[nredman]

ATLANTA - A suburban county that sparked a public outcry when its libraries temporarily eliminated funding for Spanish-language fiction is now being asked to ban Harry Potter books from its schools.

Laura Mallory, a mother of four, told a hearing officer for the Gwinnett County Board of Education on Tuesday that the popular fiction series is an "evil" attempt to indoctrinate children in the Wicca religion.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061004/...potter_protest


get a ****ing life lady jeez

[Dakar]

Wicca. Heh. That religion is only popular among lesbians.

[davesimondotcom]

Scary thing is that it's people like this that tend to multiply more and faster than people who aren't wacko zealots.

[red rocket]

Avada Kedavra!

[Y3a]

Nobodys making HER or her idiot kids read them, so I don't see the problem. Obviously she's a nutcase whiner with too much time on her hands.

[Y3a]

Dup Post.

[Dark Helmet]

Even worse I hear it in involves atheism and gays.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet

Even worse I hear it in involves atheism and gays.

Nah, just atheism. Unless I’m missing something?

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Dakar

Wicca. Heh. That religion is only popular among lesbians.

Hey, the hottest chick I know is a Wiccan.

So, uh, yeah, probably.

[Dakar]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Hey, the hottest chick I know is a Wiccan.

So, uh, yeah, probably.

I wish I could say that about the 3 I've encountered...

[olePigeon]

Didn't they celebrate Christmas in the books?

Also, magic isn't seen as a religious component in Harry Potter. It's a tool and just an every day part of life like computers or a car.

[screamingFit]

How many people would bitch if this library had the Christian Bible available? Or the Koran? Or the Tibetan Book of the Dead? Would you tell those people bitching that they're "idiots" or tell them that "nobody's making you read them"?

Religion shouldn't be in schools. I personally don't see anything wrong with this women's whine. Some religions look at Magik as being evil, therefore, making it a religious issue.

Granted, I think she should probably focus her efforts on something more important than a bunch of silly books but, hey - to each his own.

[Dakar]

Set coordinates for the PL lounge, maximum warp.

Engage!

[Y3a]

Originally Posted by screamingFit

How many people would bitch if this library had the Christian Bible available? Or the Koran? Or the Tibetan Book of the Dead? Would you tell those people bitching that they're "idiots" or tell them that "nobody's making you read them"?

Religion shouldn't be in schools. I personally don't see anything wrong with this women's whine. Some religions look at Magik as being evil, therefore, making it a religious issue.

Granted, I think she should probably focus her efforts on something more important than a bunch of silly books but, hey - to each his own.

Potter universe magic is tool, not religious, so Potter SHOULD STAY.

[Eriamjh]

Any kid who becomes a Wiccan because of Harry Potter is going to be SORELY disappointed.

[Oisín]

How many people would bitch if this library had the Christian Bible available? Or the Koran? Or the Tibetan Book of the Dead? Would you tell those people bitching that they're "idiots" or tell them that "nobody's making you read them"?

First off, yes, I would. Even a school library should be a place where books both for pleasure reading and for information gathering are available. The Bible, the Koran, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead are all perfectly legitimate religious works that should be there for information purposes, if nothing else.

Secondly, these three are vastly different from the Harry Potter in they are actually religious works, which Harry Potter books are not. To claim that Harry Potter indoctrinates Wiccanism is simply ridiculous: the Harry Potter books have about as much to do with Wiccanism as a trout on a bicycle. They don’t promote Wiccanism for the simple reason that they don’t deal with Wiccanism at all. They deal with good and evil, friendship, overcoming difficulties, and such basic fairytale notions.

Religion shouldn't be in schools.

Religion shouldn’t be indoctrinated in schools. But every reference to religion one might find should not be wiped clean from schools, either. There are plenty of good reasons to keep religious works in school libraries—they’re great sources for information about religions, if one happens to be doing a project on Tibetan religions, for instance—as long as they’re not being indoctrinated by teachers as part of the general education.

I personally don't see anything wrong with this women's whine. Some religions look at Magik as being evil, therefore, making it a religious issue.

