Goddess, they're just such freaking fascists, even when there's really no need for them to be. And, incompetent.
I'd love to know what Pagan books made the "cut" and what Pagan scholars were consulted (not).
The First Amendment mandates that: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
You can't deny people access to their religious books without prohibiting the free exercise of religion.
Update: I'll just add that I've never practiced First Amendment Law, but I have a vague memory from ConLaw that restrictions on the First Amendment need to be designed so as to be no more restrictive than necessary to promote some important government interest. I'm willing to bet that the government could ban a book from a prison library if it could show that that particular book advocated violence, for example. (Course, I remember a whole lotta smiting going on in the xian holy book, and I don't imagine they're going to ban that one any time soon. Sad; it "disparages" my religion if you believe the correct translation is "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.") But that's exactly the opposite of a movement to only allow "approved" books. The Liberty University-stocked DoJ has chosen the Most restrictive approach to this issue rather than the Least restrictive.
And, again, I'd like to know what Pagan books are allowed. And which esteemed Pagan scholar got to do the choosing?
As usual the money quote was on p. 2 of this piece...that an improbable percentage of the works on the "150 Acceptable Religious Books" list came from a remarkably small number of publishers.
ReplyDeletethis is a money grab. Find the names of the publishers, check names of owners/major stockholders, check campaign donation records. When every prison (or their Friends groups) has to go out and restock their empty Religion shelves from the "Preferred Publishers" List, the cling of cash registers is heard.
Oh, and the preference for "evangelical and Calvinist" works is interesting. Not surprising mind you, but interesting.
==xan
lists of up to 150 book titles and 150 multimedia resources for each of 20 religions or religious categories — everything from Bahaism to Yoruba.
ReplyDeleteso, no Atheism? no Baal worship? no Zen?
I'll bet my sweet patootie that the Pagan books were the first ones they went after. Can we smuggle 'em in?
ReplyDeleteMy bet is there are NO pagan books approved to remain. I mean, crapola, if they removed major works on Judaism...what chance anything resembling something as possible anarchic as paganism remaining?
ReplyDelete