An anonymous parent from the Davis School District in Utah has petitioned for the removal of the Holy Bible from the high school library. According to Decision Magazine, the parent is using a new Utah law that “allows materials to be challenged or reported as indecent.” Citing passages from the Bible containing explicit material, the parent is calling the Holy Book “porn” and demanding its removal from schools.
The Utah law being cited by the parent follows the guideline that if a text references sexual acts, it must be immediately removed from bookshelves. According to a report, the parent presented an eight-page document citing passages containing rape, incest, sex, and nudity. In their request, the parent stated, “Get this PORN out of our schools,” and argued that “If the books that have been banned so far are any indication for way lesser offenses, this should be a slam dunk.”
The explicit content was not the only problem that the parent had with the Bible, also citing that the Holy Book should be removed because it has “no serious value for minors.” However, youth and worship minister Andrew Strang disagrees. Asserting the value of the Holy Book, Strang told Newsweek, “in the Bible, we also see God’s redemptive nature in never condoning these things that are sinful but always judging, punishing and redeeming.”
The First Liberty Institute is taking on this case and wrote a letter to the school district’s review committee explaining why it is both “legal and reasonable” to have the Bible in school libraries. The Institute reminded the committee of their duty to uphold the First Amendment and that no hostility should ever be shown towards any religion or religious text.