I've been curious about this for awhile since one of my characters is extreme about an alternative religion:

What is the main religion on HP? Like, if the WoHP were actually real, would they be mostly Christians, Catholics, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhists (and so on) or is it just a big cesspool of different philosophies/religions? Or do you think that witches and wizards would believe in something else entirely that JKR never wrote about? Moreover, what does your character believe in (if anything)?

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I think that JKR made a specific point of making HP witchcraft as secular as possible. There are already whingers out there that complain that it's promoting paganism; there would be fundamentalist lynch mobs if HP was even slightly religious. DX

The only remotely religious thing seems to be Christmas and that's solely suits of armour singing 'o come all ye faithful' lol. The rest is all Santa. Even the afterlife is careful to remain non religious, as in it's never specified in ways that you could attribute to a RL religion.

However, I would presume that HP chars had the same religions as Muggles and the same mix of those religions and/or atheism, seeing as there is no wizarding religion mentioned (for the reasons I mentioned above). It's really left entirely to our imaginations as the books are so distinctly non religious.

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Anastasia McLaren - 4th year Slytherin
Anna Daljera - 3rd year Gryffindor
Shizuka Matsuri - 2nd year Ravenclaw

Yeah. One time I got sent to the principal's office for wearing a pentagram when I was like 10 and rebelling and I told them it was from a Harry Potter gift set and then there was all this drama about free religion practices etcetc.

But anyway, I can certainly see why JKR didn't want to impose religion. She'd probably be killing herself. D;

It would be interesting if people could handle a children's book with class and take it in stride that fictional characters may have an alternative lifestyle. But hey.

I dunno. With what exists/doesn't exist in WoHP it has always been a struggle for me to try to find a realistic religion for run of the mill characters (like on realistic RP servers you can pretty much just grab one of the aforementioned faiths and roll with that thoughtlessly). I wonder if JKR sat there like, "Harry is a total ______" but couldn't write it. :< Hm!

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I read an interesting internet article once upon a time that broke down the demographics of the UK and applied them to Hogwarts, showing how many students would be of certain ethnicities, religions, etc. However, I can't find it now.
It would totally have been relevant. *cries*

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Karen Bonoa - Ravenclaw Alumni
Madeline Ingleman - 2nd Year Hufflepuff
Niven McLaren - 1st Year Slytherin
Sam McKinnon - 6th Year Ravenclaw

Jabari Nwosu * Joshua Tannerman * Lenora Hollings * Lillian Stewart * Maria Bonoa

Aye, brilliant thing about the UK is that no one realy cares what religion you are since there are so many different ones, its normally described by politicians as a "mixing pot". So basically, the religions at Hogwarts would likely just be a conglomeration (I love that word) of every and all religions, even the obscure ones like "Jedi" or maybe Squirrels in Drathil's case.

The main thing to keep in mind while rp'ing a religion is how quickly religion crosses from IC to OOC in people's minds. Simply put, it falls into the category that usually should be avoided. Or if done, needs to be kept more of a personal 'plot' style for the individual character... handing out tracks, trying to 'convert' other characters just won't be allowed. We do not allow mocking of religions, and it's happened before. We've requested that the character discontinue that line of role play.

That being said, I can name a few characters that are openly religious, or rp that their families are/have been. Angel and Zane, I believe are both Catholic, Sierra was raised protestant by the muggle half of her family, and we've had a few Atheists. Maybe even a Buddhist. The "Bible" simply does not function within the world Rowling established.

Does your character -need- a -real- religion? Is this something that your character will strongly hold to? Will this be a personal growth issue for them? If so, rp a religion. But be aware that it can quickly get messy. And we won't allow religion to be dragged through the mud, same with racism, etc.

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Sierra Tillery - Little Lambs Orphanage Manager and Ministry of Magic Education Dept.
Anula Bhaskar - Hufflepuff
Crissy Darby - Gryffindor
"I sense a costume opportunity!"

Well that just kills the fun.

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*Roselyn "Red" Synders Gryffindor 7th year
* Tristan Durie Ravenclaw 1st year
*Liline Milne Slytherin 1st year

Just to be tactful of other people's beliefs it should be pretty common knowledge not to overly do it infront of anyone unless you know they won't get offended. Either way, I guess I was more or less alluding to the question of: I wonder if witches/wizards would have their own religion none of us have even heard of? That'd be pretty neat. Like...I dunno. It'd be cool. Like Scientology.

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I'm sure there was one year where the UK census actually recorded that Jedi was one of the most common religions listed, if not the most popular.

Maybe that was just an old school rumour, never really paid attention to this stuff. I'd like to think it's true, though.



Right?

Well i can say not jewish, not to be mean or rude to any of them, but to me HP relates alot to the Holocaust, and how to kill jews(muggles), Hitler(Voldemort), and Dumble , ect.(Allies) and death eaters/followers (Axis). Hmm strange huh.

Anyone ever notice that?
Or just me, cause i shouldn't be given free time.
By the way sorry for the forest fires, my mom gave me a box of matches

There is nothing cool about Scientology. DX

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Anastasia McLaren - 4th year Slytherin
Anna Daljera - 3rd year Gryffindor
Shizuka Matsuri - 2nd year Ravenclaw

FYI: I was kidding.

...

I'm just [censored] with you, woman. But anyway, I meant it'd be cool if there was some invented religion within HP, the same way that Scientology was invented.

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Feel free to invent a religion, just as long as it's done tactfully... and it sounds like a ton of work to me. But if that's what your character is into, go for it.

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Sierra Tillery - Little Lambs Orphanage Manager and Ministry of Magic Education Dept.
Anula Bhaskar - Hufflepuff
Crissy Darby - Gryffindor
"I sense a costume opportunity!"

Zane wouldn't be Zane...or half as ironic...if he were not a practicing Catholic. If you want to play a religious character, then go for it. Weird is good, too. Can you imagine Luna in church?

Actually. I think I can!

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You go your way
I'll go your way too