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Print I’m not trying to be anyone’s conscience, but some books don’t need to be read. Yes, the book columnist said it. Some books do open doors that we as Christians need to keep locked—just as with some music and film. That’s why we should exercise a certain level of human judgment in these areas. But given that the Bible, Little House on the Prairie, Anne Frank’s Diary, and so many other books have all been censored before, I submit that it’s quite possible to “misjudge” a book by its cover. What is censorship? Some see it only as legal action by an organized group. But I believe that any time the intake of public media or free expression is prohibited, that is an act of censorship, whether it is a legal issue or a simple choice about what to read (or not). If dozens of crazed parents burn “offensive” library books, that’s censorship. If Dad tells Junior yes or no on reading Harry Potter, that involves censorship. There are times even in this column when I don’t recommend certain books because I know there are things in them that might be offensive to some of our more conservative friends. Maybe that’s censorship? It’s in exercise all around us, both through each reader’s personal decisions and through more visible protest action by special interest groups. We normally hear the word censorship and get nervous, but perhaps it’s not the act of censorship that we should analyze, but the motives behind it. Not all censorship is bad. For instance the Bible says that we should set nothing wicked before us but to think on things that are pure, honest, and virtuous. (Psalm 101:3, Philippians 4:8) This exhortation involves censorship on the part of the individual, and certainly we would deem it a “good” form of censorship. But is all censorship good? One of our readers is a high school teacher and reports that Christian parents in her area are up in arms over Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. It is an assigned novel for ninth-graders about a teen’s struggle as a social outcast and her inner journey to overcome sexual assault. For the somewhat uncomfortable plot element of the book, far more overwhelming is its positive message on speaking out and the courageous journey to find one’s voice. Yet parents are protesting this book on the grounds of religious principles. In our conversation, my new friend and I wondered if sometimes as Christians—and especially Apostolics—we go looking for things to find offensive. I’ll be honest, I never was asked to read anything in high school that offended me. Then in college, I never objected to any of my readings, though some, as I’ve mentioned, I wouldn’t recommend to a general audience for various reasons. Perhaps there were times I should have objected to a text. I just thought since my college education was entirely my choice and since I elected to pursue a literature curriculum, that it was part of the territory. My friend pointed out that students in other subject areas beyond literature have to deal with affronts to their Christianity, too. A Biology major is inundated with the evolution theory which is probably offensive to their Christian sensibilities, but they still have to learn about it. I would hope that we can all be strong enough and mature enough in our beliefs and convictions to draw the line when it’s time, but also be able to deal with the realities of a 21st century society. It seems that most Christian censorship issues are related to the primary and secondary classroom. So this becomes an issue for parents, with which this young writer can’t identify. Parents, how closely do you monitor the books assigned to your school-age children? I don’t think we should stick our heads in the sand. When kindergarteners are exposed to books about same-sex parents, Christian parents somewhere need to take action. But then I look at some of the terrific books that have been banned over the years, and I wonder if we can get too carried away. Where is the line between healthy religious convictions and radical censorship exercises to make statements? I don’t know that I’m brave enough to try to mediate between the outraged Christian parents and the “secular” teachers, but I at least would like to point out the disparity and ask you to consider where the line is between radical spiritualism and balanced, informed reading. Again I question our motives. Are we just trying to look good and evangelical at the expense of cutting-edge literature and the educators who promote it? Are our book protests just another way to piously look down our noses at “secular” media? I hate to break the bad news, but we’ll all be asked at some point to read books that weren’t written by our favorite Christian novelists. But believe it or not, there are actually good books out there! And I assure you that it is quite possible to find a positive message out of a “secular” book. If we would try to find good books and good messages in books as diligently as we try to find the bad, we might surprise ourselves. Lagniappe
ninetyandnine.com © 2004 Lee Ann Alexander ----------- Lee Ann Alexander is ninetyandnine.com’s new book columnist. If you have suggestions on topics to explore, email her at Books@ninetyandnine.com. |
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