r/harrypotter • u/Eagles56 Gryffindor 1 • 2d ago
Discussion My ultra Christian mother just told me she thinks Harry Potter is satanic
I thought those kinda opinions were always a joke. Today in the car my mom legit told me she thinks Harry Potter is satanic. This is not a joke post either, she is kinda crazy. She feels the same way about heavy rock or metal music.
Edit: when we were younger she took us to Harry Potter world and didn’t share the same opinion, or at least didn’t speak on it . I think her mind is starting to go a little
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u/wentworth1030 2d ago
She couldn’t be more wrong. There’s Christian allegories all over the series.
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u/aksbutt Ravenclaw 2d ago
Not just allegories, Harry has a godfather and God is explicitly mentioned many times. For better or worse, religion exists for wizards and seems to be more or less aligned. They also celebrate Christmas and Easter
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u/wentworth1030 2d ago edited 2d ago
Beyond that, Harry sacrifices himself to save the world.
He’s “resurrected” at King’s Cross
Voldemort is often represented by a snake - the biblical symbol of the devil.
The sword of GODric Gryffindor represents the cross (which is used to cut off the head of the snake - Nagini as well as kill the basilisk)
Dumbledore, Harry and Fawkes represent the holy trinity.
You could go on and on. There’s loads
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u/Own_Chapter1406 2d ago
(1) the deathly hallow begins with a bible quote
(2) His parents graves have literal bible quotes on them
(3) He becomes master of death by uniting a holy trinity
Harry Potter is a gateway drug to the New Testament lmao
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u/smbpy7 2d ago
Then he is a false idol and we should not me allowing our children to worship him!! stop the HP worship!!! /s
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u/ileliz13 2d ago
so then Aslan from Narnia is also a false idol by this logic? Considering he represents Jesus
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u/aksbutt Ravenclaw 2d ago
Oh absolutely, there's tons of allegories and symbolism from Christianity as you mentioned, i just wanted to point out some of the explicit ones!
They also say "Thank God" quite a few times throughout the books, Ted Tonks says "Ah, God bless ’em", and "My God" is used a lot as well20
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u/always_unplugged Ravenclaw 2d ago
I never took the Christmas and Easter thing as religious, just cultural. It's a common way to break up the school year, same as muggle schools. It's not like they have an Easter feast, and MANY non-religious people still celebrate Christmas because it's fun, so having a Christmas feast doesn't stick out as odd to me.
They also celebrate Halloween (which was definitely not common in Britain in the 90s) but I don't see that being used as evidence that they're secretly meant to be American ;)
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u/CrystalClod343 Hufflepuff 2d ago
Halloween was in Britain before it ever came to America.
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u/MerlinOfRed Gryffindor 2d ago
And Halloween is literally seen as a celebration of witchcraft and wizardry... of course they'd celebrate it at Hogwarts, what would you expect?
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u/funnylib Ravenclaw 2d ago
The Dumbledores and Potters have Bible verses on their graves, and baptisms happen enough that there are cultural norms for dress https://www.harrypotter.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/clothing. It’s also confirmed Harry was baptized as a baby. Christianity obviously exists among British wizards, and if paganism exists it is seemly a minority faith as almost all hints of religious practice and belief in the series are Christian. Which isn’t really surprising, I would assume there are a lot of Buddhist wizards in China too.
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u/always_unplugged Ravenclaw 2d ago
Where do you see that Harry was baptized? The link you included does mention christenings, yes, but in a list with weddings and funerals, both of which we see during the series and neither of which are at all Christian. I think it's reasonable to assume that wizards would have a different tradition for a christening too—it could imply a church ceremony, of course, but like, we also christen boats, so it's a word that can also be used to mean "officially or ceremonially giving a name to something." I'm inclined to think it would be something else, just like their weddings and funerals.
all hints of religious practice and belief in the series are Christian
Again, that tracks with the general UK population and isn't at all surprising, although I'd love to hear the specific examples you're thinking of. Christianity has a MASSIVE cultural presence in the west, and it even seeps in places we don't realize it. That said, I don't think it's unreasonable to think some wizards keep up with religion, just like the general population, and especially muggleborns who might have been raised with it. (So if Harry was baptized, I can see that having been a tradition in Lily's family.)
I can't imagine wizards would be very impressed with Jesus though—all his miracles can be replicated with pretty simple spells 😂
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u/funnylib Ravenclaw 2d ago
Harry being baptized https://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2004/0804-ebf.htm.
As for the impressiveness of Jesus, if you assume the resurrection is true then that is a feat that breaks the laws of magic and far surpasses the powers of Wizardkind. Also, the Bible, specifically the Gospel of John, claims Jesus was the one who created the universe, the Father working through him. And the New Testament also claims Jesus is going to return to judge the living and the dead and rule the world forever and give his followers immortality.
