Religion: How Does It Fit in with Harry Potter?

704 Words3 Pages
Harry Potter has been subject to attacks by religious radicals and it has gone as far as being banned from school, states, and countries. There is much controversy with the subject of religion when it is combined with Harry Potter but despite the thoughts of critics, did Rowling include religious references? Harry Potter has caused quite an uproar in the past and even the present due to so-called “dangers” that it causes for children. Witchcraft has been thought to be an abomination to the Lord and therefore the subject of witchcraft and wizardry has been given a negative connotation within religious practices. According to Deborah J. Taub and Heather L. Servaty, “most religious objections to the magic in the Harry Potter books are based on various passages of scripture, most commonly Deuteronomy 18: 9-12” (Taub and Servaty 54). These scripture verses from Deuteronomy speak of different practices that you shouldn’t participate due to their nature being against God, two of these practices include being a wizard or sorcerer. Taub and Servaty say “the religious concerns include assertions that the books portray magic as harmless, fun, or good and that they may encourage children to dabble in the occult” (55). With the imagination that most children possess this concern may be somewhat plausible and though some children may have a hard time discerning the difference between fantasy and reality, it may be a bit of a stretch to think children will do much other than treat magic as some sort of game. Some people, such as Joseph Chambers, have gone as far as calling the Harry Potter series “a creation of hell” (Taub and Servaty 55) and suggesting that Satan is the source of inspiration behind the whole series. Some may agree with his opinions, others may find it to be “ridiculous that so many are taking a fantasy seriously” (Taub and Servaty 55). Some members of the

More about Religion: How Does It Fit in with Harry Potter?

Open Document