An alliance of faith leaders in McAllen, Texas, has demanded that their local schools remove some 676 books from library shelves for being “filthy and evil.”
The requests were reportedly sent to school districts all around the Rio Grande Valley at the instruction of Pastor Luis Cabrera, who heads a group called Latino Faith. They cited House Bill 900, which requires libraries to prohibit children from accessing “pervasively vulgar or educationally unsuitable” content without parental permission.
But another group of local pastors and faith leaders are fighting back, saying that their fellow clergy are going too far.
Amid an ongoing nationwide debate – particularly strong in faith communities – about what books are suitable for children, the question becomes: where is the line between protecting kids and censorship?
Save the Children?
Pastor Cabrera insists that the 676 books on his ban list represent some of the worst content a child could read.
According to the pastor and his faith group, Texas school libraries are already flooded with “books on bestiality, books on same-sex people having sex, [and] books on adults having sex with children” – and they're on a mission to get them all removed.
“What is the business of the education system to push this perversion on my children?” Cabrera asks. “How is this educational?”
Is the Challenge Legal?
The Texas law used to object to these books includes fairly broad language (a fact that government watchdogs raised alarms about at the time of its passing).
Critics argued that the bill's vague wording, like “perverse” and “vulgar," are subjective terms that could be used to challenge a wide array of books – including works with any LGBTQ+ content whatsoever, whether sexually explicit or not.
As predicted, Pastor Cabrera’s list of books to ban includes many containing LGBTQ+ content.
“We have to go back to the ABCs and not the LGBTPQ,” he argues. “We got to fight for our children exactly by… building a future. We’re building perverts here.”
What’s On the Chopping Block?
Everything from classic pieces of American literature to modern favorites are at risk of being purged from library shelves. A Twitter account dedicated to combating book bans in Texas has documented some of the titles that could be banned, and the complaints submitted about them:
You may also recall that the classic graphic novel Maus, which depicts the Holocaust using cats and mice, was also challenged in Tennessee a few years ago for containing mouse nudity. At the time, Maus author Art Spiegelman said the “myopic” ban had “the breath of autocracy and fascism.”
Faithful Fight Back
However, the McAllen faith community is split on whether book banning is a good idea – and another group of religious leaders are even pushing back against the effort.
The McAllen Faith Leaders Network recently sent a letter to school districts in the Rio Grande Valley imploring them not to remove hundreds of books from library shelves.
“As religious leaders in South Texas, we hold nothing more important than our religious freedoms. For this reason, we strongly support the independence of our congregations, our schools, and the separation of Church and State,” they wrote. “We do not believe that the Government should have a say in our religious practice. We don’t believe that a religious organization should exert decision making power over our public schools or any public body.”
"We thought it was important as faith leaders to speak up and let our educators know that this individual was not speaking on behalf of all faiths, not speaking on behalf of all Christians, was not representing the religious voice of the entire Valley,” explained one member, Rabbi Nathan Farb of Temple Emanuel.
Other critics argue that these book bans are simply a way to inject Christian nationalism into schools. As Jackelin Elizabeth Trevino, a local woman who opposes the ban, put it, “it’s simply the tip of the iceberg of an agenda to further erode the separation of church and state, using our public schools as a vehicle for that.”
What do you make of the potential book bans? Between parents, religious leaders, and school districts, who should get the final say on what content kids are exposed to?
147 comments
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Clay Serenbetz
Undoubtedly, the filth and evil in the purported books probably pales in comparison to the filth and evils in the Bible. Stop censoring books, lest we return to the Dark Ages when the Church last widely censored knowledge.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
It seems to me some people are way to preoccupied with "Evil" and "filth". Makes you wonder what they do in their spare time when no one is looking....
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Reverend Paula Copp
Brava!
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ServantOfJudgement
It's natural for a document that details and describes humanity to have elements of filth and evil. One can't discuss world war one or two without discussing the filth and evil laid upon innocence.
The medical experiments conducted by Japanese and German doctors on civilians is breathtaking.
You think the dark ages have ended?
