Wiccan Ignorance

Relating Harry Potter and the Wicca religion to evil is a show of ignorance.

When is the last time in recent history that any of us has seen kids, regardless of age, discontinue playing video games or surfing the web to read a book? Not since JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series has any interest in reading a single series been seen on such a national and global scale. Even the Lord of the Rings Trilogy couldn’t influence today’s young generation to pick up JRR Tolkien's literary masterpieces with the same magnitude as JK Rowling’s work; no matter how good it was. And to put icing on the cake, Harry Potter isn’t limited to young people. Adults have embraced the series perhaps even more so than their children! Therefore, Harry Potter has become something an entire family could enjoy together.

You would think parents whose children are choosing reading over video games and other mind numbing activities would be thanking JK Rowling for introducing them to such a fun and enriching pass-time like reading. That would be, after all, common sense! But unfortunately this does not seem to be the case. There are some parents out there who are actively trying to ban the Harry Potter series from public libraries, schools, and forums. And you would never guess what the reason is! It is not because the books are poorly written and teaching bad language. It is not because the books are tainted with bad morals and values. The reason these adults are so intent on banning these books is because of their ignorance toward a religion they know absolutely nothing about – Wicca. They are trying to convince others that Harry Potter is brainwashing young people into worshipping the devil and practicing witchcraft. For some reason, they sincerely believe that Harry Potter and all aspects of what I like to call the Potter Universe is pure evil. These people couldn’t be more mistaken, uninformed, and to be frank-stupid.

Wicca is a religion or choice of spiritual thinking that has been around long before any of today’s more widely accepted beliefs. Instead of researching this old religion, those against it are brainwashed themselves by relying on old stereotypes and what they see on TV. If any of these people actually picked up a book or did some research on the net they would learn that many of the practices and ceremonies present in todays accepted forms of religion have roots in Wicca or pagan rituals. They would also learn that the most fundamental rule in the Wicca religion is to not harm anyone or perform blessings (also known as spells) on people without their consent or to influence that person for personal gain. This rule is also called the Wiccan Creed and goes something like this: AND IT HARM NONE NOT, THEN DO WHAT THY WILL! I don’t know about you but this sounds like the basic message trying to be brought about in such text as the 10 Commandments which is to not harm our fellow man (and woman) in any way.

As a matter of fact the only real difference between Wicca and other religions is the idea that it is ok to believe in multiple spiritual entities. For example, instead of believing in one god, many Wiccas including myself believe in both god and the goddess (aka Mother Nature). What is wrong with that? Is that evil? Do you really think God would send us all to hell because we believe in Mother Nature equal to himself? I would like to think not and am comfortable with this belief. The underlying problem with those who think Wiccas are evil is because they are not comfortable with believing in multiple spiritual entities. You know what? That is their problem!

So instead of trying to learn about something they do not understand, these people are attacking that which has brought nothing but a fun time. The Harry Potter series is a great way to escape the pressures and other depressing factors of society for both children and adults even if it is only for the short time it takes to read the books (depending on how fast a reader you are this could be a few hours or a few weeks). The tale is an old fashion work depicting the hero, the hero’s friends and family, the good times and bad times the hero experiences, and of course the evil villain. All JK Rowling has done is thrown in a few more twists, turns, and mysteries wrapped up in an alternate universe all of us at some point wise we could be in. Come on! Be honest! How many of you haven’t thought about flying to work on a broom, magically transforming old dingy clothes into brand new ones, or coming face to face with a unicorn, hypogryph or dragon?! But rather than see the good Harry Potter has brought to today’s society, the people doing all the complaining only see that which they can only see in others who are different from themselves – evil. Until they can get past the fact that not everyone believes like them, they will continue to be ignorant.