Creation & Apologetics

Why I Don’t Participate in “Christian” Occult Media- Guest Post

Guest post by author Alicia Willis  

  I suppose most of you are staring blankly at the computer screen. What is “Christian” occult? You may be surprised to learn it is all around us.

Let me lay out our foundation. As born-again Christians, we believe the Bible is the inspired (God breathed) Word of God. Our principles for life are found there and there alone. And anything that does not measure up to God’s sacred instructions within His Word are things we have no business partaking in.

We are all agreed thus far, correct? (Come on, let me hear a good hearty Amen! That’s better…)

Moving on, I think we also all agree that Satan wants nothing more than to corrupt what is good, holy, acceptable, and godly. After all, Satan cannot create. He can only pervert. And he wants us to embrace perversion under the guise of godliness. Remember, Satan doesn’t openly reveal temptation. He is subtle; thus, temptation to participate in ungodliness comes in many alluring (and seemingly beautiful) forms. It can sound worthy; it can look holy.

It’s a trap. Coming from under the influence of my dad, grandpa, and close friends who served in our military, I’d say it’s an absolutely stunning booby-trap. A veritable Trojan Horse.

Remember when Jesus said that a house divided against itself cannot stand? Satan cannot cast out Satan. So let me ask the all-weighty question: is witchcraft, sorcery, fantasy, and magic of God or the devil?

Think hard. Now think again. This is an important question to answer.

If you are a Christian, you are compelled to admit that all of the above (sorcery, magic, witchcraft) are not of God. And you are either for God or against Him. As I like to say, there is no middle ground, no white sin. You are either for holiness (God) or not.

Choose now. Good. We are all on the same page.

For what I am about to say next, please believe I am trying to do so graciously and with the intention of helping, not hurting. But it is time for a stand to be made. Christians are going with the flow, mindlessly watching and reading things that are grieving the Holy Spirit of God. I don’t think they are doing so in rebellion. I simply think they have never taken the time to really think this through.

But, ignorance is no excuse. A lot of the time, we can be willingly ignorant, which is sin. So let’s delve deep into this topic.

I have never watched or read The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, or The Hobbit. I certainly have never participated in Harry Potter. Why?

It’s all very simple. Those books/films are filled to every nook and cranny with creatures and actions which are cultic, evil, and down-right demonic. But these movies are Christian, you protest! Everyone from Kirk Cameron to American Family Associate promotes them!

Does that make it right? And who says demonic creatures are “Christian”?

I don’t have time to talk about all of the movies I mentioned. So let’s just zoom in and focus on one: The Hobbit. I will italicize every word that sends up red flags for me as a Christian.

hob

The Hobbit is the story of a hobbit. (Very good; no surprise there!).

Quoting from Wikipedia “Bilbo Baggins, the titular protagonist, is a respectable, reserved hobbit. During his adventure, Bilbo often refers to the contents of his larder at home and wishes he had more food. Until he finds a magic ring he is more baggage than help. Gandalf, an itinerant wizard introduces Bilbo to a company of thirteen dwarves. During the journey the wizard disappears on side errands dimly hinted at, only to appear again at key moments in the story. Thorin, the proud, pompous head of the company of dwarves and heir to the destroyed dwarvish kingdom under the Lonely Mountain, makes many mistakes in his leadership, relying on Gandalf and Bilbo to get him out of trouble, but he proves himself a mighty warrior. Smaug is a dragon who long ago pillaged the dwarvish kingdom of Thorin’s grandfather and sleeps upon the vast treasure. The plot involves a host of other characters of varying importance, such as the twelve other dwarves of the company; two types of elves: both puckish and more serious warrior types; Men; man-eating trolls; boulder-throwing giants; evil cave-dwelling goblins; forest-dwelling giant spiders who can speak; immense and heroic eagles who also speak; evil wolves, or wargs, who are allied with the goblins; Elrond the sage; Gollum, a strange creature inhabiting an underground lake; Beorn, a man who can assume bear form; and Bard the Bowman, a grim but honourable archer of Lake-town”.  I have also been informed that the film contains shapeshifters. The story is also set in Middle Earth.

