Apparently, Northern Lights, which was recently voted as one of the most influential novels of the past 70 years, has been withdrawn from some school libraries in Canada due to its atheist tendencies.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article2953880.ece
Should UK schools follow this example in order to safeguard our childrens' morality and also to protect christian values?
2007-12-02 00:20:01 · 27 answers · asked by pagreen1966 3 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
no.
2007-12-02 00:22:25 · answer #1 · answered by i am jacks fingers 3 · 5⤊ 1⤋
No we live in a democratic society and therefore anyone should be able to choose their reading material. Having read the book there is nothing in it to affect the morals of a child. The book is a work of fiction a fantasy and I think adults are taking it far too over the top on their reaction to it. Children are influenced by the things adults say to them if given a book and asked to read it without comment other than I think you will like it the child draws it own conclusions. This world and particularly the UK are becoming far too politically correct.
Years ago I went to live in South Africa at the time Enid Blyton books were banned to this day I can not understand the attitude that was taken to those books. That was because I had read them myself and not had a background to prejudge the contents by. Anyway as we had moved there from another country I had to dispose of a set of the best books I had read in a long time and I still consider them so now.
2007-12-02 02:51:02 · answer #2 · answered by BigMomma2 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What has atheism got to do with a lack of morality? We only said we didn't believe in your holy books, not that we didn't believe in morality. Contrary to popular Christian belief, morality is not God's word but simply doing what is right. So, in a sense, atheists may even have a better understanding of morality than Christians do, since we judge the morality of our actions not on what the holy books say, but on the real-life consequences.
Hey, "don't like, don't read". Banning books has never been a good way to "safeguard" people. Northern Lights, like it or not, is a great work of literature and counts as good exposure for any child studying English. There are also atheist students and students of other religions who would appreciate having that book to read, and no doubt some more open-minded Christian students would also like to see things from another perspective.
Y'know, some of us atheists actually went to Sunday School, read the Bible and found out what it said (I know I did) so before you condemn atheism (to hell) for a supposed "lack of morality", it'd be much appreciated if you could get out of your comfort zone and find out what it actually meant. Doing so would certainly make you sound more intelligent some of the time, like now.
2007-12-02 00:30:14 · answer #3 · answered by Aerin 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What makes you think atheists have no morals? We have respect for the law, and the way other people choose to live. Just because we don't attach ourselves to a God doesn't mean we do not have morals.
I don't think that UK schools should withdraw the Philip Pullman books. I think education means that you should be exposed to a range of ideas and that would just be taking one away. Besides, it is a work of fiction. Though even then, I wouldn't object to the works of Richard Dawkins being in schools either- it would encourage healthy discussion in RE classes.
2007-12-02 01:11:28 · answer #4 · answered by Don't Panic 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
(The book is known as _The Golden Compass_ in the US.)
This is a great idea!!! It will teach the children that the adults in charge have no idea of "morality" or "christian values" other than maintaining totalitarian control over the students' thoughts. The sooner they learn this, the better. Further, many of them will seek out the book and learn that these adults are not only totalitarian control freaks, but just plain total idiots. As a consequence, they will not only come to oppose censorship, but never take the word of authority figures without checking things out for themselves.
(Looking forward to seeing the movie version with my niece and nephew--)
2007-12-02 01:23:26 · answer #5 · answered by clore333 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Certainly not and in Britains increasingly secular society, unlikely to happen . Phillip Pullmans trilogy is a fantastic read which i would recommend to all, irrespective of age or religious beliefs, what a pity to ban such well crafted fiction....I have no agenda here as having been an almost life long atheist, i now find myself edging towards belief.
2007-12-02 02:53:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't beleive that banning books makes sense. Censorship only stirs up more interest in the banned material and the controversy actually serves to promote it's sales.
People can and should decide for themselves what they wish to view and the "safeguarding" of morality shouldn't be a function of the church. The church is poorly placed to show any leadership in this area.
2007-12-02 00:32:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Of course not.
Banning books is a very heavy-handed measure that should only ever be used for very extreme cases of, for example racism and pornography.
Calling for books to be banned just because you disagree with them personally is ignorant and narrow minded.
Better to have lots of books presenting all different points of view so that children can make their own minds up without one or other faction trying to brainwash them.
2007-12-02 00:27:19 · answer #8 · answered by Pinky S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No this is pc gone crazy he is a good author and my son reads his books
I have no problems whatsoever with the contents of his books and i have to say if this book was withdrawn in the UK i would find this slightly hypocritical as in the UK we have lost many of our own traditions for fear of upsetting other religions
2007-12-02 04:14:43 · answer #9 · answered by sammie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO, definitely not - that is if we still believe we live in democracy - children's sense of morality should be taught at home by their parents together with their teachers at schools but to ban something because it might differ from one's views it's absolute communism - have we come to this then?
2007-12-02 00:28:12 · answer #10 · answered by Medusa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. No book should be banned. Morality cannot be legislated by the government.
They have no morals you see and are a poor example to children themselves.
2007-12-02 00:29:03 · answer #11 · answered by nemesis114 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