That said, children are far more capable than we often realize. After all, extreme immersion in any fictional reality (movies, television, video games, books, etc.) without healthy moderation will negatively impact our view of the world. Furthermore, if a two-hour animated fairytale is enough to set children on an inevitable path toward the godless practice of dark magic, then we have failed as parents and as the Church.ĭoesn’t Fantasy Blur Perception of Reality? Despite many accusatory fingers pointed toward magical films and stories, the documented reasons why individuals fall into the occult has little to do with seeing Cinderella’s godmother turn a pumpkin into a carriage. The fact that these prophecies failed to come true has not diminished enthusiasm for them. If a child sees Elsa use her magical powers in Frozen, what’s to stop her from gravitating toward witchcraft when she gets older? This concern is valid, but it lacks convincing data beyond leftover conspiracies from the early days of Disney fairytales and, more broadly, from early Christian skepticism toward cinema as a new entertainment medium. ![]() After all, Christians are commanded to be peacemakers ( Matthew 5:9), and yet many believers have no qualms about enjoying an action flick.Įven if the Bible does not outright condemn or prohibit the enjoyment of magical storytelling, the question still remains, “Is it wise?” Let’s address two common concerns. That the Bible prohibits Christians from the first does not necessarily imply that they should avoid the other as well. There is a significant difference between practicing real-world, sinister magic and enjoying a fictional story set in an imaginative magical world. The first involves a false, anti-Christian religious faith, and the second is an imaginative creation with little bearing on faith. Why? Because the original context makes it quite clear that the biblical command is against idolatry, not decorative paintings.Ī similar distinction can be made between the practice of the real-life occult and the enjoyment of fantastical tales of magic. Many Christians decorate their homes with paintings and images in clear violation of this command. Where does this information leave us? A helpful parallel can be drawn with the Bible’s command against “graven images” ( Exodus 20:4). Thus, the biblical passages against “magic” must be read with this context in mind. ![]() The sorcerers and witches the biblical writers scorned were not flying around on brooms or shooting spells from magic wands ( a la Harry Potter) they were embracing a real-life, satanic, dark spirituality (including child sacrifice, communion with the dead, and extreme sexual fornication). ![]() The firm-and shockingly violent-prohibition on these practices was a statement about religion, not entertainment. Magic in the Bible can be defined as “pagan cultural practices that opposed or conflicted with proper worship of the one true God.” Divination and sorcery were not abstract, fictional concepts they were pagan practices happening in the culture surrounding God’s chosen people. The biblical authors were tackling a much different issue than magical fairytales. The biblical condemnation of magic is culturally and real-world specific. Magic in its many forms is unequivocally denounced in the Bible. ![]() Galatians 5:19-21 includes “sorcery” as a sinful work “of the flesh.” Leviticus 19:31: “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers, do not seek them out, and so make yourself unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.”ĭeuteronomy 18:10-12 condemns people who practice divination, fortune telling, sorcery, and necromancy as an “abomination to the Lord.”Įxodus 22:18: “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.” (Yikes!) While the Bible is relatively silent on entertainment choices, it does speak clearly about witchcraft and magic. The first-and most important-is the biblical standard, and the second is the cultural standard. With this tension in mind, there are two helpful ways to approach the question. Martin ( Game of Thrones), come from Catholic backgrounds.Ī Christian who wholesale rejects the magical elements in today’s storytelling must paradoxically acknowledge that some of the most profound and beloved works of Christian literature are rich with magical and fantastical elements. Even many contemporary titans of fantasy, such as J. Indeed, the template for the modern fantasy genre is a phenomenon largely birthed out of a biblical worldview, forged by champions such as J. There is an unavoidable tension, the scales balanced on one side by a deeply rooted apprehension toward magic and on the other side by a long and rich tradition of magic in Christian storytelling. As with most areas of entertainment and the arts, a biblical approach to fantastical storytelling resists simplistic answers.
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