Is It Okay to Watch Harry Potter?

"Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord." - Deuteronomy 18:10-12

Hello, friends! Today I want to address a topic that I know will be controversial, but I feel called to share where Jake and I have landed after much prayer and study: our decision to avoid the Harry Potter books and movies. I know many wonderful Christian families have made different choices, and I want to approach this with grace while being honest about our convictions.

The Heart of Our Concern

Let me start by saying this isn't about being anti-imagination or anti-fantasy. Jake and I love stories that transport us to other worlds and celebrate themes of good triumphing over evil. Our concern with Harry Potter specifically is that it presents witchcraft and magic not as evil forces to be defeated, but as neutral or even positive tools that can be used for good.

From a biblical perspective, this troubles us deeply. Scripture consistently presents witchcraft, sorcery, and magic as practices that are detestable to God—not because they're ineffective or fictional, but because they represent attempts to access spiritual power apart from God Himself.

What Scripture Says About Witchcraft

The Bible's stance on witchcraft and sorcery is unambiguous. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 explicitly forbids practices like divination, sorcery, interpreting omens, witchcraft, casting spells, and consulting spirits. These aren't presented as harmless entertainment—they're called "detestable to the Lord."

In the New Testament, we see this principle reinforced. Acts 19:19 describes new Christians in Ephesus burning their books of magic arts, valued at fifty thousand pieces of silver. These weren't people being legalistic—they were responding to the gospel by rejecting practices that conflicted with their new faith in Christ.

Galatians 5:19-21 lists witchcraft (or sorcery) among the "acts of the flesh" alongside sexual immorality, hatred, and jealousy. This isn't a cultural issue that's no longer relevant—it's a spiritual principle about the source of power and authority in our lives.

The Difference Between Fantasy and Witchcraft

I want to be clear about something: we're not against all fantasy literature. We enjoy stories like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and other tales that use fantastical elements to explore themes of good versus evil, sacrifice, and redemption.

The key difference is how these stories present supernatural power. In Narnia, the ultimate power comes from Aslan, a Christ-like figure who represents divine authority. In Tolkien's works, the "magic" is more akin to divine gifts or natural abilities, and the truly dark magic is clearly presented as evil.

Harry Potter, however, presents witchcraft as a neutral skill set that can be used for good or evil depending on the practitioner's intentions. The "good" wizards use the same fundamental practices as the "bad" wizards—they just use them with different motives. This normalization of practices that Scripture explicitly condemns is what concerns us most.

The Appeal and the Danger

I understand why Harry Potter is so appealing. The stories are well-written, the characters are complex and relatable, and the themes of friendship, courage, and standing against evil are genuinely admirable. I'm not suggesting that everyone who reads these books will become involved in actual witchcraft.

But here's what troubles me: when we consume entertainment that presents forbidden spiritual practices as normal, fun, or even heroic, we gradually become desensitized to what God calls detestable. We begin to see these practices through the lens of fiction rather than through the lens of Scripture.

Ephesians 5:11 calls us to "have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." How can we claim to have nothing to do with practices of darkness while we find entertainment in detailed portrayals of those very practices?

The Argument of "It's Just Fiction"

One of the most common responses I hear is, "It's just fiction—it's not real magic." But I think this misses the deeper spiritual issue. The specific spells and potions in Harry Potter may be fictional, but the worldview underlying them isn't.

The series presents a universe where humans can access supernatural power through their own knowledge, skill, and will. This is fundamentally different from a Christian worldview, where supernatural power comes from God alone and is accessed through faith, prayer, and submission to His will.

When we immerse ourselves in stories that normalize a non-Christian worldview about spiritual power, we're allowing our minds to be shaped by ideas that conflict with biblical truth. Romans 12:2 calls us to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind," and I believe part of that renewal involves being careful about what ideas we allow to influence our thinking.

The Influence on Children

This concern becomes even more significant when we think about children. Young minds are particularly impressionable, and children often don't distinguish between fictional magic and real spiritual practices the way adults do.

I've heard countless stories of children becoming fascinated with witchcraft after reading Harry Potter, wanting to learn "real" spells, or becoming involved in practices like Wicca as teenagers. While not every child who reads Harry Potter will go down this path, why would we want to introduce our children to practices that God calls detestable, even in a fictional context?

