Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings - CHRISTIAN OR CULTIC?

[Hobie_]

On 12/30/2021 at 2:34 PM, Bawb said:

CHRISTIAN OR CULTIC?

This post will undoubtedly receive a great deal of flack because of a contrary position concerning Harry Potter from those claiming to be "Christian". Though not for the same reasons that Christians may think, the comparison and equivocation of Potter and Rings is made by the lost around us on a daily basis. The fact is that the world sees no difference in the genre of the two stories. If the world so readily sees the occult parallel why then is it so hard for Believers to figure it out?

The reason for this to be two-fold.

First is the growing disregard for the authority of Scripture within the Church. One doesn’t have to go too far to find heretics within our midst who have lost their anchor and are floating in the perilous sea of liberalism. They will certainly see no problems in the Rings story because they also find no fault in the world of the occult – yet still claim to be Christians.

Secondly, there has been a sort of occultic desensitization that has transpired in the culture over the past 50-75 years. This phenomenon has drawn millions of people to embrace “white” magic as an acceptable solution for dealing with the trials of life. With society now captivated by the philosophy of sorcery, spells and incantations, and with no moral absolute to hold to, it is no wonder that so called “white” witchcraft has become an acceptable vehicle for the heroes of a supposedly “Christian” fantasy story.

I would ask anyone who disagrees with this to please site biblical references that allow for the use of “white” magic done in the name of “good.” I have yet to make that connection. What I question here is how biblical thinkers could rectify occult themes and practices by Tolkien’s heroes? Though people may want to cheer on Frodo and Gandalf as they trek through Middle Earth, the story can be likened to a sumptuous meal with a place setting of snakes and a garnish of arsenic. As long as one doesn’t care what’s alongside or what the final outcome may be, then as long as we just say the story is teaching spiritual truths, then everything will be OK.

It can be surmised that The Lord of the Rings became so widely accepted in the Christian community merely because Tolkien claimed Christianity (Catholicism) as his religion and because some persist in seeing the story as a veiled Christian allegory. While Tolkien’s heroes may live by noble standards when compared to Harry Potter and his gang, allegories – even biblically correct ones - are of little consequence in a culture such as ours. Also, if the allegory approach really worked evangelistically, then doesn’t it stand to reason that the masses would now be clamoring after Christ due to the success of the Rings movies? (Regardless of Mel Gibson’s personal religious beliefs, contrast that with the thousands that have come to Christ because of the boldness of “The Passion of the Christ”!)

If anyone doubts just how veiled any Christian references are in the Rings storyline, then let it be noted that a 144 page book has been written called Finding God in the Lord of the Rings to help readers make their way through the complexities of Tolkien’s story to allegedly find God in there. That being the case, could it be that more liberal views which blindly accept the occult and its practitioners in a more favorable light may be embraced by some who have merely been told that Rings was a “Christian” novel yet have never compared it to Biblical truth as it relates to the occult?  It should be pointed out that many of the themes contained in the Rings story are found wanting when examined for biblical soundness. The point is that if Christians wink their eyes at occult activity in a supposed “Christian” story because it is somehow justified as a tool to show us goodness or to triumph over evil, then is it a stretch to believe that we may possibly find merit in the occult in some other venue, even in real life?

It is also important to note that it is more than just counterproductive to give Tolkien books or Lord of the Rings DVDs as evangelistic tools to witches, pagans or New Agers around us. If we do so, telling them that Tolkien was a Christian and that the story is a Christian allegory, they will surely contract the idea that the Christian worldview is actually much more closely related to their own than they ever previously dreamed!

Regardless of how creatively written the storyline may be it is indeed on shaky footing when examined biblically. This should be evident to those willing to use the Bible as the only guide to navigate the complex world which Lord of the Rings presents us with. However, it would seem that popularity by other Christians or the culture itself hold sway in the minds of many millions and that biblical examination is either too much trouble, too confusing, too time consuming or just plain too convicting. To believe that Tolkien’s work somehow lines up with scripture is akin to believing that God allows for occult practices by His church as long as we do it for the Kingdom of God!

It should trouble biblical thinkers that J.R.R. Tolkien (and his protégé, C.S. Lewis, see info below) utilized pagan imagery and characterizations that are considerably outside the pale of biblical Christianity. More troubling is the fact already stated that Rings has become so overwhelmingly accepted by Christians as a Christian story which supposedly gives an accurate portrayal of God’s values and truth, though it wholly abandons God’s absolute forbiddance of pagan practices regardless of how noble the use may be. I hope that the reader here will become troubled enough to recognize that if there ever was a day when the church could plead ignorance concerning these overtly occult themes, that day is long past.

Are we to blindly accept all of their works as sound, purely because in times past some individuals have found possible biblical parallel within their characterizations or storylines? Correct biblical thinking would say: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3:17) So we must ask: Is using sorcery, reincarnation, and “white” witchcraft – even to make a case that supposedly advances the Kingdom of God – acceptable in the Lord’s sight?

