Cronyism + Religion in Florida

In Florida, Governor Jeb Bush is encouraging schoolchildren to read C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, an extended allegory of Christianity. People are expected to ignore that the fact that one of the producers of the movie, Walden Media, is owned by Philip Anschutz, a major donor to Republican causes.

The Palm Beach Post reports:

Bush's "Just Read, Florida" campaign worked with Walden earlier this year, when it sponsored a statewide contest centered on Florida novelist Carl Hiaasen's children's book, Hoot. The winner of that contest got a small appearance in Walden's film version of the book, which will not be released until next year. This is the first time a contest will coincide with the release of a movie, a feature that Walden officials admit helps them market the film.

Mary Laura Openshaw, Bush's director of Just Read, Florida, said other books that were made into movies in recent years — such as the Harry Potter movies and the film of the award-winning children's book, The Polar Express — were not selected for contests because the companies that made them were not partners with Just Read, Florida, as Walden is. She said the company donated $10,000 to help pay for food and beverages for a reading coaches conference earlier this year.

The confluence of Christianity, money, political influence, and Republican politicians here may all be coincidental — but just how likely is that?

"This whole contest is just totally inappropriate because of the themes of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," said Barry Lynn, director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. "It is simply a retelling of the story of Christ."

Lynn, a Unitarian minister, said he loves the book as well as the others in the Narnia series because of their Christian themes, but believes it is wrong for the government to sponsor a contest that essentially promotes one religion.

If the Narnia books had been part of a larger reading list of recommended books, it's unlikely that there would be any problem. Singling them out, though, raises serious questions. The fact that a major Republican donor will financially and professionally benefit from this raises even more questions.

 

Quick Poll: What do you think of C.S. Lewis' Narnia books?

1. The stories are good
2. The stories are good, the religious references dominate too much
3. The stories are only mediocre
4. The stories aren't good
5. I've never read them

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Read More:

• Separation of Church and State 101
• Church and State News
• Religion in Public Schools
• Secularism 101