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u/EaglesFanGirl Gryffindor 2d ago edited 2d ago
ignore it - there's a belief all magic including stuff in Narnia Chronicles (which is inherently Christian) is anti-christan because of the belief magic is bad. A lot of this belief stems from the cultural impact that magic as we know it today ie. slight of hand from thieves and swindlers aka. rogues. Unfortunately, the cultural context today still exists on racism towards a few specfic cultures for the same reason.
The more dogmatic belief see magic, wizard and fantasy as heresy against god's creation. If he wanted it, he would have created it. I honestly think when i hear this today, its to prevent dissention and creative thinking. As a dnd player and huge fantasy/scifi fan, it allowed me room to expand my mind and think and ponder. It an escapism and that's dangerous for certain dogmatic view points.
Harry Potter among most of my Christan friends is well supported as it teaches concepts of good vs. evil and that power regardless can be use for good or evil. Bad guys can be good and are more complex and well they celebrate Christmas! The views of romance are pretty normal and not inherently lust driven. Teenagers make mistakes and you see their sadness, emotional development (Harry's Angst in Book 5) in the stories. Their fight are pretty normal but there's no real maliciousness except maybe towards Malfoy but even then Harry admits he makes a mistake and deals with the consequences.. Hate themes ie. muggles vs purebloods is a huge lesson about loving everyone and overcoming certain things. This could be problematic is some dogmatic cultures as it kind of ends the idea of certain hierarchies.
I'd ask what type of Christian she is. I think that's VERY telling about her belief struture. She is entitled to believe what she does but she can't tell you what to think or feel. Don't take it to seriously - my grandmother also became VERY dogmatic the last 10 years of her life. Not sure why but people do change view points esp as they get older.
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u/Alarming_Snow9640 2d ago
This always makes me laugh because all they need to do to see that they're wrong is give it a read. But will they do this? No, because they're scared they will be corrupted if they do. Which shows how little faith they have in themselves not to be corrupted. Which says more about them than it does about Harry Potter.
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u/No_Palpitation_6244 2d ago edited 2d ago
Which shows how little faith they have in themselves
So much this! This makes me wonder what kind of preacher she goes to too (the predatory "mankind is weak, don't use your own brain, I will guide you" type, it sounds like) I would definitely start to side eye the people in her church.
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u/Eagles56 Gryffindor 1 2d ago
She took us to Harry Potter world one time! She didn’t have this mindset until she got older, I think her mind is starting to go sadly
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u/jammies Ravenclaw 2d ago
You know, my mom and I disagree on a LOT but I will always appreciate that this is the approach she took. We got into Harry Potter as kids (right after the third book was released) and then she started to hear that maybe it was evil because witchcraft or whatever. But she never told us we couldn’t read them, she just decided to read them so she could see for herself. In the end, she became a bigger HP nerd than any of her children.
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u/lyraxfairy 2d ago
When the books were first released, this was a WIDELY popular opinion. As the popularity of the books grew, people were freaking out about "witchcraft" and "what were kids learning." I think for a while there was a debate on to if the books were allowed in school.
My step-dad, who wasn't very religious but religious enough and influential enough, also had concerns about "these books". He also didn't like that I once dated a guy with the "devil's name" Damien.
So, unfortunately not a joke, just the same opinion recycling years later. It's very common for overly religious people (for lack of a better way to describe them) to be "scared of" these books, metal music, goth kids, etc.
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u/Fyrekitteh 2d ago
I didn't read them until age 19 because they're weren't allowed in my house. "Witchcraft!!!!!" But C.S.Lewis and Tolkien were allowed./shrug
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u/Harvey_Sheldon 2d ago
I once dated a guy with the "devil's name" Damien.
One of the best recurring jokes in Only Fools & Horses was the way Rodney would hear the music from The Omen every time Damien was on-screen.
Off-topic for Harry Potter, but on-topic for those who grew up in the UK!
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u/OnlyFamOli Slytherin 2d ago
She is not wrong; after I read the books as a child, I went on to have a very successful career as an assistant to the regional manager of the Daily Prophet. Very satanic.
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u/TheDungen Slytherin 2d ago
Social media radicalised another person.
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u/michiness 2d ago
It’s not even just social media. I worked in Ecuador over a decade ago at a Christian school, and I got in trouble for reading Harry Potter because it was satanic.
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u/a_berdeen 2d ago
From the Caribbean. Harry Potter was also universally considered to be the devil's work when I was growing up.
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u/DrEdgarAllanSeuss Hufflepuff 2d ago
Not necessarily. My parents thought HP was teaching kids legit witchcraft back in the early ‘00s. There were Christian propaganda videos about it.
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u/TheDungen Slytherin 2d ago
Youtube is a form of social media.
