President Obama on Free Speech

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.

In an address to the United Nations: “As president of our country, and commander-in-chief of our military, I accept that people are going to call me awful things every day,” Obama said. “And I will defend their right to do so.” For that, he received cheers in the cavernous hall. The president worked to explain — before a sometimes skeptical audience that has never completely bought into the U.S. idea that even hateful speech is protected — why the U.S. values its First Amendment so highly. “We do so because in a diverse society, efforts to restrict speech can become a tool to silence critics, or oppress minorities,” Obama said. “We do so because given the power of faith in our lives, and the passion that religious differences can inflame, the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression, it is more speech — the voices of tolerance that rally against bigotry and blasphemy, and lift up the values of understanding and mutual respect.” He said Americans “have fought and died around the globe to protect the right of all people to express their view.” http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2012/09/26/before-u-n--obama-champions-free-speech.html

Shack

The Shack
by William P. Young
read by Roger Mueller
audiobook 7 cd set

This book has a place in every public library, college library, and seminary library as well as in many church libraries (depending on their specific beliefs). This book has been out for a few years now, and it is still in fairly high demand so libraries may consider purchasing it in multiple formats or multiple copies. It is also the kind of book that friends pass around. It has been translated into at least 30 languages and many churches, seminaries, and other groups are reading it for discussions. It is rare that a book of such power and impact as this one comes out. Many critics have compared it to Pilgrim's Progress and Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
I read the book a few years ago, but at the recommendation of a patron I listened to the audiobook and Roger Mueller did a great job! It had been some time since I had read the book and his take on it really brought it to life again. At the end of the CD is an author's note stating that he hopes that it will become a movie some day so more people can experience "The Shack". He even states that he wrote the book in mind of having it be a screenplay and that some screen writers helped him in the editing.
I see that Amazon.com has a number of companion books, some supporting this book and others in opposition to the Gospel it preaches. If a librarian is trying to build a balanced collection these books may also be worth purchasing.
Here is the basic plot: A minister and his family are devastated when 6 year old Melissa is kidnapped and probably murdered while she is camping with her family. The father tries to come to some kind of understanding of why God would let this happen. The author refers to the depression that the father feels as "The Great Sadness". Years pass and the sadness does not go away. Little does Mack know that he is about to have an intense encounter with God in all three of God's manifestations - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. His assumptions about God are blown away with surprising and shocking revelations about who God is and how little we perceive about His greatness.
This book is very modern and thought provoking. Beware! Some readers may object to the portrayal of God (which makes for an interesting book discussion). I have participated in public library book discussions for about 15 years. Last year, while discussing "The Shack" was the first time that I have had a patron state her objection to a book then walk out of the room.