Should a Catholic Bishop Restrict Catholic School Kid's Reading?

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jeanne71350

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Hi there,

Well I go to Catholic high school, and I found out today that our bishop told the librarians that they couldn’t let the kids read the Twilight saga, Harry Potter, or the Golden Compass anymore. I can understand that the Golden Compass promotes athiesm, Harry Potter promotes witcraft, and Twilight talks about vampires and wearwolves. What troubles me is how we aren’t allowed to read those books, but the library is permitted to carry the DaVinci Code, Books on the Occult, Books promoting premarital sex and abortion, and much more.

Do you think a Catholic Bishop should do this?

-Jeanne
 
Do you mean that your school library has those books you listed? :(:confused:

I think the bishop should remove all of those books from the library.
 
JuliaT said:
Do you mean that your school library has those books you listed? :(:confused:

I think the bishop should remove all of those books from the library.
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yes. There are many, many, many books that are far worse than the ones he banned.
 
jeanne71350 said:
Hi there,

Well I go to Catholic high school, and I found out today that our bishop told the librarians that they couldn’t let the kids read the Twilight saga, Harry Potter, or the Golden Compass anymore. I can understand that the Golden Compass promotes athiesm, Harry Potter promotes witcraft, and Twilight talks about vampires and wearwolves. What troubles me is how we aren’t allowed to read those books, but the library is permitted to carry the DaVinci Code, Books on the Occult, Books promoting premarital sex and abortion, and much more.

Do you think a Catholic Bishop should do this?

-Jeanne
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Well, I don’t think your librarian actually controls what kids read, does she? Is what the Bishop is saying really more that he doesn’t want those books in the school libraries? That’s entirely his peroggative.

As for the books the library does have, it is very likely that the Bishop doesn’t know about them. Perhaps you and your friends could write a charitable letter asking him about those as well.

By high school, kids aren’t limiting thier reading to what’s in the school library but the school library should lead by example and have wholesome choices.
 
Corki said:
Well, I don’t think your librarian actually controls what kids read, does she? Is what the Bishop is saying really more that he doesn’t want those books in the school libraries? That’s entirely his peroggative.

As for the books the library does have, it is very likely that the Bishop doesn’t know about them. Perhaps you and your friends could write a charitable letter asking him about those as well.

By high school, kids aren’t limiting thier reading to what’s in the school library but the school library should lead by example and have wholesome choices.
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👍👍👍
 
Reminds me when I was in HS(years ago :rolleyes:) I wanted to do a book report on John Updike’s “Rabbit Run”. The English teacher(a nun) said NO. My mother said NO…took the book and hid it. I found it…read it…returned it and she was none the wiser.

Kathy
 
phantasm said:
Of course not. One Bishops subjective opinion should not be all that is required to determine what is suitable reading for teenaged minds.
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The Bishop is the authority in his diocese. What he says, goes. And, in a Catholic school, the Bishop is the authority there too. And, yes, he can allow or disallow books from its library and from curriculum.
 
phantasm said:
Of course not. One Bishops subjective opinion should not be all that is required to determine what is suitable reading for teenaged minds.
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Maybe one bishop’s subjective opinion is not all that is required to determine what is suitable for teenagers, but what is suitable for a Catholic school library in his diocese. Teenagers have parents to determine what is suitable for them to read.
 
1ke said:
The Bishop is the authority in his diocese. What he says, goes. And, in a Catholic school, the Bishop is the authority there too. And, yes, he can allow or disallow books from its library and from curriculum.
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What if that Bishop is senile, ignorant or insane? No checks or balances? How frightening theocracy would be! 😦
 
St_Francis said:
Maybe one bishop’s subjective opinion is not all that is required to determine what is suitable for teenagers, but what is suitable for a Catholic school library in his diocese. Teenagers have parents to determine what is suitable for them to read.
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Exactly. If the bishop wants to make a Christ-centered enviroment at school, there should be wholesome choices at the library. I think at Catholic elementary schools, they really should tell kids not to read Harry Potter, Twilight, and such. These books are too old for them, plus they will get so much more from reading classics, history, saints, religion. I know I did when I was younger. My parents don’t have much restriction on what I can and can’t read because they know I can seperate fact from fiction and I don’t get my morals from books and TV shows.

