Books News
More Potter, More Witchcraft
By M&C News Jun 10, 2007, 10:12 GMT
The Guardian has just reported that a British teaching assistant, Sariya Allen, has quit her job over refusing to hear a student read a Harry Potter book, which she believes only “glorifies witchcraft.”
After the teacher refused to hear the student read, the teacher was subject to discipline by the school, and this is what led her to quit. She felt that she was held at a disadvantage over other teachers because she is a Born Again Christian.
This of course is nothing new, since Rowling’s books have been highly criticized by right wing as well as Christian groups for what they believe to be its use of the “occult.”
The school, however, felt it did the right thing by disciplining her and denies that the teacher was subjected to “religious discrimination.”
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Older Talkback
page: 1
what an idiot, can't these jesus freaks leave us to our reading, and let j.k rowling do her job in PEACE. besides, non of us gives a dang whether its witchcraft or not, the harry potter series are indeed great stories, adults are constanly telling us to read and then they come up with this, we shouldnt take this bull. either u leave us ALONE or we stop reading, and besides, how is this relevant to satan or whomever. they just need to understand its just a FICTION book.
The tribunal found against the assistant on Friday, based on her handling of the situation.
For the record, not all of us born-again Christians ('Is there any other kind?' he asked, provocatively) think the Harry Potter books glorify witchcraft.
Real witchcraft is one thing, fantasy witchcraft quite another. I and many other Christians actively welcome Rowling's books; unlike much literature, they deal with the issue of good and evil head-on. On the one hand they emphasize that distinguishing one from the other is less than simple (think of Snape's ambiguous attitude to Harry, or the hints that Harry could easily have gone over to the Dark Side). On the other hand, the stories say quite uncompromisingly that there is good and there is evil; all is not relative.
And of course, they're un-put-downable stories. But that's purely incidental ;-)
page: 1
CoryJun 10th, 2007 - 20:42:30
It should be noted that she was not fired. she willingly and fully by her own choice terminated her employment with the school, meaning she can not claim religous discrimination for the reason that she no longer works there.
nor can she claim religous discrimination because she refused to listen to a student read a book because as a teaching assitant, you are suposed to help the student with their work, not dictate their religous beliefs, or force your own religous beliefs onto them. as a teaching assistant, by refusing to do her job, she is taking full responsiblity for her actions.
she quite on her own choice and therefore is not entitled to anything.
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