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u/DrEdgarAllanSeuss Hufflepuff 2d ago edited 2d ago
Thanks for the newsflash, but my parents weren’t on YouTube 😆 I mean physical videos on tapes or dvds. This was before YT existed.
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u/MostalElite 2d ago
YouTube came around in 2005. The satanic panic shit started two decades before that.
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u/NewRichMango 2d ago
It's a laughably ignorant opinion. A story about the power of love, friendship, and loyalty is Satanic? What, then, do we make of all of the fucked up stories in the Bible?
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u/Iridechocobosforfun 2d ago
When the first HP book was released, my sweet grandmother sent copies to all the kids in the famoly for Christmas, as it was wildly popular, and she thought we would all love it. Both my aunts sent them back to her with notes condemning her for sending 'satanic witchcraft books.'
I remember my 12 year old self being SO offended on her behalf and I made sure to tell her constantly how much I loved it!
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u/eggrolls13 2d ago
I’m ultra Christian too, and I’m telling you Harry Potter isn’t satanic at all. Your mom is just looney tunes and has been brainwashed into thinking everybody not inside a church is secretly evil.
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u/Completely_Batshit Gryffindor 2d ago
Always found that hilarious, considering how damn Christian the story actually is.
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u/robbiejack 2d ago
My dad grew up very southern Baptist. When the books first came out and I started reading them, he went to the pastor and asked if he should be worried or if he needed to stop me from reading them.
Our pastor basically told him “if we’re losing kids to children’s books, it’s time for us to hang it up anyway”. Then dad read them and took me to the movies and realized how silly him thinking that was.
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u/TopHatGirlInATuxedo Ravenclaw 2d ago
If she didn't use to think this way, probably should take her to a brain doctor to check for signs of dementia.
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u/Eagles56 Gryffindor 1 2d ago
Eh, she always had anger issues. She might just not care about hiding her full opinions now that I’m an adult.
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u/forthewatch39 2d ago
She probably didn’t harbor those feelings back when you were a kid, because if she did she would have forbidden you to take part in it in any way.
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u/Rob27dap 2d ago
Speaking as a Christian Minister, then she's missed the point of the books. Which is no magic equals or can surpass the power of Love which is beyond any magic.
As a Christian the faith we have in the person of Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God who explains that Love is Gods way and the ultimate sign of God at work in the Universe.
Now not wishing to break into a theological discussion, that is to say the message of Harry Potter is completely compatible with Christian faith.
There is a difference between fantasy and reality and if a child is unable to determine what's fantasy and reality then that's a failure of not having it explained to them.
The imagination and Fantasy are wonderful things and the evidence of that alone would be the works of JR Toliken and CS Lewis two of the most influential Christian authors who wrote about fantasy and magic.
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u/Sehri437 2d ago edited 2d ago
Just show her some of JKs opinions from the last few years. I’m sure your mom will change her tune announce herself a superfan soon enough
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u/InsertNameHere9 2d ago
My dad is a pastor and has read HP. He had NO problems letting me read the books or watching the movies. He fully supports my love for HP
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u/sleepymelfho Hufflepuff 2d ago
I remember when I was first reading the books. The fifth had JUST dropped and my grandmother bought it for me at booksamillion. Then she went to church that weekend and was told it was "of the devil". My mom warned me, so I started reading as fast as I could. My grandmother came to my house one afternoon to take the book back. I happily handed it to her. I told her, no worries, I already finished it. I had the book less than 3 days and I was only in the fourth grade, so she thought she had more time. She was absolutely Furious!
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u/Drakeman1337 Hufflepuff 2d ago
They celebrate Christmas and Easter. Yea, real satanic.
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u/missdoodiekins Slytherin 2d ago
When the book series came out my dad told me I could never read those demonic books about witchcraft. I still did tho and those books helped me escape from my horrible living situation with my ultra conservative father.
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u/elvinakoru Hufflepuff 2d ago
So my Catholic mom used to be (kinda) pro Harry Potter. She paid $70 for the full 7 book set for me and let my siblings and I run around and cast fake spells at each other; it was awesome. That is, until she realized that the spells were derived from Latin. That set off a COMPLETELY unexpected chain of events. See, she believed that because the spells had Latin origins, they were real; and it was dark magic created by Satan to steal our souls. She told us no more spells in the house, our wands had to go, the books she BOUGHT me got burned. She told me any other Harry Potter merch I had had to be burned or thrown away (unless I wanted to go back to living with my grandpa or simply store it there). So, everything went, burned or otherwise. I was 15. I have since gained my freedom and am almost finished playing Hogwarts Legacy, I have rewatched the movies so many times I can’t even count anymore, and I read all of the books a few months ago in the span of a week or two. Yes, I am obsessed. ✨
TLDR: Same, but so extreme. I’ve since moved on.
