Addressing a misunderstanding from the summer issue of our magazine

A number of readers expressed concern that the summer issue of our denominational magazine went too far in exploring the interface of faith and culture with the Vibes column about the Harry Potter books. Others voiced their strong objection to what they took to be the church’s endorsement of the book series and by extension, of witchcraft, black magic, and demon worship. Although we have talked with or written to everyone who let us know they were troubled by the Harry Potter piece, we want to back up those personal conversations by publicly acknowledging that we failed to adequately communicate our intention for Vibes articles.

Our aim for the Vibes page in the magazine is to identify issues in our culture that need the discerning attention of our readers. Vibes articles have been expected to prompt dialogue. They are not intended to be an official statement on potentially controversial issues.

The goal for our denominational magazine is to unite our fast-growing and increasingly diverse community of congregations, and so we are saddened to realize that the article could be interpreted as conflicting with the scriptural and theological commitments of the BIC church and, when read in this way, has caused distress and hurt among us. We cannot change what has already been printed in the magazine, but going forward, we will seek to:

• Make clear that opinion columns such as Vibes should not be interpreted as official statements of the BIC Church.
• Avoid one-sided or endorsement-like presentations of potentially controversial topics;
• Be proactive in encouraging feedback and continuing dialogue about topics included in the magazine.

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