A Christians Guide to Defense against the Dark Arts, Magical Beasts,

Potions and Curses!

Todefendourselvesweneedtounderstand,andinordertounderstandfirstmakeacomparison

Hogwart’sWorld TheWorldwelivein

Hogwartpupilsbelieve Christian’sbelieveSupernaturalpowersexist–bothgoodandevil-areatwarwithoneanother.Andtheoutcomeofthewarisundecided.

SupernaturalpowerexistsinGod,whoislove.EvilistheresultofourchoosinganythingthatisnotGod.Intheend,evilcannotwin.DenyingGod'spowerdoesn'tmakeHimanylesspowerful.

Theuseofspells,potionsandcursescanmanipulatethosepowerstomakethingshappenthewaywewant–toachieveourdesiredresult.

ChristiansbelievethatprayerplacesusinapositiontounderstandwhatGod'swillisinourlife-prayerchangesourhearts.Asaresult,Godmayusedifferentatactic.

Soulsorspiritsexistnotonlyinhumansbutalsoinotheranimals,plants,rocks,mountains,trees,naturalphenomena(animism)

Christiansbelievethateverythinghasapurpose,andmerit,inGod'seyesandistoberespected.Butaspirit?That'snotsomethingwecanproveordisprove.

Magic,sometimesknownassorcery,isthepracticeofconsciousmanipulationtoachieveadesiredresult.

Christiansbelievethatsupernaturalpowersareprobablynotsoeasilymanipulated.

BlackMagicisaformofsorcerythatdrawsonassumedmalevolentpowers.Thistypeofmagicwouldbeinvokedtokill,tosteal,toinjure,tocausemisfortuneordestruction,orforpersonalgainwithoutregardtoharmfulconsequencestoothers

Christiansbelievethatthepurposesofblackmagic-togiveformtoanger,hatred,envy,lust-areevilinthemselves.So,anythingthatencouragesustoachievethoseendsisharmful.Itdoesn'tmatterifitworksornot-it'spoison.

DarkArtsarethosemagicalspellsandpracticesthatareusuallyusedformaliciouspurposes.Itinvolveswrongdoingormischiefandisusedtodescribemalevolent,dangerous,orharmfulmagic,evildoing.

ChristiansbelievethattherearelotsofDarkArts.Mostofthemdon'tlooklikemagic-theylookmorelikeselfishness,bendingtherules,prejudice,disdain……

Powerdoesn'tdependontruth.Itdependsonknowledgeofhowtodocertainthings.

Christiansbelievethatthetruthistheonlythingthatreallymatters.Doingthingsthe"rightway"forthewrongreasonisdangeroustothesoul.

MagicalorganizationslikeHogwartstrainspecialpeoplewhoarebornspecial.And,thatspecialbirthiswhatsetsyouapartfromMuggles.

Christiansbelieveeveryoneisbornspecial,buteachofusneedseducation,discipline,loveandGod'sgracetoachieveourpotential.Youreffortatgrowthiswhatmakesyououtstanding.

Theexplanationwechoosetotrustinbecomesourbeliefsystem.

Ourbeliefsystemhelpsusexplainthewhy’sinourlife,thereasonthingshappenthewaytheydo.

Here’safewofthemanydifferentwayspeopleexplainhowtheworldworks…..

Polytheism(multiplegodsandgoddesses)

¨

Animism(soulsorspiritsexistnotonlyinhumansbutalsoinotheranimals,plants,rocks,mountains,trees,naturalphenomena(i.e.lightening)

Pantheism(theviewthateverythingispartofanall-encompassingimmanentGodandthattheUniverse(Nature)andGodareequivalent(Godisunderstoodasanabstractprinciplerepresentingnaturallaw,existence,andtheUniverseratherthanasanentitywithhuman-likecharacteristics).Pantheistsdonotmakeadistinction

betweenGodandNature.YoucannotthrowarockwithouthittingGod;infact,youcannotthrowarockwithoutthrowingGod.Or,atleast,partofGod.Goddoesnotwatchoverorcontrolnature,soGodisnolongerviewedassupernatural.Instead,Godisthecompleteexpressionofthenatural.

Christianity–Christiansaremonotheists.WebelieveinoneGod-supernaturalcreatorofhumanbeings,thenaturalworld,theuniverseandbeyond;ofallthatis,seenandunseen.HolyScriptureaffirmsthatGodisonebeing.Father,Son,andSpiritareseparatepersons,functionallydifferentbutineveryotherwaythesamebeing.ChristiansbelievethepurposeofourlifeistobeinrelationshipwithalivingGod(supernaturalcreator)whocannotbemanipulated–butwhocananddoes,inrelationshipwitheachindividual,hearandrespondtoourevery

need.JesusChrististhemanifestationofGod-aperfectmirrorreflectingthecharacteristicsofGodintothephysicalworld.

WhyaresomeHogwartpupilsdrawntotheDarkArts?

WHAT’STHEDIFFERENCE?

TheDarkArts Christianity

Magicalspellsandpracticescanbeusedformaliciouspurposes,involvingwrongdoingormischiefandisusedtodescribemalevolent,dangerous,orharmfulmagic,evildoing.

Therearethingsyoucandothataregoingtoresultinevil.Hatred,forinstance,alwaysharms.Someofthosethingsmightbe“magical,”butmostoftentheywillbedailychoices.And,makingthosechoicesalwaysharmsusaswellasthe“victim.”

Beingabletodothingsgivesyoupower. BeingabletodotherightthingmeansyouareintouchwithGod,thesourceofalltruepower.

