Thursday, August 23, 2012

Black or White; No Gray Side

Today, I was involved in a debate on the Go Teen Writers Facebook page on the topic of Christians being involved in books that focus on magic, whether that is writing them or reading them.
    I haven't really expressed my opinion of this on my blog very much. But that is about to change. I will warn you, though, that this post will be very controversial, and if you would like to express your opinions, please do so in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you about this.
    First of all, I will express my opinion on it. Magic is witchcraft. No matter how you look at it, the devil created it. Some of you may be wondering now what the difference between the Starcrafters in my book and magic is. Well, it's this: Starcraft is a gift from God to a group of people.
    Satan created magic to try to ensnare people and bring them down, ultimately leading them to hell, if they continue with magic. Now, I'm not saying that by reading books such as Harry Potter, you will go to hell. Unless, of course, you let it influence you. How do you think modern-day satanists, witches, wizards, mediums, psychics, (etc...) got started? It isn't like they woke up one day and decided to become a witch. It was a gradual opening of a door in their lives that should never be opened - especially by Christians.
    Christians who read and/or write things that focus on magic or allowing an area of compromise into their lives. What happens to a chair if one of its legs is broken? What happens to a house if its foundation crumbles? The same thing that happens to us if we allow our Biblical foundation to be compromised.
    The Bible says this:

"There must not be found among you anyone who makes his son or daughter pass through fire, a diviner, a soothsayer, an enchanter, a sorcerer, a spell-caster, a consulter of ghosts or spirits, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is detestable to God, and these and because of these abominations, Adonai, your God, is driving them out ahead of you."
Deuteronomy 18:10-12

    You can see what the Bible says about magic. If you're a Christian then you MUST obey the Bible. You can't change what it says to fit what you want. The Bible isn't something that can be taken out of context at a whim. God is unchanging, and the Bible is God's Written Word.
    The way I see it, you have two options.
1. Write your story differently. Let God guide your writing and your reading lifestyle. Make the magic in your stories be not magic, but spiritual gifts from God.
2. Or, ignore what the Word says and hope that the door of compromise in your life doesn't open wide enough to allow Satan a foothold in your life.
    There's black, or there's white. There's no gray side. 
    Please, do not take offense to anything contained in this post.
    Ask yourself this question: would Jesus read Harry Potter? Would Jesus write a story that delves into the magical world?
    Feel free to leave your opinions, protests, and thoughts in the comments below. If you would like to ask me a question in private, or request prayer, or anything like that, then you can email me at join_the_starcrafters@yahoo.com.

God bless,
Brian

3 comments:

  1. Right on, Brian.
    I know a lot of young writers who struggle with what to do about this issue. Some of them use the term 'magic' but spend vast amounts of energy making sure readers understand that the thing they're actually referring to is something completely different than the real definition of magic. My question is: Why not just call it something different, since it IS different? Why use the term for a demonic form of power and then try to define it as something else? If it's not defined like magic is defined, it's not magic.
    I do have magic in my novel, but it is used only by the 'bad guys' and it is made very clear that it is demonic in nature. That is my view of magic as such in any circumstance.
    Again, great job on this post. Way to stand strong and leave no room for compromise.

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  2. I think motives are a big part too. I have a friend that read Harry Potter so she would actually know what she was talking about whenever she got into a debate about it.
    "Well, have you actually read it?"
    "Uhm..."
    "Then how do you know?"


    Not to say that I completely disagree with you. I think it depends on motive and circumstance.

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  3. I am a large fan of Harry Potter. However, that does not mean that I am ready to start doing/writing about/exploring magic (not implying that you said anything like that about HP fans, though). And of course, I would never dream of writing something with magic in it. Not ever. I wouldn't let HP influence me, either. It is just a story (and in saying this, I am not trying to downplay the fact that there really are people who practice magic. I'm just saying that I would never start doing that based on a story).

    When I read Harry Potter, I don't focus on the magical element of it - I won't let it destroy my faith. I focus on the good traits of it. I focus on what Dumbledore says time and time again - love is the greatest of all. Love always conquers. I focus on Harry, his parents and Sirius, and the one thing that links them together - their sacrifice. And - I love what is written on Harry's parents' tombstones.

    One thing I know for sure, is that HP is not a "fluff" story. It isn't something that leaves you with nothing to think about. It's hard to find non-Christian stories that aren't complete "fluff," but when I do find them, I devour them ;)

    Oh, but don't worry, I can argue the other way too. If someone comes talking about how all the magic in Harry Potter is amazing and they wish they could become wizards, then I have a very big problem with them ;) But back on the side that I'm arguing right now, it also annoys me when I have friends whose parents wont let them read HP because of the magic, but will let them read Twilight. It's just plain wrong.

    Reading it also helps me in the hockey dressing room. Weird, right? But it gives me common ground to be able to talk to the fifteen other girls on the team. And by sharing with them what I agree with about it, and what I disagree with, it gives me a chance to share my faith.

    Anyways, this is getting long. Heh heh.

    Pathfinder: Your friend is a genius. Lol.

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