The following is a paper I wrote in High School. Considering the newest Harry Potter movie just came out, it seemed fitting to re-post this.
Religion is a touchy subject for almost everyone. Some people wish to not be associated with any religion at all, and are therefore offended that someone would assume that they believe anything, some strongly believe that there is no God and are offended by people who believe that He exists. Others believe in God and that Jesus was the Christ who came to earth in bodily form to save humanity from our own transgressions so that we could be reunited with God. Christians can often be offended by those who do not believe in God.
Christians can also be offended by other Christians. According to http://www.religioustolerance.org, there are approximately 1,500 denominations of Christianity in the North America. This means that there are around 1,500 groups of people who believe something either slightly or drastically different from the other 1,499 denominations. Anytime people disagree on some idea, especially when in areas related to personal theology, Christians tend to become fast to rebuke and slow to listen. I believe that this has caused a wall to be built up among believers which is causing the body of Christ to not function as smoothly as it possibly could. Rifts and petty disagreements have been blown up, shifting a large amount of church focus from God onto rivalry, and taking away from the ability to properly represent Christ to unbelievers.
The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowlings have faced large amounts of controversy over the years, because they are about a young wizard and his group of friends who go to a special school where they learn to control their magical powers. Parents and theologians have voiced concern over the books, claiming that they directly go against the word of God and therefore should not be read. A quote in an article from Cutting Edge Ministries went so far as to say,
“Harry Potter books are teaching your children all these abominable practices! (Referring to the practices of witches and wizards). Your children will be among the masses of people in the world that will be so conditioned to the values, attitudes, and religious practices of Antichrist, that they will follow him, worship him, and ultimately take his Mark.”
Charles Colson, a former Special Council member for Nixon during the Watergate scandal, who converted to Christianity and became a leader in the Christian rights movement, had this to say about the books:
"It may relieve you to know that the magic in these books is purely mechanical, as opposed to occultist. That is, Harry and his friends cast spells, read crystal balls, and turn themselves into animals--but they don't make contact with a supernatural world."
In this quote, Colson does not necessarily support the Harry Potter series, but instead is pointing out a general fact about the books for the purpose of dispelling a common assumption that they teach children about evil sorcery.
It appalled me to discover that the article containing the quote was entitled,
“CHARLES COLSON REVEALS HIS TRUE INNER HEART IN HIS DEFENSE OF HARRY POTTER'S MAGIC AND OTHER WITCHCRAFT
Subtitle: ( Shockingly, Charles Colson of Watergate fame, supposedly "Christian", defends Harry Potter by telling Christian parents that the magic in Harry Potter books is the "good" magic. His statement qualifies as either the most ignorant or the most worthless remark in the history of the English language.)”
The article did not merely question Colson’s Christianity. After a comment by Colson which said that Pope John Paul II was a respected Christian leader, it denounced Colson’s Christianity saying,
“How can any "Christian" leader, who is supposedly under the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit, say such a thing about a blatantly false religious leader as Pope John Paul II? Discerning Christians the world over know the Papacy is terribly false, and yet this supposed "Christian" leader is heaping this kind of praise upon him!”
The rebuking and condemnation of Colson for his affirmation of the Harry Potter books and faith in the Roman Catholic Church did not stop there. Throughout the whole article I felt as though I myself was being yelled at and reproached for any differing opinion I might have had. The article claims that parents who allow or have allowed their children to read the Harry Potter books will have to face the Lord’s indignation, and then concludes by providing a link for readers who wished to receive more information on being “born again.”
The tone of the article was atrocious and offensive, even to me, someone who has no ties with the Catholic Church. I can only imagine what effect this article had on non believers. The hatred and condemnations which was shown did not justly display the character of Jesus, and could even be said to have overstepped the boundaries of Christian guidance.
Matthew 7:1-5 says,
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce
you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to
you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not
notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother,
‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own
eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you
will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.”
We as humans cannot see the state of someone’s heart. Only God can truly know whether they are a Christian or not. True, false claims of Christianity come from many different sources, but is our job as Christians to reject these people, or to love them?
I firmly believe that if Christians were to stop accusing each other of their falsities, that more people would desire to be a part of the peace, harmony, and love that Christianity would then come to be associated with. Instead of being put off by the lack of community among different branches of Christianity, nonbelievers would, instead, have a clearer view of who Christianity is truly about: Jesus Christ.
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