Nice. Half the synopsis is italicized. Let’s review: hobbit, wizard, dwarves, dragon, giant, man-eating trolls, talking spiders, talking eagles, evil wolves/wargs, goblins, strange creatures who live in lakes, a man who can assume bear form, shapeshifters, and Middle Earth.

Are any one of those creatures godly? Are any one of them Christ-like? Generally speaking, are those creatures pure, lovely, and worthy of praise or are they known to be mystifying, frightening, and evil? Would you expect to find these creatures in heaven or hell?

Oh, and Middle Earth. Where is that? It doesn’t exist, right? Or does it? The only place the Bible describes as being in the earth is hell. Hades. Slightly eye opening, isn’t it?

What does scripture say about this? 2 Corinthians 10:5 spells it out pretty clearly. “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…”  And what about all of the verses that talk about witchcraft and sorcery? Those things are high treason to almighty God. They are works of the flesh and devil, not of our Lord.

You say: But it’s all in fun! Those creatures are imaginary!

I guess it leads me to ask why we permit devilish, demonic creatures to be imagined and used for our entertainment. It’s playing with witchcraft. Harsh, you say? I don’t think so. Playing with demonic creatures is the first step in playing in greater dangers, like consorting with the father of those creatures. And that father is not the Lord Jesus Christ.

I think we would all agree that goblins, ghosts, witches, wizards, shapeshifters, and wargs are not of God. But what about the wonderful character traits that can be learned, the sweet and inspirational feeling you will get when watching the movie?

Candy-coating. The icing on the poison. Satan disguises evil, demonic creatures under the guise of “character” and “inspiration” and “heartwarming”.

Let’s face it. Thousands of people aren’t flocking to theaters to watch The Hobbit in the interest of becoming godlier. Character, godliness, and inspiration are just the spiritual excuses we use to watch a cultic film.

It’s like watching a horror film about a witch who murders people. In the end, she gets a warm fuzzy feeling because she spares the life of a mouse. Yes, this could be considered mercy or grace. So we should all watch this movie because our children will learn “good character”, right?

Not a chance. And it’s no different with The Hobbit, a film that glorifies demonic creatures and a land depicted in the Bible as hell.

If you are really serious about learning good character, open your Bible. Read about Jonah and the Whale. Talk about the faithfulness of Noah. Just don’t use demonism to teach your children about character. Because, let me assure you, character is not what they are going to take away. They will only get a confusing message about so-called “good” witchcraft, “good” ogres, and a place called Middle Earth. By the way, Satan isn’t against good morals. He is against Jesus Christ. Using demonic creatures to teach a “spiritual lesson” is an oxymoron.

Oh, and what about the example we are sending the world? The unsaved watch horror films about witches; we watch so-called Christian films about wizards and goblins who manage to incorporate “faith and family” into their story. What is the difference? We are sending a nice message to unbelievers. We are no different.

Use this image as an example. Really think about it. Does it look spiritual? God-honoring? Christ-like?

h

As I said, my intentions are not to be hurtful. I realize there are some bluntly-put sentences. But I simply believe it is time to stand up. Candy-coated witchcraft must not have its place among the believers, no matter what the allures.

Taking a quick bunny-trail, I am not against allegories. The Lord has used some beautiful allegories to encourage, uplift, and teach me. But they weren’t full of devilish creatures and wizards. The only force of evil was the one depicted in the Bible – Satan. There is a huge difference between an allegory that clearly defines Biblical principles and a story like The Hobbit which beautifies creatures like hobbits/wizards and tries to somehow teach “faith and family” in ungodly places like Middle Earth.

Let’s take a stand. Remember, there is no middle line. You are either serving God or Satan. There is no way to mix the two.

So what side are you on?

