Book censorship sucks.

Would it not be appropriate to learn about a topic before you decide that you think it’s wrong? I would think so. So why do so many people complain about certain books/movies before they even know anything about it? There’s all this hoopla going on about The Golden Compass and it really irritates me. I know the people who are fighting against it mean well, but really? People want books banned for such ridiculous reasons, and a lot of the time, it’s Christians. In the case of The Golden Compass, I know that the author did intend for the book to be anti-God or whatever. But do you really think that kids who read it understand that? All kids see are the cool creatures and the whole fantasy aspect of it. I understand how the kids “killing God” at the end can upset people, it upsets me too. But does it really solve anything when it gets banned or protested? Do you not learn more when you look at opposing sides to your beliefs? Kelsey made a good point in saying something along the lines of, “The god portrayed in this book is not the God that I serve. My God cannot be killed by anything and is not weak.” Isn’t that the most appropriate response?

I’m not writing all this to state that to be mad about the book is wrong. It is upseting that someone would dislike God so much that he would want Him dead. But complaining about it is going to do nothing and it makes Christians look bad. Same with The DaVinci Code. Same with Harry Potter. The DaVinci Code wasn’t even that great of a movie. It was cool and all, but could it really sway one’s faith? I heard that the book wasn’t even that great either, but I haven’t read it yet. And Harry Potter? Don’t even get me started. It’s books like Harry Potter that make kids want to read and it helps kids develop a love for books. Do we not need that now more than ever? And there’s absolutely nothing offensive at all in the books. It makes no sense, it’s just like any other fantasy book. People use the Bible as an argument against witchcraft, but where does it say that we can’t read fantasy books about witches and wizards and spells and creatures? If someone’s child can’t realize that it’s fiction, then they’re not very smart.

All this to say, book censorship sucks. I think it’s ridiculous. A person works hard on a piece of art only to find that a group of people are pissed of because it’s “offensive.” How would that make you feel? All you want is someone to read your work and enjoy it. Ugh.

I think I’m done for now. Tell me your thoughts.