 youngsters get Bible verse in their daily owl mail.
A minister said the Bible and the Harry Potter stories have what she calls “a slew of parallel lessons.”
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
—
RavenclawWit said,
October 21, 2005 at 1:15 pm
David,
Thanks for the awesome links. Your site is great! While I don’t think that Harry Potter is meant to be a direct allegory for Christ/Christianity, the inclusion of “Christian” themes in the story by J.K. Rowling is unmistakeable. In fact, she did an interview once where a reporter called her books, “secular”. She replied, “They’re not that secular, but obviously, Dumbledore is not Jesus”. I myself am a Christian, which is why I get so offended when fellow Christians accuse the series of being satanic.
ROSELINE said,
October 28, 2005 at 5:33 am
Je proteste contre les attaques envers Harry Potter. Je constate que les valeurs qu’il propose sont toujours positives et en accord avec les valeurs du christianisme.
Une Grand-mère de 70 ans, fan d’Harry Potter.
RavenclawWit said,
October 28, 2005 at 3:23 pm
Wow, we have a french reader! Somehow that excites me.
Thanks Roseline for your comment, which believe it or not I was able to understand the basic gist of, since I took Franch up until my second year of college. You disagree with the attacks on Harry Potter, and the values of Harry Potter are in accordance with Christianity. Basically.
Phi.D said,
November 6, 2005 at 7:13 am
book teaches a great deal of morals; courage, bravery, love and loyalty. It is amongst one of the best books of all time and simply wonderful. Harry Potter books is not a swarm of Satan but a book which teaches children good triumphs over evil when you still have human values.
ashli said,
March 13, 2006 at 8:43 pm
witchcraft is REAL!!!!!!!!!take it from one who knows
RavenclawWit said,
March 14, 2006 at 9:05 am
ashli, I’m sure responding to your comment will accomplish little, since there is nothing on earth so tenacious as ignorance (channeling Snape, sorry) but I’ll deign to do it anyways. Noone on this blog is claiming that witchcraft isn’t real. Whether it is or isn’t is completely beside the point. The point being made by myself and many others is that Harry Potter, a fictional fantasy story about fairy tale style witches, wizards, and magic has nothing to do with witchcraft or wicca.
Helen said,
July 14, 2006 at 5:34 am
The only reason Harry Potter na dwicca or witchcraft are connected is because JK Rowling researched “magic” indepth for a long period of time while she was writing the books. She mentioned she looked deeply into mythology and named characters such as “Snape” and “Draco” after gods and mythological characters. If you research it you will find the links. She researched spells and incantations and also alot of latin and the logic of the connection of nature and magic working together so that it all linked in and gave an overall well thought out feel and affect for the very real and believable feeling of the magical world of Harry Potter.