Religion in HP

[bkb042]

No: HPFGUIDX 40501

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Saitaina" <saitaina at w...> wrote:
> Rei wrote: 
> 
> <Something that has been bothering me for a while: what is 
everyone's 
> take on religion in the HP wizarding world? They have references 
to 
> and practice such holidays as Christmas and Easter, yet it doesn't 
> seem to make sense that they would be Christian, since in the 
Bible it 
> was said that "You shall not allow a sorcerer/ess to live." >
> 
> The passage is "Though shalt not suffer(or condem depending on the 
translation) a witch to live"  Which bears the same meaning but as 
I've had that quoted at me just thought I'd make sure it's the right 
quote.
> 
> I think that they, like every human on Earth, practice many 
different religions.  Just because they're Christian doesn't mean 
they can't dismiss what someone wrote thousands of years ago.  Some 
Christians follow the bible to the letter and some don't, it's up to 
them.
> 
> <All of the normal things they deal with every day- giants, 
vampires, 
> magic itself- are supernatural in Muggle eyes, which perhaps makes 
> wizards seem beyond Muggle religion as we know it... but do 
wizards 
> have their own concept of the supernatural themselves? Is there 
> anything that is supernatural to -them- (other than Muggle 
science) as 
> their world is supernatural to us? Does it seem like wizards would 
> have/believe in angels? Demons? Gods?>
> 
> I have no clue what they believe in, it's never been mentioned but 
I'm sure there's something that's beyond the realm of the natural 
world to them.  .
> 
> Saitaina
> 
Two things should be kept in mind when quoting from the Bible:  
 1) It wasn't originally written in english. Word meanings can 
become corrupted in translation.
 2) There is little evidence to suggest that cultural idiom was or 
was not taken into account when the various translations were made.
 
I believe that the word 'witch' derives from two sources; 'wicca' 
meaning 'wise' and 'wicce' meaning 'woman'. I have also heard that 
in one of the ancient dialects that the old testament was written 
in, the word 'witch' was the local idiom for 'one who kills with 
poison' or 'poisoner'

Any etymologists out there care to comment?

bkb042

> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]