Mo. highschool bans a book for a religious reason

[ensho]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/07/27/280691/missouri-school-district-bans-books/


MO High School Bans ‘SlaughterHouse Five’ From Curriculum, Library Because Its Principles Are Contrary To The Bible


On Monday at the Republic, MO school board meeting, four Republic School Board members reviewed a year-old complaint that three books are inappropriate reading material for high school children. In a 4-0 vote, the members decided to ax two of the three books from the high school curriculum and the library shelves: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler and Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson was spared. The resident who filed the original complaint targeted these three books because “they teach principles contrary to the Bible“:

-snip-

While the books will be removed from the curriculum and the library, students desiring to read these books can get parent permission to use them for a school project. “If the parent thinks ‘For Johnny, it is age-appropriate,’ then we’ll let the parent make the call,” Minor said. It is important to note that, out of the four School Board Members, only one has actually read all three books.
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one of the first steps in getting into the political stream is to get yourself on a schoolboard.

its amazing the power schoolboards have.

the religiously insane should be barred from any type of govt. office including schoolboards.

the religiously insane are dangerous.

[aquart]

1. Local elections are the most neglected and the most vital.

[SteppingRazor]

2. Pathetic. I'm not familiar with Twenty Boy Summer, but...

Slaughterhouse Five is a great work of literature. And regardless of that, a public institution has no right to ban books on religious grounds, or any grounds short of obscenity. (And even then, it's a bit of an "eye of the beholder" issue.)

[socialshockwave]

3. Mhm.

If students who are religious object to the book, they can always - y'know, NOT READ IT!

[SteppingRazor]

4. And compare and contrast this with that other thread we're both in, on the 9/11 cross.

No matter where you go or who you talk to, there's always someone trying to save you from yourself.

[socialshockwave]

6. So true.

As I said, I consider myself a Christian and a proud one. The Religious Right bastardizes the works of God and Jesus with their actions.

[SteppingRazor]

7. Well, as a Christian, please do forgive me...

for my snide introduction as an atheist in the other thread, comparing God to Santa and the Tooth Fairy. :)

[socialshockwave]

8. XD

No worries at all. I don't belittle anyone's beliefs.

:)

[hifiguy]

5. I read "Slaughterhouse Five" when I was in 9th grade

at 15 and loved it. I think that book definitely influenced my weird sense of humor. From there I progressed to more Vonnegut, Bradbury, Orwell, Tolkein, etc, etc.

Xtianists sicken me. They loathe their own humanity and minds.

[sammytko]

9. heck, if its forbidden - they will read it!! n/t

[Arkansas Granny]

10. So true. They'll have to find out why it's so bad.

[truebrit71]

11. Thanks for the reminder religious idiots, I just bought another copy...

I'm sorry, but how is this any different than blowing up statues of Buddha?

[sammytko]

12. i'm downloading one for my Kindle - 3.99! n/t

[lunatica]

13. That's one way to get teens to read it

Which they will.

[Bluenorthwest]

14. Slaugherhouse Five or The Children's Crusade: A Duty Dance

With Death. That is the full title of this great work. Anyone who thinks this book is contrary to Christianity not only misunderstands the book, but also misunderstands the Christ. The following quote is from Mr Vonnegut's book 'Jailbird':
"Congressman Nixon had asked me why, as the son of immigrants who had been treated so well by Americans, as a man who had been treated like a son and been sent to Harvard by an American capitalist, I had been so ungrateful to the American economic system.
The answer I gave him was not original. Nothing about me has ever been original. I repeated what my one-time hero, Kenneth Whistler, had said in reply to the same general sort of question long, long ago. Whistler had been a witness at a trial of strikers accused of violence. The judge had become curious about him, had asked him why such a well-educated man from such a good family would so immerse himself in the working class.
My stolen answer to Nixon was this: "Why? The Sermon on the Mount, sir."