11th October 2010
“By its definition, nothing is sacred to the non-believer, but to me, the right to read books without fear of censorship by the Catholic Church comes pretty close.”
Steve Dodding
“By its definition, nothing is sacred to the non-believer, but to me, the right to read books without fear of censorship by the Catholic Church comes pretty close.”
Steve Dodding
October 11th, 2010 at 10:24
Yes, I know what he means, having lived in Ireland since the 1960s. Censorship is not too bad here now (though the blasphemy law is still in place) but it used to be endemic. I even heard an academic arguing that a book about abortion – whatever its conclusions on the subject – should not be in a university library.
October 11th, 2010 at 11:58
Can’t say that I agree with this quote: censorship of opinions and ideas is intellectual cowardice, not blasphemy.
October 11th, 2010 at 14:16
In today’s world, the only ones to fear censorship of the Catholic Church are Catholics. I have no religious affiliation whatsoever, so I can read anything without fear of censorship from anyone. If you don’t want the censorship of the Catholic Church, just say NO!
October 11th, 2010 at 14:22
banning books is a joke…………people will ALWAYS find a way to obtain
books, or dope , or sex…or anything else they want , if it’s banned or not.
it is the IDEA of banning books that is truly sickening….
October 11th, 2010 at 16:41
I agree completely with opleaze. just because a subject bothers you or you think it distasteful doesn’t mean that its not a valid object of pursuit. I did a quick wiki search of banned books. A number of them seem silly to us now. Not to mention that banning something is the best way I know of the cultivate interest in it. With the world the way it is now and the relative free access to information, I can’t see how it would be possible to even accomplish such a thing.
October 11th, 2010 at 19:16
Banned books week in the US is September 25?October 2, 2010.
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/reasonsbanned/index.cfm
To Kill A Mockingbird was challenged for using the words “whore lady”.
Very interesting reading about all the various books and challenges, bans, and burnings..
October 11th, 2010 at 22:18
Not only by the Catholic Church, but also by other mainstream beliefs in America that want to do just doing what the roman church did during the middle ages. If let them to do as they wish, we’ll see the history repeated with the difference that there won’t be an America to run to.
October 11th, 2010 at 22:31
I think this nonsense has run it’s course. Catholics routinely ignore the Pope on a broad range of topics where he’s obviously wrong. I don’t think people in modern societies buy into any notion of ‘forbidden knowledge’ as they once did. And was pointed out a few days ago, the church’s enforcement mechanisms aren’t what they were. Which makes me wonder if people believe in hell any more. If you do, then don’t you take the commands of God’s anointed on earth more seriously than is evident?
October 12th, 2010 at 0:54
lol. Reminds me of when our local cult tried to ban Fahrenheit 451. It doesn’t take long to recognize the irony of that one. They did get a temporary ban on Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” and the move “The Matrix” all because a teacher was using it to teach high school kids free thinking. The ban is lifted, but he can no longer teach outside curriculum.. Bastards..