Sunday, December 12, 2010

Canada - Harry Potter, Twilight vampires not banned by Salvation Army nationwide

Harry Potter, Twilight vampires not banned by Salvation Army nationwide

By The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – Thu, 9 Dec 5:40 PM EST
CALGARY - The Salvation Army says a decision by its Calgary branch not to hand out toys that it feels promote black magic, the occult and vampires is not a national policy.Among the donated toys not being given away to needy Calgary teens are "Harry Potter" books, action figures and DVDs, along with "Twilight" merchandise — all big hits with many youngsters this time of year.
Capt. Pam Goodyear, an Alberta spokeswoman with the Christian-based charity, said the decision came after a "significant" number of complaints from parents whose children have received such gifts in their hampers in previous years.
Goodyear said each branch makes the decision on its own and she is wasn't aware of a similar policy at any other location.
"This was in response to requests from parents," she said. "They didn't feel maybe that they were appropriate for their children. I am not sure of all the details, but they asked in general that they not include those items in the gift bags."
An unidentified volunteer recently spoke out in the Calgary media suggesting it was wrong that such wildly popular gifts were not being accepted by the charity. He said gifts valued at up to $100 were being turned away.
Goodyear noted that any toys the charity does not hand out are sent to other agencies that may choose to give them away. She said toys that promote violence, such as toy guns, and gifts such as poker sets are also refused.
Andrew Burditt, a Toronto-based spokesman with the Salvation Army, said gifts are distributed differently from community to community.
In some branches, parents come in and pick the toys they want for their kids.But in Calgary, because of the large number of families the Salvation Army serves, gifts are divided into different age groups and then sent to homes.
J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" books, which feature the adventures of a teenage wizard, have been a common target for criticism from some Christian and Muslim groups who feel the story has undertones of occultism.
The "Twilight" series, which centres on a vampire romance, has also faced some religious objections. In 2009, the American Library Association put the series at No. 5 on its list of books with the most formal complaints. "Harry Potter" was the association's most challenged book between 2000 and 2009.
The Salvation Army has a mission statement that includes sharing "the love of Jesus Christ," but Goodyear said religion didn't have anything to do with the Calgary branch's decision.
She also rejected any suggestion that the complaints of some are keeping gifts out of the hands of others.
"It's not meant that we have not been able to distribute toys to children at Christmas and I think that is the key," she said. "We're really here to ensure that no child goes without a gift at Christmas."
— By Tim Cook in Edmonton

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