Banned Books Week

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This year Banned Books Week, sponsored by the American Library Association, will be held on September 23rd to 29th. It is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and recognizing those books that have been challenged or banned in libraries.

Since Banned Books Week was instituted in 1982, more than 11,300 books have been challenged or banned. Among the books that have been challenged or banned are the Dictionary (contains dirty words), Where's Waldo (cartoon boobs), The Diary of Anne Frank (sexual references), The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (attacks the logging industry), The Catcher in the Rye (sexual references and profanity), Animal Farm (Communist political theories), Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (cross dressing), Charlotte's Web (showing lower life forms with human abilities is sacrilegious and disrespectful to God) and the entire Harry Potter series (witchcraft).

I hope that you will all read a banned or challenged book to commemorate the week.
 
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Dave-W

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Don't forget the Bible (violence, intolerance) and Tom Sawyer. (the N word)

I find it amusing that Portnoy's Complaint was required reading in at least one of my highschool's English classes (not one that I took); and was later banned for way too much sex (masturbation) in it.
 
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redleghunter

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This year Banned Books Week, sponsored by the American Library Association, will be held on September 23rd to 29th. It is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and recognizing those books that have been challenged or banned in libraries.

Since Banned Books Week was instituted in 1982, more than 11,300 books have been challenged or banned. Among the books that have been challenged or banned are the Dictionary (contains dirty words), Where's Waldo (cartoon boobs), The Diary of Anne Frank (sexual references), The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (attacks the logging industry), The Catcher in the Rye (sexual references and profanity), Animal Farm (Communist political theories), Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (cross dressing), Charlotte's Web (showing lower life forms with human abilities is sacrilegious and disrespectful to God) and the entire Harry Potter series (witchcraft).

I hope that you will all read a banned or challenged book to commemorate the week.
With the exception of the Waldo book, I read all of the above prior to junior year of high school. All were required reading in my Catholic HS prep.

Might pick up Animal Farm because it’s fun to read to kids too.
 
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brinny

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Don't forget the Bible (violence, intolerance) and Tom Sawyer. (the N word)

I find it amusing that Portnoy's Complaint was required reading in at least one of my highschool's English classes (not one that I took); and was later banned for way too much sex (masturbation) in it.
Don't forget the Bible (violence, intolerance)

God have mercy!

Don't give anyone any ideas...

please.

scaredBaby.jpg
 
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Dave-W

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God have mercy!
Don't give anyone any ideas...
please.
Yeeeaaahhh.

I remember when the first Banned Book observance was held. One of the college bookstores had a big window display and a super sale on all books that had been banned.

That was where I found out Portnoy's was banned. (and the Bible) At that point I had wished I had read and discussed Portnoy in highschool. THAT would have been an interesting class ....
 
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joshua 1 9

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I hope that you will all read a banned or challenged book to commemorate the week.
Or maybe we can challenge a book to commemorate the week. It would be difficult to be in the text book business because there are parents that care about what their kids are learning in school and they keep a very close watch on that. There is a lot of debate and a lot of discussion about that.
 
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Archivist

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Or maybe we can challenge a book to commemorate the week. It would be difficult to be in the text book business because there are parents that care about what their kids are learning in school and they keep a very close watch on that. There is a lot of debate and a lot of discussion about that.

I don't think challenging a book is the way to mark a week designed to celebrate the freedom to read.
 
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joshua 1 9

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I find it amusing that Portnoy's Complaint was required reading in at least one of my highschool's English classes (not one that I took); and was later banned for way too much sex (masturbation) in it.
I do not know if it was ever required but it was on the suggested reading list. I more remember Catcher in the Rye when he got beat up by the girl's pimp. At the time I did not even understand how his little sister represented purity and innocence and the whole point of the book is that people lose their innocence when the grow up and become adults. Catcher in the Rye was implicated by the FBI when Hinckley shot president Reagan. We see this today on the internet when girls turn 18 and it becomes legal for them to lose their purity and innocence. I understand how Holden felt that he wanted to be a "catcher" to keep them young, pure and innocent and not end up like the prostitute and her pimp.
 
