Censorship

I feel like there is a specific issue that keeps coming up in my mind, and that was crystalized for me as I watched the news last night. Usually I avoid the 11 p.m. news like the plague, but as I got caught up for a minute after watching TV before bed, I realized there was a reason I needed to see the news — the moral majority movement rears its ugly head again.

For those that didn't catch it, in San Luis Obispo a couple parents sent anonymous letters condemning a book — a non-fiction book about aparteid — because of the descriptions of what the subject of the book endured. Naturally, we have to shield ourselves from the evil of the world... I was intrigued because the teacher was a relative of mine and because it was a reminder to me that those in the moral majority — all too often those that claim to hold the authority of Jesus Christ on this Earth — continue to confound me with their thoughtless approach.

When I was in school I read some books that I found troubling. They were assigned readings that made me uncomfortable, but then again, that was the point. But in all my years of schooling — 17 and counting — I have found few pieces of literature that contain as much challenging material as the Bible. Let me expound. First, the Bible is great literature, probably the best ever written. Second, the challenging material is both in the form of spiritual foundation, which is key, and in terms of the actions of those chronicled in the Bible.

I heard a speaker once say we have an R-rated faith, maybe even an NC-17 rated faith. Yet Christians seem to think it's right to uphold the Bible as important reading for people of all ages while seeking to condemn, ban, or in some cases burn books that contain morally questionable material. It's hypocrisy in the highest form, and is one of my pet peeves about the religious right.

WE CANNOT BE AFRAID OF CULTURE. This is not to say we should except everything and praise everything, but we can't run scared either. The only way to reach people in this world is to understand what they believe, understand how it differs from what we know to be true, and create a compelling argument. You can legislate morality. You can't pressure people to turn to God. And you can't dismiss and hide from everything that challenges your beliefs.

Think about Jesus! Did he spend all his time playing hymns, praying, and reading the Scriptures; or did he go out among the people, no matter where they were, and try to reach them in love? He did the latter, and you can't accomplish that through censorship and judgement. And if that's your idea of representing Jesus Christ on Earth, I don't want to be a part of it. I lived through that in my formative years and it took me a long time to realize that wasn't the Biblical model. Now that I do know, I will never go back.

Evangelism begins in the hearts and minds of those that serve Him and those that need to know about Him, and that process isn't benefitted one bit by banning books or persecuting others. Our God is bigger than that, hopefully we can be too.