How do you feel about movies with magic and such?

[Mrs Smith]

I am against Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings, as well as the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. But what about Cinderella? Or the Wizard of Oz? Are you against all movies with any sort of magic? Or do you allow a few movies with a little magic here and there? This is something I wonder about a lot. I'll admit that I love Cinderella, but if I am against other movies involving magic, why is Cinderella okay? Hmm.

What are your thoughts and convictions?

[Jerry]

The Bible teaches that all magic and the occult is wrong. If a movie promotes magic in a positive light, then I believe a Christian should have nothing to do with it. Moses had his encounter with Pharaoh's magicians, but they were shown to be wrong and against God and His people.

[Anon]

I personally draw the line between simple classic "magical fairy tales" and actual sorcery....for instance Cinderella is "fairy tale magic" but Harry Potter is Sorcery. As a matter of fact, for instance Mulan contains a strong Chinese religion and I don't approve of that either. But I grew up on fairy tales and I guess its partially my upbringing...I don't see how its wrong but I would not begrudge anyone for wanting to avoid it.

Another favorite of mine is A Christmas Carol by Dickens....again, its not sorcery...its a dream/ghosts sort of classic literature...I don't have a problem with that. But again if it were to involve sorcery or witchcraft, I stay far away from that.

Its just my own personal stand.

[PreacherE]

I think this details my answer on the matter, specifically point #2:

Lest Thou Be a Cursed Thing Like It

In Christ,
PreacherE

[futurehope]

I try not to allow anything with magic on our television, but sometimes I find that cartoons will sneak it in on you.

[Jerry]

How is a book where the occult is presented okay? The Bible teaches there is no such thing as ghosts - that the dead do not come back to haunt us. Therefore Dicken's book contradicts God's Word. Fairy tales sometimes show a character affected by magic a wicked person caused, but other times it is the "good" or main characters performing the magic - therefore it is wickedness and rebellion in God's eyes.

1 Samuel 15:22-23 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

[Jerry]

In Cinderella, the magic is promoted as good and leading to good in the long run - the fairy godmother was not a "wicked witch" intending to harm someone - therefore in that story magic is promoted, not shown as evil.

[John81]

That's an important distinction Jerry. When magic (sorcery) is shown in a positive light, such as the "good witch" (Scripture speaks about witches too), then that's not good.

This is one of the reasons I see modern Halloween as being even worse than old time Halloween. In the past Halloween was more about fear of evil things. Today the evil things are most often shown in good natured, "fun" ways...such as the smiling witch, vampires, werewolves and such shown as fun-loving cartoonish charactors and such.

Along with this is the promotion of things like Harry Potter and various Hollywood demons and serial killers held up as some sort of hero and somehow a fun sort of evil.

All of this goes together and greatly effects individuals and society as a whole.

[Jerry]

You're right, John. We've come a long ways as a society from being scared of "monsters" and killers - to imitating them, dressing up in blood and gore.

[Psalms18_28]

yeah, I have reading researches about how halloween to help people face their fear and death... It would be a pretty bad thing if hell is no longer scary to people.


This just now reminded me how someone told me that he rather party in hell (he have no fear of hell) than be bored in heaven. But I feel that being bordom is part of the suffering we go through on Earth. Who doesn't suffer boredom because he is stuck in a traffic jam? I was thinking he is far more likely be bored in hell than heaven.

[His by Grace]

This has been a easy one for our family. NO movie's, books or anything ie. games (even some Lego set's!!) with any magic because this is just another word to us meaning witchcraft!

[John81]

yeah, I have reading researches about how halloween to help people face their fear and death... It would be a pretty bad thing if hell is no longer scary to people.


This just now reminded me how someone told me that he rather party in hell (he have no fear of hell) than be bored in heaven. But I feel that being bordom is part of the suffering we go through on Earth. Who doesn't suffer boredom because he is stuck in a traffic jam? I was thinking he is far more likely be bored in hell than heaven.

There is little biblical preaching on hell anymore so even those who attend church often have a very wrong view of hell.

Besides the failure of many to properly preach hell, Hollywood has done a great job of presenting hell as anything but what it actually is. Many movies portray hell as a place where folks go and spend their time drinking beer, listening to rock music, and having a worldly good time hanging out with their friends.

At the same time, good preaching on heaven is rare and the concept of heaven is distorted by Hollywood too. How often is heaven portrayed as a place where folks sit around on clouds with harps, or look down from a cloud with boredom in their eyes, or where folks who get there must do missions in order to earn their wings and become angels (another unbiblical belief) where most often the one earning their wings does wrong while trying to get their wings but are rewarded with their wings and full entry into heaven because they meant good in doing bad.

I attended Methodist Sunday school until somewhere between 10 and 12. My wife grew up attending Baptist and Methodist Sunday schools. My idea of hell was a large barroom with lots of pool tables where all the "bad people" spent their time. (that was my thoughts on hell prior to being saved) My wife used to believe that when we die we become angels. This goes to show that even in the 60s and 70s the true view of hell and heaven were not being well presented. It's undoubtedly worse today.

[Mrs Smith]

So many of you are bringing up excellent points, as well as convicting scriptures. I watched the Wizard of Oz the other day for the first time in many, many years, and honestly, I felt uncomfortable about it. My conscious just wasn't setting right. However, it is easy for me to watch a couple "innocent" fairy tale movies, such as Cinderella. That's what prompted me to ask this question. I feel I need to make a stance, not only for the Lord, but for my son, before he's old enough to understand what is being watched in our home.

As my brother always tells me, "If you're going to err, it's better to err on the side of caution."

[Amaryllis]

This is like walking on a thin line. I don't watch magic in shows but sometimes I follow 'anime' which is infused with fantasy and magic influences. It's scares me because I wouldn't want to upset the LORD by watching those. Even if it's just a cartoon with fairies or super powers, it's still not acceptable for me to view those series. I haven't decided yet if I should give it all up; however it's very hard to find a 'pure' anime because there are so many risks: if the anime doesn't have magic, then there's the pantheism..so it makes it even harder to find an 'ok' anime because if you try to stay away from magic shows, then they have their 'shinto' aspects thrown in unsuspecting episodes. Nothing is safer from magic and the like.

[Mrs Smith]

This is like walking on a thin line. I don't watch magic in shows but sometimes I follow 'anime' which is infused with fantasy and magic influences. It's scares me because I wouldn't want to upset the LORD by watching those. Even if it's just a cartoon with fairies or super powers, it's still not acceptable for me to view those series. I haven't decided yet if I should give it all up; however it's very hard to find a 'pure' anime because there are so many risks: if the anime doesn't have magic, then there's the pantheism..so it makes it even harder to find an 'ok' anime because if you try to stay away from magic shows, then they have their 'shinto' aspects thrown in unsuspecting episodes. Nothing is safer from magic and the like.

Jasmyne,

I use to love, love, love anime while in highschool (though I'll also add that I was not yet saved yet). But you are right. Nearly every anime has some sort of magic. Or even if the series does not contain magic, it will contain something else that is inappropriate. Honestly, I cannot think of one anime that is appropriate to watch, regardless of magic. Every series I have ever seen (and I've seen a lot) always had at least one thing wrong in it.

Even before I was saved, I slowly began to grow out of anime. But anime is something I just couldn't let back into my life today. Sometimes I over-hear people talking about certain anime series I use to love, and if I'm not careful, my heart gets pulled into that direction, wanting to relive the memories of the show in my mind.

I want to encourage you to sincerely pray about it, and ask the Lord to show you what He would want (or not want) in your life!