Olabode Ososami over at the Christian Post has released his opinion on the recent Harry Potter movie,  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2; he’s clearly not a supporter of J.K Rowling’s work.  Ososami’s belief that the Harry Potter series is a destructive cultural force follows directly from Deuterenomy 18 which states: (emphasis added)

[10]  Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, [11]  or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. [12]  Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. [13]  You must be blameless before the LORD your God. (NIV)

The debate has been raging on the merits of Harry Potter for years – with many Chrisitian leaders dropping support for the series.  For example, Michael D. O’Brien delivered a more in-depth and scathing critique of the series back in 2007 and Lev Grossman stated one of the core problems in an article for Time magazine, ”If you want to know who dies in Harry Potter, the answer is easy: God.”

In fairness, the Harry Potter series presents witchcraft in a neutral light; it’s a tool that can be used for both evil and good.  J.K. Rowling herself claims to be a Christian (albeit a conflicted one, as shown on her Wikipedia page) and probably chose to use magic and wizardry as a backdrop for her story due to all the fun things one can do with it in a story. Supporters often note that Harry Potter is a work of fiction and suggest Christians should relax and enjoy a good story.

However, God’s position on witchcraft seemingly can’t be more clear – turn away.  As Mr Ososami warns, we would be advised not to find entertainment in something God clearly hates.