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u/adriannagrande Hufflepuff 2d ago
I didn’t read HP until 8th grade when I had started to get a mind of my own, because before that my older cousins whom I was very close to growing up told me that liking HP and Pokémon were sins because it promotes witchcraft and evolution. So yeah, I believe you lol
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u/nottitantium 2d ago
I wasn't allowed to read the books - instead I was given a book called "Harry Potter and the Bible" in which there are stories of when parents allowed their children to 'explore the occult' and then the kids would drink their own blood and go postal at school. Load of crap obvs. The comparison is that in LOTR and Narnia good and bad is black and white but in HP it's all blurred so confusing for kids.
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u/Thickz- 2d ago
Most Christians or very religious people view magick as an extent away from God and that it is evil. It's basically viewed as rebellion against God because one is seeking power from external sources that is not God. And that spells and all that are forces from demons yadda yadda. Do with thou wilt. Magick is neither good nor bad it's up to ones own intent. Hence Dumbledore & Voldemort.
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u/Simbus2001 Ravenclaw 2d ago
Lets see:
The books teach important lessons about love, mercy, forgiveness, repentance, and treating everyone with kindness and respect which Christ constantly preached (And which Rowling herself, as well as many so called "Christians" have seemed to forget)
The books demonstrate good vs evil, and how good will always triumph over it, an important point always taught as part of Christianity
Harry was BAPTIZED and has a godfather!
James and Lily Potter were buried in a church graveyard, not a generic/non-denominational one, and have a biblical quote as the epitaph on their headstone. Both this and the point above show, to me at least, that James and Lily were active in their church community.
Most of the characters celebrate Christmas and Easter (There are also Jewish characters in the franchise (Anthony Goldstein, Tina and Queenie), which emphasizes that religion plays a part in the characters lives)
The wizard hospital is named after Saint Mungo (aka St. Kentigern), the Patron Saint of Glasgow. In the series itself, it is named after the fictional Saint Mungo Bonham, who was clearly venerated as a saint, but was also a wizard. Regardless of which one it is named after, I highly doubt wizards would name their hospital after a religious figure if they weren't religious in some aspect.
Hufflepuff's House Ghost is a FRIAR, which is a member of a religious order of men in the Catholic branch of Christianity.
Harry being the Chosen One is an allegory of Christ being the Chosen One for mankind, and Harry vanquishing the Dark Lord, a man who is heavily associated with snakes (which in the bible are viewed as associated with the Devil) is an analogy of God defeating the Devil and all evil. And Harry making the choice to return and fight after he is killed in the Forest could definitely be viewed as symbolizing Christ's death and Resurrection, as Christ died and rose from the dead to save us from our sins, because he loves us, Harry rose from the dead to save the Wizarding World from Voldemort because he loved his friends. Related to this, Lily sactificing herself to protect Harry (and Harry sacrificing himself to protect everyone at Hogwarts) mirrors the Christian concept of a savior sacrificing themselves to save others.
Fawkes, and phoenixes in general, since they are known to die and be reborn from the ashes of their bodies, use heavy Christian imagery as it could represent the general concepts of rebirth/resurrection, and the whole concept of Ash Wednesday, that we are dust and will return to dust during our death.
There are probably various others I am forgetting, but these are all the examples I can think of that show Harry Potter is not satanic at all, and this is coming from a life long fan who is Catholic, and was introduced to the series by my 2nd Grade teacher in a Catholic school of all places (Thanks, Mrs. A!) Tell your mother about these examples to prove why she is wrong about this.
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u/SeaworthinessKey873 2d ago
I’m a practicing Catholic. I was stunned on my re-read of HP last year how much Christian imagery there is. Themes of good/evil, love, sacrifice, etc.
Fear of HP is common among fundamentalist/evangelical Christians.
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u/Lindon-layton 2d ago
They celebrate Christmas and Easter in the books so you could say that they are Christian.
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u/Tytillean 2d ago
How frustrating!
I spoke to a woman taking her kids to Disney world for vacation and she got very offended when I asked if she was going to Harry Potter World. Apparently, Disney's Magical Kingdom is fine though 🙄
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u/rexter2k5 Hufflepuff 2d ago
Your mother, might be or have been a lovely person, but in this regard she's huffing church paint.
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u/barelythere23 2d ago
my christian-based secondary school banned harry potter books in the library because it encourages “the belief in witchcraft and not God “. Meanwhile they have fantasy romance books like Cruel Prince 🤦♀️
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u/Ok_Instance152 2d ago
Sigh ... Evangelicals, please shut up. JK Rowling is Presbyterian. She wrote cultural Christianity into her books and many Christian allegories.
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u/TheParacletesHammer 2d ago
The abuse a lot of us believers have dealt with in the church is way more satanic than anything JKR has put out.
