Catholic schools ban book because author is atheist
Mikey 28 comments
A Roman Catholic board in Ontario is removing the book "The Golden Compass" from the library shelves of dozens of schools because the author is an admitted atheist.
As an added precaution, they are also removing Philip Pullman two other books.
It would be interesting to know what they would do if they found out some of the required learning materials (mathematics, english literature, social studies etc..) were authored by atheists.
Full story at AthiestNation.
Denis: Commence a debate? I merely asked a legitimate question which does have merit. Let's just pretend for a moment that banning books based on the author's personal politics or religion isn't close minded (when the book doesn't contain anything about said politics or religion), does this mean they will have to ban all materials that were authored by atheists? What is the criteria for picking and choosing? Does it mean they would choose a book for the curriculum that was authored by a catholic instead of a book written by an atheist, even if the former was of obviously lesser educational value? Call me old fashioned but I always though the content of the book was more important than the author's personal politics/religion.
As for naming one mathematics text that is atheist, your question is absurd. A mathematics text can't be atheist, but the author of one certainly can. And my question was obviously hypothetical, because if I knew of an example you can bet I would have provided one. You can also bet that there are books out there in schools - both required part of the curriculum and not - that have been authored by atheists and that don't have any atheist connotations or anti-religious commentary.
And my question remains valid: what if it was discovered that a particular required book was found to have been authored by an atheist? Is it also to be banned? I can guarantee the staff, board, students, parents already read books, newspapers and other media all the time that was authored by people who don't agree with their own personal politics or religion.
Remember I am talking about the author's stance - not the content of their work. And in the case of the author mentioned (Phillip Pullman) the book is well liked by children (and is now a movie) and isn't a religion bashing book. So based on that, what exactly is the point of banning his books? Is it some sort of phantom punishment to the author just because he is atheist? Is it because they don't want the kids who might find out to start asking questions about atheists? I don't think any of us will know the real answer but whatever it is, it starts with the misguided belief they are doing the right thing.
Nikki
Thursday 29th November 2007 | 09:23 AMThey are idiots when consider they are banning his 2 other books 'just to be safe' which means they haven't even bothered to read or research them.
Anders
Thursday 29th November 2007 | 09:32 AMIt's not uncommon for catholic schools to weed out material from their libraries that go against what they believe. You wont find any of Richard Dawkins work or books on other religions on those shelves. I have to say it is taking a step too far when they remove books because the writer is not religious. People like them wont ever understand solid reasoning. And why stop at books?
((o o))
Thursday 29th November 2007 | 09:36 AMReminds me of the ones who ban harry potter books because they have witchcraft in them. Yeah because having kids read about fantasy witchcraft in a fictional novel is a real concern...
Froginator
Thursday 29th November 2007 | 09:47 AMI can't imagine what do they hope to achieve from banning a book that isn't anti christian. What a bunch of dumb-asses.
Thursday 29th November 2007 | 10:05 AM
Modern day book burning. I bet they have no qualms accepting funding from atheist taxpayers. Hypocrites.
Aldo
Thursday 29th November 2007 | 10:17 AMDenis: Think there's no such a thing as required curriculum that wasn't written by an atheist? You're ignorant.
Nikki: True.
Jono: Not the same thing.
Michael: Slow news day?
Jake
Thursday 29th November 2007 | 12:13 PMThe kids are being totally indoctrinated (which I prefer to refer to as brainwashed) into the roman catholic religion and this novel is fairly antitheist. This is not surprising. There are many atheist/antitheist writers who turn the story of their own battles with religion into a fantasy metaphore.
Let the kids read CS Lewis. They have no bloody freedom from religion anyway, so let it be.
Chad
Thursday 29th November 2007 | 03:48 PMI'm so glad we have the internet these days. I know these kids in Catholic schools may only have access to books, but they will have other accesses throughout life. It always amazes me how many people are turning away from Catholic religion. Hmmm... Maybe because they are trying to fight everyone else but really they are just beating themselves up by the stupid ideas they try to get people to reason with.
And to the first guy who commented on this post. You got shoot down buddy. You must be a Catholic to try and make some debate like you did with no main legitimate reasons. If you read the authors response I hope you try and comment back because your burnt like toast right now!
Dion
Thursday 29th November 2007 | 05:55 PMIt is entirely reasonable for any library to regulate what books they hold. Pullman's novels are very anti-Christian. His atheism is not the issue, it is the atheistic message his writings convey. And these are novels, not non-fiction works. As for the usual trite remarks about censorship, go to your local library. There you will find Mein Kampf and Das Kapital, but I doubt it will hold copies of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion or The Cannibal Handbook.
Dirty Harry
Thursday 29th November 2007 | 10:54 PMBow Booow. Thank you for playing anyway Dion. I have it on good authority there is nothing anti-christain in the golden compass - from someone who has read it my 14 year old niece. And even if it did the schools are pretty ignorant to ban his other books without reading them.
Dion
Saturday 1st December 2007 | 02:25 AMHi "Dirty Harry". Did you deliberately seek the most hackneyed name or what? Bow Boow???? English please. 'Good authority' - quote, or shut up. 'anti-christain'???? One can hardly have a theological debate with someone who can't even spell. Gen X or Gen Y? Your 14 year old niece is an 'authority on Christianity'? Do you have the vote? Or are you just another third rate intellect? Study some logic 'Dirty Harry'.
