Throughout the Bible, witchcraft and dabbling in the dark arts is seen as one of the ultimate taboos.
But what does this mean?
GK Chesterton said, "Fairy tales are more than true, not because they tell us dragons exist, but that they can be BEATEN."
I grew up reading fantasy novels. My dad, a seminary graduate, read Harry Potter to me when I was little, as well as the Chronicles of Narnia. I grew up reading books about magic and wizards and brave knights and heroes.
Then came RPGing. I grew up when parents were scared that Dungeons and Dragons was leading their children into the occult and satanic practices.
Then the Harry Potter controversy.
Then, oh yes, World of Warcraft. The game that has attracted MILLIONS of players all over the world. Warcraft's world is full of monsters, demons, magic, healing, and fighting demonic powers.
I had been raised on fantasy novels and manga. It was no surprise I got into online gaming as well. I started playing Guild Wars, played the demo of World of Warcraft, engaged in ALL of Artix Entertainment's free games. Heck, when I was little, I played the card game Yugioh ENDLESSLY.
Is this wrong? Is this 'dabbling in the occult'?
I've read Harry Potter, Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Artemis Fowl, The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon), Broken Sky, some of the Warcraft novels, R.A. Salvatore's Forgotten Realms, and countless more.
I grew up reading-and continue to read-manga like Shaman King, Naruto, Bleach, Death Note, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, D. Gray Man, Fullmetal Alchemist, and more.
I grew up watching- and continue to watch- Magic Knight Rayearth, Fullmetal Alchemist, the movies of Hayao Miyazaki, and TONS more.
I'm an avid comic book fan. One of my all time favorite superheroes is Hellboy, a demon who refuses to follow his demon heritage and instead spends his time trying to save the world!!
So, I've read tons of fantasy.
I've played RPGS involving magic and supernatural powers.
I've watched anime involving magic and elemental abilities.
So again: Am I sinning?
What are the pros of fantasy?:
1) Fantasy openly acknowledges a struggle between good and evil, often involving supernatural abilities under many names. Jutsu. Kido. Magic. Elemental powers.
2) Fantasy's heroes are often children of no special background rising to become heroes. This mirrors the Christian's call to Christ.
3) Other times, fantasy heroes are children who are long lost children of Kings. These children are often raised in a poor setting with a small family. This mirrors Christ being born as the child of a carpenter.
4) The abilites the heroes use are often a gift from a higher power. This mirrors the Apostles being given great power by the Holy Spirit to do miraculous things.
5) The hero is often called to sacrifice himself in order to save the world.
I could go on and on about lessons fantasy can teach us. But let's look at...
The Cons of Fantasy:
1) The use of magic. While this is solely a story telling element, it can be dangerous. It's hard to say.
2) The decision to ignore the conflicts of the Spiritual War and say life is boring. Thus, we read fantasy. By saying that this life is dull, we are leaving ourselves unaware and unprotected.
3) Possible desensitization to the powers of darkness.
4) The occasional protagonist who believes he must have more power constantly. This is seen in manga fairly often.
5) If Christians that read fantasy are scorned for reading fantasy by other believers, this can potentially push people away from Christianity.
So, I leave the decision to you. That's what this blog is about.
God bless.
