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Loading...Books Banned For “Contradicting the Bible”
After reviewing a complaint made by a community member, school board officials in Republic, Missouri determined that two books were inappropriate for high school students. They removed one, Sarah Ockler’s Twenty Boy Summer, from the school’s library, and another, the literary classic Slaughterhouse-Five, from the school’s curriculum.
Although school board members claimed that the books were banned because they were not “age-appropriate,” the original complaint was filed by a Wesley Scroggins, Republic resident who argued that the books “teach principles contrary to the Bible.” Scroggins also went after Speak, Laurie Halsey Anderson’s young adult novel about date rape, but the school board decided that it was not sufficiently offensive to be removed from shelves or syllabi.
“I congratulate them for doing what’s right and removing the two books,” said Scroggins (who, according to UPI, didn’t attend the board meeting). “It’s unfortunate they chose to keep the other book.”
Notably, only one school board member had actually read all three books. Twenty Boy Summer, a young adult novel about a girl who struggles with moving on after her boyfriend suddenly dies, was deemed inappropriate because it “sensationalizes sexual promiscuity.” Slaughterhouse-Five, a classic which was included on the high school’s upper level syllabi, had too much profanity for high school students to handle. Superintendent Vern Minor said that he thought it was a better choice for college students (because, you know, that summer after high school graduation makes all the difference in terms of maturity).
Students who want to use the books for a school project can get their parents’ permission to do so. Given this loophole, it’s highly likely that there will be many more book reports on Twenty Boy Summer in the coming school year. Perhaps someone will even investigate how, precisely, these books contradict Biblical teachings.
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Read more: banned books, book banning, censorship, christianity, high school, inappropriate relationships
Photo from wanderingone via flickr.
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199 comments
+ add your ownBanning books is so medieval. Has societies learned nothing? Read a book and decide for yourself if it's worthy of your thoughts or not. Don't allow others to have the power to dictate to you what you can or can't think or read.
What??? banning books now America??? Seriously?? China, Russia, Noth Corea and others will love to see how close of them we have become with those republicans in power. And they don't accept guns control laws!
I remember the Republican Senator for Texas and one of the favorites of Tea Party(Ted Cruz) asking if democrats believe they could ban books - when they were talking about gun control. It seems to me that he forgot to ask what people in his own party think about this!
Thanks
"Wesley Scroggins, Republic resident who argued that the books “teach principles contrary to the Bible.”"
Pretty much any intelligently written book will teach or contain principles contrary to the Bible. The Bible is pretty much contrary to intelligent thought and reason.
Wesley needs to crawl back under his rock along with all the other fundogelical wannabe tinpot pissy dictators.
I have always made a point to read all the banned books I can possibly find, simply so I can laugh afterward at the people who overreacted and banned a great book.
I actually voted "Yes" but for the reason that now, with the extra attention drawn to them, they will once again be appreciated by a new generation of kids who are smarter and more savvy than we give them credit for. So in a way, Kudo's Mr Scroggins for getting books banned that actually make kids WANT to read them, that make kids think about things in a new way, and kudo's for opening up your children's minds to greater concepts than your narrow view obvious embraces,
Kudo's and props to you Mr. Scroggins for leading a new generation toward greater things by activating their interest in something your facist, right wing ignorance wants the next generation to be blind to. You've done exactly the opposite of what you intended, and for that... I applaud you.
Now... would you please get someone to ban my books? They all center in some way around the effects of child abuse and can be found at jacarlton.com ... course I'll give you a hand here, the "Heroes of the Line" is especially geared toward young adults! Heaven forbid an abused child learn they rise above their experiences and use it to grow to be a hero!
What century are we living in?? You know that now the kids will WANT to read those books!! Or that's how I would have been at that age. Tell me I can't read something... And off I go to find it!!
Come home Mr Hitler- all is forgiven! The matches are over there...........
For my high school classes, each February was 'Read A Banned Book Month'. One of the questions my students most often asked was "Why was this book banned?"
Because, my dears, there are people out there whose raison d' être is to be offended - by books, by movies, by other people's beliefs and lifestyles.
Beware of them. They are a blight upon the earth.
Books should be read, not banned.
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