Some religions look at eating beef as evil—does that mean that all cookbooks that contain beef recipes are therefore made religious issues and should be removed?

Some religions see work on a Sunday as evil—does that mean that the book about how Mike and Lisa had lots of fun setting up a lemonade stand on their street one Sunday afternoon, and even made enough money to buy the toy they wanted, is religious and should be removed?

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by screamingFit

Religion shouldn't be in schools. I personally don't see anything wrong with this women's whine. Some religions look at Magik as being evil, therefore, making it a religious issue.

Your religion having an opinion on that subject does not make the subject inherently religious. Some religions view pork or beef as evil — are cookbooks religious? Many books feature violence, which most religions have strong opinions about — does that make all those books religious?

[Rumor]

Psst, just to let y'all know....some Christians used to pratice ritual magik.

[Oisín]

Your religion having an opinion on that subject does not make the subject inherently religious. Some religions view pork or beef as evil — are cookbooks religious?

Hey! Example-stealer!

[Gossamer]

Ask any Christian who hates Harry Potter because it has magic what they think of Lord of the Rings. I've shut a few anti-Harry Potter zealots up with that. Uh-oh, a book...containing the use of magic...written by a Christian author...ban it!

[Rumor]

What about the Chronicles of Narnia? Doesn't that story have some kind of Christian message in it?

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Rumor

What about the Chronicles of Narnia? Doesn't that story have some kind of Christian message in it?

It does: “Every time you get lost in a stranger’s coat wardrobe, a talking lion gets killed”.

[andi*pandi]

that, and turkish delight will only cause trouble.

[Oisín]

True. Very true.

[Rumor]

mmmm, turkish delight...

[Dark Helmet]

Originally Posted by Rumor

What about the Chronicles of Narnia? Doesn't that story have some kind of Christian message in it?

Um ya, it has christmas in it no?

So once I think about it National Lampoons Christmas movie should be banned also.

[Mastrap]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi

that, and turkish delight will only cause trouble.

I once dated a Greek delight. She was trouble alright.

[synthfiend]

Originally Posted by Y3a

Nobodys making HER or her idiot kids read them, so I don't see the problem. Obviously she's a CHRISTIAN whiner with too much time on her hands.

Fixed.

[screamingFit]

Originally Posted by Oisín

First off, yes, I would. Even a school library should be a place where books both for pleasure reading and for information gathering are available. The Bible, the Koran, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead are all perfectly legitimate religious works that should be there for information purposes, if nothing else.

Secondly, these three are vastly different from the Harry Potter in they are actually religious works, which Harry Potter books are not. To claim that Harry Potter indoctrinates Wiccanism is simply ridiculous: the Harry Potter books have about as much to do with Wiccanism as a trout on a bicycle. They don’t promote Wiccanism for the simple reason that they don’t deal with Wiccanism at all. They deal with good and evil, friendship, overcoming difficulties, and such basic fairytale notions.



Religion shouldn’t be indoctrinated in schools. But every reference to religion one might find should not be wiped clean from schools, either. There are plenty of good reasons to keep religious works in school libraries—they’re great sources for information about religions, if one happens to be doing a project on Tibetan religions, for instance—as long as they’re not being indoctrinated by teachers as part of the general education.



Some religions look at eating beef as evil—does that mean that all cookbooks that contain beef recipes are therefore made religious issues and should be removed?

Some religions see work on a Sunday as evil—does that mean that the book about how Mike and Lisa had lots of fun setting up a lemonade stand on their street one Sunday afternoon, and even made enough money to buy the toy they wanted, is religious and should be removed?

It is a public school. The mother has a right to bitch about whatever she wants since she's a taxpayer. Hell, she could bitch that the school colors are wrong. It's her right.

I was trying to make the point that people would bitch about the Ten Commandments, the Bible, etc. being displayed in the school but then call someone else who displays their distaste to something as fanciful as a kids book that has magic in it as an "idiot". Potter books contain magic - and I don't care if it's "magic-lite" or whatever - it's still magic and her opinion is that it's evil. Shout all you want, lady.

