VALLEY PULPIT: Don’t burn the book – The Kingston Whig-Standard

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Weve probably all seen pictures of books being burned. In the 1930s, the German Student Union gathered up books they viewed as critical of Nazi thinking and held ritual book-burnings. It was a sure-fire (pun intended) way of keeping the wrong ideas from circulating.

As I have stated here before, my attitude is that we should allow all sorts of views to be published and discussed. A truly educated person is one who can look at both sides of an issue and weigh the strengths and weaknesses of the reasons each side puts forward to support its position. Richard Dawkins should be allowed to write books in favour of atheism, and John Lennox can write on why believing in God makes sense. If you dont like an article written by a smart person, find a better article written by a smarter person. But dont burn the book or blow up the magazines print shop.

(Full disclosure: I once and only once burned a book in my backyard. Out of curiosity I had picked up a used copy of something by the Marquis de Sade, and was so appalled at the cruelty depicted in what turned out to be child pornography that I destroyed the book.)

Todays world doesnt usually hold actual book-burnings, but those who dont like certain ideas still do their best to prevent others from even considering those ideas. Speakers at universities are de-platformed if some deem their opinions to be wrong. Students shout the speaker down or threaten to harm her. In Montreal, I was once part of a peaceful protest (standing in silence with signs) that was disrupted by a group with trumpets, drums and tubas.

Cancel culture can mean that your company fires you just for holding views that are not considered correct.

According to The Interim newspaper, Amazon, the giant online bookseller, has decided that it will not carry the 2018 title, When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment by Ryan T Anderson.

Usually, Amazon follows a policy of contacting publishers to discuss the possible removal of controversial books, but for some reason this was not done in this case.

Banning a book could have the effect of making people want to read it all the more, so this could backfire. However the title is apparently becoming scarce if the price of second-hand books is any indicator. Bookfinder.com is charging hundreds of dollars for a copy. My favourite is the dealer who will sell you one for $23, 930.58! (Its the 58 cents that really gets me.) Fear not, you can obtain a copy for a reasonable price if you look in the right places.

Amazons action raises the question of whether there is only one possible, respectable view of gender dysphoria, the feeling of being confused about whether one is male or female. Is only one view now allowed? Can we no longer talk about this topic? Are we to shut down those who say trans-women should not compete in female sports because their essentially male bodies give an unfair advantage?

Why cant we have books that give different perspectives on issues like this?

Anderson says that his is not a bomb-throwing book of red meat and heated rhetoric. Instead, he claims it is rigorous and civil, and presents facts.

If Amazon had its way readers wouldnt be able to check for themselves. They would not be able to make up their own minds whether Anderson has written bigoted nonsense or a scientifically convincing argument.

I pray well have a society in which people want to hear different sides of important subjects, not a world where the public is protected from Christian viewpoints (or any alternative ideas).

John Vaudry is a retired minister, living in Pembroke.

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VALLEY PULPIT: Don't burn the book - The Kingston Whig-Standard