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u/SimpleRickC135 2d ago
Wow, this really takes me back to when it was the christian right telling us not to read the books for their own morally superior reasons. Now it's the left. Some things never change.
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u/Pretty_Detective6667 2d ago
My own sister expressed this opinion when I was growing up. I had been lending the books to my nephew who is only about four years younger than me, and she was upset saying it’s against god because it’s witchcraft and therefore the devil’s influence. I told her she was being riddikulus with a wave of my fake wand and when my nephew and I laughed about it and she didn’t get the joke she got crazy mad lol. She had only recently become a devout Christian so I was rolling my eyes so hard at her for that shit.
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u/persephone911 Ravenclaw 2d ago
Haha, my mum is the same. She thought my friends and I would want to start practicing black magic.
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u/UmbreonTrainer27 2d ago
Harry Potter is a boarding-school mystery series with magic thrown in for fun.
Book 1: who’s after the Philosopher/Sorcerer’s stone?
Book 2: who opened the Chamber of Secrets 50yrs ago and who’s doing it now? Also is Harry Potter the Heir of Slytherin because he can talk to snakes?
Book 3: how and why did Sirius Black escape Azkaban?
Book 4: DIDJA PUT YA NAME IN DA GOBLET OF FYAH?! Also Voldemort is back.
Book 5: Harry Potter is a lying little shit! Dumbledore is insane! Oh shit he really is back. Whoops.
Book 6: who is the Half Blood Prince?
Book 7: WHERE ARE THE BLOODY HORCRUXES?! Also Hogwarts is under attack!!
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u/420forworldpeace 2d ago
my grandma was upset with my mom for allowing me to read harry potter in elementary school because “it’s satanic”. yet one of her favorite shows to watch was Supernatural. eye candy > jesus.
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u/Erebea01 2d ago
Had a discussion with my bff once about this topic, she's pretty religious and also loves Harry Potter, she basically says " I mean it's magic, it technically is Satanic to Christians ". Not that she believes in it herself but it was a fair enuf argument lol
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u/ghosttowns42 2d ago
My mom yanked me to the side during a Scholastic Book Fair in sixth grade (so 1998ish?) to warn me in hushed tones to NEVER touch this new Harry Potter book. It was full of evil and witchcraft and I'd go straight to hell for touching it.
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u/funnylib Ravenclaw 2d ago
If it makes her feel any better, it’s canon Harry was baptized
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u/Lost_My_Brilliance Ravenclaw 2d ago
Where?
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u/fused_of_course 2d ago
Headcanon
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u/aksbutt Ravenclaw 2d ago
Well he has a godfather, so he would have been baptized/christened
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u/speedx5xracer 2d ago
Not necessarily god parents exist in other religions as well as social settings not necessarily tied to religion.
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u/Niknark999 2d ago
Yeah most Christians have this same mindset. Makes zero sense to me and my family never cared to explain more than "magic is witchcraft and witchcraft is the devils work" 🤷🏼♀️ I just read it in private anyways. They hated pokemon too.
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u/TheDungen Slytherin 2d ago
No most christians do not. It's just nut jobs. My mom read harry potter to me as a kid and she's deeply christian.
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u/TopHatGirlInATuxedo Ravenclaw 2d ago
Blatantly untrue. This is "fundamentalist evangelical"-specific.
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u/Niknark999 2d ago
My family was Pentecostal affiliated though not evangelical ( I'm actually not even sure if there's a difference? I left when I was 11 too young to really even understand how we were affiliated with the Pentecostal church when they do the crazy shit and we didn't..)
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u/Pterodactyl_midnight 2d ago
Tell them Jesus was a Gryffindor. He was brave, loyal to friends, and performed many magic tricks. They even wrote a whole book about it.
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u/TempleMade_MeBroke 2d ago
"But rising from the dead, turning water into wine, turning a couple of fish and loaves of bread into enough food to feed 5,000 people, a jar of oil that doesn't run out, a virgin birth, a speaking, burning bush, a whole sea split in half...these things, just to be clear...not magic. Mmhmm."
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u/ThePeasantKingM Ravenclaw 2d ago
*Most protestants.
The Catholic hierarchy tends to stay away from these topics.
I remember some Catholic priests coming out in defence of Harry Potter, saying that the fantastic elements of wizardry and sorcery don't take away the fundamental themes of the power of love, of the power of choosing good over evil and the power of selfless sacrifice, all of which are Christian values.
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u/Niknark999 2d ago
What's the difference between an evangelical and Pentecostal and a Protestant then?
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u/Choobacca12 2d ago
Protestant and Catholics are two major splits of Christianity (basically diverging from the reformation and Martin Luther), but Protestant is further divided into many different denominations or branches. Pentacostal is one of these, and so are Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, etc.