I don't agree with what the lady is saying but I support her right to say it since it is a public school that she helps fund with her tax dollars. I'm more preturbed that money was spent on non-educational materials in the school library but, whatever.

Personally, I wish religion could just be forgotten by everyone.

[mitchell_pgh]

I agree that she has the right to complain, but if you ban Harry Potter, basically you need to ban all fiction.



A steam shovel with eyes! Witchcraft!!!

Just think about Dr. Seuss books!

[screamingFit]

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

I agree that she has the right to complain, but if you ban Harry Potter, basically you need to ban all fiction.



A steam shovel with eyes! Witchcraft!!!

Just think about Dr. Seuss books!

Ban fiction in a public education institution? I'm for that.

[::maroma::]

The things people choose to complain about... I'll just never understand it.

Clueless idiots who know nothing but the tiny little world that revolves around them. I hope her kids turn into witches and boil her in a cauldron with eyes of toad and wings of bat. One less moron.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by screamingFit

It is a public school. The mother has a right to bitch about whatever she wants since she's a taxpayer. Hell, she could bitch that the school colors are wrong. It's her right.

I don't agree with what the lady is saying but I support her right to say it since it is a public school that she helps fund with her tax dollars. I'm more preturbed that money was spent on non-educational materials in the school library but, whatever.

Ah, sorry, I misunderstood your post, then—I thought you meant that her point was a valid and reasonable one. Of course she has the right to bitch about it... but we have the right to think (and say) she’s an idiot for thinking Harry Potter has anything to do with Wiccanism, too.

I was trying to make the point that people would bitch about the Ten Commandments, the Bible, etc. being displayed in the school but then call someone else who displays their distaste to something as fanciful as a kids book that has magic in it as an "idiot".

There’s a difference, though. I’d object to the Bible or the Ten Commandments being on display, too. That is, if they were written in large golden capitals above the entrance, or something similar. That would be indoctrination, forcing the religion on the students with an in-your-face attitude that has no place in a school.

A library, however, is a place that should have all sorts of books. Obviously, there needs to be some notion of audience—having a section for dissertations on the uses of complex conjunctions in Wulfila’s Gothic translation of the Bible would be just a tad off in a public school, since none of the students (most likely) would have a clue what it was about or understand it. But a copy of the Bible isn’t in itself anything wrong to have in a library in a public school, since it can very easily be relevant research material.

As long as there’s a point in having a book in the library (i.e., someone might use it either for something school-related or just for pleasure reading), then I don’t see a problem with it, whether it’s religious or not.

For the record, the library in my old public school had copies of both the Bible, the Koran, some old Chinese philosophic works, some books about Native American religions, Ásatrú (both the new and the old), Celtic Druidism, Satanism, and probably a lot of other religious texts as well. To my knowledge, that never ‘indoctrinated’ any of the students to become Muslims, Native Americans, or Satanists.

Potter books contain magic - and I don't care if it's "magic-lite" or whatever - it's still magic and her opinion is that it's evil. Shout all you want, lady.

She can shout all she wants, that’s true. Let’s just hope she doesn’t get her way, ’cause the only ones who’d suffer from that would be the kids.

Personally, I wish religion could just be forgotten by everyone.

No arguments there.

[andi*pandi]

Originally Posted by screamingFit

Ban fiction in a public education institution? I'm for that.

well, then you're basically talking about banning english lit, then book reports, or anything else that might encourage a kid to read. Philosophy, art, history, sociology, and english classes all use fiction. It's not even so much about the reading as the thought that then has to be applied to the report- comprehension skills, debating, etc.

kids don't exactly fall into the biography demographic.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by screamingFit

I'm more preturbed that money was spent on non-educational materials in the school library but, whatever.

Right, because encouraging children to read books is something totally unworthy of a school. I hear they're even wasting money on old fiction like Romeo & Juliet and Catcher In The Rye.

[kmkkid]

God Warrior, is that you?

[macintologist]

There is a copy of the Bible, the Koran and all sorts of other religious books in the religion section of my highschool library. I see nothing wrong with that.

