An Open Letter to Christian Muggles: A Pagan America Would be an Improvement
by Staff
August 31, 2007
HOLMEN, Wisc., (christiansunite.com) -- Christian author and apologist Anthony Horvath, who recently raised eyebrows by claiming that the Christian church is itself creating atheists, again challenges Christians to consider how their attitudes and actions themselves are reasons why others are turning to unbelief.In the letter, Anthony Horvath points to the denouncement of the Harry Potter series by many Christians as a manifestation of a number of issues actually driving people away from the faith. Horvath says that Christians can be muggles by not understanding that some stories move people because they employ timeless themes that inspire us- but timeless themes belong to God. Concerns that the series leads people into paganism or witchcraft are not completely groundless, but misunderstand the real conflict in America.
Horvath, who uses the Internet screen name 'Sntjohnny,' says that real conflict is between the secular humanists like Dawkins and everyone else- Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and yes, even pagans. "A pagan at least believes in something and knows it, so that's a start. Materialists believe in something though most of them don't know it. But the materialists are winning nearly across the board, not the witches. We should hope that America was becoming more pagan, because that would be an improvement in trends."
Horvath continues, "If our young are so ill prepared to deal with content as obviously imaginary as Harry Potter, then that means the church's educational methods are so pathetic they should be scrapped immediately. If our answer to competing ideas is to completely isolate our youngsters from them we are only telling them that Christianity is too weak to be tested."
Horvath, also the author of his own fantasy fiction novel titled "Fidelis," argues that the human race's love of epic storytelling is a testimony to being created in God's image and something that should not be surrendered to non-Christians at all. "When we attack works like Harry Potter, we are telling people that Christianity cannot account for the power of narrative to move the human soul, and frankly that we're afraid of that power. Did Jesus triumph over Satan or not? To hear some Christians talk, the matter is still in doubt."
"Presenting ideas in story form is an ideal way to communicate because people let their defenses down in order to participate in the story. In this sense we can be concerned about literature that is not explicitly Christian. But on the other hand, this fact is a two edged sword, and right now in America we are not in a position where we can afford to set aside any of our available weapons. And if we can turn the enemy's sword against him, so much the better."