Evangelical Christians are like a type of protestant Christian I guess, not a denomination? They’re not restricted to any such branch. It’s more like a movement. But there are many Protestants who aren’t Evangelical Christians as well.
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u/StormAge 2d ago
My boyfriend’s family feels the same way. He started reading the series when we began dating, because he knew it was a big thing to me, but his family can basically never know. They’re very sheltered and religious and I’ve already told him they will never live with us because my Harry Potter stuff won’t be safe. And they can never know I like it either, because they will Hard Judge me for it.
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u/SixxFour Slytherin 2d ago
I have an aunt like this. It all started with Pokemon=enslavement and cruelty to critters. Harry Potter was a black hole for her, as was metal music. No amount of repentance in her eyes will bring you back from that apparently.
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u/Dfrickster87 2d ago
I'm picturing Dana Carvey doing his Church Lady skit.
Gee idk, could it be.......SSSSATAN!
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u/cantdothismuchmore Ravenclaw 2d ago edited 2d ago
I grew up in the deep south going to Christian schools. Harry Potter was banned (as was Pokemon) and multiple teachers would tell us that it was satanic and we shouldnt read the books (this was pre-movies even). I, being an impressionable fifth grader, believed my teachers (because they are supposed to be teaching me right?). It causes a rift in my family. When the movies came out, the rest of my family went without me. My mom had to regift the Harry Potter themed Christmas gifts she'd already gotten me. My family read the rest of the books together as they came out. By the time I was in high school, I realized how narrow minded this view was (and I had my fifth grade teacher again in ninth grade and realized how crazy some of her views were). I caught up on the books, watched the movies, and by the time the seventh book was out my whole family went to the midnight opening together and we all stayed up reading our one copy of the last book aloud to each other. I am still sad at how many family memories I missed out on in middle school, but proud of myself for independently realizing this belief was wrong and correcting course in time to enjoy the end of the series with my family. I loved that night we read the last book together and it's one of my favorite memories.
Edited for grammar
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u/Spiritfur Hufflepuff 2d ago
I always think this opinion is such a funny one because one of the biggest Harry Potter fans I know and the one who got me into the series is my very Christian grandmother.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Rip8887 Hufflepuff 2d ago
Growing up, my mom wouldn’t let me watch Harry Potter because magic was evil. Same reason she made me throw away my pokemon cards.
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u/SteamerTheBeemer 2d ago
If she’s changed in the way you’ve said. Then I would encourage you to encourage her to get some medical help. Incase there is something going on with her mind.
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u/greendreamr 2d ago
the parents of one of my daughter’s friends forbade further play dates when they found out we’re harry potter fans for the same reason
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u/GiraffeWithATophat Slytherin 2d ago
When the books were first becoming popular and I was a wee lad, my mom had a friend that thought they were satanic. My mom just told her it's really no different than Star Wars.
The good guy finds out he has magical powers and there's an older bad guy with more advanced magical powers, but through the power of friendship and education the good guy wins.
"Put your name in the goblet of fire, did you?!" Yoda said calmly.
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u/EvocativeEnigma 2d ago
I was at a Catholic School when they came out. ROFL, I was actually one of the very few who was allowed to read it and we weren't even allowed to MENTION it at school.
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u/Vahelius 2d ago
I had to argue for over a year after the first 3 books came out in order for my parents to let me read Harry Potter. Then when I got permission and read them and loved them and decided to listen to the audio books in the car with my mom we got as far as Harry and Hagrid in the Leaky Cauldron talking about Voldemort before my mom raged about satanic imagery and stopped the tape.
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u/kath2833 2d ago
I’ve recently read the books & this is the most irritating accusation. They’re very Christian based.
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u/Magical-Princess Gryffindor 2d ago
My mom would always say “That’s Satanic and will corrupt your soul.” When I read/watched magical books/shows/movies like Harry Potter or Charmed but she also never made me turn them off.
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u/ConstantPotato01 2d ago
Lol my grandma thought this too. Back when the first movie came out, I was invited to a bday party to see it.
She made my dad have a conversation with me about it and how I need to evaluate my life choices to determine if I really want to be part of something evil and satanic. 😂
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u/strike_one Unsorted 2d ago
Hey. Ordained former minister, got my degree in Christian Ministry and everything. Harry Potter is not satanic.
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u/TheWorryWirt Gryffindor 2d ago
My fam is super religious, and my parents were always pro-Harry Potter because it’s about a battle between good and evil.
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u/WomenOfWonder 2d ago
My mom thought this too. It actually was one of the things that ruined her marriage as my dad loved the books and insisted on reading them to us
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u/CalmToaster 2d ago
It is?! I never thought so myself, but since she insists that it is satanic, it makes it so much more appealing! Thanks OP's mom!
