[Augustine23586]

Two main reasons: First, some Christians view anything that is supernatural but not Christian as being of the devil, or at least a vehicle for the devil's influence. Second, it is suspected of getting people's minds off the Christian message, as though there can be a world of the spirit that has nothing to do with Jesus Christ (who in orthodox Christianity is 'begotten, not made' and created the entire universe). As long as fantasy is recognized as being only that - fantasy - I see no conflict between it and Christianity. Incidentally, Tolkien was a devout Christian, and there are said to be Christian themes, albeit hidden, through his writings, including 'Lord of the Rings.' The British seem to have a special affinity for fantasy literature.

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Name : Augustine23586, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 41, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Kristina]

Why is the fantasy genre so offensive in the Christian community? Most pious Christians oppose fantasy novels (including the Harry Potter series), video gaming and definitely role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. Despite my Christian background, I enjoy this genre, especially when playing computer games. In my mind, fantasy is just that - fantasy - a world of make-believe. It is a genre that allows for more literary freedom because some of the limitations found in real life can be removed. And as long as the person being entertained by this form knows it is make-believe, what is wrong with it? As far as 'magic,' it is used in children's fairytales such as Cinderella, and most Christians don't ban their children from reading those stories, so what's wrong with the type of fantasy found in Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?

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Name : Kristina, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 20, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : Transcriber, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Dan31629]

It really depends. I am also a lifelong fan of Fantasy. I went to see LOTR on opening day and reread the entire trilogy once every few years. LOTR is also steeped in Christian ethics and theological overtones, as were the various works of C.S. Lewis and others. LOTR also has many elements of iron age and dark age Anglo-Saxon, Celtic and Germanic mythology. Harry Potter is sort of neutral; there are no tangible references to real life pagan religion that I could discern. However, this is not to say that pagan influences do not exist in certain segments of the fantasy genre. A lot of your novels aimed at the D&D generation (20 or 30-something, or high school kids) have influences from paganism, druidism, asatru, wicca, etc. etc. Even a lot of D&D and other RPG's have similar influences, though the untrained eye generally won't spot it. I don't think it is deliberate prosyletization (sp?) by any means; either the authors are practicioners of such religions and are drawing from their own knowledge and experience, or they are trying to draw from real world sources for purposes of authenticity. If it's blatant propaganda or 'brainwashing', then anyone with a brain can spot it immediately, although I'm sure there have been a few who have attempted it. I suppose this all makes no difference to the average fantasy reader, who just wants a good bit of escapist storytelling. But as a Christian, the reason I tend to object is the same reason that I won't listen to Ronnie James Dio or nordic black metal: Why should I continually cause myself to be passively subjected to that which I disbelieve? This is not to say I won't learn (or debate) about these things... but having it streaming through my headphones or through my literature is something I am not privy to. This is why I prefer discussing such things on internet forums or face-to-face conversations, rather than reading in-favor-of arguments by print: because I can respond.

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[Mike]

I see nothing wrong with fantasy as long as it doesn't draw people away from God. I enjoy movies such as The Lord of the Rings, The Never Ending Story and others. However, fantasy entertainment such as Harry Potter makes me uncomfortable. I saw a Harry Potter book of spells one day in Target. Although it was meant to provide innocent entertainment to children, it seems to me that Harry Potter promotes witchcraft. We just need to be careful of what we expose children to. Of course, all fantasy is not evil; most of it is just innocent entertainment, but we need to be careful in choosing our entertainment.

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Name : Mike, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 21, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Lisa]

Given the immense popularity of fantasy in all types of entertainment, I think its hard to say that 'most' Christians oppose it (unless they are very hypocritical and are surreptitiously consuming what they are opposing). Also, there are some fantasy works that are praised by Christians for their underlying Christian message (Lewis' Narnia Chronicles are the most well-known). I think the opposition currently being heard against some fantasy movies and books has mostly to do with how loud some people complain and a desire to play up the controversy for extra publicity for the products in question.

