Several Questions on fantasy and witchcraft

[Laid_black_rose]

I'm not sure if this question was asked before, but i got to thinking and i decided to bring up the topic of witchcraft and a few video games and such. First off, when the bible says not to practice witchcraft, does that mean like not watching shows like Harry Potter? what is your opinions on watching Harry Potter? My second question is about a video game that i really like, i grew up on it. Final Fantasy. In this game you go around as a specific character, has a storyline and you fight. You can fight with swords or magic, magic like fire, ice, thunder, water, aero, ext. Like in Kingdom hearts. You can also use these things called Summons that do special attacks. I never really had a huge problem with it. The only part i dont like is that one of the summons is Ifrit and labeled the Hell Hound, but thats about it. Most of the summons are named after Greek gods. I'd like your opinions on these.

~LBR~ heart  

[The Amazing Ryuu]

I think that we've had a question like this before, and the whole thread basically boiled down to making sure that you don't blur the line between reality and fantasy. Harry Potter is a set of harmless kids books, actually with a decent set of morals (however farfetched the lesson is that teaches them). And video games are just that. If we stayed away from EVERYTHING that taught about a different mythos (I mean, that's how all the miracles that Jesus performed and the creation story itself is held to anyone not Christian) we'd be missing out on a lot of thing. It's fine to like these things as long as you see them as fun, not instruction.  

[Laid_black_rose]

But it says not to "practice witchcraft" The direct definition of practice is to study, to do, and to watch. Is this not right?  

[Fushigi na Butterfly]

I looked up the definition of "to practice" and all of the definitions that came up (there were 12) hold the implication that whatever you're doing to practice, either habitually performing a task or observing it being performed, is with the intent of performing that same task yourself. Are you playing Final Fantasy to learn how to cast Thundaga on your enemies and summon Shiva (Shiva being the Hindu goddess of creation and destruction), or are you playing it because you enjoy the storyline and characters and the opportunity to escape into fantasy for a little while? Are you watching/reading Harry Potter because you want to know how to cast charms on all your friends, or because you enjoy the plot, and the places that the plot takes you? There is a difference between observing magic/witchcraft for the enjoyment of fantasy (fantasy meaning not real) and observing it with the intention of performing it yourself. If you are playing Final Fantasy and watching/reading Harry Potter and thinking to yourself that you could perform these spells/attacks/charms/curses/summons and would like to practice them, you should probably stop playing Final Fantasy and reading/watching Harry Potter. If you're like me, think Squall is emo though hilarious and Carbuncle is adorable, and would like to see how the second half of the Harry Potter series goes over, then by all means, enjoy them. 3nodding Just know that these things are fantasy- they have never happened, can never happen, and will never happen.  

[Ixor Firebadger]

Yeah. Agreeing with all of the above.

I hardly think that any of that stuff could really be considered 'witchcraft', anyway, and believe me, I know a thing or two about it...  

[Gerbil_of_the_Vashness]

christians need to be careful about what they choose to influence them, but personally, i think books, movies, video games, etc. are just harmless entertainment bent on the purpose of filling up spare time, and nothing more.  

[Okay Bad Example]

C.S. Lewis, as you may know, is probably the foremost Christian apologist of the last century, as well as author of the fantasy classic, The Chronicles of Narnia. Of course, he was an atheist before his friend and fellow Oxford Don J.R.R. Tolkien led him to Christ. Both men were intimately familiar with John Bunyan's allegory The Pilgrim's Progress and John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost, both works of scripture-based fantasy. Created in His Image, we can create worlds with our minds. God gave us imaginations for a reason, it would be a sin not to use them. It's just better to use our gifts in ways that please the Giver. If a unicorn can lead someone to Jesus, that's one magical creature I can do business with.

******************

Faith is more powerful than magic. Every trip of the train.  

[Galad Aglaron]

I'm going to tell you what I've said before.

