Every time I hear about a teacher quitting his or her job because a kid dares to read a Harry Potter book, I automatically think this person is a religious wingnut employed somewhere in the United States. So it was surprising to me to learn that this basic scenario occurred recently in south London. I didn't know they had religious wingnuts in Great Britain: the Brits strike me as being so sensible.
The basic story is this; a teaching assistant, Sariya Allen, gave a seven-year-old girl a book that was "too easy" to read, according to the girl's mother. So the girl then chose to read a Harry Potter book, which was included in her reading folder. Allen refused to allow the girl to read Harry Potter because "God had stated in the Bible that witchcraft was 'an abomination'." Allen went on to whine that "I also had told the teacher that I objected to hearing that book read because of my faith." Allen is a self-proclaimed born-again christian wingnut who describes herself as "a committed Christian."
Cited story.
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Clearly this woman needs to be educated. The real truth of her "religion" is both wonderful and sad. It's this sad part that Christians, especially "born agains" refuse to acknowledge. The witch burnings in the "name of God" the Crusades, in the "name of God", the female discrimintion at the hands of self appointed "persons of God", the child abuse, hidden by the church and on and on. Need I say more. Perhaps, if she read Harry Potter, she might be filled with joy, instead of filled with fear, hatred and loathing.
Fundamentalist wingnuts are pretty much everywhere these days, it is no longer the exclusive province of the United States.
We've witnessed Jewish, Christian and Muslim fundamentalists. Matter of fact at the hearing for marriage equality in RI I got to see the troika, an Imam, Rabbi and Deacon testify against the bill.
Of course we on the supportive side of the bill ripped into them every chance we got. Nothing like putting a gay atheist up on the stand to tear religious assholes like Fr. John Codega apart.
Tony P. has given me the introductory line for a joke: "An imam, a rabbi and a deacon walk into a courthouse. . . ."
She lost the case:
However, at Croydon Employment Tribunals her claims of religious discrimination and constructive dismissal were rejected.
Tribunal chair Carol Taylor told Ms Allan: "The claimant alleged that Mr Mark McLaughlin (the assistant head) had rubbished Christianity. We have found that this was not the case.
"The tribunal was satisfied that the respondent had raised reasonable management concerns at how the claimant had addressed the pupil concerning the reading of the Harry Potter book.
"We concluded that the claimant had not discharged the burden upon her to provide prima facie evidence of discrimination."
I've have argued that she herself does not have power of attorney for God and hence cannot represent Him, so her best move would be to persuade God to submit an affadavit attesting to His opinion.
That would have shut her up.
... needs to be educated ... (?) Huh?
Delusional is the correct term here. The "wingnut" needs some serious medication, intensive cognitive therapy first. Then and only then can one entertain the idea of education.
But then, "Never try and teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and it bothers the pig." ... seems to come to mind right about now.
I see how you are all against the teacher for what she says.
Please don't hurt me, I FULLY agree with you all here.
But this story seems rather one sided. So an argument for the other side:
You guys call her a "wackjob" because she is unable to accept something that goes against her religion.
Her religion is like a way of life to her, just like how not eating meat is a way of life for Gujarati. Despite her rather harsh actions, it is something that she has come to adopt as herself. We can all agree that she is wrong, but is that for us to judge it? Isn't it hypocritical that we criticize someone else for their views and that just because they can't accept a certain story, we have to ridicule them?
The truth is, we should all accept each other, and still try when others don't. It's obvious this teacher doesn't like Harry Potter because of her religion. But does that mean we have a right to criticize her for her zealous beliefs? It's like how the Romans used the criticize Christians for their religion, just because they "weren't right".
We don't have to stoop down to their level by ridiculing her. She make her choice. Let's make ours.
CQ: my freedom from religion brainwashing is a way of life for me, too, but believe me, i would never quit a job and then sue for discrimination because one of my colleagues chose to read the bible in front of me (since it is still a free country, i would, of course, point out all the conflicts in the bible -- which are legion -- and all the flaws in religion as well).
She tried to make her religion a way of life for someone else - in particular, a child.
That's why it's so abhorrent.
Not to mention that "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" was a deliberate mis-translation put into the King James version.
The entire group of you sound like a bunch of scientific wingnuts. To bash someone based on their beliefs is discrimination and ignorance. Maybe you should take a hard look at yourselves before you blatantly put down others for their beliefs. After all, your beliefs are yours and you believe you're right and so do they.
Find something more productive to do.
Can we bash you for saying stupid things, instead?
By your argument, if someone believes the earth is flat, or sun goes 'round the earth, or supply-side economics is effective, or separation of church and state in the US is something we should be rid of, or thimerosal causes autism, we shouldn't criticize them. Alternatively, you're claiming religious beliefs shouldn't be criticized, in which case you're engaging in a classic example of spcial pleading.
Bashing stupid ideas is precisely what we should be doing, to keep them from proliferating.
