It’s a conversation that stretches back a long way, too. In the late 1990s and into the 2000s, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise was a white-hot lightning rod for controversy. Many Christians vowed never to read the books or watch the movies, while other sincere believers saw the story, at least in part, as reflecting Christian themes (which Rowling herself has talked about).
Recently, a parallel conversation has taken place regarding the 2024 movie Wicked: Part 1, which details the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba.
Many believers have sung the praises (perhaps literally) of this Broadway musical, in part because of its resonant themes of friendship, sacrifice and the painful consequences of being excluded for being different. Other Christians have expressed emotions running the gamut between confusion and outrage that any sincere follower of Christ could ever enjoy a story like this one. The protagonist is a witch!, they’ll point out. And, as we noted in our review, the spells that she casts feel very witchy indeed.
Which begs an important question.
Or, rather, two questions. First, why do Christians care so much about the subjects of magic and witchcraft in entertainment? And second, what are the potential responses different believers might have to those issues?
You don’t have to dig very far in the Bible to discover that it doesn’t mince words when it comes to the interconnected practices of witchcraft and magic.
In Leviticus 20, we learn that these acts are intimately connected with the worship of other gods besides Yahweh, including child sacrifice to them. And to engage in these acts is an expression of idolatry that Scripture over and over again describes as spiritual prostitution and warns against in the strongest possible terms:
And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, 5 then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech.
If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” (Lev. 20:4-8).
Though the words witchcraft and magic aren’t explicitly used here, we see that those who worshiped Molech relied upon mediums and spiritists to gain spiritual guidance apart from the God of the Bible. These roles and activities were condemned explicitly because they were a means to connect with false gods.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see variations on this teaching reiterated. In Deuteronomy 18:9-14, we read:
When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.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; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.
Again, these practices are condemned completely and thoroughly because they a.) are connected to foreign nations and their false gods, b.) involve child sacrifice to those gods, c.) involve an attempt at spiritual communication (either with the dead or with their gods) that bypasses a relationship with the one true God.
Scripture’s condemnation of witchcraft comes from the fact that these practices involve seeking guidance and power and control without submitting to, or trusting in, God and His provision for us. The pagan nations were so eager to obtain such control that they would even sacrifice their children to achieve it, a practice that God rightly calls “detestable.”
And if we go even further back in the biblical story, all the way to Genesis 3, we find the same temptation at the core of mankind’s first sin: the desire to be like Him while spurning relationship with Him. This was the lie of Satan in the Garden: “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). Eve believed the lie and Adam failed, in silence, to counter it. The result was death—for them, for us.
But ever since the Garden, the pattern has repeated: seeking power, control and independence apart from God’s oversight, apart from a willingness to recognize our dependence upon Him. Witchcraft, then, is a spiritual declaration of independence whereby someone seeks to usurp God’s power and authority, accruing those powers to oneself instead.
With that background in mind, we turn to our entertainment landscape today. Stories involving some iteration of magic, spell casting, witchcraft and outright engagement with demonic forces run a huge narrative and genre gamut.
As I mentioned in the introduction, Harry Potter and Wicked fall into this category, each featuring characters plainly identified as “witches.” But we also get movies and stories depicting Greek, Roman or Norse mythology; stories based at some level on Christian allegory, such as The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings; science fiction tales that involve special powers such as Star Wars and Dune; Disney classics and fairy tales such as Snow White, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin; and, of course, horror movies dealing directly with occult or satanic themes. Superhero movies also are very much a part of this narrative kettle: The powers of many popular superheroes can feel quite magical. And lately, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been pushing ever deeper into more explicitly sorcerous narratives, as we can see in Disney+’s recent show Agatha All Along;
When we look at a list like that one, a question we must grapple with is this: Does taking the Scripture prohibitions against witchcraft and magic seriously automatically prohibit engaging in all stories such as the ones I’ve listed above?
For some believers, the answer is simply yes, it does. Anything that smacks of magic or an attempt to wield spiritual power apart from God is out of bounds. Any attempt to explain it away or rationalize it is simply considered compromise, based on the passages we looked at above (and others like them.)
Other believers may look at the subject on a case-by-case basis, understanding different examples of magic as being in different theological categories. Some who would never engage in a horror movie involving demonic elements might be able to enjoy and think critically about magical elements in a Disney movie or even something on the order of Harry Potter. Many of the stories that have a magical element to them also give us shining examples of good versus evil that could inspire us to act selflessly and heroically.
