Concern Widens Over Anti-religion Book and Movie - The Golden Compass
November 24, 2007
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic board is conducting an informal review of The Golden Compass because concerns have been raised about the children’s fantasy book in the neighbouring Halton board.
“It warrants us having a look at it,” said community relations manager Bruce Campbell, adding staff members have been assigned to read the book and basically provide a plot synopsis “so we understand what it’s about.”
The Halton Catholic District School Board has pulled The Golden Compass – an award-winning book set to be released as a major motion picture next month – from library shelves after a complaint.
The other two books in the trilogy by British author Philip Pullman, which have been compared to the Harry Potter series, are also off the shelves for now, but available if students ask for them.
The Halton board is convening a committee to review the book and recommend whether it should be available to children.
Halton Catholic elementary principals were directed not to distribute the December Scholastic flyer because The Golden Compass is available to order.
A board-issued memo says the books are “apparently written by an atheist where the characters and text are anti-God, anti-Catholic and anti-religion.”
In the U.S., Catholic groups are urging a boycott of the movie and accuse the books of being anti-Christian and promoting atheism.
The author himself has said he was “trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief,” and that his “books are about killing God.”
The Golden Compass was published in 1995 and is generally recommended for students in Grades 5-6.
Peggy Thomas, president of the Ontario School Library Association, said books for any school collection are carefully researched before being chosen.
“My firm belief is this, that as a parent you have the right to say that your child cannot read a book,” she said.
“But as a parent, you don’t have the right to say nobody else’s child can read that book.”
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