Supporting the Separation of Church and State
Archive for September, 2007
Banned Books Week
As Americans two of the core freedoms we enjoy are the freedom of expression and the freedom to make our own decisions. More than a book a day is threatened with removal from our public libraries and schools, censoring those cherished freedoms. As the religious right removes these books they remove your right as a free adult to choose what you read, feel, and think. It is critical that these censorships are contested because they are threatening our very culture and way of life.
This week from September 29 through October 6 local bookstores, campuses, and libraries are hosting Banned Book Week to raise awareness for this troubling issue. Join us by visiting your local library or bookstore and checking out or purchasing one of these banned books. Below is the top 10 most challenged books of 2006.
Part of living in a democracy means respecting each other’s differences and the right of all people to choose for themselves what they and their families read,” said Judith F. Krug, director, OIF. “We must remain vigilant to assure that would-be censors don’t threaten the very basis of our democracy.
You may also want to check out the top books from the 21st century. If you think that its just litary masterpieces from authors such as Mark Twain, J.D. Salinger, John Steinbeck, or Judy Blume under attack you will be shocked to see that Harry Potter tops the list for the past seven years.
The 10 Most Challenged Books of 2006
- “And Tango Makes 3″ by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
- “Gossip Girls” series by Cecily Von Ziegesar
- “Alice” series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
- “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things” by Carolyn Mackler
- “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison
- “Scary Stories” series by Alvin Schwartz
- “Athletic Shorts” by Chris Crutcher
- “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky
- “Beloved” by Toni Morrison
- “The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier
~William~
p.s. I would be very interested in hearing what your favorite book is from the top 100 list found here. Mine is “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. Wonderful book and I’m glad we had to read it in freshman English. Steinbeck has always been one of my favorite authors and it saddens me that this masterpiece is at #6 on the list.
—* UPDATE *—
Well, Banned Books Week is over. Hope everyone got the chance to check out at least one of their favorite banned books. I am strongly recommending “Of Mice and Men” to my daughter, I was a little older than her when I read it but I think she’s mature enough. I’ll be posting our new “Take Action” alert shortly.
Remember though, just because the awareness week is over does not mean that the problem is over until next week. Keep the pressure on and you can help keep these great literary masterpieces free for everyone.
7 Deadly Sins
The 7 deadly sins originate from Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th Century. They also played a large part in Dante’s The Divine Comedy. Unlike the venial sins these seven deadly sins carry the threat of eternal damnation unless absolved through confession. For this reason we feel that focusing mostly on our government and religious leaders who commit these deadly sins is essential in exposing the hypocrisy that is so common in today’s politics.
- Lust –
The uncontrolled or excessive craving for the pleasures of the body. - Gluttony –
The over consumption of anything to the point of excess and waste. Thomas Aquinas listed 5 ways to commit gluttony as related to food. - Greed –
The obsession with accumulating personal wealth and possessions, especially when that wealth comes at the expense of others. - Sloth –
The refusal or avoidance of physical or spiritual work. This also includes those who refuse to work beyond the minimum required, or fail to live up to their potential as a result of a lack of effort. - Wrath –
The uncontrolled feelings of anger, hatred, prejudice, and spite. - Envy –
The desire for something which another has. Dante defined Envy as “love of one’s own good perverted to a desire to deprive other men of theirs.” and therefore envy includes the sin of promoting yourself by tearing down another. - Pride –
The most serious of the 7 deadly sins, pride is the desire to be more attractive, important, respected, or popular than others.
References
7 Cardinal Virtues
Categorized: Politics
Tagged: Abstinence, Chastity, Diligence, Humility, Kindness, Liberality, Patience
Historically the 7 Cardinal Virtues were derived from an epic poem by Prudentius, a Roman Catholic Poet (c. 410), named Psychomachia (“Contest of the Soul”). Those who practiced these virtues were supposed to be protected from the Seven Deadly Sins. For this reason the virtues were also referred to as the contrary values.It is worth noting that we have chosen not to include the three theological virtues of “love”, “hope”, and “faith” because they were/are thought to be unnatural to man and are only bestowed upon baptism. Since this is clearly a foolish line of thinking we have decided to go instead with the virtues and definitions listed below.
- Chastity –
Courage and boldness. Embracing of moral wholesomeness and achieving purity of thought through education and betterment. - Abstinence –
Constant mindfulness of others and one’s surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation. - Liberality –
Generosity. Willingness to give. A nobility of thought or actions. - Diligence –
A zealous and careful nature in one’s actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one’s time; monitoring one’s own activities to guard against laziness. - Patience –
Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. The ability to forgive; to show mercy to sinners. - Kindness –
Charity, compassion, friendship, and sympathy without prejudice and for its own sake. - Humility –
Modest behavior, selflessness, and the giving of respect. Giving credit where credit is due; not unfairly glorifying one’s own self.
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