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joshua 1 9

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I don't think challenging a book is the way to mark a week designed to celebrate the freedom to read.
I had a friend who use to go to the festivals with a big banner to protest the Harry Potter books. Sometimes He had a big wooden cross he would carry. I remember once I saw a young girl run to her mommy very upset. She said Mommy, he says there is something wrong with Harry Potter! I am glad there are people willing to take a stand for the truth. I remember when one of those movies made it to TV I took a look hoping it was going to be as innocent and as pure as people claim. It turned out to be a LOT worse then I feared it would be. We are suppose to protect our children and not allow them to be exposed to things like that. When I was a child they had Saturday at the movie theater and we were exposed to moves we never should have been exposed to at that age. I wish someone had taken a stand back then to protest outside of the movie theater. At least people today are more willing to take a stand for the truth and what is good and right and true.
 
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Archivist

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I had a friend who use to go to the festivals with a big banner to protest the Harry Potter books. Sometimes He had a big wooden cross he would carry. I remember once I saw a young girl run to her mommy very upset. She said Mommy, he says there is something wrong with Harry Potter! I am glad there are people willing to take a stand for the truth. I remember when one of those movies made it to TV I took a look hoping it was going to be as innocent and as pure as people claim. It turned out to be a LOT worse then I feared it would be. We are suppose to protect our children and not allow them to be exposed to things like that. When I was a child they had Saturday at the movie theater and we were exposed to moves we never should have been exposed to at that age. I wish someone had taken a stand back then to protest outside of the movie theater. At least people today are more willing to take a stand for the truth and what is good and right and true.

There is a difference between protesting and banning. Hate to tell you this, but usually protests actually increase interest in something. I recall reading that the movie The Last Temptation of Christ wouldn't have done very well at the box office and probably would have quickly closed if it hadn't been for the protestors.

And I loved both the Harry Potter books and movies. One of them opened when I was visiting Prague, so I got to see it with Czech subtitles. That was cool!
 
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joshua 1 9

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There is a difference between protesting and banning.
There is also a difference between the Church Age and the Kingdom Age. Rev 20 "1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete."

Rev 12 12 "Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."

We dwell in the Heavenly Realm so we can rejoice. Even when the Earth is in turmoil because the devil knows that his time is short. I have seen the bottomless pit, when I was around 8 years old.
 
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There is also a difference between the Church Age and the Kingdom Age. Rev 20 "1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete."

Rev 12 12 "Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."

We dwell in the Heavenly Realm so we can rejoice. Even when the Earth is in turmoil because the devil knows that his time is short. I have seen the bottomless pit, when I was around 8 years old.

I'm not sure what this has to do with my statement that "there is a difference between protesting and banning." Are you suggesting that we should ban all books with which you have issues?
 
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joshua 1 9

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Are you suggesting that we should ban all books with which you have issues?
Yes I am advocating that we should ban books. Sort of reminds me of the movie foot loose when they wanted to ban dancing. The classic line is: Satan is not in these books, he is in your heart.

 
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Yes I am advocating that we should ban books. Sort of reminds me of the movie foot loose when they wanted to ban dancing. The classic line is: Satan is not in these books, he is in your heart.

So if Satan isn't in the books, why should we ban them? The line in the movie that you quoted is saying that we shouldn't ban books--remember, the pastor is telling his parishioners to stop burning them. BTW, the movie title is one word, not two.
 
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redleghunter

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Catcher in the Rye was implicated by the FBI when Hinckley shot president Reagan.
Catcher in the Rye was about the author revealing his own closeted homosexuality in the protagonist character.
 
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I love Harry Potter and Catcher in the Rye.
Excellent books! I have not read Catcher in the Rye since high school many years ago. I should probably get a copy and read it again.
 
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JCFantasy23

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Excellent books! I have not read Catcher in the Rye since high school many years ago. I should probably get a copy and read it again.

I know a lot of people dislike it due to how emotionally sensitive the protagonist is and his depression, but I found it interesting and actually liked him. Different strokes for different folks with books.
 
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I know a lot of people dislike it due to how emotionally sensitive the protagonist is and his depression, but I found it interesting and actually liked him. Different strokes for different folks with books.

I just ordered a copy, so that will give me some more reading material for the upcoming cold winter nights.
 
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