64 thoughts on “Why I Don’t Participate in “Christian” Occult Media- Guest Post

  1. Just my two cents here as a filmmaker.

    I agree in part and disagree in part. I agree that these things are a mix of trickery and things that shouldn’t be painted in a good light. That’s like biting into that fruit again from the mixed tree of good and evil. However, those of us with discernment should, for the purposes of those who do not believe and always as He leads, use key happenings within such popular shows to bring them to focus on the real issues; much like Sha’ul used the set up for “THE UNKNOWN GOD” as something with which he was able to get some to focus.

    LOTR was made up of different elements of the biblical story and the fight of humanity wrapped up into the characters. What made the story popular was not the wizardry or creatures, though it helped widen the audience, but the vulnerable human element that seeks to do the right thing and to press on in the face of tyranny, forces beyond the natural, temptation, failure, and outright loneliness. Narnia did a better job and separating the good and evil, but the evil made to be good was grossly misplaced.

    I disagree that we should steer away from witchery, wizardry, and the demonic… instead, it would be beneficial to paint it in a true light in both writings and film so that those who read and watch would have a sense of possible victory if they are abiding in Him. At least that will be my goal when using such characters. It is so crucial that we stay away from calling evil good and good evil, but it shouldn’t mean we cannot use the depiction of evil for good to overcome. This would be the principle of being “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”

    But by the same measure, christmas and easter and valentines (halloween is a duh) are also of pagan origin as well, and more grievous to Him than watching a movie because it involves the observance of them… a form of worship. He commands, do not learn the way of the heathen. Do not worship as they do and say you do it unto Me; it is an abomination.

    1. @dgraci,

      You try to take the middle road (“I agree in part but disagree in part”). I guarantee to you that almost nobody will show up to see movies where the “depiction of evil (occult)” is overcome by the good.

      The idea that Christmas and Easter are the way you say, are part of the Seventh Day Adventist propaganda machine, including the abhorrent Jehovah’s Witnesses. For the most part, Christians in the U.S. are well trained in Bible and theology and they don’t care about the pagan origins of these holidays.

    2. Hi dgraci,

      You’re a filmmaker? Nice! I’ve worked with several filmmakers. Also, I’m an author, which gives us plenty in common!

      Well, I cannot agree that mixing paganism and occult with Christianity is right, even if it is used to draw the masses. God’s Word is pretty clear on the subject. Just His abhorrence of witchcraft alone should be enough. Also, His command not to suffer sorcery or anything that casts up imaginations which are in any way associated with the occult is pretty strong.

      Hmmm. If you think it’s ok to mix paganism with Christianity, you shouldn’t have a problem with Christmas or Easter. Correct? But you may be happy to discover I don’t have double standards. I am against The Hobbit and I don’t participate in any pagan rituals around the holidays, including Easter eggs and Christmas trees. But what about you? You can’t be against paganism in one form and not another. Just a thought. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.

  2. Alicia, so well said. Thank you for taking a firm stand on this important and often-avoided topic. In eternity, there will be no regret for standing on a “too righteous” side of an issue.

  3. You made the comment “C.S. Lewis believed the Creation chapters in Genesis were a myth, and he was a theistic evolutionist.” From what I can see this not correct. Yes he started as a non believer but as he became a Christain and his faith increased he changed his views considerably. I know many very conservative Christains who have read his works (including my parents ) who would never touch his writings if he wrote about evolution.

    As to his children’s books, I have read them and loved them. They are beautiful and I dearly loved them.

    http://creation.com/c-s-lewis

  4. I think you’re looking at this from the wrong perspective — from the perspective of a strong believer who is confident in her faith. I’m glad you’re so confident, but remember that the rest of the world…isn’t.

    These types of books, which use fantastical creatures, different worlds, and allegorical story lines to help people understand the greater message of the Christian faith, are, simply put, a lot more interesting than the Bible. Don’t get me wrong — I love the Bible. But I (and you) would be an idiot to say that random non-believers on the street would be more open to reading the Bible than to reading The Hobbit. Seriously, now. These, and other, authors are trying to get through to a sinful world the only way they can — through something that puts a different angle (but with the same underlying philosophy) on Biblical stories. I’m not going to get into the Christian imagery of The Hobbit or the other books you mentioned; there are plenty of resources on the Internet for that. But let’s just say that these books are a stepping stone to a non-believer researching Christianity for his or herself.