Could it be that at least part of the reason that Rings has become a so-called “Christian classic” is that someone told us that it was? It is this sort of unverified acceptance that has plunged the mainline denominations into the complete state of theological disrepair that they are in today. You see, the people in the pews took someone’s word for what was biblical and approved by God and many of those “someones” turned out to be wolves in sheep’s clothing who knew not the Word of God and cared for its truths even less!

The concept that we ought to test everything for ourselves by the Bible has been called "narrow" and "judgmental." What is going on here? Are any such literary works exempt from the “Berean-esque” scrutiny of Scripture? Regardless of how widely accepted these books may be or who may be endorsing them, the question still remains: Are works such as The Lord of the Rings doctrinally sound and do they reflect a biblical worldview?

For several decades, it seems that many Christians accepted or ignored the absolute evil of “white vs. black” magic themes in literature. The awe of the storytelling and imagery used in Rings probably suppressed much thought of the occult activities in which both the heroes and villains participated. Perhaps this was just biblical ignorance. Maybe it was just an uncomfortable sidebar such as overlooking the bad habits of a friend or relative because he or she is just so loveable and enjoyable.

In seasons past (i.e., the1940s) it could be that in the minds of some, the occult activity which permeates the heroic lives of Tolkien’s Frodo and Gandalf wasn’t worthy of much discussion. At that time in history, there was no occult invasion underway and certainly no fascination by the masses with such ideas. After all, they were indeed the “good” wizards and their magic was used to overcome alleged “evil.” Let’s make no mistake that this is the same line of thinking used by modern pagans to justify their supposedly “good” occultism. Why we accepted these stories as “Christian” or how they became standard works for Christian consumption, is not the point. What is evident is that a wake up call is in order.

Tolkien (and Lewis) created their stories in a day when the occult was not the norm, when there was NOT a mass proliferation of occult philosophy and practice and when the majority of the church had little or no understanding of such things. This does not justify the “white vs. black” magic scenarios in their works, but could serve to explain it. In my mind, this is another very important reason that Rings and other works of its kind are off limits in our day.

Then came the 1960’s and the great outpouring of evil activity that led us to the drug culture, the sexual revolution, and the blurring of truth in general. Evolution, abortion and nihilism replaced God, life and hope. Along with this cultural shift came an insatiable demonically induced hunger to experience the paranormal.

By the 1980’s an estimated 100 million people in the United States alone had adopted the philosophies or even the complete lifestyle of the New Age Movement (according to a 1987 Gallup Poll). Now, decades after the heyday of Lewis and Tolkien, our culture is reaping increasingly horrific rewards for the abandonment of truth and righteousness – including an occult explosion unparalleled in history. Still, how could these men – revered by so many Christians in this century and the last – have missed it so badly?

THE MIXING OF EVIL AND GOOD

Can it be suggested that since Lewis was affected so greatly by Tolkien that the answer could lie in Tolkien’s Catholicism. Following standard Catholic operating procedure, it is obvious from his works that Tolkien saw nothing wrong with integrating not just secular but downright unbiblical ideas and imagery into his writing.

It is a fact that when embarking upon fresh mission fields, Catholic missionaries have for centuries made a habit of integrating the religion of a region into the tradition and practice of the Church in any given area. The resulting cultural and spiritual synthesis has allowed many unbiblical beliefs to operate alongside the teachings of the church.  (A glaring example of this is the current mix of Catholicism and Caribbean Santeria and voodoo that has now immigrated to Catholic communities within the United States in places such as Miami and New York City. A quick search on the Internet turns up thousands of page hits showing the complete marriage of these occult religions and Catholicism).

The idea was and is, “come and join the church, participate in the mass, follow our teaching and keep your pagan idolatry and customs too.” This may explain why Tolkien and to some lesser extent his protégé Lewis often steered their fantasy stories into the world of sorcery, spells and incantations. Though apparently not occultists themselves, Tolkien in particular seemed to see very little wrong with the occult. This is obvious from the near compulsory use of sorcery they displayed in their fantasies. To them it was a vehicle just as it is for millions of New Agers and pagans today.

Though both men incorporated many attributes of absolute morality into the integrity of their hero characters (i.e., Frodo and Aslan), the vehicle of “white vs. black” sorcery on which they often perched their heroes is sorely lacking any Biblical basis.

The use of elves, unicorns, witches, magicians – even to attempt to allegorize the story of Christ - are off limits – especially in our day. With the proliferation of the occult and the complete public acceptance of “white and black” magic these themes will prove detrimental to the cause of evangelism and certainly present a double standard.

Plus, HOW CAN GOD BLESS US, OUR HOMES AND OUR CHURCHES IF WE PERSIST IN BEING ENTERTAINED BY IMAGES, STORIES, MOVIES OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT REPRESENT THE PAGAN WORLD IN A POSITIVE LIGHT?

The answer is that He CAN’T!

Perhaps there is no better reason than this to reevaluate acceptance of The Lord of the Rings.

Powerful sermon you have there...