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.
I take it from the gratutious viciousness of your comment that you're a Christian.
Now today no one wants to invent a "seperation of church and state"
But yesterday..
Now that's intelligent commentary.
You know, every time I hear a remark like that from a statist control freak I want to grab their little book or whatever and destroy it just to see if they will follow through on their threat.
PLUS, this IS a school library we are talking about here.
The parents have a right to decry the material their children have access to, and it doesn't matter if the FR's "potter bots" like it or not.
First of all they should stop turning people off to Christ with all their sanctimony.
It didn't turn me off.. and me thinks the wiccans and the potter-bots should clean up their own back yards before making suggestions to the Christians on how to run and recruit for their faith.
I don't usually "potter bash" at all, but I see no need to get so defensive about a piece of junk fiction as some on these threads.
Sounds like Alec Baldwin hacked us every time I read one of these things.
A.) Book burning, when done by private individuals, is a legitimate form of free speech, and is fully protected under the 1st amendment
B.) Since public schools are cumpulsory (I won't even bring up the fact that they really don't even have the right to exist), then parents of children forced to be there have every right to say, "My child will not be exposed to this against my will".
Better start banning Snow White, Cinderella, and most fairy tales too!
Done. Get a list togeather and fax it to me by monday.
REVELATION 22:15-
"Outside the city are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexualy immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who pracitces falsehoods."
In other words, not only the books are Satanic, but so are the public schools themselves.
Yep. It tells of the dark side of mankind, as well as the bright side. It teaches consequences of either choice.
I think before people decide to use the Bible as a liberal tool, they should be able to read and comprehend the book first.
The Bible is WAY over their heads.
Connecticut is a state that for all of its leftwing liberalism in the cities can be remarkably in-bred and atavistic. Sounds like the folks complaining about books in the the school library have far too much time on their hands and far too little useful work. Self-styled "Christians" who prate on about things like this should focus on their own behavior and be less concerned with that of others.
Agreed. Fair is fair. If Earth Worship is allowed, if Muslim is part of the curriculium, then add Christianty, or remove it all.
That is what I wonder when I hear about people wanting to ban the Harry Potter books. I have read comments that they are afraid children will try it. So what? The kiddies will find out that they cannot make objects fly across the room or turn themselves into cats.
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