    Again, I think your perspective is skewed. Yes, YOU can pick up the Bible whenever you want to, but a non-believer? Not so much. At the risk of sounding harsh, you should be a little more open to the fact that there’s a world of sinners around you who need all the help they can get. For every one non-believer you can get to read the Bible, thousands will flock to the works of Tolkien and Lewis, and about 1/4 of them will then pick up the Bible.

    1. @ Adriana,

      Thanks for the comment. If you read a little about the occult, you will come to realize that you are looking at it from the wrong perspective. God in His Sovereignty can use this type of literature as a stepping stone, but usually for those who are or were in the occult. Otherwise for non-believers these types of books only will get them into occultism rather than draw them out from it, because occultism is seductive. I was wondering, where did you find in the Bible that God uses these means as “stepping stones” to draw non-believers to Christianity?

      1. @ Rebekah and Alicia,
        I’m not sure where you are getting the idea that any of these books are usually stepping stones for those who are part of the occult. Very, very few people are drawn into the occult because of these books. Harry Potter I could see as luring people into witchcraft and the occult, but really not with Tolkien’s or Lewis’s books. Certainly Lewis’s Chronicles are brimming with Christian themes and teachings, as is to an extent Tolkien’s works, though more subtly and more elegantly. I’m sure there are some people that twist these works to see the occult, but the vast majority do not. I grew up reading these books, part of that time as a non-Christian and was never lured into witchcraft or the occult, nor were any of my friends who were also reading them.

        And I have to agree with Adriana, that a non-believer is much more likely to pickup The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe or The Fellowship of the Ring than they are the Bible. The Lord works in mysterious ways. Who’s to say that a person’s sudden impulse to purchase one of those books and read it won’t lead them to want to know more about what the books are talking about, what they are based on, thus leading them to the Bible in a round about way, but leading them there nonetheless. Perhaps that impulse is the Spirit pricking them. I can’t know for certain, and quite honestly, neither can you.

        Yes, thousands of people will flock to watch The Hobbit, me and a large number of my Christian friends included. That does not make it ungodly or evil. What about such movies as Courageous or Fireproof that also drew thousands of people yet were unquestionably Christian and were welcomed into theaters? Are they also to be considered of the devil because so many people wanted to see them? And yes, restaurants create food that is based off off popular things to take advantage of the popularity and earn more money. That’s what they do and that does not make the popular movie or whatever it might be evil. There is a tearoom in the city I live where the month of November has a Lord of the Rings theme with the food, tea, and music. It is quite honestly one the most Christian establishments I have ever entered. I’m sure my words aren’t going to change your minds, and I will say that I feel that you both have your hearts in the right place, but I also feel that you are being very close-minded. If the majority of Christian groups, authors, spokespeople, and others praise and promote these books and movies, then perhaps it is worth hearing what they have to say. I understand not just going along with the masses and taking their words for granted, but much of what you both have said seems to be said in ignorance or very much taken out of context without any real knowledge of what you are talking about. I would encourage you to look into it some more, not reading or watching them, but simply seeing what those groups or people have to say. Just a suggestion.

        1. @ Melody,

          I sense that you are playing “politeness” yet are kind of militant about Tolkien and Lewis’s occult works. It seems you are bothered by the truth of the Bible which says to: “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Tess 5:22). The statements you made contrasting the Hobbit with other movies like Courageous are a wrong analogy. Just a suggestion, you could have stated your opinion in a briefer format.

    2. I think I understand where you are coming from and I appreciate your thoughts. I agree – we are surrounded by a world of sinners who need help. That is why the Lord gave us His inspired Word. Yes, we all use stepping stones to grow, but I don’t feel the Lord desires to use pagan and occultist practices to bring the unsaved to Him. He uses the Holy Spirit and His Word. Quite honestly, anyone searching for the truth, anyone who is hurting, is not going to be pricked in their Spirit to read The Hobbit. They will search for a Bible. And God has made them very available – no one will have an excuse when they come before Him. The world always does make their cheap substitutes look more alluring than the Bible, but, in the end, I wonder what God will have to say about those feel the need to look for truth in other places because His is not as intriguing?

