Magical Latin

[sistermagpie]

No: HPFGUIDX 186116

> No.Limberger responds:
> 
 While it's possible that
> some wizards & witches may be Christian, the fact
> that there are wizards & witches in living throughout the world means that
> they would also be living in predominantly
> non-Christian countries.  Wizards & witches are a minority and my impression
> is that they, like other minority groups (in this case,
> muggle minorities) are not necessarily going to adopt the beliefs of the
> prevailing majority.  Just becuase people put up
> Christmas trees doesn't mean that they are Christian.  Christman trees are
> very popular in Japan, which is predominantly
> Bhuddist/Shinto.

If it is really as Christian as some suggest
> here, then it is doubtful that so many Christian churches would be opposed
> to them and they would not be having Harry Potter
> book burnings as some have done. 

I think Geoff already identified the gravestone quotes, and pointed out that if Sirius is a godfather that means Harry was baptized. Others have mentioned that we have a friar wandering the halls of Hogwarts. But also, there's no indication that Wizards live predominantly in non-Christian countries. From what we see Wizard culture actually does reflect the culture of their country (they receive Muggleborns from that culture every year as well) and we hear about Wizards throughout Europe and from America. Non-Christians live in all those countries, of course, but none of them are non-Christian countries.

As to whether there would be book burnings if they were as Christian as people suggest, sure they would. The characters in HP--both Muggles like the Dursleys and Wizards like the Weasleys--are basically secular but with the same religious touchstones as people in Muggle England. (Basically a Christian background, but with students from other backgrounds as well--the Patils might be Hindu, for instance, and Anthony Goldstein might be Jewish.) I'm sure Dudley was baptized just like Harry was, whether or not the Dursleys attend church regularly. The Christian objection to Potter has nothing to do with the characters being Christian or not, but to the fact that they do magic, which some consider teaching witchcraft to kids. Religiously, the Potterverse is pretty much just the UK.

-m