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u/teaabearr Hufflepuff 2d ago
Bro my parents threw out all my books when I was a kid for the same thing lol
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u/TheParacletesHammer 2d ago
Shit. Anything is satanic if you spent too much time obsessing over it.
As a preacher and a believer, I absolutely love Harry Potter, because Rowling has a head and shoulders in the arena of human relationships over anybody in the latter half.
Her writings are really dialed-in in a LOT of Xian themes. And they also deal with the concepts of abuse and narcissism and the redemptive power of love, which in APWBD’s mind is the greatest force in all reality.
Plus, She borrowed heavy from a lot of fantasy myth.
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u/DoofusIdiot 2d ago
My wife’s family is Catholic, and as explained to me, that sect of Christianity believes that no one can perform miracles, magic, etc. without god. And so doing magic is satanic. But they bought my son a dream catcher which is ok 🤷🏻♂️
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u/Max-Potato2017 2d ago
I’ve told this on here before but my ex and his family were staunchly against Harry Potter. And anything Halloween. His parents were religious (dad was/is a Methodist pastor) and my bf’s life plan was to follow in his footsteps.
Anywhoo- his parents were absolutely caught up in the satanic panic of the 80s and had them watch some kind of propaganda film at a young impressionable age- such that they were terrified and just molded and enmeshed themselves into whatever their family wanted.
The kicker here is that Lord of the Rings and Tolkien was allowed because…get this:
He was friends with CS Lewis and you can take some of the things in LOTR as allegory.
The magic in LOTR is fine but they opposed the spells in Harry Potter’s due to their Latin root words that were apparently satanic and paganism.
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u/Zappy_Sweeney 2d ago
My dad was the same with me growing up, with anything about ghosts/magic. He would say the music I listened to was "demonic" and if my younger siblings had any sort of nightmare I was blamed because I invited demons into the house. The absolutely hilarious part is that while Harry Potter was among many things that were completely off limits, he was and still is a massive LOTR fan.
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u/hungrymuffin123 2d ago
There was a book I started (never finished tho) years ago when a lot of the HP hype was still high called “Finding God in Harry Potter”. Maybe she should give that a read.
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u/SquirrelDisastrous2 2d ago
I wasn't allowed to read Harry Potter as a kid because of it. Anything that's magic goes against God, because God is the only one who can be magic
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u/brightwhitelight1 2d ago edited 2d ago
I mean they celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas so how can they be satanic
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u/fcroadkill 2d ago
My mom was one of those moms, I didn't get to read the books as they were coming out. She really went off the rails with it after Columbine. She was convinced that demons were going to possess me if I read the books. After my dad passed away in 2005, she finally got over herself and I was able to see the rest of the movies in theaters as they came out. She thought Pokémon and Britney Spears were of the devil too. Needless to say as an adult and now a parent, I have Harry Potter and Pokemon all through my house and we listen to secular music.
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u/Smooth_Minute4749 2d ago
It’s just something that happens. My son’s great grandmother also thinks it’s satanic, same with Halloween and the like. She doesn’t like it but won’t harp on you for liking it.
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u/SkiIsLife45 2d ago
Christian here, it's a kids' book with good messages about friendship, bravery, good vs evil, and the importance of parental love (Harry survives Voldemort's murder attempt as a baby because his mother didn't have to die for him, but she did.). It happens to have magic that doesn't exist. I've also heard people argue that there are biblical parallels in it.
Also check out Demon Hunter. Christian metal is FIRE.
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u/Usual-Arugula1317 Gryffindor 2d ago
My parents told my harry potter books away because they were "turning me to witchcraft and satan" when I was 16 because I told them I didn't want to do my confirmation. Of course denying I was Christian was just a regular teen-phase, but I had to be real covert about reading the books and watching the movies for a while.
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u/The-Truth-hurts- 2d ago
Tell her they celebrate Christmas in Harry Potter!
Why do they celebrate Christmas in HP? Wouldn't he just be a normal guy there?
Jesus "I can turn this water into wine"
Yeah? So can every witch/wizard!
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u/SeekingValimar1309 2d ago
What’s really funny is that the magic in Harry Potter is literally caused by a genetic mutation.
No actual witchcraft needed
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u/kompergator Ravenclaw 2d ago
Satan is literally doing God’s bidding and gave humanity free will. In anyone who can put two coherent thoughts together, he is the good guy.
Then again, hardcore religious people are not exactly known for wanting to think things through, are they?
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u/Elenamartinez46 Slytherin 2d ago
Join the club mines the same way lol
Even thinks that way about pokemon which is why i bought the books and movies digitally
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u/Manorias Hufflepuff 2d ago
I lended my first girlfriend the DVDs and when her mother found out they were in her house, it was either giving them back or they would be destroyed.
