[HPforGrownups] Re: Religion in the wizarding world

[Margaret Dean]

No: HPFGUIDX 23646

Milz wrote:

> I like to think that in the Potterverse, wizards and witches differ
> from Muggles only in their magical powers and not some sort of
> spiritual belief system. Sort of like how left-handed people differ
> from right-handed people in the real world.

I would agree with this.  For one thing, we certainly never
witness any specifically witch/wizard religious practices,
holidays, etc.  On the contrary, Hogwarts celebrates Muggle
holidays such as Christmas and Halloween.  For another, we know
that the wizarding world is constantly "recruiting" young witches
and wizards from Muggle or part-Muggle families (such as Hermione
or Seamus).  Would they really be expected to chuck their whole
previous culture -- religion included -- in order to enter the
wizarding world?  I don't think so:  if the kids themselves
didn't object, the parents almost certainly would.

So I tend to think that the wizarding world is just as diverse,
religiously, as the Muggle world is.  Christians, Jews, Hindus,
Muslims, Wiccans, atheists, nothing-in-particulars, you name it.

(Though I'd think there would be a certain thrill in being a
Muggle Wiccan and having your kid get a letter from Hogwarts . .
.  OTOH there was that article recently about the Wiccans
complaining the brooms were backwards, so perhaps there would be
a certain amount of outrage that magic didn't work the way they
thought it should!  :) )


--Margaret Dean
  <margdean at erols.com>