      I agree – thousands of people will flock to watch The Hobbit. That is another element that disturbs me. It if is so godly, so of the Lord, why does every single theater accept it? Why are there restaurants who devote whole sections of the menu to Hobbit dishes? Why is it required reading in the public schools? None of those places have ever been about promoting the Lord. In fact, anything that the masses turn out to do may be something we should step back to consider.

      I think we do have one thing in common. 🙂 We both believe in helping a hurting world around us.

  5. It sounds to me like you are assuming that any imaginary creatures are automatically evil. I think that is a stretch. I feel the same about your assertion that Middle Earth must be Hell.

    I’m also disturbed by your idea of judging the godliness or evilness of something from a picture from a movie. Whatever happened to not judging on outward appearances? Or is this back to the idea that this is an imaginary creature which equals evil?

    1. @ Heather,

      On the contrary, you have a reductionist approach. Ugly and evil creatures are just that- evil & ugly, and we are surrounded by enough ugliness and problems in life, we don’t need extra stuff like this.

    2. Where does the Bible say not to judge outward appearances? I’m not saying we are to have a critical, harsh mindset – we must embrace mercy as well as truth. But do you see evil, ugly creatures as being from God or Satan? God has made all things beautiful; nothing He does is ugly. In fact, one of the major signs of demonic oppression is obsessions with death, ugliness, and mystical forces that are not of God.

      One of the most disturbing elements about Middle Earth is that Tolkien said it was real; that it really existed on our planet during one time. No, this is not a misquotation. Believe me, I’d love to be able to go along with everyone and enjoy this movie too. I did do my research there.

  6. One of the comments that you made that bothered me the most was a reference to Gollum made near the end of your post, “Use this image as an example. Really think about it. Does it look spiritual? God-honoring? Christ-like?”. This would leave me to wonder who are you or anyone, to judge someone’s (something’s) spirituality based on their appearance. If you had referenced his acts, perhaps by reading the novels, your comments might have much more credibility. To pick and chose which aspect of Christianity and the teachings of Jesus, completely ignoring Matthew 7:1 which advises you against judging other seems pretty hypocritical. I my experiences, I’ve found that it’s the wolf in sheep’s clothing that I need to be wary of; the hypocritical and the judgmental.

    1. I agree we cannot base all of our judgments on appearance alone. But, by their fruits you shall know them. And all of our deeds come from the heart. If one looks of the devil, not of God, one has to wonder where their heart is. And Matthew 7 is actually speaking of hypocritical judgement, not judging in general. If we are to have the discernment Jesus commands, we must judge in love. How else are we to try the spirits to see if they are God, commanded in John?

  7. I totally get what you are saying and I agree but I never have heard or thought of “Lord of the Rings” or “The Hobbit” as Christian. Chronicles totally but not the others. We got rid of our LOTR box set years ago because we were feeling it didn’t align with our beliefs…People who read this post and become defensive are either being convicted and don’t want to be or still in the darkness…don’t take it personal..If they don’t like what you write then they shouldn’t be here. Thanks for the post.

    1. Thank you, Rachel. My Mom said the same thing. She said in her school days, it was never considered Christian. After all, why is it required reading in the public schools?

