Harry Potter and the Ongoing Controversy
I'll begin with a scene from a Simpsons episode:
--
Flanders (reading softly to Rod and Todd): ...And then Harry Potter, and all his friends...went straight to Hell for practicing witchcraft!
Rod and Todd: Yay!!!
--
My brother bought me the Harry Potter anthology for my birthday this past fall. I started them after the Christmas holiday and was instantly aware of why the books enjoy such outrageous popularity: they're very entertaining (go figure). I finished book 7 just last week, and have to admit, I'm sad that there are no more left to read.
Of course, as a Christian, I am accutely aware of the controversy surrounding these books. So aware, in fact, that I'm going to address the controversy very little in this post. Instead, I want to think about a bigger issue: Should Christians ever "forbid", "ban," or even disregard ceratin media?
We might also consider how the content of said media plays into our choice. Compare the Harry Potter series with something like Pullman's "His Dark Materials." The former is just Halloween made real, while the latter is a subtle (though ferocious), attack against the Christian worldview (per the author's own admission). What about Nietzsche? Dawkins? Harris?
Like most matters in life, I think a blanket answer is impossible, but here are five random thoughts as fodder for discussion:
1) If a Christian man or woman has never had any serious interaction with something that challenges their world view, I would maintain that their faith and witness is significantly weakened. I strongly believe that faith is like a muscle: if it is not used, it atrophies; moreover, if it is not challenged, it will not grow.
2) Christians must thoughtfully engage with their culture. Automatic and uneducated dismissal of non-Christian media is horribly damaging to our witness in the world.
3) We should guard ourselves agaisnt stumbling blocks. If a particularly raunchy movie comes out to much fanfare and discussion, there are ways I can learn about it without compromising my purity (e.g., Wikipedia, IMDB, Amazon). Clearly, we shouldn't watch pornography so that we can better interact with porn-addicted co-workers.
4) As parents, we certainly must take great care in how we walk the balance of guarding our children against that which would harm them, and teaching them to stand firm in a hostile world (c.f., point #1). Pray for wisdom.
5) Rent or borrow if possible; don't buy. I cringe to think of Harris or Pullman getting book royalties because of my purchase. Buying the media is a kind of financial support that we should avoid if possible.
Other thoughts?
--
Flanders (reading softly to Rod and Todd): ...And then Harry Potter, and all his friends...went straight to Hell for practicing witchcraft!
Rod and Todd: Yay!!!
--
My brother bought me the Harry Potter anthology for my birthday this past fall. I started them after the Christmas holiday and was instantly aware of why the books enjoy such outrageous popularity: they're very entertaining (go figure). I finished book 7 just last week, and have to admit, I'm sad that there are no more left to read.
Of course, as a Christian, I am accutely aware of the controversy surrounding these books. So aware, in fact, that I'm going to address the controversy very little in this post. Instead, I want to think about a bigger issue: Should Christians ever "forbid", "ban," or even disregard ceratin media?
We might also consider how the content of said media plays into our choice. Compare the Harry Potter series with something like Pullman's "His Dark Materials." The former is just Halloween made real, while the latter is a subtle (though ferocious), attack against the Christian worldview (per the author's own admission). What about Nietzsche? Dawkins? Harris?
Like most matters in life, I think a blanket answer is impossible, but here are five random thoughts as fodder for discussion:
1) If a Christian man or woman has never had any serious interaction with something that challenges their world view, I would maintain that their faith and witness is significantly weakened. I strongly believe that faith is like a muscle: if it is not used, it atrophies; moreover, if it is not challenged, it will not grow.
2) Christians must thoughtfully engage with their culture. Automatic and uneducated dismissal of non-Christian media is horribly damaging to our witness in the world.
3) We should guard ourselves agaisnt stumbling blocks. If a particularly raunchy movie comes out to much fanfare and discussion, there are ways I can learn about it without compromising my purity (e.g., Wikipedia, IMDB, Amazon). Clearly, we shouldn't watch pornography so that we can better interact with porn-addicted co-workers.
4) As parents, we certainly must take great care in how we walk the balance of guarding our children against that which would harm them, and teaching them to stand firm in a hostile world (c.f., point #1). Pray for wisdom.
5) Rent or borrow if possible; don't buy. I cringe to think of Harris or Pullman getting book royalties because of my purchase. Buying the media is a kind of financial support that we should avoid if possible.
Other thoughts?
posted by bmarchio at 7:41 AM
2 Comments:
This debate drives me crazy when you talk about books written for children. The problem is, we look at them from our adult perspective. As a child, it turns out, I read lots of books that are "controversial." The entire Chronicles of Narnia? Christian allegory? Shut UP! I never knew. I read - no, devoured - those stories purely for the awesome entertainment value.
I can guarantee you that just about every single child reading those types of stories - whether they be written by Pullman, Rowling, Lewis, or whoever - are NOT reading them with any detection of religious subtext.
With so many of our children unable to read at (or even near) grade level, shouldn't we be happy and thank the Lord for blessing writers like J.K. Rowling and others with the talent for writing such compelling stories? Here we had children dragging their parents to Barnes & Noble at midnight TO GET A BOOK! Not a video game or electronic toy...A BOOK! And then the kids came to school groggy for days because they stayed up all night reading! Some families I know had to buy multiple copies of these books so the parents could read them at the same time. This is awesome!
Isn't it better to allow, and even encourage, our children to read these books, even the most controversial, and then provide the opportunity for safe, frank discussion of the issues therein? I doubt many kids are mature enough to even detect the religious issues in most books - they are reading for enjoyment - and even if they do, how many elementary and middle school children say to their parents, "I'm sorry, I'm not going to church anymore. I believe in magic now, instead"? I bet not very many.
If the discussion involves those high-minded philosophers like you mentioned, then fine. That is the stuff of graduate school theses and college classroom debates. Adults can talk about faith-testing and controversial literature in that context all they want. The idea of banning media is ridiculous. The Lord gave each and every one of us free will. We can and should choose what we want to read/view/listen to. We should question it, discuss it, work it over in our minds. I think your point #2 is the key here.
I think your point #4 is crucial. In my experience, part of the fear of exposing our children to these things is that they'll "buy into it." In my opinion, if parents are doing their job of teaching them a proper Christian worldview, it makes that balance easier to maintain. Of course, I haven't had kids yet, when I do I'll probably be eager to blame someone else.
Now, I'll differ from your anonymous contributor in something. True, kids may not pick up the subtle subtext of a book. However, over time their thoughts and worldview are partially shaped by those books/movies/etc. (Note I said "partially"- see my previous paragraph).
When children watch a number of movies that feature some things that tug at our sinful nature (rebellion against authority, sex, etc), they will be somewhat affected by this. Maybe not a ton, but it's bound to happen at some point. Notice: I'm not blaming bad behavior on the Simpsons (which I love) because Bart carried a sling shot in his hand, or saying that kids will steal cars because of Grand Theft Auto. However, what I am saying, is that if these things are never balanced with a proper Christian understanding of they way things are supposed to be, then that "secular" exposure will have a greater effect.
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