BIBLE. Image source: GETTY IMAGES
The Bible was taken out of elementary and middle schools in a school district in the US state of Utah because it was “vulgar and violent.”
Recently, the banning of the King James Bible in Utah schools has generated attention.
The decision came in response to a complaint from a parent who argued that the Bible contains material unsuitable for children.
This move aligns with a law enacted by Utah’s Republican government in 2022, which prohibits the presence of “pornographic or indecent” books in schools.
Notably, the banned books in Utah primarily address topics related to sexual orientation and identity.
The prohibition of the Bible emerges within a broader context of conservative efforts across several US states to restrict teachings on contentious subjects such as LGBT rights and racial identity.
Similar bans on books deemed offensive have been implemented in states like Texas, Florida, Missouri, and South Carolina.
It is worth mentioning that some liberal states have also imposed bans on books in certain schools and libraries, citing concerns over racially offensive content.
After a complaint was lodged in December 2022, the Davis School District in Utah, located north of Salt Lake City, announced its decision this week regarding the banning of the King James Bible.
The district officials have confirmed that they have already removed the seven or eight copies of the Bible from their shelves.
It is worth noting that the Bible was never included as part of the curriculum.
The specific passages containing “vulgarity or violence” or the committee’s specific reasons for the ban were not disclosed or elaborated upon.
According to information reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, the parent who raised the complaint argued that the King James Bible lacked substantial values for minors, referring to it as pornographic based on their interpretation of the 2022 book-ban law.
The attempt to ban the Bible from schools was initially rejected by the Utah state lawmaker who wrote the 2022 law because he thought it was “mockery.
” The lawmaker’s position was reversed this week, and he described the Bible as a “challenging read” for younger kids.
In a Facebook post, Ken Ivory emphasized the importance of the Bible in American culture by stating that it is historically taught and understood best in the home environment.
The Davis School District’s decision found that the Bible’s content does not contravene the 2022 rule, but it did concede that it contains “vulgarity or violence not suitable for younger students.
” The Bible will therefore continue to be available in area high schools, but its inclusion in lower grade levels will be reevaluated.
Bob Johnson, a parent of a primary school student in the Davis School District, expressed his opposition to the removal of the Bible, stating his inability to understand why any content within the Bible would necessitate its exclusion.
He emphasized that the Bible does not contain pictures.
It’s important to note that the Davis School District is not the first in the United States to remove the Bible from its library shelves.
In a similar vein, a Texas school district made the decision to withdraw the Bible from its libraries last year due to objections from individuals who opposed conservative efforts aimed at banning certain books.
These incidents highlight ongoing debates and controversies surrounding the inclusion or exclusion of specific texts, such as the Bible, in school libraries, with varying perspectives and opinions from different communities.
Students in Kansas asked to have the Bible taken out of the school library last month.