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u/nalgona-aly 2d ago
I grew up in a very southern state in the US (Google bible belt) when the books were coming out and there were parents protesting the books being allowed in school libraries and all the churches were losing their shit about "magic, demons, devil's, witches, satan, ect". It's a real take on the books from like 20 years ago.
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u/Gwenerfresh 2d ago
I got sat down by our youth group counselor, church pastor, deacons, and my parents when I was 9 because I brought my Harry Potter book with me to youth group. It was a whole ordeal.
My dad’s dad was a southern Baptist preacher and he was the one who bought me the book. My parents laughed it off, but my “indiscretion and soul” was the topic at the following Sunday sermon.
I was the topic of conversation for YEARS, but luckily never had to go back there after my dad died when I was 12. They hosted a HP book burning back in 2000(?), like so many other churches in the South.
Books are so scary.
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u/TrippyWentLucio 2d ago
It's just ignorance. I grew up around this, too. The opening line to the trailer that played literally everywhere at all times was something along the lines of "welcome to the school of witchcraft and wizardry". And let me tell ya, they absolutely ran with that single sentence. It was the nail in the coffin for overly conservative, fire and brimstone Christians.
The word "witchcraft" is a heavy buzzword for Christians.
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u/Cojohas57 2d ago
I hear that a lot. People that think that way are usually ultra narrow minded fools. The books I read all have good and bad characters in them. They come in all shapes, sizes and characterizations. Here is a Bible verse for your ultra judgmental mother. Judge not let ye be judged.
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u/RottenRotties Gryffindor 2d ago
When people start with that I compare it to the lion the witch and the wardrobe by cs Lewis.
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u/SweetHomeChicago85 2d ago
You can’t reason with religious folk. I mean they believe in the almighty sky lord cloud man
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u/Comprehensive_Cut715 2d ago
I wasn't allowed to grow up with Harry Potter because of this reason. Imagine my surprise. Watching it back as an adult, and seeing that it's just some silly wizard story that was more about escapism and fun.
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u/Best-Outside8758 2d ago
i grew up being told the same! we went to a christian school so it was a big deal if we ever even mentioned harry potter. they’d say the only acceptable movie was narnia. lol
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u/Signal_Syllabub7754 Slytherin 2d ago
That was my mom when she found out I was secretly reading the books in middle school/high school. She flipped out and grounded me.
I helped her see what the books and movies were really about. I convinced her to just watch the first movie and it was like a light bulb went off.
When the 7th book came out, she took me to the store to wait in line to purchase it. Now, she partakes in the Harry Potterathons we have with my kids. When I read the books to my eldest, she's like, "Wow! I didn't realize how much the movies took out!"
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u/R0amingGn0me 2d ago
Are you me?
I grew up in a super Christian-y family. In 6th grade, I had to sit in the hall while my class read the Hobbit but my mom didn't approve of "magic".
Then in 8th grade, I wanted to read Harry Potter but I wasn't allowed to because "Witchcraft" allowed Satan in......
Anyways, now I'm the furthest thing from religious and happily enjoy my Harry Potter marathon every year at Christmas.
I haven't had a relationship with my mom for over 15 years.....I'm sure she's still a fucking weirdo.
Edit cause I saw the 2nd part about music: We could only listen to Christian music.....the best "rock" we got was creed. I have PTSD from the amount of creed shoved down my throat ☠️
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u/DharmaLeader Pottermore put me here :/ 2d ago
I had a pamphlet given to me when I was going to Sunday school (in Greece) about how Harry Potter is all things Satan. I remember my religious aunt not taking us to see another movie after the first. My parents, although religious, still bought me all the books on release!
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u/Live_Angle4621 2d ago
Did you tell there are Bible quotes in the books in Dumledore’s and Potter’s graves?
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u/TheFaeBelieveInIdony 2d ago
I had a friend growing up whose church has banned everyone from reading harry potter. She begged her dad to let her read it, so he read it on the sly first to see if it was safe, and then their whole family became secret harry potter fans and kept it a secret from their church.
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u/BlaqueBarbie 2d ago
Oh this was so real - I’m a millennial and we weren’t allowed to ready HP books growing up, my brother snuck the books into the house and read them - my mom successfully had me afraid of her and I never read the books and I was 35 when I saw the movies for the first time, I’m 36 lol
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u/jarfin542 2d ago
My sister became a weirdo hand waving in church Baptist in her 30s. My 10 year old nephew told me, "we don't read Harry Potter, because Harry Potter is magic and magic is the devil". Those people are whacky.
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u/mulrich1 2d ago
I’m a pretty devout Christian and love Harry Potter. Obviously it isn’t an overt Christian series but it has a lot of good values that are aligned with Christianity.
I may share your mom’s opinion on some types of heavy rock music but still listen to a lot of other types of rock.
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u/SonnyvonShark 2d ago
So she grew up in the 80's Satan panic?