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Originally Posted by davem
Because 'God' (in some form - ie an absolute moral yardstick) is not present in the HP universe magic is simply a kind of 'natural' force, like electricity, to be used as its operators wish - but then, who decides what a 'good' or 'bad' use of magic is? Where/what is the yardstick? The wizards in HP are fumbling around in an amoral universe, trying to do the best they can - this makes the HP universe more interesting in some ways than Arda, but it also makes it more 'dangerous' for child readers - what moral criteria are they given by Rowling - how do they judge whether the action of a particular wizard is good or bad? Where is the absolute moral standard by which magical acts can be judged to be good or bad?
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But this is effectively saying that those who do not have faith are incapable of making moral distinctions, which I simply cannot accept. In my view (and in my world) the perception of good and evil exists irrespective of the existence of, or any firm belief in, a God. Provided that the protagonists are using their powers in a way which is I consider to be good (as is the case in both LotR and Harry Potter's world), then it matters not to me whether its source is portrayed as divine or simply an innate ability or aptitude. I would have no problem with my children reading either.
Rowling is not (and should not be expected to be) setting out to teach children morality from scratch. Her books assume that her readers are capable of perceiving the difference between right and wrong (a reasonable assumption, in my view). But what she is doing is presenting them with characters - 'role models' if you like - who behave morally, exhibit virtuous characteristics (loyalty, bravery etc) and act for the good and against evil, thus reinforcing the lessons which they will have already begun to learn (from their parents, one would hope). To the extent that her readers "judge" the actions of her characters, it is against criteria with which they are already familiar.
I would also note that Rowling hails from a primarily secular society, and so the "absence" of God from her works is to be expected. I would no more expect Rowling to to portray her characters' magical powers as having their source in God than I would expect the abilities (such as intelligence and ingenuity) used by the Famous Five or the Borrowers or Doctor Who as having a divine origin (oops - showing my age again
). If one has a strong faith, then there is no reason why one cannot simply assume that the magical powers of Harry Potter and his friends are God given, just as one would assume the same of the (generally more mundane) abilities any other characters from children's novels where no specific mention is made of God. And if one does not have a strong faith, then the issue is, as I have said, largely irrelevant.