As a Christian, and an evolutionist, and a big fan of Harry Potter, I just wanted to check in. I think it's pathetic that she only believes the hype without checking into it for her own sake; to be honest, I don't personally know many Christians who are against Harry Potter. The way she reacted was totally wrong, and not in accordance with Christian teachings, whatever you choose to believe about my religion and the Bible and the people who misrepresent it.
There was a huge kerfuffel in my mom's district when a teacher was reading Sorcerer's Stone to the class. It was more of a recreational thing, designed to stoke the kids' imaginaton and instill the idea that readin can be fun. They weren't tested on this, and the one child whose parents objected was allowed to go to the library during this time and read a book of his choosing. The idiot parents sued anyway, claiming that he was being discriminated against for his Christianity, that it's OK to teach any beliefs in school but Christian ones and that you'd never see the Left Behind series in school (yes, because that series is so appropriate for 5th graders!) They didn't win, but it was the talk of the town for a while.
This is the same district that's dealt with parent complaints about a hypnotist at the annual PTO-sponsored post-prom party and about another parent bringing in Gummi Bears as a snack (they're magical creatures with mystical powers!). This is also the same district that changed their mascot, the Devils, from a Dr. Spock-looking devil to something resembling the Pillsbury Doughboy with horns (apparently, something conjuring up images of baked goods is "less satanic" than something that makes you think of Vulcans). That's my proud alma mater, folks!
Like I was saying on PZ's blog, I do believe in God, but I also believe that one's faith should be a personal matter. It's YOUR guiding light, not a light everyone should be forced to follow whether they like it or not.
im a born again Christian and i personally love harry potter! i think as long as you dont try the witchcraft its ok but its not fair to judge other people for their beliefs! who cares if she doesn't like harry potter? thats not your problem so leave her alone
Jesus freak: you miss the point entirely. the tteaching assistant decided to impose her beliefs on children and also to SUE because others around her did not share her beliefs. basically, she was trying to FORCE other people to behave according to her very narrow standards, and to brainwash children to adhere to her own personal beliefs, regardless of what they think or believe. that is just plain wrong.
her beliefs are not the issue. the fact that she spoke up about her beliefs are not the issue. the issue is HOW she spoke up about them. Rather than go to the teacher and repeat that they had discussed that she felt that the books were offensive and would not participate in the reading of them, she tersely spat harsh language at the child, quoting biblical texts etc. Not appropriate behavior towards any child. She could have politely told the little girl that she doesn't like those books and 'why don't we pick out something we can both enjoy and you can save Harry Potter for reading at home with your mommy and daddy". if she'd done it right, there'd be no issue.
Hopefully not too far off topic...JimV....what is the correct translation of that "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" phrase? I have always wondered about that.
Thanks and clapping....
Chardyspal
You know, this general line of argument sounds familiar somehow...
Ah yes. (Possibly NSFW)
Chardyspal, you are completely missing the point. I don't think anyone here cares what that teacher believes. What people are objecting to is her attempting to IMPOSE HER BELIEFS on someone else--a child, no less! Her behavior was completely inappropriate for the setting and context in which it occurred. If she had a problem with the book being read to her, she should NOT have made an announcement regarding her beliefs to the child. She should have excused herself for a moment in order to consult PRIVATELY with the teacher she was working under. If the teacher ordered her to listen to the book, she should have either obeyed or walked out. PERIOD. Invoking her beliefs on the child the way she did was WAY out of line, as far as I'm concerned. I find her behavior quite odious, and if that had been my child, I would have complainied VERY loudly.
Some say that "witch" was chosen instead of the more accurate "poisoner" when translating from Ancient Greek into English.
The translator probably knew all of this and deliberately chose witch; the association is with spells & potions & magic in general. When the phrase was originally written the purveyors of poison also supplied love filtres and magic charms along with warding & affliction spells, what in common parlance at the time of transaltion would be called a witch (not a gender specific term, that came later as torturing and burning poor old women was easier than taking on alchemists with powerful patrons).
A better word would probably have been mage, but then you'ld have problems of what to think about the magi who visited Jesus.
I am a Christian as well as a huge Harry Potter fan. I can understand how certain so-called christians can misinterpret the bible and its teachings, We see it everywhere. The idea of *thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.." and other ideas of witchcraft being an abomonation are stated in the bible, not just the KJV but other versions as well that have recently been translated from the origional hebrew writings. Unfortunately, by not truely studying for ourselves we tend to listen to others and their "opinions" on religious issues. This is how we get so many divisions among religious groups today. The Early Christians were told to destroy those that "Practiced" withcraft and to destroy articles and manuscripts of "rituals". Not of Imagination. In truth, Harry Potter teaches us a valuable lesson; that good will overcome evil and that the love of our friends and family are the most important. Instead of protesting something that teaches us "good values" why not protest things that DO lead to the destruction of our morality; say like...Porngraphy, sex and foul language, sale of alcohol..etc There are other things out there that are more damaging to our Children than a good book!