Next week, Lord willing, I’m headed to a screening of OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, a new Disney movie set to hit theaters March 8. Have you seen the trailers? It’s supposedly a prequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz penned by Frank Baum over a century ago and immortalized in the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland.
In a way, this story is the great-grandfather of wizard & witch stories popular in our culture today, long predating the 1960′s adult fantasy trip (of which Tolkien was a big player) and the latest fantasy craze in youth literature kicked off by Harry Potter and followed by Twilight. Baum’s story of Oz didn’t invent witches and wizards by any means, but it remains a kind of fountainhead of American pop culture’s incarnations.
So, I thought since we’re all cool-headed adults and capable of disagreeing with each other without resorting to belittling others (Lord willing!), this might be a good time to host a discussion about the story. And dark/occult fantasy elements in general. Maybe, just maybe we all might learn something from each other. So, here goes!
DO YOU THINK CHRISTIANS SHOULD READ/WATCH STORIES INVOLVING WITCHES AND WIZARDS? SHOULD WE EXPOSE OUR CHILDREN TO THOSE STORIES? WHY OR WHY NOT?
Hope you’ll grab a cup o’ Joe or tea and come join our conversation!
I think what it comes down to was alluded to earlier — choose “best” or “better” not “ok” or “good”. And by all means, allow God to speak to you – the Bible says that “He will lead us into all truth” — so if we’re sensitive to God’s voice, we’ll hear the “don’t read any more of this” when He speaks it. That doesn’t mean He’ll speak that to our neighbor.
What a great blog! I’m enjoying reading through the posts.
I agree with Loretta and the verse in Phillipians she uses. Think about what you are reading -would you be comfortable if Jesus were reading over your shoulder? The bible has been around for thousands of years and people are still mining the breadth and depth of His Word. What more do we as Christians need? There are great works by Christian authors too. I always get a little uncomfortable when someone who claims to be a Christian talks with abandon about the Twilight series and how they are big fans. Work on your salvation with fear and trembling…..
Firstly, Simon Peter vs. Simon the Sorcerer, anyone? Seems like total prohibition would rule out reading various portions of scripture, which I actually think a good number of western Christians in particular would be just find with. Secondly, age-appropriately, I think it’s perfectly permissible, provided context is given that talks about both real witchcraft and the proverbial, fantastic kind, which is really a metaphor for evil.
One thing I find frustrating is that “witch” is becoming increasingly used in a neutral sense, where biblically witchcraft is always forbidden. In folklore, fairies are described as either good or bad, but I think that having a “good witch” in a story is an american invention, thanks to Mr. Baum. One of my favorite picture books is The Red Heels, and in it the woman is a witch. Although the author does not clearly tell whether she is good or evil, in the end the reader discerns that she is good.
So how do I personally respond, and what do I tell my children? It still grates on me, and while I don’t avoid those stories altogether, I try to keep the conversation with them open. And when I read The Red Heels, I usually just call her a fairy for now.
It reminds me of the notion of dragons. Biblically and in historic literature dragons have always been evil, but a hundred years ago, thanks to Kenneth Grahame and E. Nesbit, dragons have become morally neutral.
What you watch/read depends on the maturity of the person watching and their understanding of God’s character and plan. Yes, we are to be careful what we spiritually ingest. No question. Trash in produces trash out. So, the question is “is an evil character ‘trash’ or inappropriate”. The Bible itself has evil characters! The plain fact is that evil exists. Not watching movies that portray evil will never change this reality. But praise God, God and His wonderful goodness exists, too! These movies, books ect are a story line that symbolizes the real scenario that God himself is in control of. They reinforce the idea that bad exists, that evil people peruse evil deeds and that we need God to resist them. Keeping children from this reality is far worse than exposing them to it because one day they will grow and face mean/evil people and encounter the armies of hell in some fashion. It allows a child a glimpse of the spiritual world, how powerful it is and why God must be our foundation. Matt 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it.