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
brought to you by the holy roman catholic church and the inquisition, leaders in all things genocidal, vile and evil
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John P Maher
EVIL IS IN THE MIND OF THE BEHOLDER, LAY OFF THE WINE, WOMEN and DRUGS DEAR PASTORS !
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Chris
Funny but in history those who ban books are never the good people. They don't know when to stop until they've banned everything but their own book, which they've never bothered reading. If he had a library and didn't want those books, that's fine. But he doesn't get to dictate what anyone else can read. I have the ability to decide what my children can or cannot read. I don't need some hopped up fascist telling me how to raise my kids. This is not now, nor has it ever been, a theocratic nation so whatever this little preacherman wants to do doesn't matter.
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oy_gevalt
Amen!
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ServantOfJudgement
Should children read the Anarchist Cookbook or Hustler in the classroom?
They are after all just books are they not?
Am I evil if I say kids ought not be reading Larry Flynt's finest work in the library?
Its painful to agree with me I know.
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John Ash McCormick
Anarchist Cookbook? Sure, ban that, then there will never be a Columbine. OH, be sure you make certain only licensed experts can buy gasoline in 5 gal containers, or bleach and ammonia? Propane tanks aren't as big a risk since the air fuel ration needs to be just right. BTW, locking down schools makes it easy to set just a few fires.
Hustler, just garbage when I last saw one 40 years ago, never saw more than two or three copies ever and certainly didn't buy one, but kids are smart, they will ignore most things adults expose them to just because they don't trust adults, especially one kind of minister.
But I'm not worried about genocide. I am a science communicator and, unless we have massive volcanic clouds or similar, the race won't survive much longer anyway.
Fighting book banning is nonsense compared to the only two real threats, nuclear war and global warming. Very little will survive a 4 degree increase and we already have .5 in a decade so we are at about 1.5 out of the 4.
Those two will end the race, pandemics only reduce numbers drastically.
There are even people who insist that the earth has seen many climate changes and eventually mother nature eliminated the cause. True, but now WE are the cause.
It is now already too late to start educating the next generation about science it would take too long and they wouldn't be in charge in time to do any good.
A lot of these big controversies are funded and pushed by people who want to distract us from real threats. Once you realize where the conspiracy theories come from and what they actually do, you can see without taking the RED pill
Most things people argue and march against are just raw meat to keep us arguing about things which in the long run don't really matter for the simple reason that there is unlikely to be any long run.
You wouldn't want people spending time on real threats would you?
Humans are just too dumb, how else can you explain people rebuilding Paradise, CA just in time for the next wildfire, or buying ocean front property which they won't be able to insure in another decade, or fighting against protecting their daughters from HPV caused cancer, etc.?
Want the next hidden threat? The oceans are warming and currents are changing. Warmer water holds less dissolved gasses. Now for the kicker, as sea life is being exterminated by over fishing and warmer weather, guess where most of the oxygen comes from that we need to breathe? Trees, right? Nope, the oceans are the major source.
OR, how about people in their 60s fighting to elect a politician who says he will cut healthcare, eliminate inexpensive health insurance, reduce social security, remove global warming and climate change again from all Govt sites?
The above is why I mostly stopped wasting time posting in these endless arguments.
Pew Research found that about half of those 16-25 believe global warming either won't be dangerous or is a hoax.
If you must push religion on children, at least push science as well.
Remember, the most famous banned book of all time just showed that the Earth is not at the center of the solar system, the sun is. How long did it take a Pope to apologize for that?
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Reverend Paula Copp
Centuries
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Reverend Paula Copp
Comment removed by user.
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John W
The United States was established upon the basis of both freedom and liberty. Those who seek to censor written works because they personally feel they have to be the morals police of their communities are the biggest threats to both freedom and liberty.
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Russel A. Kester
John, the United States does not permit or provide for absolute freedom or liberty. They each have limits placed on them in any civilized society..
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Robert James Ruhnke
What your wanting is a return of Bronze Age societies, Kester. They were hardly as civilized as you’re projecting.
