Athée Canadien
Posts tagged book burning
Banning and Burning
Apr 2nd
Jerry Coyne has already commented on “Fifteen people who would still be alive if it weren’t for religion”, and the Globe and Mail directs readers to a related story on this topic. When Terry Jones, a Florida pastor, burned a copy of the Koran, he caused a riot in an already volatile country. According to an article in the New York Times, “Unable to find Americans on whom to vent their anger, the mob turned instead on the next-best symbol of Western intrusion — the nearby United Nations headquarters.”
While burning books happens less frequently than banning books, both are a disturbing and evoke a highly emotional reaction. The result, in the most extreme cases, is innocent people die; in most cases, the banning or burning of any book causes outrage and controversy. The most benign reaction, when a book has been singled out for censure, is the title of the book is mentioned in the press and on the Internet and people want to read it.
In any discussion of book burning, someone brings up the Nazi book burnings, but this was not the first time books were burned or banned. According to the article Banned and Burned: A History of Book Censorship on Religious Grounds,
In Athens, around 5th century, the treatise of Protagoras was singled out as offensive. The first sentence of his treatise read, “Concerning the gods I am not able to know either that they do exist or that they do no[t] exist. Protagoras was exiled and all copies were of his treatise were publicly burned. Socrates was condemned to death for similar thinking.
Freedom to Read Week is an annual event in Canada and usually takes place in February, which is of course a good time to curl up with a book. However, every week should be a freedom to read week. A search on the Internet will give you numerous sites that provide lists of books banned and burned through the centuries. How many of these books have you read? How many would you like to read? Are there any you think should be banned or burned? I hope not; a negative review should be sufficient.
“Burning a Quar’an is no different than burning a Bible”
Sep 9th
I wholeheartedly have to agree with our Defence Minister, Peter MacKay when he had this to say about International Burn a Koran Day:
…burning a Qur’an is no different than burning a Bible
I have to start to disagree with him immediately however, since his next few words are “This is a book of faith.”
He goes on, with Stephen Harper spout platitudes about religious tolerance (except of gays and abortions of course), to talk about how burning Qur’ans potentially puts soldiers fighting in Afghanistan at risk for increased violence from extremists who would use these images.
So I finished reading this CBC article, which includes a number of quotes from pastor Terry Jones (who has co-protested with the Westboro “God Hates Fags” Baptists), and I realized something.
I have much more support for Jones and his position than any one else’s.
Here’s his justification (at least now):
“Our burning of the Qur’an is to call the attention that something’s wrong,” Jones told reporters. “We are not convinced that backing down is the right thing.”
“Earlier Wednesday, associate pastor Wayne Sapp told CBC News “people have to be accountable for their own actions.”
“I don’t believe that anyone would die as a result of something we do,” Sapp said. “If a radical element of Islam is violent, if it’s out to take American lives, today it will use this as an excuse. Tomorrow it will find something else.” [emphasis mine]
He gets it (at least in this case).
It reminds me of rape culture whereby the victim of a sexual assault is blamed for encouraging the attack by dressing proactively or otherwise taunting their attacker.
If we are free to wear as slutty of clothes as we choose to (and feel safe doing so), then we should be free to draw offensive cartoons or burn books (that we acquire legally), if we so choose to.
My only real issue with this event is that I deplore the destruction of books as they contain knowledge. However, this book burning is not about censoring Islam (and the internet has taught us that censorship is dying), and is more of a political statement akin to flag or bra burning. And I support the freedom to perform both of those actions.
Now, so long as Mr. Jones is willing to concede that I have every right to burn a Bible on September 11, then I have to say that while his event is absurdly offensive (which is not to say it ought to be illegal), then I support his freedom.
Meanwhile, I must express complete disillusionment that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation decided to host “Restore a Quar’an Day” in response to the burnings and will donate Quar’ans to the Afghan National Army.
Basically, in a country that is torn to shreds by religious violence and repression, the atheists in the military want to give more religion to the police that they’re trying to leave in charge of the region.
Jones is spot on, if murderers shouldn’t get a pass by saying someone of the same nationality or skin colour pissed them off anymore than rapists can claim the victim asked for it.
The Salvation Army destroys books
Sep 1st
An interesting email exchange was passed along to me that I’ve been given permission to publicize regarding books that are sold at Salvation Army Thrift Stores.
Over the course of the exchange (which lasts several months and includes many non-responses from the Army), it is admitted that the Salvation Army occasionally censors donated books that they receive that do not fit their Christian worldview. The censored books are then destroyed.
I’m not going to post the entire exchange here, or give out names or emails, but here’s some choice snippets (Salvation Army spokespeople in bold):
The Salvation Army store staff do their best to screen books so that we don’t sell books of a pornographic nature, or those that promote promiscuity.
If you find a book that you feel falls into the above categories, please don’t hesitate to bring it to the attention of the store Manager.
Regarding books that describe various philosophies on creation and evolution, non-Christian philosophies and beliefs, etc. we do sell those, as long as they don’t promote non-Christian beliefs. Again, if you see something that should not be on the shelf, please address it with the Store Manager, who will be happy to remove it if it’s unsuitable.
Does this mean that you will be more vigilant about Shakespeare, Greek mythology, or similar classical literature?
- No, because to meet the criteria which you are advocating, we would have to have staff with a thorough knowledge of every author, their opinions, theologies, writing styles etc and that is possible. We do the best we can with the resources and knowledge that we have available to us. We realize that our system is far from perfect,but we try to screen the books at our warehouse and again at store level, but it is difficult because of the enormous volume we process.What books (besides pornography and promiscuity) are removed from your shelves?
Books that promote any religion other than Christianity. Certain authors who we know use bad language, explicit sex or violence in their books. Again, I repeat our knowledge in this area is limited so it is highly probable that we miss some unsuitable books.What happens to those books? Are they put in a place where others may read them?
Destroyed, not re-circulated.
Of course the Army is not known for it’s progressive ideas, including about homosexuality:
For this reason such practices [as homosexuality], if unrenounced, render a person ineligible for Salvation Army soldiership, in the same way that unrenounced heterosexual misconduct is a bar to soldiership. The Army recognises the strength of feeling about sexual identity, and the difficulty many find in expressing this identity in keeping with scriptural standards.
However, it believes firmly in the power of God’s grace to enable the maintenance of a lifestyle pleasing to him, including a lifestyle built upon celibacy and self-restraint for those who will not or cannot marry. No one who yields to the lordship of Christ and who undertakes by his grace to live in accordance with the teaching of Scripture is excluded from Christian fellowship and service in the Army.
So when donating at Christmas, or giving away used clothes, books, or other belongings, consider Value Village or other thrift stores which donate portions of their profits to secular charities.
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