So how do we know which is which?
First, being grounded in Scripture trains us to see untruth and to respond accordingly to it. In 1 Corinthians 6, the Apostle Paul quotes a local proverb about permissibility as he talks about what we sometimes call “grey issues.” He writes, “Everything is permissible for me,’ but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me,’ but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Cor. 6:12). As we ponder our entertainment choices of any kind, are we willing to ask the questions Paul puts before us: Is this choice beneficial? Am I being mastered by it?
With that in mind, I think there are some other questions we can ask to consider whether these elements in a movie or TV show (or other form of entertainment) are pushing it out of bounds for us.
First, what is your conscience saying? Our conscience is that part of us that discerns right from wrong, and it’s shaped and informed by our relationship with God and the Holy Spirit. If some part of you is saying, “I’m not sure about that,” pay attention to it.
Next, we can ask:
What is the source of magical power? Is it satanic or clearly demonic in origin?
Does the depiction of magic feel alluring to me, or tempt me in some way to consider how I might get what I want apart from God?
Does the story glorify evil or demean God’s power?
Do the spiritual things depicted make me uncomfortable?
If you (or your children) answer yes to any of those questions, you’ve likely got your answer.
Having said all of that, different Christians may have a clear conscience and sincere convictions in this area that differ from other believers. They may see the presence of magic in a fairy tale as something different than the kind of witchcraft Scripture condemns above. Paul, again, cautions us against harshly judging our fellow believers who have a difference in convictions in a given area. Near the end of Romans, Paul addresses this question “disputed matters” (Romans 14:1):
Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able[a] to make him stand. One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God.For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself.If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God (Romans 14:4-10).
Whether we’re dealing with the subject of magic and witchcraft, or any other issue depicted in entertainment today, the goal is to grow in our discernment and understanding of how any given story might affect and influence us and our children. Is it pointing us toward God and godliness? Or is it dragging us in the other direction?
I’ll give the last word here to Paul once more:
Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).
See also: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/the-rise-of-witchcraft-popular-culture-is-there-a-connection/
The post Wicked Part 1: Navigating Magic and Witchcraft in Movies appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...
Recently, a parallel conversation has taken place regarding the 2024 movie Wicked: Part 1, which details the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba.
Many believers have sung the praises (perhaps literally) of this Broadway musical, in part because of its resonant themes of friendship, sacrifice and the painful consequences of being excluded for being different. Other Christians have expressed emotions running the gamut between confusion and outrage that any sincere follower of Christ could ever enjoy a story like this one. The protagonist is a witch!, they’ll point out. And, as we noted in our review, the spells that she casts feel very witchy indeed.
Which begs an important question.
Or, rather, two questions. First, why do Christians care so much about the subjects of magic and witchcraft in entertainment? And second, what are the potential responses different believers might have to those issues?
What Does Scripture Say About Witchcraft and Magic?
You don’t have to dig very far in the Bible to discover that it doesn’t mince words when it comes to the interconnected practices of witchcraft and magic.
In Leviticus 20, we learn that these acts are intimately connected with the worship of other gods besides Yahweh, including child sacrifice to them. And to engage in these acts is an expression of idolatry that Scripture over and over again describes as spiritual prostitution and warns against in the strongest possible terms:
And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, 5 then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, him and all who follow him in whoring after Molech.
If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. 7 Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” (Lev. 20:4-8).
Though the words witchcraft and magic aren’t explicitly used here, we see that those who worshiped Molech relied upon mediums and spiritists to gain spiritual guidance apart from the God of the Bible. These roles and activities were condemned explicitly because they were a means to connect with false gods.
Throughout the Old Testament, we see variations on this teaching reiterated. In Deuteronomy 18:9-14, we read:
When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.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; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you.You must be blameless before the LORD your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.
Again, these practices are condemned completely and thoroughly because they a.) are connected to foreign nations and their false gods, b.) involve child sacrifice to those gods, c.) involve an attempt at spiritual communication (either with the dead or with their gods) that bypasses a relationship with the one true God.
Scripture’s condemnation of witchcraft comes from the fact that these practices involve seeking guidance and power and control without submitting to, or trusting in, God and His provision for us. The pagan nations were so eager to obtain such control that they would even sacrifice their children to achieve it, a practice that God rightly calls “detestable.”