      Thank you so much for your encouragement! I am very grateful for it. 🙂

  8. Thank you Alicia for taking the time to pen this! I think especially in this cultural climate, it is more important than ever to weigh EVERYTHING that we allow into our hearts and our homes against what the Bible has to say. We live in an age of relativism, and that often transfers over into Christian culture as well. We see Christians measure what is right against what other Christians allow, especially if something has the support of the majority. I personally want to make sure everything is looked at with eternal perspective, and not just what is warm and fuzzy at the moment. That being said, I also don’t want to judgementally nit-pick issues that other, perhaps less mature, Christians are still growing in. This is not to you at all, but rather the commentor who labeled those who watch LOTR for the Christian message as “Lost Believers”. I don’t believe in using the gift of grace as a license to sin…but we are all on a path of striving to imitate Christ in His image of righteousness, and some Christians could use a little more grace in their walk of faith, especially when their hearts are truly set on serving the Lord. I certainly don’t want to harp on their splinter of immaturity when I have a plank of self-righteousness in my own heart. Who are we to imply they are not saved because they believe there is a message of Christ in those movies? Again, this is not condoning allowing those types of movies in our homes…but rather encouraging a heart ‘reality check’ to fellow believers. Do we have our own ‘sacred cows’ that have the pagan world mixed in, but we would never consider giving those up? I am a born-again sinner, saved by what Christ did for me on the cross and I will admit something that will make the majority of Christians GASP! I do not celebrate Christmas…or Easter…(or Halloween or Valentine’s Day for that matter). Now I have some shouting ‘blasphemy’ because I touched on their ‘sacred cows’ of the December 25th Saturnalia Festival blended with the false date of the birth of Christ. (The practice of mixing pagan practices and festivals was initiated by the emperor Constantine in order to make swallowing the pill of Christianity easier on pagan converts). Yet, those same Christians who label others as “Lost believers” for perhaps being unaware of the weight that mixing pagan/demonic with a ‘good message’ brings, cannot see the hypocrisy this involves? They will justify and defend that ‘sacred cow’ until they are blue in the face, even though they have no Biblical foundation that supports them. The Bible explicitly talks about the decorating of what has become our modern Christmas tree!!!

    Jeremiah 10: 1-5 does talk about cutting down a tree and decorating it.
    God and Idols
    1 Hear what the LORD says to you, O house of Israel. 2 This is what the LORD says:
    “Do not learn the ways of the nations
    or be terrified by signs in the sky,
    though the nations are terrified by them.
    3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless;
    they cut a tree out of the forest,
    and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.

    4 They adorn it with silver and gold;
    they fasten it with hammer and nails
    so it will not totter.

    How can we overlook this??? And for Easter, the pagan traditions can be seen as even more ‘heinous’…the beloved tradition of dipping and dying eggs began during the Pagan spring fertility festivals, when eggs were dipped into the blood of sacrificed infants as part of pagan fertility rituals, and the rabbit was seen as the symbol of fertility. They worshiped the sun which is why we have ‘sunrise’ services.
    There is so much more about these Holidays that I wish I had the space to cover on here. I wrote a paper on this years ago and would be happy to attach in an email if anyone is interested in learning further.

    Now lets have the “Well it doesn’t mean that for me”, “It’s okay because we attached a good message”, “Some have been brought to Christ through it” etc. etc. same justifications that we see the pro-LOTR Christians giving…How is this different?? Mixing pagan with good is mixing pagan with good. Your ‘sacred cow’ is no better reason than the next person’s ‘sacred cow’. The Bible warns against mixing with the surrounding pagan cultures and their traditions and practices!!

    However the Bible does give us instructions for celebrating Godly appointed times, that if we truly looked into what they represent, we see a beautiful shadow of Christ and what He did for us. The symbolism and time table of those Biblical holidays represent the picture of the love story of salvation so breathtakingly that anything else is just cheap imitations.

    (again, wishing I had more space and time) 🙂

    My point is…I was a Christian who went along with the majority and did what was popular and celebrated all the secular ‘Christian’ holidays that a ‘good’ Christian was supposed to. I lovingly had my eyes opened to the dangers of mixing the pagan/unGodly with Christ, all for the sake of a good message. I hope this article can do the same for those who don’t use discernment in the media they allow in, as well as everything else they allow into their homes, no matter how seemingly harmless.

