If Christians are to avoid altogether books such as "The Lord Of The Rings" and "The Chronicles Of Narnia" because these stories contain wizards and witches, by definition does that prohibition also include the Bible since it too mentions witches and the like?
Like the Bible, don't these works warn that what we categorize as magic is not for mortal beings and in many instances depict what happens to those that succumb to this particular temptation?
In regards to Gandalf, though he is referred to as a wizard, in Tolkien's background materials, weren't the wizards beings more akin to angels in terms of their ontology?
More importantly, for hyperpious critics to condemn these books in such minute detail, wouldn't they have had to have read them or at least have had to study them closely?
If so, then on what grounds do they forbid you the opportunity to read these materials if for no other reason than to verify the conclusions that they have arrived at?
Rather, wouldn't the more respectable position be to warn the reader and to let them decide for themselves?
by Frederick Meekins
