Thursday, December 08, 2005

On the Florida Narnia Contest

Here's the Court TV item about the Narnia contest in Florida. Although I was initially mistaken in claiming that lawsuits had been filed, it certainly looks as if the language used by the AUSCS implies that lawsuits could be filed. The Toynbee articles reports that the AU is accusing the Florida contest of violating the estabishment clause of the First Amendment. Do organizations like that really say "Well, OK, you're violating the First Amendment, but if you keep on doing it, we'll just let it go?" And the AU demanded that Gov. Bush expand the contest. Note the word "demanded", not "requested." The ADF is certainly taking this as a threat to sue, and no wonder.

But is it reasonable to ask that the contest be expanded. I don't see why. I wonder if AU would be protesting if the book were The Diary of Anne Frank? I don't think so. How about Heather Has Two Mommies? (Never mind.) The fact is literature has religious, and sometimes anti-religious overtones. It's a fact that has to be faced if you are going to teach literature and get people to read.

I think one thing that everybody can learn from C. S. Lewis is that he loved many types of literature, including much literature that opposed his own world-view. Maybe next year they can have a contest about another book.

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