And if we go even further back in the biblical story, all the way to Genesis 3, we find the same temptation at the core of mankind’s first sin: the desire to be like Him while spurning relationship with Him. This was the lie of Satan in the Garden: “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). Eve believed the lie and Adam failed, in silence, to counter it. The result was death—for them, for us.
But ever since the Garden, the pattern has repeated: seeking power, control and independence apart from God’s oversight, apart from a willingness to recognize our dependence upon Him. Witchcraft, then, is a spiritual declaration of independence whereby someone seeks to usurp God’s power and authority, accruing those powers to oneself instead.
Witchcraft and Magic in Popular Entertainment
With that background in mind, we turn to our entertainment landscape today. Stories involving some iteration of magic, spell casting, witchcraft and outright engagement with demonic forces run a huge narrative and genre gamut.
As I mentioned in the introduction, Harry Potter and Wicked fall into this category, each featuring characters plainly identified as “witches.” But we also get movies and stories depicting Greek, Roman or Norse mythology; stories based at some level on Christian allegory, such as The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings; science fiction tales that involve special powers such as Star Wars and Dune; Disney classics and fairy tales such as Snow White, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin; and, of course, horror movies dealing directly with occult or satanic themes. Superhero movies also are very much a part of this narrative kettle: The powers of many popular superheroes can feel quite magical. And lately, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been pushing ever deeper into more explicitly sorcerous narratives, as we can see in Disney+’s recent show Agatha All Along;
When we look at a list like that one, a question we must grapple with is this: Does taking the Scripture prohibitions against witchcraft and magic seriously automatically prohibit engaging in all stories such as the ones I’ve listed above?
For some believers, the answer is simply yes, it does. Anything that smacks of magic or an attempt to wield spiritual power apart from God is out of bounds. Any attempt to explain it away or rationalize it is simply considered compromise, based on the passages we looked at above (and others like them.)
Other believers may look at the subject on a case-by-case basis, understanding different examples of magic as being in different theological categories. Some who would never engage in a horror movie involving demonic elements might be able to enjoy and think critically about magical elements in a Disney movie or even something on the order of Harry Potter. Many of the stories that have a magical element to them also give us shining examples of good versus evil that could inspire us to act selflessly and heroically.
Questions to Consider When it Comes to Magical and Witchcraft in Entertainment
So how do we know which is which?
First, being grounded in Scripture trains us to see untruth and to respond accordingly to it. In 1 Corinthians 6, the Apostle Paul quotes a local proverb about permissibility as he talks about what we sometimes call “grey issues.” He writes, “Everything is permissible for me,’ but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me,’ but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Cor. 6:12). As we ponder our entertainment choices of any kind, are we willing to ask the questions Paul puts before us: Is this choice beneficial? Am I being mastered by it?
With that in mind, I think there are some other questions we can ask to consider whether these elements in a movie or TV show (or other form of entertainment) are pushing it out of bounds for us.
First, what is your conscience saying? Our conscience is that part of us that discerns right from wrong, and it’s shaped and informed by our relationship with God and the Holy Spirit. If some part of you is saying, “I’m not sure about that,” pay attention to it.
Next, we can ask:
What is the source of magical power? Is it satanic or clearly demonic in origin?
Does the depiction of magic feel alluring to me, or tempt me in some way to consider how I might get what I want apart from God?
Does the story glorify evil or demean God’s power?
Do the spiritual things depicted make me uncomfortable?
If you (or your children) answer yes to any of those questions, you’ve likely got your answer.
Having said all of that, different Christians may have a clear conscience and sincere convictions in this area that differ from other believers. They may see the presence of magic in a fairy tale as something different than the kind of witchcraft Scripture condemns above. Paul, again, cautions us against harshly judging our fellow believers who have a difference in convictions in a given area. Near the end of Romans, Paul addresses this question “disputed matters” (Romans 14:1):
Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able[a] to make him stand. One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God.For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself.If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God (Romans 14:4-10).
Whether we’re dealing with the subject of magic and witchcraft, or any other issue depicted in entertainment today, the goal is to grow in our discernment and understanding of how any given story might affect and influence us and our children. Is it pointing us toward God and godliness? Or is it dragging us in the other direction?
I’ll give the last word here to Paul once more:
Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).
See also: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/the-rise-of-witchcraft-popular-culture-is-there-a-connection/
The post Wicked Part 1: Navigating Magic and Witchcraft in Movies appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...