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Posted on 10/25/2007 2:41:12 PM PDT by null and void
WAKEFIELD - The summer reading feats of Lynne Bimmler's sixth-grade class are proudly chronicled on the St. Joseph's School website.
"The sixth grade reads an average of 7.5 books each with many students in double digits," says a note on the class page. "Of course, Harry Potter was a popular choice."
But last month, students found that their favorite series had "disapparated" from the school library, after ... Rev. Ron Barker, removed the books, declaring that the themes of witchcraft and sorcery were inappropriate for a Catholic school.
"He said that he thought most children were strong enough to resist the temptation," said one mother who asked that her name not be used because she did not want her family to be singled out. "But he said it's his job to protect the weak and the strong."
The removal at St. Joseph's is the first reported instance that the wildly popular series has been banned in the Bay State, according to the American Library Association. But British author J.K. Rowling's series, which many educators credit with inspiring a generation of children to pick up a book, has been as controversial as it has been popular. Groups in at least 17 other states have tried to ban the books since the first one was published in 1998, prompting the library association last year to name the Harry Potter collection "the most challenged books of the 21st century."
"Most of the controversy is centered around the witchcraft and occult themes," said Deborah Caldwell, who directs the office of intellectual freedom for the association. "But there are others who say the books model disrespect for adults."
Barker declined an interview yesterday, saying through his secretary that the removal of the books "is an in-house situation."
The decision has angered some parents...
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Who knew?
Ping
“Most of the controversy is centered around the witchcraft and occult themes,” said Deborah Caldwell, who directs the office of intellectual freedom for the association...”
Wow! That’s Orwellian. I suppose having the “intellectual freedom” to disagree with the books’ theme is just banned by the association.
I can understand religious groups not wanting their kids to read HP, but they should simply state the occult influence is not something they wish to impress on the youngsters.
IMO, 95% of the underlying themes the books are consistent with their teachings, in particular issues of good vs. evil.
You have to reach kids in different ways. By the time they reach middle or high school, the occult themes will have wandered away to the regions of the tooth fairy and santa claus...but the core themes of fighting for what is right and good will remain.
Nothing is ever black and white. I don’t understand the impulse to reach for the immediate over long term effects.
BTW - I notice references to Chistmas were not excised from the books...an obvious contradiction if the books purpose was to move children away from Christianity.
No more or less Orwellian than the complete removal of the religious component from Hallowe’en, although Hallowe’en took several generations to completely secularize.
Using magic is the opposite of free will. It’s a horrible thing to teach children to think magic spells are okay.
To me, using a remote is magic.
“Using magic is the opposite of free will.”
I’m not sure I understand this statement. The very act of using magic would have to involve some free will.
Do you or did you tell your children about the tooth fairy or Santa Claus?
Flying reindeer are magic.
Rev Baker sees these books for what they are, promoting the occult and homosexuality. So many people see them as harmless. Nothing can be futher from the truth.
They don’t cast spells to force other people to do things against their will. It’s selfish for one thing.
The dems pass laws that make me open my wallet against my will.
Salem Police Department shoulder patch
BTW - I’d like an answer to the Santa Claus question...no evading.
There is nothing to evade. Santa doesn’t teach kids to cast selfish spells.
well now it belongs in the alternative lifestyles section. J K Rowling set that one up with no defense.
Harry Potter ceased to be a children’s book the second she put recreational sex in a children’s school.
(footnote: she also gave ammo to the anti-satanist crowd because sexual hedonism is a significant sacrament of the church of satan. She has become a marketing idiot)
How do the reindeer fly?
they don’t fly. they are just incredibly gifted jumpers
It was always her real marketing goal.
VTOL
In France last week, I heard CNN Internation Report that Dumbledor was gay. Who knew???
They'd better get rid of the any of these books too:
Lord of the Rings
The Dark is Rising
A Wrinkle in Time
Pendragon
The Secret History of Tom True Heart
Artimus Fowl
The Ruins of Gorlon
Inkspell
To name a few.