    Do I think that Christians who still unknowingly embrace the world’s holidays and all of the associated pagan customs are doomed to perish…not necessarily. Do I think that Christians who unknowingly promote LOTR for its ‘Christian’ message are doomed to perish…not necessarily! My salvation rests in what Christ has done for me on the cross. I must daily take up my own execution stake and repent of all unrighteousness in my own life…it is a walk of faith and I am still learning everyday…every time I spend time in the Word I learn…through articles like this I learn, in the spirit of ‘iron sharpening iron’. God is patient and gracious with me as I learn to walk in His way, molding me into the example that Christ set. I fail daily, but that is the reason Christ died. Not so that I could sin…but so that when I (as a sinner) do, I can repent and turn from that sin with full forgiveness. I cannot rely on my own works and ‘righteousness’ to save me. So when someone who calls themselves a Christian judges another, maybe less mature, Christian and implies that they are a ‘lost believer’ because of a movie they may have seen…I can’t see the difference between that spirit and that of the Pharisees in the Bible. God judges the HEART, something that man cannot know or see. Furthermore, that is not for us to judge. That is for God alone.

    🙂 I enjoyed your article Alicia and would also love to encourage others to evaluate everything that comes into their lives against the Word of God.

    Love and Blessings in Christ 🙂
    Elizabeth

    1. @ Elizabeth Weaver,

      I sense that you use as a pretext the ongoing discussion to off on a tangent to expound on your own ideas and agenda. Also, could you be more specific and say exactly who in the comments labeled anyone as “lost believers”?

  9. Thank you so much for sharing this! It has been my understanding for some time. I grew up reading the Narnia stories and believing them to be christian, until I started to look into what I was actually reading and who was writing them. It’s not just a story, and the amount of evil & occultic practices by both the good and evil sides is astounding. God never uses the occult or evil to win anything That’s Satan’s domain. Once we are changed into the likeness of Christ Jesus the Lord, we are new creatures and shouldn’t be desiring the dark things of the world. The occult and witchcraft is all around us. But it should not be found in us and I think it’s fantastic that you’ve chosen to use discernment and not open the pages of those books yourself. Believer or not, one is better without them.
    God Bless!

    1. Thank you for pointing that out! Yes, even the “good” sides uses occult practices. I am so grateful there are others who share these convictions. God bless and thank you for your encouragement.

  10. What a banal, drab life– to be so fearful of literary imagination! You see the word “wizard” and run for the hills of self-righteous ignorance.

    However, you have never taken into account that the imaginative, literary use of such things. Wizards, dwarves, elves, etc. are creatures in a world that is NOT our own; Middle Earth and Narnia are imaginary worlds that are distinct from reality. The fanciful story is meant to REFLECT truths about our world, the human condition, morality in an imaginative and entertaining world of fantasy, much like fables only for the mature mind. The “magic” is inherent in the natures of these fantastical creatures, not because of flirting with the occult.

    Contrast this to, say, Harry Potter. That series isn’t questionable because of the existence of fictional beings– it’s questionable because it is set in the real world; it’s characters must learn and practice magic; utilitarian morality (ie. SPOILER ALERT Snape mercy killing Dumbeldore) is not Christian.

    And, next time you read the Bible, ask yourself are most of the “creatures” godly, or are they flawed beings who struggle. Last time I checked, David was an adulterer, Moses had anger management issues, and Peter denied Christ. I guess we shouldn’t read the Bible since we elevate creatures who are not perfectly Christ-like and godly?

    (btw, to answer your question, yes, Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia is the Christ figure of that world whose sacrifice is full of Biblical imagery.)

    1. @ Laura,

      Why don’t you make your argument simple- we don’t need this whole array of ugly and occult imaginary characters in order to reflect the problems of our life and world. The Word of God has all things pertaining to life described in a realistic way, and that brings conviction to the reader. So we don’t need all the things you mentioned in your comment.

    2. Just pointing this out, Tolkien himself said that Middle Earth is not imaginary. He said it really did exist on our planet at one point in time. The argument that, if we use imaginary worlds, we can do anything we want is not found in Scripture. In fact, God warns us not to have imaginations that can in any way exalt beings against Him.

      About the Bible characters, our goal is Christ, not mortal man. God didn’t put David’s flaws in the Bible to make us want to commit adultery, but to warn us.

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