Library's 'witchcraft' certificate endorsed religion, group says
By The Associated Press
09.13.00
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| Kenneth Sivulich, director of the Jacksonville, Fla.,
public library system, yesterday holds a copy of the certificates the library
had been giving out to children to celebrate the release of Harry Potter and
the Goblet of Fire, the fourth book in the wildly popular series by J.K.
Rowling. The library discontinued the promotion after receiving complaints that
the certificates illegally endorsed religion. |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The public library hosted a party when the
latest Harry Potter book was released, giving "witchcraft" certificates to
about 200 young fans of the novel series on the young English
wizard-in-training.
But what was intended as a promotion to encourage the reading
interests of children drew the ire of some parents and a national
religious-freedom organization, prompting the library to abandon the
practice.
"We don't want our children to be exposed to witchcraft," said John
Miesburg, who with his wife Denise teaches their six children at home. "If they
are going to pass out witchcraft certificates, they should promote the Bible
and pass out certificates of righteousness."
The complaints flabbergasted director Kenneth Sivulich of the
Jacksonville Public Library, who nonetheless stopped handing out the
certificates.
To celebrate the release of Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire, a branch library hosted a party July 8
featuring a magician and readings by children of their favorite passages from
the first three of J.K. Rowling's books.
Children at the party were given "Hogwarts' Certificate of
Accomplishment," which it said was "For completion of term in Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry." In the books, that's where Harry goes to
school.
Miesburg said he first heard about the certificates at church when
Paul Zink, pastor of the New Life Christian Fellowship, complained about them
from the pulpit.
"We have read portions of the books and we find the books to be very
objectionable," Miesburg said. "They focus on witchcraft, which is very evil in
our view. They focus on death and dying, disrespect of parents, which we also
find totally objectionable."
Miesburg complained to the Board of Library Trustees and the
Jacksonville City Council.
"The attitude (library officials) have is that if it gets children to
read books, that is great," Miesburg said. "I disagree with that. You shouldn't
be teaching children to read things that are evil and are ungodly, and if there
is anything that is ungodly, it is witchcraft."
Miesburg also contacted the Liberty Counsel, a religious-rights
organization in Orlando that has fought on behalf of Jacksonville students
wanting to pray at high school commencements.
"We believe that witchcraft is a religion and the certificate of
witchcraft endorsed a particular religion in violation of the First Amendment
establishment clause," said Matthew D. Staver, president and general counsel of
the Liberty Counsel.
Staver wrote the library, threatening a lawsuit if it didn't stop
giving out the certificates. But the issue was settled before the library
received Staver's Aug. 21 letter, Sivulich said. The library stopped handing
out certificates on July 19, after several parents complained, he said.
"We decided that discretion was the better part of valor," he
said.
The Liberty Counsel released a statement yesterday saying it was
satisfied with the library's action and would not sue.
Sivulich said he didn't believe the Harry Potter books promoted
witchcraft and said the certificates were a "harmless gimmick."
"It was taken out of context. Witchcraft means something different to
people who have read the books."
The books feature Harry fighting against the forces of evil, aided by
spells, flying brooms and magical instruments. They do not deal with the
philosophical precepts of Wicca or any specific religious tradition.
But last year, the Harry Potter series topped the list of books that
some parents or certain groups have tried to strip from library shelves,
according to the American Library Association. The ALA is one of the sponsors
of the 20th annual Banned Books Week planned for Sept. 23-30. The Harry Potter
series, which has been banned in some places, was No. 48 on the ALA's list of
the 100 most challenged books of the
1990s.
The local library system, which includes a main library and 14
branches, has about 1,000 copies of the series, 600 of the latest book. About
80% are checked out at any given time.
"They have been well reviewed, well received. They are exemplary
children's literature for the year 2000," Sivulich said.
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