[HPforGrownups] God in the WW

[manawydan]

No: HPFGUIDX 132121

Tania wrote:
> Okay,  I have a question about the WW in general.  Actually, it is my
> husband who likes to tease me about "problems" he finds with the HP
> series.  This is the question: Does the WW believe in God? He asks
> this because they celebrate Christmas with a dinner and exchange
> presents, but nothing is ever heard about going to church or anything
> like that.  Any thoughts?

It's one of the questions which I think we will never have answered in
canon.

If JKR says outright that the WW is not Christian, then she will fall foul
of those Christians who think that the Potter books are Satanist tracts. If
she says that it is, then the question that follows is why wizards do things
that are explicitly forbidden in the bible. So my feel is that she'll keep
quiet and let people form their own views (there are other questions which I
think fall in the same category, like "which of the leading characters are
gay?" and "exactly what did the Centaurs do to Umbridge in the forest?")

I have two theories. The first one is that wizarding folk relinquished
religion very early in history, when they discovered that their abilities
were not divinely given, but were inherited. The Muggle world continued in
the same manner as our own, and the cross fertilisation accounts for things
like Harry having a godfather and the like.

The second one is that religion in the Potterverse doesn't have a
prohibition on magic anyway...

hwyl

Ffred

O Benryn wleth hyd Luch Reon
Cymru yn unfryd gerhyd Wrion
Gwret dy Cymry yghymeiri