Connie Neal's popular title is "The MySpace Mom". She is a pop culture analyst, author, and speaker who has devoted two books and part of a third to analyzing the craze over the "Harry Potter" books (by J.K. Rowling) among young people today. Her books have become very popular among parents who are not sure how to respond to this controversial issue. However, while the solution prescribed in her books is easy and appears wise, it may very well not be Scriptural.
One thing I would like to make clear right now is that I am not writing this post to protest the Harry Potter books. I personally feel that the books directly contradict the Bible, but in this article I wish to focus primarily on Connie Neal's response to the Harry Potter books and her ideas about how parents should deal with them. This post will be longer than my articles usually are, as I want to take the time to thoroughly analyze Neal's interpretation of Scripture, step by step.
In the first chapter of her book "What's A Christian To Do With Harry Potter?", Neal discusses the conflicting responses of two people, a college English professor and a former Wiccan (both now Christians), when asked to compare the Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter. Here is a quote that reveals the heart of Neal's ideology on popular culture:
Both [the English professor and the former Wiccan] referred to and compared the Harry Potter books to the Chronicles of Narnia ... however, their interpretations of Narnia and [Harry Potter] are contrary. These two Christian scholars came to entirely different conclusions about Harry Potter. What’s more, both wrote convincing arguments to support their cases for and against Harry Potter. Furthermore, I believe both of their conclusions are right -- for them!
Neal goes on to say:
It’s one thing to see how two people can look at the same work of literature and see two different things. But how can two Christians can use the same Bible and come to opposing positions about what is right, but still both be right with God? There is a biblical explanation for this, covered under the heading of disputable matters (found in Romans 14, 1 Corinthians chapters 8-10 which will be covered in more detail later). In such cases, where cultural, personal, and spiritual issues overlap, individual Christians have to finally agree to disagree. Sincere Bible-believing Christians, who seek the Lord with all their hearts, can be led by the same Holy Spirit to opposing conclusions. This is not relativism or situational ethics, not compromising our commitment to godly conduct under mere social or political pressure. This is a personal decision about the appropriateness of disputable conduct when there can be legitimate differences of opinion between Christians. Yes, the Bible does allow for cases. Frankly, this doctrine is in direct opposition to the Bible. God cannot contradict himself. The Holy Spirit is the same yesterday, today, and forever - he cannot lead one person to decide one thing about an issue and someone else to decide something completely different. As Christians, the more we follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit, the more we tend toward unity, not disunity. Neal's idea simply will not hold water.
Neal goes on to discuss Romans 14 and 15 in greater detail, going through them verse by verse. In order to make things completely clear, I will list the entire text of Neal's discussion here, along with my responses (quotes from Neal will be in plain text, my insertions will be in italics. I have also included the Biblical text from the Amplified Bible.) Neal prefaces by saying, "I have sometimes paraphrased the verse as applied to the Harry Potter issue. For sake of personal reference, I’ve listed the specific verse the point was drawn from at the start of each point. Those taken from Romans 14 only list the verse number; those taken from Romans 15 give chapter and verse:
· V:1 It is simply stated that some Christian’s faith allows them more freedom than others who have a conscientious objection on disputable matters. Paul describes those with stricter limitations as having “weaker faith” but he does not use this term in a derogatory way.
Romans 14:1 (AMP): "As for the man who is a weak believer, welcome him [into your fellowship], but not to criticize his opinions or pass judgment on his scruples or perplex him with discussions." This verse is not saying, as Neal claims, that some Christians are more free than others in their faith. God's Word puts the same restrictions on everyone. This verse also makes no connection between people with "weaker faith" and people with "stricter limitations". "Limitations" are mentioned nowhere in the verse! As far as whether or not Paul's language was "derogatory", the word "weak" in and of itself is certainly not a compliment, or at least it should not appear so.
· V:3 The one with greater freedom (in this case, the one who feels comfortable reading Harry Potter) must not look down on those whose conscience restricts them.