-Jeanne
 
hmm …
maybe I am a dissenter, but I have an issue with being told what books are, and aren’t appropriate for my children. I suppose that there are some children whose parents aren’t involved in their reading selection, but that doesn’t apply to my family.

In my home, I have the policy of reading the books first, then if my children (oldest daughter, really) wants to read them, I use it as an opportunity for discussion about relevant issues, fantasy vs reality, etc.
 
:ehh:

As a Catholic school, it’s only fair to say they have that right to restrict you from reading them in the library. (Doesn’t mean you can’t read them on your own time from some other library or bookstore.) The only thing that concerns me: I really hope they know these stories are fiction. :cool:

Ironically Yours, Blade and Blood
 
phantasm said:
What if that Bishop is senile, ignorant or insane? No checks or balances? How frightening theocracy would be! 😦
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Uh, this is a Catholic school. How does theocracy come into the equation?

Catholic school = Catholic Bishop is in charge. Really, what is so difficult about this one?
 
phantasm said:
What if that Bishop is senile, ignorant or insane? No checks or balances? How frightening theocracy would be! 😦
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The Church does indeed have a set of checks and balances in place. Questions or issues with parish priests can be brought to their pastor, pastors to their bishop and bishops to Rome.

The only one who does not get checked is the Pope and that’s 'cause Jesus set it up that way (the whole “keys to the kingdom thing” with Peter). It’s worked for 2,000 years, so don’t worry. If you’re really frightened, get a dog. :rolleyes:
 
The Bishop has every right to determine what is carried in his library (His diocese, His responsibility, His school, His library).

That being said, it would help, I believe, if he also detailed why he does not want those books. Obviously, by banning these the Bishop is not only saying he does not want them in the library, he does not want the faithful under his care to read them. Since I don’t think this is either a matter of faith and morals or church teaching, knowing his thoughts on the matter will help parents and students determine if this is an opinion they need to heed or guidance they will choose to ignore.

Do you know if the Bishop has issued any guidence or thoughts on the matter?
 
jeanne71350 said:
Hi there,

Well I go to Catholic high school, and I found out today that our bishop told the librarians that they couldn’t let the kids read the Twilight saga, Harry Potter, or the Golden Compass anymore. I can understand that the Golden Compass promotes athiesm, Harry Potter promotes witcraft, and Twilight talks about vampires and wearwolves. What troubles me is how we aren’t allowed to read those books, but the library is permitted to carry the DaVinci Code, Books on the Occult, Books promoting premarital sex and abortion, and much more.

Do you think a Catholic Bishop should do this?

-Jeanne
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I wish I had read Harry Potter in stead of some of the sexual stuff I found in the school library when I was 12. I still remember the scenes written and with illustration of premarital sex. Harry Potter is pretty harmless in my eyes and doesn’t “encourage” witchcraft. Its a fantasy story. Kids are not stupid but they need to be raised spiritually along side anything they might read. Imagine your kid reading Nietzche’s writings: “All religion is opium” … etc.

Grace 🤷
 
ChristinaM said:
Uh, this is a Catholic school. How does theocracy come into the equation?

Catholic school = Catholic Bishop is in charge. Really, what is so difficult about this one?
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What if the Catholic Bishop is senile, mentally ill, ignorant or has an agenda? Shouldn’t there be checks and balances in place, rather than one man making all of the decisions?

There are Catholic Bishops who deny that the holocaust ever took place for crying out loud. Would you want that guy deciding which books to ban?
 
As the person in charge, the “owner” of the library in a sense, the Bishop has every right to decide what books are in the library.

In the same way you can decide what books are in your library, he can decide what is in his.

And if a Bishop were insane, the Vatican would put another Bishiop in his place.
 
kage_ar said:
As the person in charge, the “owner” of the library in a sense, the Bishop has every right to decide what books are in the library.

In the same way you can decide what books are in your library, he can decide what is in his.

And if a Bishop were insane, the Vatican would put another Bishiop in his place.
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Fascinating. Such power given to one man with no checks and balanced, and not even a woman’s (name removed by moderator)ut in the decision making, just an older man. :rolleyes:
 
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