Recently, I posted an article entitled "Stop pretending you believe J.K. Rowling". The premise of the article is that, since Harry Potter is wholly unrealistic, it is not logically deserving of the condemnation it receives by certain Christian groups. Yes, the Bible condemns real witchcraft, but Harry Potter is not real witchcraft. This does not mean it's a fictional display of a real thing, but that the entire thing is fictional, being wholly distinct from the real magic condemned in the Bible. Therefore, when Christians act like reading Harry Potter is a sin, they actually give unbelievers an excuse to laugh Christianity off as a work of fiction, as well as distract Christians from the reality.
Although there were some dissenting comments, the majority of them were civil and semi-sensible. One particularly intelligent man even said his issue with Harry Potter wasn't the witchcraft, so much as the fact the kids are typically portrayed as rulebreakers, for which they are often rewarded, which is obviously a bad message to send. Nevertheless, he did not call me ignorant for not believing in flying brooms, invisible buses, or banks run entirely by goblins.
Two women, however, did. Apparently, my disbelief in fantastical things such as house elves, living statues, and potions that can instantly transform you into another person, is "Western ignorance", whereas if we showed the movie to people in Africa, those people could show these things in real life. I couldn't help but laugh to myself. Not only do I know these things don't exist, I know what actual witches think about Harry Potter and its "transphobic" author. Being completely unrealistic, Harry Potter is simply not compatible with real witchcraft.
But I wanted to know if any actually did believe in Harry Potter. Interestingly, the most I found was a witch who admitted he had never seen a levitating book, but thought it might be possible. This is because real witchcraft is actually about the belief that all things contain energy, and that it is possible to channel that energy in order to fulfil our intentions. Thus, it makes sense that if you intend to levitate a book, you should be able to channel that energy to make it happen.
Using stage magic, it is entirely possible to make a book appear to levitate, but witches so firmly believe in their power that they actually add a k on the end of the word to distinguish their "magick" from such cheap tricks. But their magick is obviously less impressive than even stage magic. They can't do any real tricks, and they know it. Why, then, do they believe? Simply because to them, everything is magic. I nearly exploded when I read the following words: "Simply writing out gratitude lists or repeating a mantra is casting a spell, as it means you're injecting reminders of your self-worth into your life."
What Christian hasn't done these things? Do we not recite creeds, or the Lord's Prayer? Do we not write out lists of things to be grateful for, in order to remind ourselves of God's grace, and maybe even instill a heart of thankfulness in ourselves? To a real witch, every Christian who has ever lived has cast spells left, right, and centre, just by practicing our very non-magical faith!
It turns out, real witches don't even necessarily object to worshipping God. They warn of a difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation, but in general, they say it's totally acceptable to honor your god. So, if a Christian wants to be a witch, they say great. God, of course, would see things another way, and would certainly not feel honored by an impenitent witch, but witches would have no problem giving lip service to our God.
This paints a clear distinction between what we do, and what we mean when we do it. This is not always the case, of course. Some things are sinful by nature. You cannot fornicate with "good intentions" and expect God to be ok with that. No wed, no bed. But can you write out a gratitude list for Godly reasons? Absolutely!
Witchcraft is not a sin you can commit accidentally. You may perhaps be deceived into believing it is ok, but you cannot commit witchcraft without knowing you are committing witchcraft. That is why the same people who condemn their Christian brethren for "worshipping the devil" by enjoying Harry Potter are able to "cast spells" without sin. You can write a gratitude list. You can recite a creed or mantra. And yes, you can sit down for a few hours with a book about a young boy living in a cupboard under the stairs, who finds out he was born with special powers. Anyone who accuses you of sin for that better not be found with so much as a floorboard out of place in their house, because even that may become a plank in their eye.