Harry Potter and the Religious Paranoia

[theamazingluther]

So there’s this wing of the religious right that condemns Harry Potter for witchery and Satan and so on. I don’t see why, but if that’s the way you think, I don’t see much to argue about.

What I don’t get is why such classics as The Wizard of Oz get a free pass to glorifying good witches. I mean, it’s the same thing, right? Does the Wizard of Oz get a pass because it acheived classic status before the most recent burst of religious fervor in America, or does it get the same scorn, but with less media attention because it’s 70 years old? Or is it just sheer logicial inconsistency?

[smiling_bandit]

Well, the Wizard of Oz isn’t exactly very popular and happening. And of course, the people who tend to disapprove of Harry Potter are the often ones who dislike Halloween (with people dressing up like the Wicked Witch more than Glenda).

[furt]

@theamazingluther

Does the Wizard of Oz get a pass because it acheived classic status before the most recent burst of religious fervor in America, or does it get the same scorn, but with less media attention because it’s 70 years old? Or is it just sheer logicial inconsistency?

A little of both. There are some fundie types that likely would get upset by it. Especially if they knew the author was a Theosophist.

[Kimstu]

@theamazingluther

What I don’t get is why such classics as The Wizard of Oz get a free pass to glorifying good witches.

They don’t always. Sure, they’re less hip-n-happenin’ than contemporary crazes like Harry Potter, but some religious conservatives with way too much time on their hands still consider them worth deconstructing:

Just to prove my point, let’s talk about The Wizard of Oz. Is this family classic just a family classic, or could it be classic witchcraft?

First, you notice that all the witches in the movie are actually directional. For example, the house landed on the wicked witch of the east. Dorothy was hounded by the wicked witch of the west. Then she was helped by the good witch of the north. Logic would have us believe that if the wicked witches were from the east and west, then the good witches would be from the north and south. Yet, you are never introduced to the “good witch” from the south. Not once in the movie does the “good witch” from the south appear. Why?

The answer may lie near the end of the movie. Do you remember how the good witch of the north helped Dorothy get home? Dorothy was discouraged because she found that the Wizard of Oz was really a fake, and all hope of her returning home was gone. Then the witch of the north told Dorothy that she had the power latent inside her to go home all the time. According to satanic teaching, it says, "Say unto thine own heart, ’ l am mine own redeemer. ’ ‘’ Would we dare think that sweet, little Dorothy may have learned that everyone has a latent power to perform good magic? Could she have subtly been the fourth witch? […]

Dorothy finds herself seeking occult guidance throughout the whole movie. Who could ever think one bad thought about the sweet, innocent girl who would sing, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” before the rainbow was used as a symbol for the New Age movement? By the way, for some of you who do not know what the rainbow means in the New Age movement, it means basically the arch or bridge that leads from the natural to the supernatural. […]

SYMBOLISM BEHIND THE WIZARD OF OZ

1. They followed the yellow brick road. Yellow is often used as a color to refer to gold. There is only one place I have ever heard about golden streets- that is Heaven. (Remember, her house did spiral northward.)

2. This golden road led Dorothy and her friends to the Emerald City, where the all-powerful and all-knowing wizard lived. Omnipotence and omniscience are two attributes that belong only to God. They found that the all-powerful and all-knowing wizard was a fake. He was just a man that people had elevated to become a supreme being. In a world filled with agnostics who are confused about the existence of God, could this be a reference to God? See, God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and yet many would have us to believe God does not exist; that He is just an elevated person that we created to be a supreme being.

3. The final thing to consider is the pure dose of humanism as the end result. After finding out that the wizard was a man, they found out that they had all the power inside themselves. The Tin Man really did have a heart; the Cowardly Lion really was not a coward; the Scarecrow had the ability to think the whole time; and Dorothy had the ability within herself to go home any time. […]

Did you know that witchcraft is family oriented? That’s right, witchcraft today is rated “G.” Top family movies, like Witch Mountain, Escape to Witch Mountain, and Return to Witch Mountain, by Disney are all family oriented.

The Care Bear Movie had a witch in it, as did The Little Mermaid. (Again, don’t say they were bad witches unless you believe there are such things as good witches.) These are just a few of the hundreds of “G” rated movies that do not have vulgarity and nudity, but are loaded with witchcraft. Did you know that the Billy Graham film , The Prodigal, was rated PG by the Motion Picture Industry of America? Do you know why? Because the Motion Picture Industry said that children should not be exposed to Christianity without the consent of their parents. Yet, witchcraft today is all rated “G,” but is it family oriented? Please understand, Satan has a family-oriented program. He wants desperately to reach your family.

[Mr.Moto]

FWIW, The Wizard of Oz was listed in the Vatican’s Best Films list.

Also, the review of the first Harry Potter movie by the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops had this to say:

Parents concerned about the film’s sorcery elements should know that it is unlikely to pose any threat to Catholic beliefs. “Harry Potter” is so obviously innocuous fantasy that its fiction is easily distinguishable from real life. Harry uses his “magical powers” for good to fight evil. Parents and children can enjoy this fetching tale in the same spirit of the time-honored tradition of sorcery in Eastern Literature, such as the magical figure of Merlin in the Arthurian legend. And the film ends with a very upbeat, positive message about sacrificial love. Older children should be able to handle it, although it is too long and intense for younger ones.

So it’s obviously only a small subset of Christianity dealing with Harry Potter or the Wicked Witch of the West in this manner.

[kanicbird]

I think part of the issue is that Harry is the main character, who is practicing witchcraft. Also what probably gets their britches in a bunch is that he is also shown to be a ‘good guy’, and representing ‘evil’ as good.

[ElvisL1ves]

Doesn’t *anyone * know that all four compass points had witches in the books, and MGM just compositized the 2 good ones?