Neal has skipped on to Verse 3 without considering Verse 2. Together, the next two verses of the chapter say this: (Verse 1) One [man's faith permits him to] believe he may eat anything, while a weaker one [limits his] eating to vegetables. (Verse 2) Let not him who eats look down on or despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains criticize and pass judgment on him who eats; for God has accepted and welcomed him. Though these verses can be applied to more things than just food, it is clear that this passage is addressing superficial conflicts akin to what kinds of food we should eat, not more fundamental things such as what we should allow our children to read.
· V:3 The one who does not (in our case, read Harry Potter) must not condemn the Christians who do.
But as I have already pointed out, the verse does not apply to "our case". The question of what our children should fill their minds with is a very pivotal one, a far greater question than whether one should eat meat or not. Philippians 4:8 is a better verse to use in "our case": For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
· V:1, 4 & 13 We are not to judge another Christian (implies judging them as deficient in Christ). We will all stand before the Lord to be judged and be held accountable before God for our conduct. Paul asks us a rhetorical question here and answers it, “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”[6]
Verse 4: Who are you to pass judgment on and censure another's household servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he shall stand and be upheld, for the Master (the Lord) is mighty to support him and make him stand. Verse 13: Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother. Judging a person and admonishing a Christian who has fallen into error are two very different things. In judging someone, we imply that we feel we know what they do and do not "deserve" according to what wrong they have done. However, the Bible tells us to correct, rebuke, and in some cases even shun Christians who "persist in sin" (see 1 Timothy 5:20). If the claims made about the Harry Potter books are true, then reading them would be a sin according to the Bible. In that case, we would have every right to confront people who allow those books into their homes.
· v:5 Each person should be fully convinced in his own mind.
Romans 14:5 (AMP): One man esteems one day as better than another, while another man esteems all days alike [sacred]. Let everyone be fully convinced (satisfied) in his own mind. Once again, this verse is not talking about fundamental conflicts, but peripheral concepts such as what day of the week we should consecrate. It doesn't make any difference whatsoever if you're fully convinced in your own mind about Harry Potter if it's sinful to read Harry Potter.
· V:13 Stop passing judgment on one another. (Notice that this is not directed to one side or the other as some of the directives in this passage. He’s saying, Both sides, STOP IT!) Instead, make up your mind not to stumble a fellow Christian (by leading or provoking him to do something contrary to that which his conscience allows).
Romans 14:13: Then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or a hindrance in the way of a brother. All right, let's say Mrs. Neal's interpretation of this passage is correct, and it applies to the question of Harry Potter. Then according to this verse, could not a Christian's reading Harry Potter become a "stumbling block" to another person, possibly causing them to think Christians approve of witchcraft?
· V:14 The same behavior can be right for one Christian and wrong for another.
Romans 14:14: I know and am convinced (persuaded) as one in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is [forbidden as] essentially unclean (defiled and unholy in itself). But [none the less] it is unclean (defiled and unholy) to anyone who thinks it is unclean. Neal has completely misinterpreted this verse. This passage is not talking about "behavior" but about personal convictions involving "clean" and "unclean" foods. If one uses Neal's interpretation, then wouldn't that mean that "behaviors" such as adultery, homosexuality, abortion, gossip, etc. are permissible for some Christians? If we can't carry the interpretation this far, then it must not be valid at all.
V: 15-16 Those who have freedom in disputable matters should be sensitive not to distress those who are conscientious objectors.
Romans 14:15-16: But if your brother is being pained or his feelings hurt or if he is being injured by what you eat, [then] you are no longer walking in love. [You have ceased to be living and conducting yourself by the standard of love toward him.] Do not let what you eat hurt or cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died! Do not therefore let what seems good to you be considered an evil thing [by someone else]. [In other words, do not give occasion for others to criticize that which is justifiable for you.] What does Neal mean by "freedom"? Freedom is mentioned nowhere in these verses. Neither is the concept of a "conscientious objector" expressed. Again, this passage is talking about peripheral controversies, not central issues of right and wrong.