This lady hates freedom. She should go **** herself.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Rumor

What about the Chronicles of Narnia? Doesn't that story have some kind of Christian message in it?

Actually, I typed 'Chronicles of Narnia' in my previous post, but deleted it. They don't use any type of 'wave a wand' magic, but there is some working of the supernatural.
And for anyone that watched the movie/read the book but didn't get it, it's the Christian gospel message rewritten. The author, C.S. Lewis, was a Christian philosopher and wrote a lot of other great nonfiction books regarding religion and such. But the point of the story is that man screws up and does wrong, and an all-powerful, awe-inspiring being sacrifices his life to save the person that screwed up. Everyone is sad and the 'bad guy' thinks she's won, but then Aslan comes back from the dead to live again. Of course, it's fiction and there's a lot of extra stuff thrown in there, but that's the basic message.
According to J.R.R. Tolkien, author of LOTR, he wanted to write a book about religion without actually using religion, so he wrote the LOTR series.

So yeah. Anyone freaking out about Harry Potter needs to get their priorities straight and realize that reading a fictional book alone can't make anyone worship Satan or whatever. Just teach your kids discernment and common sense.

[Dark Helmet]

Originally Posted by kmkkid

God Warrior, is that you?

I hear she opened a camp for kids

[brassplayersrock²]

Originally Posted by macintologist

There is a copy of the Bible, the Koran and all sorts of other religious books in the religion section of my highschool library. I see nothing wrong with that.

This lady hates freedom. She should go **** herself.

qouted for emphasis

[Salty]

I bet she didn't have a problem with the Veggie Tales movie.

[davesimondotcom]

Originally Posted by Dark Helmet

I hear she opened a camp for kids

Bet they are lining up at the gates to go to that one.

But, I knew it was going to happen because I'm a slykick.

[sknapp351]

My stomach just turned when I realized that this story is from the next county over from where my parents live. I'm gonna have to send this to my dad, he'll get a kick. I don't think they're all wackos down there, just some.
SAm

[JoshuaZ]

Banning Potter will decrease school violence.... maybe if we have the kids read the Bible every day then they'll.... oh wait... apparently no one ever remembers the fun parts of the bible. Death, plague, trials, incest, murder....

Sigh.....

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Dakar

Wicca. Heh. That religion is only popular among lesbians.

I don't think I'd make a very good lesbian... I use the wrong restroom.

Generalizations about ALL religions are unwise and often dangerous. This one was just funny.

The headline on the news story should have been "Georgia Mother has Poo for Brains." She's obviously never read the stories, doesn't understand that the kids at Hogwarts celebrate Christmas, and that magic has nothing to do with religion.

I often feel that the people who squeal the most about religion are the most insecure about their own. This is yet another data point supporting that premise.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by ghporter

I often feel that the people who squeal the most about religion are the most insecure about their own. This is yet another data point supporting that premise.

Hatred is most often born out of ignorance, right? It's obvious she's never read the book. I read the first one in an afternoon when it first came out...within ten minutes I was using a stick I found in the yard to plague my entire neighborhood with disease and destruction. Actually I turned out normal.

[Andy8]

Why do Atheists care about Religion?

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Gossamer

Hatred is most often born out of ignorance, right? It's obvious she's never read the book. I read the first one in an afternoon when it first came out...within ten minutes I was using a stick I found in the yard to plague my entire neighborhood with disease and destruction. Actually I turned out normal.

I think the term "normal" is debatable when applied to the lot of us!

[Dakar]

Originally Posted by ghporter

I don't think I'd make a very good lesbian... I use the wrong restroom..

Are you trying to tell me you're wiccan?

Originally Posted by ghporter

Generalizations about ALL religions are unwise and often dangerous. This one was just funny.

Well, what I said is true (from my experiences). But I'm smart enough to realize it might not be true universally.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by ghporter

I think the term "normal" is debatable when applied to the lot of us!

True...I meant that in the loosest sense of the word, as in I'm not sitting in my parents' basement over a boiling cauldron casting spells on all of the people that picked on me in high school.