Maybe Gulliver's Travels too. Wouldn't want any Lilliputions upsetting the poor dears.
I’ve been to Salem. The witches bring in tourist dollars by the bushelful, same as St. Francis brings thousands to the town of Assisi. Or garlic brings zillions of tourists waving dollars to Gilroy, CA. Edinborough, Scotland must be attracting Potter tourists too.
That's a tough sell when magic spells are so effective and easy to do.
So very silly. I think the fight of good over evil represented in the books is much more important than anything having to do with witchcraft.
And in which volume did she do this? I've read the entire series, and there was none of that included.
It’s a private Catholic school. If those parents complaining don’t like it, they can also put their kids back in hellish public schools.
she did it the second the author homosexualized her character and said it was all about sexual acceptance.
(that whole canegie hall statement)
Harry Potter is dead, J K Rowling killed him.
Santa is worse. He teaches kids to expect handouts. That's a temptation they are far more likely to succumb to than casting spells.
Besides, Rowling manages to make learning magic look like hard work...
Find one instance of sex of any flavor, let alone recreational, anywhere in any of the Harry Potter books, then we can talk.
Can't do it? That's because it ain't there, unless you count a couple nothing-below-the-neck kissing episodes.
You know here goals?
Isn't that mind reading?
Isn't mind reading magic?
I'm afraid that now you have to go burn yourself at the stake.
Sorry.
So very silly. I think the fight of good over evil represented in the books is much more important than anything having to do with witchcraft.
OTOH, it is a private school, more to the point it's his private school. He has the right to 'do what he will [that is the whole of the law]' (to paraphrase Crowley) with it.
I also have the right to think he's an idiot, but as you can see from this thread and so many other FR threads on the topic, many intelligent people of good will disagree with me.
And that's OK, too.
What she said had NOTHING to do with anything the character did or said in the books, so they can be read without any of that influence.
Yeah, I think it’s silly, but the kids are still free to read the books as much as they want. They can get them from the public library, or if they were at my house, they could choose between four different complete sets; a paperback set of the first four, then the last three in hardback, belonging to our youngest, one each American and British hardcover set belonging to our only daughter, and one British set that’s all mine. ;o)
Or they could load them onto their MP-3 players here.
The printed books are with my kids, Darling Daughter’s in her dorm (BTW, she was into Potter before it was popular, and kind of resents that it’s pop culture now), and Ratboy’s copies are at the eeeeeeeeeevil slime mom’s...
from the video of her statement it was entirely her worldview. This are HER words not mine. She is the one who said the relationship of the headmaster with the other charater was homosexual in natue. HER words.
Write your complaints to her.
OTOH, there is no overt unambiguous indication in the books that anyone on staff at Hogwarts, (or for that matter, any muggle or wizard) has any particular interest in sex, of any flavor.
IMHO, Rowling has accomplished two literary miracles, she’s made magic seem nearly boring, and she’s written books covering the 7 years surrounding puberty without soaking them in hormones.
Recreational sex???
Don’t forget the videos...
There was Hagrad putting his hand on the giant womens butt during the Ball (on the video).
Yes. And the Minister is a cousin of Cornelius' named Barney Fudge.
Oooh, the Mods are going to give me such a wedgie for that remark.
Who is Reverend Barker, and what does he have to do with the Catholic school in question?
For that matter, how did he manage to ban them throughout Boston? Or did he “ban” them only from a teeny part of Boston?
“The very act of using magic would have to involve some free will.”
But if I put a spell on you, you would be forced to do what the spell says. Either immediately, or in the future, the spell dictates your actions, not you.
So magicians are Calvinists? (Ducking for cover).
He didn't start out that way. He used to have a "naughty or nice" test. But folks complained about his list-keeping.
I dunno. The Harry/Cho kiss in the 5th movie was pretty steamy and had tongue action. Bonnie Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley, said in a recent interview she was really looking forward to making the sixth movie.
I see, kind of like a wife?
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