Posted on 07/19/2002 5:01:15 PM PDT by plato99
By Michael L. Betsch
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
July 19, 2002
(CNSNews.com) - In Cromwell, Conn., a local middle school is resisting a call from Christian parents to ban certain children's books, including 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond' and 'Harry Potter.'
Some Christian parents want such books removed from the school library on the grounds that they promote the Wiccan religion. One local minister said the books have some of the town's kids cooking up magic spells and reading Tarot cards.
School officials refused to comment to CNSNews.com.
Tim Milleville, pastor of River Bend Christian Fellowship, a local Christian church, said some of the parents who are now circulating a petition regard the books as "Witchcraft 101" -- a way of easing kids into Wicca. "Before they realize it, they're playing around with spells and things," he said.
Milleville also said the Harry Potter books portray Christianity in a "bad light," and he believes the popular series has satanic overtones.
"I know people into Wicca, at some level, would say they are not connected to Satanism," Milleville said, "but there is stuff that says they are."
However, Darla Kaye Wynne, the assistant national director of Witches Against Religious Discrimination (WARD), denied any association between her religion and Satanism. She also denied any connection between Wicca and Harry Potter.
"In our deity, we don't even have a Satan," Wynne said. She also clarified that neither 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond' nor any of the books in the 'Harry Potter' series are Wiccan in nature.
Wynne argues that Christians are "losing the concept of what their own religion represents, what Christ, and what God had to say."
If books such as those being protested in Cromwell promote violence, hatred and prejudice, then parental consent should be required, Wynne said. But she noted that the Bible also includes prejudice and violence, yet it can be found on the shelves of most school libraries.
"The Bible states that it's okay for a man to beat a woman. It also states that it's acceptable to kill a witch," Wynne said. "So, it promotes murder."
Milleville acknowledged some of Wynne's observations about the Bible, but he disagreed with her notion that the Bible promotes murder.
"There's a lot of stuff that we don't do today, even though it was there; eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth," Milleville said. "I think some of that stuff is there to really present the dangers of it."
But Milleville said the dangers posed by books like the Harry Potter series are real because kids end up familiarizing themselves with terminology associated with magic spells and witchcraft.
Milleville did allow, however, "It's people's right to read what they want, I guess."
"I appreciate the position of the [parents] that are raising the ruckus, but I wouldn't go as far as banning the books," Milleville said. "You start trying to throw out books that say bad things about anybody, you're going to throw them all out eventually."
"Just because a book has the word 'witch' in it, doesn't mean that it promotes witchcraft," Wynne said.
As they are to mentally ill to function on their own in society
We have had enough of book burning.
Christendom will survive Harry Potter.
I wonder if they know/teach whom that city is named after...
Yep. Cromwell. A great man in history. Even the liberal Brits honor him with a statue outside their Parliament building.
Feeling tolerance-deprived, are you?
What kind of idiot do you have to be to think that any of this stuff is for real? Get a grip. It's all make-believe. Why don't they ban "Cinderella" while they're at it--just think of the harm that could come from saying "Bibbity bobbity boo!"
"Wicca" is just a new age nature worship neo-pagan cult. If any of these wannabee "witches" think they have "the power" they are just as nutty as the book burners.
!
So that's what it's called. Cool. Who can I sue???
=)
If the library doesn't allow Bibles, then the Christians sure have a point.
I believe there is a natural animositiy there.
Oh gee, you're going to let us read what we want to read? Well now isn't that real big of you. Who says you guys are nut cases? It just isn't so.
Composer: Frederic Chopin
Music: Polonaise No. 6 in Ab
Author: John Cleese
Featured on : Monty Python Sings
Originally transribed by by Gustaf Sjöblom
Spoken: The most interesting thing about King Charles the first is that he was 5 foot 6 inches tall at the start of his reign, but only 4 foot 8 at the end of it....becasue of....
Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England PURITAN Born in 1599 and died in 1658 SEPTEMBER Was at first ONLY MP for Huntingdon BUT THEN He led the Ironside Cavalry at Marston Moor in 1644 and won Then he founded the new model army And praise be, beat the Cavaliers at Naisby And the King fled up North, like a bat to the Scots.
Spoken: But under the terms of John Pimm's Solemn league and covenant, the scots handed King Charles the first over to....
Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England AND HIS WARTS Born in 1599 and died in 1658 SEPTEMBER But alas OY VAY! Disagreement then broke out BETWEEN The Presbyterian Parliament And the Military who meant To have an independent bent. And so ... The 2nd Civil War broke out And the Roundhead ranks Faced the Cavaliers at Preston banks And the King lost again, silly thing STUPID GIT!
Spoken: And Cromwell sent Colonel Pride to purge the House of Commons of the Presbyterian Royalists, leaving behind only the rump Parliment.
Which appointed a High Court at Westminster Hall To indict Charles I for ... tyranny OOOHHH! Charles was sentenced to death Even though he refused to accept That the court had ... jurisdiction SAY GOODBYE TO HIS HEAD. Poor King Charles laid his head on the block JANUARY 1649 Down came the axe, and ...
Spoken: In the silence that followed, the only sound that could be heard was a solitary giggle, from....
Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England OLE Born in 1599 and died in 1658 SEPTEMBER Then he smashed IRELAND Set up the Commonwealth AND MORE He crushed the Scots at Worcester And beat the Dutch at sea In 1653 and then He dissolved the rump Parliament And with Lambert's consent Wrote the instrument of Government Under which Oliver was Protector at last.
The End!
Wiccan is a religion just ask them.
I'm NOT going there......
What makes you think these folks NEED a frontal lobotomy?? They were probably born without.
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