While You're Banning Obscene Books in Schools, Ban the Bible


For the decades I have been an atheist, I've seen a steady stream of books and articles pointing to obscene depictions in the Bible's stories. They make the Trump/Stormy Daniels story quite tame. All these years I assumed devout Christians would deny the obscenity in the Bible.

When the Presidential candidate clown, Gov. Desantis, got a bill through the Florida legislature banning obscene reading material from public schools, a atheist activist wrote to every county school superintendent and said the Bible should be included in the ban. He went on to site some obscene material. A Christian columnist agreed and added several other examples of the material, not fit for children, in his column. Maybe holier-than-thou Christians don't read the Bible. If they did, they would have to agree there is terrible stuff in their favorite book. From day one, the Bible has been the weakest weapon in the Christian arsenal. Christian leaders would be smart to stop using it to justify the faith.

Among the stories best not read by children is the incest in the story of Lot and his daughters. There is a section on having sex with animals. We have Abraham pimping out Sarah to the Pharaoh. Then Sarah provides pleasure from Hagar to the Pharaoh.

There is erotic stuff in the Song of Songs. It certainly goes beyond any rule of "conservative values." 

There is graphic sex and mention of promiscuity in Ezekiel. We all know polygamy is approved of by great leaders.   

I suppose the reason to put all this sordid material in every school library is that "the Bible is God's word." It is, instead, the writing of the ancient elite. Only a tiny percentage of people, the wealthy, at the time were literate. It appears to me sordid details of the human sex organs and sex acts must have been something discussed openly at the time. Or, at the time original material was rewritten by later scribes. It must not have been considered a moral affront at the time it was written or it would not have been written.

It baffles me why porn-like material "written by God" is ok for children but that written by today's authors is not. 

Comments

  1. Ardy BApril 1, 2023 at 5:39 PM

    Jon, you don’t suppose the salacious content of the Bible, God’s word, was ever used by a priest or preacher to “groom” a child for exploitation? It’s the perfect power tool for the job.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JonApril 2, 2023 at 7:13 AM

      Ardy B--"It's the perfect power tool for the job."

      In the publication, Freethought, victims often quote priests and this is exactly the line used.

      Delete
  2. Matt NoahApril 2, 2023 at 3:08 AM

    First off, no Christian is going to take your advice about getting rid of the Bible.

    Second, no Bible I've opened has ever had gratuitous photos or drawings of nudity or sexual activity. Contrast that with the volumes of gratuitous sex coming from the left in the form of explicit sexual "education" materials for children as young as kindergarten, drag queen shows in schools, hands-on working sessions of sexual activity in classrooms and more.

    The Bible depicts sex from a historical perspective as well as a moral perspective. Incest happened. Rape happened. Abortion happened. They were wrong. The Bible teaches the difference moral and immoral sexual activity.

    The Bible deals with grown-up subjects like war, slavery, and abuse. Look how Jesus was tortured and crucified.

    The Bible is never handed to a second-grader with instructions to read the whole thing. Similarly, a book on sexual reproduction from a medical school is not handed to the same second-grader. Age appropriateness is practiced.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JonApril 2, 2023 at 7:27 AM

    Matt-- "...no Bible I've ever opened...."

    The laws about prohibiting sexually explicit materials do not split hairs as you do. In your mind, the local Catholic Bishop should review everything in the local public school library and decide what can remain there. If not the Bishop, then you yourself should inspect the books. Parents, school staff and children must be protected because they are not gifted with the ability to decide what is harmful and what is helpful.

    I've heard many times the same personal story, "I knew I was different than other kids. I couldn't figure out what or why. The school library had a book on being gay. After I read that things made sense. I am gay...."

    ReplyDelete

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