I am so encouraged by these answers, ladies. I don’t think anyone threw any food or pulled any one’s hair–which is a major accomplishment in my house. (I have two little girls, you see.) It’s tempting for me to weigh in, but I do that here every week. I really wanted to hear from you guys, and I really appreciate your willingness to think deeply about the subject. I may even steal some of your thoughts when I review Oz next week! We are looking at further ways of encouraging discussion, so I hope we can do this again sometime. Blessings on you all, and may God give you each wisdom and a clear conscience as you seek to lead your children in His ways.
CAN Christians read/interact with literature including witches, wizards, witchcraft, etc.? I think yes–for all the excellent reasons already given. I usually explain it this way to people: sometimes “magical” elements in books can give us a great picture of spiritual reality that might seem cheesy or just not quite right in realistic fiction. The Narnia books are, obviously, a great example. I think the interactions Gen has with his “gods” in the Queen’s Thief series are some of the best pictures of sovereignty I’ve ever read. Harry Potter–assuming you read until the end of the 7th book–is one of the most redemptive series I’ve ever read.
SHOULD Christians read/interact with literature like the above? That’s a different question. I have many friends who abstain from this type of literature, and I respect their viewpoints. I would never try to force the issue with someone.
I tend to steer away from books which place witchcraft in OUR own world rather than a fantastic world of the author’s invention. Then it seems more sinister, more like we’re encouraged to participate. When it’s part of a made up fantasy world, it seems to just be that: fantasy.
I feel the need to weigh in on this subject. I find that it is easiest for me to use Philippians 4:8 as a guide to what I (and my family) see and hear. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true…honest… just…pure… lovely… of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” What I watch will likely be what is in my thoughts. Like an earlier post mentioned Paul does write that all things are lawful in a couple places in 1 Corinthians. His point is that even if all things are lawful for me, it doesn’t make them all good for me.
As I was looking up information about this topic I found this website and found it interesting: http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-occult.html
Paul mentions that all thing are permissible for us as Christians so I think in the broad sense we’re “allowed” to read/watch most anything. So, the questions remains, “Does this improve my walk with God, does it hurt my walk with God, or is it more ‘neutral’?” I have read and watched a variety of fantasy/occult-type books/movies and I can’t think of many with witches and wizards that fall into the “hurt” category (Although, I felt The Magician King came close). I have had to abandoned series before, though. The one that comes to mind was the Interview with the Vampire books. I found, for me, they were too seductive. They sucked me in to a strange place in my mind where Vampirism seemed a real and even appealing option. That said, I don’t think all Christians need to avoid those books or that all Christians would be OK reading all the books I’ve read. What you do and don’t read is between you and God and should be considered on an individual basis not in a legalistic, “This book is good, that book is bad…” sense.
I also think that “magic” can be a depiction of any number of things. In E. Nesbit’s books magic is a tool that the children employ thinking it will solve all of their problems. They soon come to find that magic (as she paints it) can be trouble. It symbolizes taking short cuts – sometimes short cuts are time savers, but they always come with a price. You may end up with something that works ok, but is of shoddy workmanship, or you may end up (as in many money making schemes) with more trouble than you bargained for. In George MacDonald’s fantasy magic is also used as a picture of how God works in our lives. In The Wise Woman, there is “magic” in place that ends up changing the life of the princess, for the better. I agree about the “broad brush” that can be used to paint all magic,witches, wizards, etc. Things are not always as they seem on first glance.
To me it depends on the story and whether darkness is glorified or not. My son has read the Narnia and Lord of the Rings. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the new oz movie!
I’ll jump in and say that I think it’s easy to discuss questions like this too abstractly or to paint with too broad of a brush. It might be helpful to first think of all of the books we can think of that have characters that are witches or wizards: Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, The Witch of Blackbird Pond… Whatever you think of the others, surely no one would object to Narnia!