Can Christians watch movies featuring magic and witchcraft? Two pastors debate.

When J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series became a film franchise in 2001, it intensified an existing controversy among some evangelical Christians, who argued that its positive portrayal of witchcraft could desensitize children to the occult, blur the line between fantasy and real spiritual practices, and serve as a gateway to interest in actual witchcraft or Wicca.

Others argued that the magic in the series was purely fictional rather than real occult practice, that the series promoted moral values such as courage, loyalty, and self-sacrifice, and that it could be read with discernment or even used to illustrate Christian themes.

While the “Harry Potter” dispute is largely a thing of the past, the debate over whether or not it is sinful for Christians to watch movies about magic