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Stephanie A Willey
It starts with banning and burning books and ultimately gets around to concentration camps for everyone they hate. It's happened before and it will happen again if we let it.
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Ren
I wonder why he left the Holy Bible off his list of books. Plenty of incest, rape and other violence such as killing babies and children found in that collection of writing.
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Reverend Paula Copp
All the filth, smut, abuse and every other type of debauchery you could ever imagine is in the bible!
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Stacey Owens
Paula, its sad that all you can see is the filth, smut, abuse and every other type of debauchery. If you really look, you can see what God is showing you about yourself. The filth, smut, abuse and every other type of debauchery. I pray that you understand, Christ came to deliver the world from these acts that dwell within. The thing is, you must be born again in order to see the life of the light of the world. My faith in Jesus Christ is that you see the love of God.
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Geoffrey C. Olive
What nonsense! You can pray for Paula, and I’ll think for you!
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James G. Ward
Gods lessons are in many formats and we learn from the stories in all of them. I believe we should take each others faith and beliefs and respect them but be mindful of what we should take with us after reading the Bible. Each story and passage in the Bible is supposed to guide us but we need to remember that as humans we need to learn in as many ways available to us. While the Bible is important it is not supposed to be in schools when Islamic texts, and Jewish texts and others including pages texts are banned. How narrow mended are we when we can't respects everyone's religious reading and believe that our own is more important. We are supposed be Americans not just Christians.
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Stacey Owens
I agree, well said.
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mtwit
Teach our children how to read and think, not tell them what to read and think.
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Russel A. Kester
The question asked at the end of this article was who should decide or have the final say on what content kids read in books in school libraries. Hands down, the parents. Input from churches and the school administrators is important, but these are the children of the parents not the other two. It may well be true that schools are too lax and are providing books to push an ideological agenda. The teacher's unions are fraught with this problem. Churches can too often have a view to narrowly tailored to their religious beliefs. The parents are the right ones to decide with additional advice from the community at large who all pay taxes to fund the school.
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Reverend Paula Copp
So, Mr. Kester, if you have some parent who has no interest in his kid’s education, you’re going to let that person affect what ALL children are allowed to read? What kind of bonkers idea is that? Most parents aren’t teachers. Teachers are TRAINED to deal with and try to teach your brats the things they’ll need in life. You think a parent knows better? You, sir, should really consider reassessing your thinking.
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Russel A. Kester
Paula, your comment says that parents either don't care about their kids or they're stupid. Wow. Then it calls children brats. What a way to win friends and influence people. Hopefully, teachers are trained in the art of how to teach child the curriculum provided by the school. That does not make them experts on whether a book is appropriate or not for a child to read. And it certainly doesn't give a teacher a right to teach his or her personal beliefs or woke ideologies. You really should reconsider the thinking, or lack thereof, demonstrated in your comment.
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Robert James Ruhnke
Kinda like how schools shouldn’t be teaching religious dogma in school. Those are also personal beliefs, hypocrite. I’m all for theocracy classes, which teach the historical truths of religion, the beliefs and so forth, but just the facts. Not that these religions are absolute truths. Which is what you’re wanting. If we taught the history of these religions and their conquests, which has been done, people will see religion, especially right wing evangelical Christianity, people won’t flock to it like they did in times past. Whilst Islam is growing, I’m also seeing a large number of people leaving the mosque on a growing scale too. It may take a hundred more years, but humanity is breaking the demonic grip the abrahamic faiths have had on it for the last 2000 years.
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Russel A. Kester
Robert, something you wrote caused me to checked to myself. You wrote that if "we taught the history of these religions and their conquests" then presumably the kids would be horrified. Hahaha. Not the little boys. They'd relish playing a Templer Knight fighting in the crusades. Don't believe me? What type of video games do they want to play? That darn gender essentialism just keeps popping up at the most inconvenient times. Tsk, tsk.
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Robert James Ruhnke
Thank the gods that people are more well rounded than your trolling attempts at pushing a crap cookie cutter standard. To say that boys are solely and naturally into things that lame, maim, and kill is nonsense garbage. That’s a projected outcome that’s been onto them so men of influence can exploit the human being’s capacity for aggression. It’s not that surprising you think about little boys in your spare time, Kester. 🤮 No wonder you try to throw the trans and queer community under the bus. Trying to cover your tracks I see.