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

@Mr. Moto

FWIW, The Wizard of Oz was listed in the Vatican’s Best Films list.

Also, the review of the first Harry Potter movie by the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops had this to say:

So it’s obviously only a small subset of Christianity dealing with Harry Potter or the Wicked Witch of the West in this manner.

That small subset that thinks Harry Potter is evil includes Pope Benedict XVI.

[David_Simmons]

@Kimstu

They don’t always. Sure, they’re less hip-n-happenin’ than contemporary crazes like Harry Potter, but some religious conservatives with way too much time on their hands still consider them worth deconstructing:

I read and article, or saw a TV special that interpreted The Wizard of OZ as Frank Baum’s saterical attack on the flim-flammery (in his opinion) practiced by the gold people in preventing the use of silver in addition to gold as our monetary base.

[ElvisL1ves]

Probably right here, David.

[Bryan_Ekers]

Meh, it’s a bid for attention. If you say The Osbournes has a satanic message, people will shrug and say “yeah, and…?” But say Harry Potter or Disney or Tiger Woods is a minion of Beelzebub and people will go “Huh? What do you mean?” It’s the follow-up question these religious types crave, as it gives them an opening to talk at length about why they think the world is screwed and what they’d do to fix it, given a chance.

If a response must be made, I prefer the flat statement “You’re an idiot.” Period. No argument, no follow-up, no invitation to debate.

[What_Exit]

@Bryan Ekers

Meh, it’s a bid for attention. If you say The Osbournes has a satanic message, people will shrug and say “yeah, and…?” But say Harry Potter or Disney or Tiger Woods is a minion of Beelzebub and people will go “Huh? What do you mean?” It’s the follow-up question these religious types crave, as it gives them an opening to talk at length about why they think the world is screwed and what they’d do to fix it, given a chance.

If a response must be made, I prefer the flat statement “You’re an idiot.” Period. No argument, no follow-up, no invitation to debate.

I really agree, not really a red button issue, just easy press. Similar to the small protest that went on before “Dogma” was released.

[Captain_Amazing]

@Diogenes the Cynic

That small subset that thinks Harry Potter is evil includes Pope Benedict XVI.

To be fair, he didn’t actually say that.

[HPL]

@ElvisL1ves

Doesn’t *anyone * know that all four compass points had witches in the books, and MGM just compositized the 2 good ones?

There are 4 witches in the book, along with the cardinal points. I believe they do change a few things, like Glinda actually being the witch of the South(I can’t remember if she meets the Northern witch though).

[Captain_Amazing]

@HPL

There are 4 witches in the book, along with the cardinal points. I believe they do change a few things, like Glinda actually being the witch of the South(I can’t remember if she meets the Northern witch though).

In the book, the Witch of the North is the one who tells Dorothy to go to Oz. Glinda, the Witch of the South, sends them snow to kill the poppies that have put Dorothy to sleep, and then, after the Wizard goes back to Kansas, Dorothy, et al travel to the land of the Quadlings, where they meet Glinda and she tells them that Dorothy can get home by using the slippers.

[Captain_Amazing]

I’m sorry, I was wrong. It’s really the Queen of the Field Mice who help them with the poppies. Glinda doesn’t show up until the very end of the book, As an Ozian soldier describes her:

“Who is Glinda?” inquired the Scarecrow.

"The Witch of the South.  She is the most powerful of all the Witches, and rules over the Quadlings.  Besides, her castle stands on the edge of the desert, so she may know a way to cross it."

"Glinda is a Good Witch, isn't she?" asked the child.

"The Quadlings think she is good," said the soldier, "and she is kind to everyone.  I have heard that Glinda is a beautiful woman, who knows how to keep young in spite of the many years she has lived."

[Captain_Amazing]

Here’s the description of the Witch of the North, btw (seen with two Munchkins):

Three were men and one a woman, and all were oddly dressed. They wore round hats that rose to a small point a foot above their heads, with little bells around the brims that tinkled sweetly as they moved. The hats of the men were blue; the little woman’s hat was white, and she wore a white gown that hung in pleats from her shoulders. Over it were sprinkled little stars that glistened in the sun like diamonds. The men were dressed in blue, of the same shade as their hats, and wore well-polished boots with a deep roll of blue at the tops. The men, Dorothy thought, were about as old as Uncle Henry, for two of them had beards. But the little woman was doubtless much older. Her face was covered with wrinkles, her hair was nearly white, and she walked rather stiffly… . .

“Are you a Munchkin?” asked Dorothy.

"No, but I am their friend, although I live in the land of the North.  When they saw the Witch of the East was dead the Munchkins sent a swift messenger to me, and I came at once.  I am the Witch of the North."

"Oh, gracious!" cried Dorothy.  "Are you a real witch?"

"Yes, indeed," answered the little woman.  "But I am a good witch, and the people love me.  I am not as powerful as the Wicked Witch was who ruled here, or I should have set the people free myself."

[David_Simmons]

@ElvisL1ves

Probably right here, David.

Nah, I read or heard the interpretation something like 30 years ago. However, the version you cited is the same as the one I remember-as best I can remember.

[PatriotX]

When I talked with a cow-orker about this a while back she was worried that HP would encourage her daughter to dabble in witchcraft.
I asked if her daughter was old enough to tell the difference between real life and make-believe. My cow-orker reminded me that witches are real.

I realized that there was just a fundamental disconnnect between the world my cow-orker and I lived in. I wasn’t gonna get it.

[What_Exit]

I have a very nice co-worker who is very religious and doesn’t believe in Evolution.
She also doesn’t like the HP series as encourages Witchcraft.
I just don’t have the ability to understand some of her positions. I feel like I have a completely different world reference.

Not a contradiction, but unexpected; she likes Star Trek.