When Jake and I have children, Lord willing, we want to fill their minds with stories that reinforce biblical truth rather than normalize unbiblical practices. There are so many wonderful books and movies that celebrate courage, friendship, and good triumphing over evil without requiring us to compromise on issues that matter to God.

The Broader Cultural Impact

Beyond our personal convictions, I think it's worth considering the broader cultural impact of the Harry Potter phenomenon. The series has undeniably contributed to increased interest in witchcraft, Wicca, and other occult practices, particularly among young people.

While correlation isn't causation, and I'm not suggesting that J.K. Rowling intentionally set out to promote actual witchcraft, the fact remains that her portrayal of these practices as normal and even admirable has had real-world consequences. As Christians, shouldn't we be concerned about cultural trends that normalize practices Scripture condemns?

What About Christians Who Disagree?

I want to acknowledge that many faithful Christians have studied this issue and come to different conclusions. Some argue that the magic in Harry Potter is so obviously fictional that it doesn't present a real spiritual danger. Others focus on the positive moral themes and see the magical elements as simply part of the storytelling framework.

I don't question the faith or sincerity of Christians who make different choices on this issue. But I do think it's important for all of us to seriously grapple with what Scripture says about these practices rather than dismissing biblical concerns as legalistic or outdated.

Romans 14:22-23 reminds us that "blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves" and that "whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin." If we have doubts about whether something honors God, we should probably avoid it.

Alternative Entertainment

Choosing to avoid Harry Potter doesn't mean we're against imaginative storytelling or fantasy literature. There are countless books and movies that spark the imagination, celebrate virtue, and provide engaging entertainment without normalizing practices that concern us spiritually.

We've found rich stories in authors like C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Madeleine L'Engle, and many others who create fantastical worlds while maintaining a fundamentally Christian worldview. These stories satisfy our desire for adventure and imagination while reinforcing rather than contradicting biblical truth.

The Question of Influence

Ultimately, this issue comes down to a question of influence: what are we allowing to shape our minds and hearts? 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 says, "'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'—but not everything is constructive."

Even if we have the "right" to read Harry Potter, is it beneficial? Is it constructive? Does it help us think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable (Philippians 4:8)?

For us, the answer is no. We believe there are better ways to spend our time and fill our minds—ways that don't require us to become comfortable with practices that Scripture clearly condemns.

A Matter of Conscience

I want to be clear that I'm not trying to create a new law or suggest that reading Harry Potter is a salvation issue. This is ultimately a matter of conscience, and each family needs to prayerfully consider how God is leading them.

But I do think it's worth asking ourselves some hard questions: Why are we so attached to entertainment that normalizes practices God calls detestable? What does our entertainment reveal about our hearts and priorities? Are we being as careful about our spiritual diet as we are about our physical diet?

The Bigger Picture

This issue is really about more than just one series of books. It's about how we approach all of our entertainment choices as Christians. Do we automatically consume whatever is popular, or do we thoughtfully evaluate whether our choices align with biblical values?

It's about whether we're serious about Paul's command to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). It's about whether we believe that what we put into our minds matters to God.

Grace and Truth

As I close, I want to emphasize that this comes from a heart of love, not judgment. I'm not questioning anyone's salvation or suggesting that Christians who make different choices love Jesus less than we do. But I do think we need to be willing to have honest conversations about how our entertainment choices align with our faith.

The enemy would love for us to become so focused on our "rights" and "freedoms" that we stop asking whether our choices are wise or beneficial. He would love for us to become so comfortable with fictional portrayals of practices God condemns that we stop seeing them as concerning.

I'd rather err on the side of being too careful about what I allow into my mind than too casual about it. There's so much beautiful, uplifting, imagination-sparking entertainment available that doesn't require us to compromise on issues that matter to God.

An Invitation to Reflection

I want to challenge all of us, myself included, to honestly examine our entertainment choices through the lens of Scripture. Are we being as thoughtful about our spiritual diet as we are about other areas of our lives? Are we allowing God's Word to shape our convictions, even when those convictions make us different from the culture around us?

This isn't about perfection or earning God's love through our entertainment choices. It's about the natural overflow of hearts that want to honor Him in every area of our lives, including the "small" things like what we choose to read and watch.

What do you think, friends? How do you approach these kinds of decisions in your own family? I'd love to hear your thoughts and continue this conversation with grace and humility.

May we all have hearts that are increasingly sensitive to what grieves God's heart and increasingly drawn to what brings Him joy.