· V:17 The kingdom of God is not a matter of what we conclude -- either way -- on disputable matters. It is about righteousness (each of us being right with God, in Christ’s righteousness and in keeping our consciences clean as led by the Holy Spirit); it is about peace (with God and others in the body of Christ), and joy in the Holy Spirit. The context of this verse makes it clear that they were dealing with disputable matters that some Christians considered right and others considered it wrong. Therefore, the joy of the Holy Spirit is the joy of a clean conscience and also the joy of Christian fellowship -- which was lost when Christians were caught up in judging and condemning each other openly.
V:19 Let us make every effort to do what leads to peace and the spiritual building up of
individual Christians and of the church.
Romans 14:19: So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes
for harmony and for mutual upbuilding (edification and development) of one
another. By all means! We should do everything necessary, including putting aside petty
squabbles over secondary matters, in order to achieve unity in the body of Christ. However,
this verse in no way means that we should compromise our fundamental beliefs about right
and wrong according to God's Word in order to achieve unity. If we do, we will have unity,
but it will no longer be in the body of Christ.
· V:20-22 Keep your opinions on disputable matters between yourself and God. If you have freedom, don’t flaunt it before those you know are troubled by what you do.
Romans 14:20-22: You must not, for the sake of food, undo and break down and destroy the work of God! Everything is indeed [ceremonially] clean and pure, but it is wrong for anyone to hurt the conscience of others or to make them fall by what he eats. The right thing is to eat no meat or drink no wine [at all], or [do anything else] if it makes your brother stumble or hurts his conscience or offends or weakens him. Your personal convictions [on such matters]--exercise [them] as in God's presence, keeping them to yourself [striving only to know the truth and obey His will]. Blessed (happy, [a]to be envied) is he who has no reason to judge himself for what he approves [who does not convict himself by what he chooses to do].
All Christians have the same "freedom"! There is only one Bible. It applies to everyone. We are all under the same rules. And "freedom" is not discussed in this passage.
· V:22 Blessed (happy) is the man who does not condemn himself for what he approves. This applies to everyone, once each one is fully convinced in his or her own mind, that individual can happily enjoy what others might not be able to enjoy. (This is in keeping with the “whatever you do” verses in 1 Cor. 10:31, Col. 3:17 & 23. If you can do “whatever you do” -- in this case, reading Harry Potter-- heartily, as unto the Lord, to the glory of God, with all your heart, and commit it to the Lord as in Pr. 16:3, then you can be happy about it.)
So, playing by Neal's rules, if a doctor performing an abortion is enjoying it and doing it "to the glory of God", then there's nothing wrong with it? The Bible sets far higher standards than this.
· V: 23 If you’ve taken responsibility for your own opinion as you stand accountable before God, fully convinced in your own mind (v.5) on the basis of true information, prayerful consideration, and the leading of the Holy Spirit, but you still have doubts about Harry Potter, don’t read it. The rule for personal conduct in disputable matters is this: when in doubt, don’t! If doubts remain, you would be in sin to do whatever you’re in doubt over, because everything that does not come from faith is sin. This is how something that is not a sin for one person could be a sin for another.
Romans 14:23: But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful]. Sin is sin. It's the same for one person as it is for another. This verse is not saying that sin differs from person to person.
· 15:2 Make it your aim to build each other up in the body of Christ.
Romans 15:2: Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually]. If we allow someone to continue in a practice that may be harming their family and their faith without warning them about it, are we "building them up in the body of Christ"?
· 15:2 Accept one another -- even if you come to different conclusions about the suitability of Harry Potter.
This verse says nothing about acceptance. I don't advocate that we should refuse to associate with people just because they read Harry Potter, but I also don't advocate ignoring the topic.
But don't compromise!
It's clear that Connie Neal has based her entire approach to the subject of Harry Potter on a significantly flawed interpretation of Romans 14-15. Because of this, her whole argument falls apart. If you're trying to decide where to stand on the issue of Harry Potter, do your own research. Inquire of the Word of God and compare its teachings to those of J.K. Rowling. We may be in serious danger if we rely only on what Connie Neal tells us about Harry Potter.