As a kid myself, looking back, I was into a variety of things, as were my peers in the 90’s and early 2000’s, Not just violent video games. Lego, knex, science kits, bugs, rocks and crystals, cars, anime, we had all kinds of crazy stuff. Today there’s even more variety than just violent options. Little boys are not the feral beasts you want them to be so they grow up to your tastes in men. There’s a word for that. It rhymes with blooming, Kester. 😉
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Lori-Ann Neeb
I laughed a little when you spoke of the 90's and 2000's. I remember years before that and the games and past times were pretty much in the same context with the difference being what wasn't available yet because technology was different then. The issue is should books be banned in schools. Thd separation of church and state, which should include education, should be reinforced to prevent situations like this where fringe and conservative fundamentals can't interfere. People who see evil under every rock should be seeking therepy for themselves and leave children alone. The kinds of books they are complaining about have been in libraries long before these people were around. If there are any incidents where they caused problems it was the reader's personal mindset and interpretation and not the book .
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Rev. BH
Paula Copp said: "So, Mr. Kester, if you have some parents who have no interest in his kid’s education ..." Kester replies: "Your comment says that parents either don't care about their kids or they're stupid."
Please Russel, respond to what people actually say, not what you want to believe they say. You do that too often, on purpose on not. Do not misinterpret to suit your agenda.
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Russel A. Kester
BH, I believe you have erred. Paula's comment had two parts. The first was"some parent who has no interest in his kid’s education" and her second was "[m]ost parents aren’t teachers. Teachers are TRAINED to deal with and try to teach your brats" leaving the clear idea that only teachers are smart enough to decide which books are appropriate as the word "trained" was in all caps. Which makes my statement correct that Paul's combined statements say that parents are EITHER uncaring OR stupid.
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Rev. BH
Here you go again. Argument by misquote.
"Leaving the clear idea that only teachers are smart enough to decide which books are appropriate. Our friend never used this word.
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Reverend Paula Copp
Your response is not worth a response, Mr. Kester. Interestingly enough, I find many of your comments unworthy of response. I’ll keep that in mind if I decide to post again.
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Robert James Ruhnke
You’re okay with just your ideological agenda being forced on everyone in and out of school. It plainly shows your concern as being insincere. Especially when it comes to Parents of trans youths who listen to their children and accept them for who they are, and fight for their right to exist along beside them. So many parents of trans kids are getting their rights trampled upon in states with anti trans laws and no protection for them. And no Kester, accepting your kid for being trans isn’t grooming or pushing an agenda on them. Just thought you should know before you said anything.
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Russel A. Kester
Robert you're not trans. Let the trans community speak for itself.
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Robert James Ruhnke
Why, so you can gaslight and patronize them too, Russel? I’m just pointing out how these bad Christian based policies are hurting people. And most of them are collateral fallout from the witch hunts. I will speak for them till a suitable representative or two enter the chat. We are all LGBTQIA+, whether you like it or not.
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Russel A. Kester
No, Robert, we are not. I belong to the LGB crowd. I'm reading Riki Wilchins book Queer Theory and Gender Theory wherein he clearly stated that Gays and Lesbians have never been onboard with this en mass and it was pushed into the community by HRC and other gay activist leaders who bought into the trans ideology.
There are trans people here who can speak for themselves. But clearly by your doing so, you show that we can all speak on every topic without hearing others tell us we have no right. How many times have people written that men have no right to talk about abortion because they're not women? Very often indeed. So, clearly if you can speak on trans and women's issues, I can speak about abortion and feminism and every other topic. People on the left can't have it both ways.
