If C.S. Lewis was supposedly a Christian, then why did he put magic in his books?

The Bible is specifically against magic, witchcraft, sorcery---any of that stuff.





Deut. 18:10-13


Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God.





2nd Chronicles 33:6


He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.





(obviously these things--witchcraft, etc--is angering the Lord)





So what do you think? How about JR Tolkien ?

If C.S. Lewis was supposedly a Christian, then why did he put magic in his books?
Because there is a very real difference between practicing something and using it as a story telling device. CS Lewis used allegories. He wasn't enciting witchcraft. God gave us imagination, I'm sure He wanted us to use it.
Reply:He wrote "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" for children. Would you take the magic out of learning, make it as boring and dull as the daily life most adults have, day in and day out? Or, to really get your point across, would you create a world as fantastical as possible, a world that suffers from the same inhumanity that your own world does and entertain your audience with your creation. The best possible lesson you can learn or teach is to realize that within our world, all possibilities are possible.
Reply:ok. lewis was using the language and devices of traditional fairy tales to relate the story of jesus and the gospel to young children, using imagery that was already familiar to them through the aformentioned fairy tales. there is no witchcraft or occult information in those stories, and the only witch in the stories, the white queen, was utterly evil. it is ridiculous to equate these stories in any way with the occult. by that same logic, you would have to condemn jesus for condoning injustice by telling the parable of the unjust judge! if you can read the story of edmund's treachery without seeing yourself therein, then you have missed the entire point of the story -as well as the gospel. look; even hebrews have their legends and fairy tales - this is not considered witchcraft. see the story of the golem. please, please do some homework and avoid further legalistic silliness.





ps. well said, elkstar:) though we may not agree on religion, we do agree about religious hysteria (rolling eyes heavenward).





pps.all of you "christians" being so nasty - shame on you! how after all do you suppose jesus would respond to this question?





ppps. ummm...ravenwolf? my full of $#!+ bible at least taught me not to be hateful...why hasn't your religion taught you the same?


just a thought...
Reply:I'm sure God sat him down and had a long talk with him about it. They're probably having a good laugh over your question right now.
Reply:He didn't practice it; he wrote stories about it. Nothing wrong with stories. (BTW, a lot of Christians really are judgmental about that and dismiss C.S. Lewis, but I'm not in their camp.)
Reply:Of all of the important questions facing mankind...

















... this is NOT one of them.
Reply:Lewis was an atheist in his youth. He became interested in Christianity through his friend J R Tolkien. Both of them had fertile imaginations and were creative. They told stories. Do you think their stories were Satanic? Why do you think a 'spiritualist' is Satanic?
Reply:Dude...you are trying way too hard. Let God take care of that and you just go back to...doing what a “real” Christian is supposed to.
Reply:you and your bible are full of ****. and there is nothing wrong with magick. Every religion has its mystical side, Christianity just forgot about theirs.
Reply:When you write a book, I guess all bets are off, especially when the bible mentions incidents thereof.
Reply:But Christianity does believe in micracle, doesn't it?


The immaculate conception, Jesus's ascencion, Santa Claus...


isn't that miracle = magic too but not witchcraft?
Reply:get a grip you fool - in other words do as i say or you shall be done for its not real its a story book that weak minded people choose to believe because they need guidance for whats right and wrong personally i have a conscience and am able to make my own decisions





FOOL FOOL FOOL
Reply:Lewis wrote allegories. They are fictional stories that display a truth.





Almost a parable, but not quite the same idea.





He used 'magic' to represent different powers. And the only witchcraft (as far as the chronicles of narnia are concerned, sorry, i haven't read ALL of his books...) used is the White Witch and other evil forces.








He used the 'magical' things that Aslan did to represent God's great and wonderful power, whereas he used the witch's evil magic to represent the evil and perverted powers of the enemy, Satan.





The good guys don't chant spells. as close as they get to doing that is 'chanting' out Aslan's name.








Deut. 18:10-13


Let no one be found among you who %26lt;i%26gt;sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.%26lt;/i%26gt; Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

















Now, we don't see any of the good guys doing the italicised things, do we? No. We see the evil one's doing them. And that's because they're evil.








does that answer your question?








and in the Bible is says that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, meaning that they are basicly the same. Chew on tha tone for awhile.








and i suggest that you read the book Mere Christianity. If you have any doubts after that, go to your local Christian bookstore and ask for some other books by him taht they think will help.








good luck! God bless!








p.s. Tolkein was NOT a Christian. He wa, however, a great friend of Lewis'. I still look at the LOTR books as allegories. They have many beautiful symbols in them.








And, trust me, the books have nothng to do with the occult. I am a Christian and have seen the effects of the occult and been around them.











I one heard a wonderful man say this phrase, and it has stuck with me ever since...."I'm coming to get you..."








just think on that. That's what God is saying to all of us.
Reply:have you even read these books by jr Tolkien on the following books


hobbit


The lord of the Kings series which are great books and the movie on all of these was very good. well I do believe in the lord but you need alittle bit of reality in your life too and it can't always be serious. by the way i love the movie and the writing of this is what makes a very good person to use there imagination and mind
Reply:they are STORY BOOKS .....FICTION..... a good read ...they do not tell you how to do magick. they do not encourage sorcery (the heroes are normal humans)





If you folks had any clue as to what witchcraft and sorcery really were you would know this.





I am a practiceing pagan and i have never been happier.


i do divination, i cast spells, but to me it is all a form or prayer to my gods.





why is it that your bible is full of tales of magic, ( granted by the devine but magic none the less) you have how many "Faith healers" out there, yet everything that is not in your realm of understanding is labeled as evil.





i think that C.S. Lewis was a great writer and i feel that Tolkien was even better. these are stories not historical accounts, they are fantasy...why can some of you not seem to see that.


just because it is on paper does not make it true.





why do you all only attack the popular writers.





Dan Browne, J.R.R. Tolken, C.S. Lewis..J.K. Rowling...why does it seem that the only time that a christian orginisation has a problem with something that MONEY is involved....





You all never talk about the numerous other authors that write sci fi and fantasy adventrue that includes magic and mystery.





elaine cunningham, r.a. salvatore, dougless niles, ed greenwood


, lisa samiedan,








have you actually READ any of the books that you attack?





do you understand the Chronicles of Narnia....





would you apply the same judgement to the bible if it did not have the stigma of a holy text?





talking snakes, murder betrayal, sex, prostitution, sorcery, genocide, war, numerous accounts of violence.





well Narnia has violence and sorcery........
Reply:Perhaps people were not as uptight then as they you are now.
Reply:I think your question is a great question. I cannot believe how rude people are in their answers!!!


Anyways, God is glorified in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I don't think that because the "movie/book" has magic in them means that C.S Lewis was not Christian. I think God worked through him to show how awesome Jesus is and what he did for us (mankind).
Reply:He wrote allegories that used fiction to represent reality. It doesn't mean he approved of the witchcraft the Bible condemns.
Reply:God knows our hearts, as humans we take things so literal and at face value, its not as if c.s. Lewis was doing spells and performing witchcraft. God knew His hearts intention and also J.R.R. Tolkiens. Therefore there work was blessed, and people dont look at the magic part of it, it is a pretty well known fact that God was the basis of those, and so He is glorified.
Reply:Because these are fairy tales. No normal person could read those books and come away feeling that magic in the real world is any less unnatural. The magic in those books usually represents symbollically either the power of God or the power of Satan.