Dirty Harry
Saturday 1st December 2007 | 09:33 AMDion: You are an authority on Christianity? I find it hilarious you think someone would need to be an authority to be able to know if there was any anti-Christian message in the book. I find it even funnier you think gen-x or gen-y would have anything to do with it. And if my sides were not already splitting, I would laugh again at your notion that you can't have a debate with someone just because they use 'forum shorthand' - yet here you are trying to debate with me.
And if you want to be a spelling nazi, last time I checked the use of multiple question marks is not only redundant but grammatically incorrect.
So far you are looking like quite the moron.
Gilly
Saturday 1st December 2007 | 10:26 AMThats shocking of those Catholics.
or alternately dont some Atheists want to ban religion. Atheist brainwashing???
Slow atheist news day???
This whole website is anti Religion, and you look down on others. Pious or what???
Theses ? are fun, hey??
Alders
Saturday 1st December 2007 | 10:38 AMAtheists don't want to ban religion and I'm not sure where you get that from.
Welcome back Gilly. It's been a while. Please don't say "This whole website is anti Religion" when as far as I know only 2 of the 20 authors are atheist and 22 out of 489 articles are on religion (around 5%). This particular topic is not on religion and I may have been wrong to categorise it under that topic, as the real issue is more closely related to censorship. I have changed the category accordingly.
There: Now only 21 articles (about 4.25%) on religion :-)
Gilly
Saturday 1st December 2007 | 04:32 PMTouche???
Cmon mate. The whole anti creation saga went for months. Most people ridiculed it, or wanted it banned. So, some Catholics, like you made your kids, dont like a pro Atheist book. WOW. Typical overreaction IMHO.
Ok this website is not anti religion just pro atheism.
Alders go read the comments in other threads???
May the Force be with yas.
Dion
Sunday 2nd December 2007 | 02:24 AMAve 'Dirty Harry' (are you really a no-nonsense San Francisco cop with a large revolver?)
I do not consider myself an 'authority on Christianity'. The proposition you make that anyone would need to know nothing about Christianity before critiquing it is nonsense. Knowledge of a subject is a prerequisite to (intelligently) critique it. As to 'forum shorthand', I do not know what "Bow Booow" means. Please indulge my forum ignorance. Perchance your invocation of 'nazi' (misspelt) invokes Godwin's Law, which would indicate serious forum ignorance on your part.
Once again I say, quote your source on this or confess your prejudice/ignorance. Any 14 year old genius would suffice.
And I apologise for the heinous excessive use of extra questions marks. Is that really the best you can come back with?
Monday 3rd December 2007 | 01:04 PM
Does it honestly really matter if one group chooses to not have a book in their library because they do not approve of the authors views or opinions on religion?
I mean come on, "those catholics" have the right to ban any book they choose to, they live in America don't they?
Anon
Friday 21st December 2007 | 04:29 PMIt's not surprising considering it is a catholic institution. Religion falls easy prey to logic, seeing as how its foundation is built solely upon faith. It is this throbbing Achilles' heel that causes people of any faith to lash out when their beliefs are challenged/perceived to be challenged. Unfortunately this lashing out is often some melodramatic display or high-handed move such as the modern day banning of literature. Ultimately it's useless. In the end you can't protect someone from ideas. Even if you could manage to shelter someone from all external ideas, eventually they will begin to cultivate their own, even in spite of themselves.
Gilly
Friday 21st December 2007 | 10:21 PMFunny how Atheists cling to evolution to justify there non faith.
Remember it was the Catholic Church who banned the Bible.
Altoid
Saturday 22nd December 2007 | 08:45 AMConsidering this is a private school, they have the right to regulate what literature rests on their shelves and into the minds of their students. That doesn't mean I agree with what they're doing; they should have samples of all religious texts (in all libraries, mind you, not just the religiously aligned ones) to help the readers shape an educated faith, not just what their brainwashed into by nuns and parents.
Gilly, please stop generalizing on part of "Atheists". As you know, I am one, and I do not simply use Evolution as an excuse to support my lack of any particular faith.
Here's a (semi) related question; is Atheism a faith? Or even a belief? I've been wondering about that for a while and this seems like a good place to pose the question.
And it's surprising to hear that Catholicism was anti-bible; was this when the common congregation was becoming literate and the church felt threatened and only let leaders in the church own copies?
Gilly
Sunday 23rd December 2007 | 05:32 PMYes Atheism is a religion.
Watch a movie called Martin Luther or Wiki him in relation to the Catholic churches strangle hold over the Bible.
Altoid
Monday 24th December 2007 | 09:06 AMThanks for actually answering my question. Though is it faith, or lack thereof?
Gilly
Monday 24th December 2007 | 08:00 PMFaith a belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact. from Dictionary.com
You believe there is no God even though you cant prove it. Thats Faith Brother
Altoid
Tuesday 25th December 2007 | 01:32 AMInteresting, actually I thinking the opposite; I believe there is no god (or anything supernatural for that matter) due to LACK of evidence, not an abundance of evidence supporting their nonexistence.
That seems to be based more on reason than blind belief.
Anonymous.
Thursday 28th January 2010 | 01:17 PM...in response to this comment by . Well you aren't you smart? Taxpayers don't supprot private schools! Think before you write stupid crap like this!
Denis
Thursday 29th November 2007 | 01:20 AMMichael
Once again you commence a debate with nonsense. What are your texts that are authored and 'required' by 'atheists'. Can you name one mathematics text that is 'atheist'?
Without wishing to insult yourself or others, can you advise us of ANY texts in the curriculum that are WRONG, as opposed to just being ' authored by atheists'. Good luck. Please have the courage to report on your results, or not!