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Name : Lisa, City : Milwaukee, State : WI Country : United States, 

[Pat]

Christianity was founded on a principle of converting the 'heathens' so they may be saved from hell. Many of these heathens were the indigenous people of wherever they may be located. It could be Rome, Ireland, Guam, Mexico, Polynesia or any country. These countries had their own major religion predating Christianity, and many of these nations' religious ceremonies included acts that many deem to be supernatural, such as talking to spirits while under hypnosis and using spiritual drugs, talking to ancestors through the use of icons, fire walking, whirling, levitation, meditation, various sexual positions that included many people of same or various sexes and were not 'missionary,' and so on. Mayan rulers took part in a ceremony that included an all-male orgy where various drugs were used, including a beer suppository. Acts like these were seen as against God. In order to ensure a faithful following, the native people's former beliefs were either squashed or built upon. An example of Christianity building upon another religion can be found among the Celtics. The Celts paid tribute to three main gods that stood for nature, and a symbol in their religion was specific monolithic rocks. However, in order to appease the violent Christian missionaries, they carved an image of the cross into the stone, and continued their private worship toward the Celtic gods. However, many of the wealthy landowners were Christians and claimed divine right to rule and convert anyone considered a barbarian. Santeria is another Christianity-blended religion. The followers worship a Black Madonna, whose origins of mythology do not exactly stem from the same as that of the Biblical lands. However, purist Christians frown upon this. Spain was one of the more violent missionary countries. The king allowed for expeditions, as long as riches were brought back and people were converted to the Christian faith, which was what the king used to keep his subjects complacent.

To sum this up, playing with witchcraft, such as that of the Celtic pagans who donned ceremonial capes and headresses, rubbed ointments of drugs on their mucous membranes and made human sacrifices to the lake, would call upon people to act un-Christian, because these were the ritualstic acts of another religion.

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[Ollie]

I think this is an American thing reflecting the Puritan tradition of the continent. U.S. Christians can be more fundamental than their European counterparts. Certainly in Europe there has been no religious backlash against fantasy. J.R.R. Tolkien, regarded by many as the father of the fantasy genre, was a practicing Christian. If you read the children books written by his good friend and Oxford colleague C.S. Lewis, you’ll find many references to Christianity. Lewis was even more devout, but this didn’t stop him commenting as Tolkien read from The Lord of the Rings at their writing club, famously muttering, "Oh God, not another f**king elf."

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[Rick29791]

Basically, people oppose such things out of ignorance and fear. To attribute 'magic power' to things like fantasy and witchcraft is merely backward superstition. Many people are afraid of anything that is at a variance from their own beliefs, and rather than just ignore it, they try to prevent others from indulging in it.

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[t27539]

... but though it is generally true to say the european religious reaction to potter has been considerably less dramatic than the us one, there has been a lot of fuss amongst pietist (strictly lutheran) communities in germany as well as among local fundamentalist catholic groups (traditionalists) decrying the potter books and even in one case in southern germany banning the books from local libraries and doing a book burning.

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[L-Sanchez]

Many Christians do not have a problem with Tolkien- and C.S. Lewis-type literature because of the underlying Christian messages. In these types of books, magic is not made to be something that is desired or good. Magic generally gets the characters in trouble, as with Bilbo and Frodo in The Lord of Rings and Edmund in The Chronicles of Narnia. In Harry Potter, witchcraft is presented as something good and to be desired, though bad witchcraft is frowned upon.

I think many Christians are uncomfortable with witchcraft in any form (real or in fantasy) because it is one concrete sin mentioned by name in the Old Testament to stay away from. Parents worry that their children may become obsessed with Harry Potter and may want to emulate the character. Most Christians, I believe, know the difference between real witches (Wiccans) and fantasy literature (Harry Potter, the TV show Charmed). Kids are generally smart enough to know the difference. If you have one who doesn't, then you really have problems.

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[Alex J.]

Although I am a large fantasy fan who enjoys fantasy novels, movies and especially role-playing games, I have seen many people take it too far. While most people can recognize that fantasy is just that, there are others who use it as an escape mechanism or who cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality. For example, many people take Live Action Role Playing (LARP) far too seriously; this is especially dangerous, as the most popular LARP is for a game called "Vampire: The Masquerade." There is a LARP group in Boston, for example, whose members have had their teeth surgically altered so they can 'feed' off each other. While I do not see any danger in fantasy such as Harry Potter, for example, I recommend that parents closely monitor any role-playing in the video games of their children, and recommend even higher that they play these games with their children.

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[Kerry]

Harry Potter has absolutely no resemblance to the practice of witchcraft. Magic wands do not exist, nor do we pretend they do, outside of Hollywood. Potions to turn your buddies into newts? Not since Monty Python. Relax, folks, it's entertainment. If you've raised your kid, they'll think about it, and someone who accepts the church will continue to do so. Someone like me will turn away, but I did so without any inspiration. Think of it as a chance to talk to your kid about the things you think are important.

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[John-W29168]

People will believe anything they read. Christians know this from firsthand experience.

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[J21331]

I am a Catholic, and enjoy The Lord of the Rings. This has never been discouraged in any way. Fantasy is self-explanatory. It is what it claims to be. As long as you don't take it too seriously, it is merely a way to entertain yourself.

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