To Ban or Not to Ban

Monday, January 07, 2008 | 12:00 AM ET

A few days before setting out on Christmas break, a tiny item caught my eye in the cbc.ca headlines. Since I was distracted with thoughts of my impending vacation, and wired on sugar to boot, I didnâ??t make much of it at the time. I just glanced at the phrase: â??Toronto-area Catholic school board bans Pullman fantasy trilogy.â??

While I was off on my holiday, one word from that headline kept rattling around in my brain. Bans. I was supposed to be relaxing and not thinking too much about work or books, but, wow, did that word ever fester.

Now Iâ??m back at my desk and Iâ??ve had a chance to read this article in its entirety. It seems that after a lengthy debate that started back in November, the trustees of the Halton District Catholic School Board voted to ban â?? thereâ??s that pesky word again â?? Philip Pullmanâ??s His Dark Materials trilogy from its library shelves. The books, including the well-loved The Golden Compass, are being pulled on the grounds that they are â??not in line withâ?? the boardâ??s â??values.â??

Many questions went through my mind upon reading this article, like why is it always childrenâ??s fantasy books that are accused of being anti-religious? Pullmanâ??s books are in good company â?? the Harry Potter series has taken heat for its occult themes and general scenes of witchcraft (and Iâ??m not even touching the recent Dumbledore revelation). The same goes for C.S. Lewisâ??s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which â?? despite featuring a lion that smacks of a Christ figure â?? was once challenged (unsuccessfully) by another school system because of its â??violence, mysticism and gore.â??

I figured before I started a full-scale rant, Iâ??d better find out if there was any truth to the claim that Pullmanâ??s books are anti-Catholic. Having never read The Golden Compass, or the other two titles in Pullmanâ??s trilogy, I turned to my friend Rachel, who loves fantasy lit and Pullmanâ??s books in particular. She chuckled when I asked her if the books were anti-religious, adding, â??Well, The Golden Compass does begin with a quote from Miltonâ??s Paradise Lostâ?¦â?? She went on to explain that the ability of the bookâ??s characters to see everyoneâ??s soul manifested in its animal form was not in exactly in keeping with most traditional, Christian beliefs.

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