Achancetobe“different” Theopportunitytobeuniquelyyourself

Youaregivenanidentity Youbecomewhoyou’vealwaysbeen

Answerstolife’squestions Learningtoasktherightquestions,andtrustingthatGodwillgiveyouanswersasyouneedandcanunderstandthem.

WhatdoestheEpiscopalChurchhavetosayaboutallthis?

1. Woulditbeokaytodabbleabit?Whywouldyouwanttohurtyourselforsomeoneelsejustbecauseit’s“fun?”–what’sfunaboutpain?

2. Shouldsomething‘scare’orfrightenus?“Perfectlovecastsoutfear.”That’sBible…

3. Importanceofquestioningsomething’sgoodness–notit’srealityJustbecauseitworksdoesn’tmeanit’sgoodorright.Nazismworked,afterall.And,sodoesbruteforce.

4. UseyourbrainsIfmagicissoawesome,howcomemagiciansdon’truletheworld?Maybeit’sbecause‘darkarts”promisemorethantheydeliver,andcostwaymorethanthelistedpurchaseprice.

5. SeekoutthewisdomofChrist,whocamenottobeserved,buttoserve.Magicisusuallyaboutmegettingmyway,whichisn’taservantmentality.

MagicalBeastsTheBiblementionsafewofthem…angels,demons,devils,unicorns,dragons,Lilith,Leviathan,Behemoth.Ofcourse,whatthosewordsmeancanbedebated.MaybetheunicornisarhinoorLeviathanisacrocodile…..Angels!Angels(Hebrewmal’akh,GreekAggelos)aremessengers.Sometimestheyarehumanbeings,sometimesmessengersfromthespiritualrealm.Andtheirmessageisoftenfrightening–“fearnot’isalmostalwaysthewayangelsstarttalkingwithpeopleinScripture.Jesusimpliesthatchildrenhaveaspecialangelwhowatchesoverthem,andtheOldTestamentsuggeststhatsomeangelsmayhaveprotectiverolesforcountries(Israel)orforindividuals.WEcallthose“guardianangels.”TwoangelsarenamedinScripture,MichaelandGabriel.Another,Raphael,isnamedintheapocryphalbookofTobit.Demons!TheBookofRevelationtalksabout“Satanandhisangels,’implyingthatthereareangelicforceswhichhaverebelledagainstGod.Haveyouevercarriedamessagethatwasn’tfromGod?Thenwho“angel,”ormessenger,wereyou?IntheBible,therearedemonsinthedesert(LilithisonewhohasanameinIsaiah)anddemonswhich“possess”orafflictpeople.Jesusspendsalotoftimecastingoutdemons,andsodotheearlyapostlesandleadersoftheChurch,somuchsothatJesus’enemiesevenaccusedhimofbeingBeelzabeb,theheaddemon,andtrickingpeoplebyhisactions.Ghosts!Yep,they’reinthere.TheonlyonewhoappearsintheBibleisSamuel,calledupfromthegravebythe“witch”ofEndor.Samuelisgrumpyandunhappyaboutbeingawakened.Thereaeotherplaceswherepeopletalkaboutghostsorthinkthatthey’veseenthem.TheBibledoesn’tactuallysayiftheyarerealornot.Itdoesn’tseemlikehavingtherightanswertotheexistenceofghostsisreallyimportant0ifitwere,Jesuscouldhavesettheapostlesstraightwhentheythoughthewasaghostswalkingonwater.Hecouldhavesaid,“Hey,therearenoghosts,”or“I’mnotaghost,butheydoexistandcanberecognizedinthefollowingways.’Instead,hesimplysays‘Ican’tbeaghost–theydon’thavefleshandbonelikeIdo.”Monsters!Well,leviathanandBehemothanddragonsdomaketheirappearances,butitseemsmorelikethey’reliteraryimagesthanactualmonsters.NooneintheBiblefightsdragonsorhydraslikeinGreekmythology.Other,ofcourse,thanMichaeltheArchangel–buthiswarisagainsttheDevil,whoiscalledadragon.Ifyouthinkthere’samonsterunderthebed,sprinklesomeholywaterunderthereandbaptizeit!AChristianbeastisalwaysmorepleasantthanaheathenone!

Blessings,spells,cursesandexorcism

Isablessingaspell?Notreally.AblessingisaskingGodtodosomethingwonderfulthroughorforathing–likebringingaboutwonderfulcompanionshipandgoodhealthinadog.Aspellismakingthingshappenbydoingtherightthingsandsayingtherightwords.Thedifferencebetweenaskingforsomethingtohappenandmakingithappenisthepoint.IftheChurchblessessomething,canitalsocurse?Uh,technicallytheanswer’sprobablyyes.Butwhywouldwewantto?MaybeamoreChristianresponsewouldbetoavoidthethingratherthancalldownfireandbrimstoneonit.Whataboutexorcisms?IntheAnglicantradition,wetendtothinkthatthebestprotectionagainstsuchdemonicpossibilitiesistoloveandserveGod.Ifyouarefilledwithlightandholiness,it’sunlikelyyouneedtoworryaboutbeingfilledwithdarknessanddespair.AstrongrelationshipwithGodistheonlyexorcismyouprobablyneedtoworryabout.ThereisawholebookaboutthisputoutbytheChurchofEnglandwhichstatesthat“itcannotbeoverstressedthat,asitisusuallyunderstood,thisconceptofdemonic‘possession’isextremelydubious.”InAnglicanism,exorcismisextremelyrareandunderthedirectorauthorityoftheBishop.Ifyourhousefeelshaunted,askforahouseblessing,andifyoufeeldrivenbydarkurges,maybesomecounselingisinorder.