Galad Damodred

First of all: witchcraft isn't magical. Witchcraft is basically a mixture of practical knowledge, herbal medicine and a knack for psychology. A witch may or may not use magic; magic is a form of ritualistic prayer, although methods vary. Many witches also practice Wicca, or some other nature-centered Neopagan spirituality, although this is not a prerequisite for witchcraft.

A witch is a person who knows things. Whether it's midwifery, which herb cures colic or how to revive a near-dead lamb, it's witchcraft. Knowing things can be magical, if other people don't know them. And at its core, witchcraft is about helping other people. It's about sitting up all night with someone who's dying, comforting their terror, taking away such pain as you can and seeing them safely on their way, then staying up all the next night, making them neat and laying them out for the funeral, and helping the weeping widow strip and clean the sheets - which, let me tell you, is no errand for the faint-hearted! - before going home and sitting down for five minutes before some worried, angry, shouting you man comes banging on your door because his wife's having trouble delivering their first child. It's seeing all that, dealing with all that, and still going on. Dealing with people, the stupid ones and feckless ones, the mothers with more children than sense, the men who beat their wives, the snotty, grubby little children, and helping them as much as you can. And Silver Ravenwolf and Isabel Bird will tell you it's about stars and candles and runes and wands and invoking spirits and toys, nothing but toys! Oh, I daresay they're nice, something for show, something to look at while you're working, but the heart and root and soul and center of witchcraft is about helping people when life is on edge. Even people you don't like. That is what witchcraft is. The soul and center!

 

[RekaG]

Sometimes at the right time, even though some people say this and that is evil. God can use anything to call and/or inspire a person love him, have faith in him, trust him and do his work.

Once when I was watching one of my favorite shows, the main character said something. That made me think, and it inspired me to get more into god.
The show was Yu-Gi-OH, I don't care what people say about it. All I care about is the message of Love and friendship that is has.  

[Edith Puthie]

Hmm, these are all good points.
God's fun in that way, anything can remind you of him, or make you think about God. (I was watching the Colbert Report and he was doing a Segment on Yahweh or Noweh. I know it was supposed to be funny, but it really reminded me to read my bible more.)  

[Priestley]

Paranormal Zombiiie

Hmm, these are all good points.
God's fun in that way, anything can remind you of him, or make you think about God. (I was watching the Colbert Report and he was doing a Segment on Yahweh or Noweh. I know it was supposed to be funny, but it really reminded me to read my bible more.)

I've totally made that joke before. eek Sacrilegious jokes are sometimes the best. razz

I think, if one's faith in and love for God is strong, He should be the motivator for every action one performs and word one speaks. I suppose that's the essence of mindfulness.  

[Edith Puthie]

Priestley

Paranormal Zombiiie

Hmm, these are all good points.
God's fun in that way, anything can remind you of him, or make you think about God. (I was watching the Colbert Report and he was doing a Segment on Yahweh or Noweh. I know it was supposed to be funny, but it really reminded me to read my bible more.)

I've totally made that joke before. eek Sacrilegious jokes are sometimes the best. razz

I think, if one's faith in and love for God is strong, He should be the motivator for every action one performs and word one speaks. I suppose that's the essence of mindfulness.

I hope I get to that point in my walk with God!  

[Galad Aglaron]

Paranormal Zombiiie

Hmm, these are all good points.
God's fun in that way, anything can remind you of him, or make you think about God. (I was watching the Colbert Report and he was doing a Segment on Yahweh or Noweh. I know it was supposed to be funny, but it really reminded me to read my bible more.)

You know, there's an entire Commandment about God's Name...  

[Priestley]

Galad Damodred

Paranormal Zombiiie

Hmm, these are all good points.
God's fun in that way, anything can remind you of him, or make you think about God. (I was watching the Colbert Report and he was doing a Segment on Yahweh or Noweh. I know it was supposed to be funny, but it really reminded me to read my bible more.)

You know, there's an entire Commandment about God's Name...

God also has a sense of humour.