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Robert James Ruhnke
As always you’re wrong or you’re lying, Kester. Youre the one telling me I can’t speak for them. Don’t you flip the script as you confess your own faux pas and foibles in your accusations. I never said you couldn’t speak on women’s rights or abortion. In fact I encourage you to talk about them. So we can all see your written superstition and peer review back into the history books where it belongs. Lol nobody is stopping you from talking about it. You say what you want when you want, then play victim and pearl clutch when we all prove you wrong or hold your more insane rhetoric with truth. So far the only ones here who side with your silly nonsense are the other right wing trolls playing pastors on the blog. People on the right have become so disgustingly disillusioned they can’t figure out reality and have it dictated to them by talking heads.
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Robert James Ruhnke
Some weren’t Kester, and they were fools for buying into such elitist hetero normative nonsense. By all means, be as hetero normative as you want. Just stop trying to throw the rest of us under the bus to achieve whatever delusional goal you have in mind. Trying to use right wing talking points to justify your view of us as a community is why the LGB are nothing but disingenuous fraudsters misleading people. I think the biggest problem with our community are white Cis gay men who feel entitled to try and gate keep or patronize the rest of us when they were too busy hooking up or not paying attesting to those fighting in the trenches for our rights in the 60’s and 70’s. If you get to talk about women’s rights and abortion, I get to air out our LGBTQ+ community’s dirtiest of laundries. Yalls. The LGB.
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Daniel Todd Kamm
I have long maintained that Texas and it's filthy oil and right wingers should be ceded back to Mexico in exchange for immigrants who want to be here and a part of our country who actually contribute.
There are a few other states we can give back as well....
An interesting social experiment to play with in the mind....
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Matthew Mastrogiovanni
No book is more filthy then the bible. It's full of rape, misogyny, incest, murder, genocide, torture, demons, and lust.
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ServantOfJudgement
You've just described the human race.
Our president took a shower with his daughter and sniffs kids hair. The last one grabs vaginas. We're letting in illegal alien gang members who rape our daughters. Torture is the CIAs middle name. Two active genocides right now. The music industry creates and promotes demonic videos with pride. We're promoting legal sex workers while the sex slave industry is booming. We sell our own kids for meth.
Sir, our book is far more vile than the description the Bible issues of us.
Why is it wrong to read a book that documents it but right to live it?
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
you don't sound like a very good parent doing those things to your children
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Russel A. Kester
JJ, your comment was mean spirited, crude, juvenile, and unworthy of a ULC minister. Some of us take being a ULC minister seriously, especially when we discuss areas of disagreement.
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
meester keister, SHOJ claimed the "...president showered with his daughter and sniffs kids hair..." and here you are making up false grievances about my simple comment?
you sir are looking to stir thing up for your own excitement and should be ashamed of being a purveyor of such lies and claptwaddle. how dare you insult me falsely all the while ignoring the nastiness that SHOJ spews, not to mention your own prevarications.
do the rest of us honest and hardworking, taxpaying, voting gays and lesbians and STOP identifying yourself as such. I don't believe it for one minute and the fact that you would defend the cathaholic curch and kkkristofascism in general is disgraceful. on behalf of all decent gay people worldwide I banish thee to your kkkris chin hell
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Robert James Ruhnke
I may call you a liar, Kester. At least I’ve never threatened you with hell or told you to go there lol.
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Russel A. Kester
I don't believe I've ever done that either.
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Nicholas J Page
How does the Pastor know these books are filthy has he read them all Cover to Cover I doubt it.So if banning these books ban The Bible as well as it's contents are bad.
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Rev. Mike Eggleston
I doubt he's read the bible either.
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Amy Minckler
Surprised they didn't cut the list down by 10. I mean 666 would have so much more impact. /S These are the type of people that when you ask them if Arabic Numerals should be taught in school start clutching pearls and go into full mental breakdowns. They are so afraid of losing control if the masses are educated or can think for themselves. People can be educated and have independent thought and still be religious they are not mutually exclusive. But God Forbid (pun intended) if they don't have complete control. They miss the middle ages where the church could just label ppl, take their lands, their lives and anything else they coveted and call it the will of God. smh.
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
"...and call it the will of God." which always comes down to a person deciding on an action and then deciding who to blame, in other words, they go and commit the act and pass the blame on their god.
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Keith D
There is so much to say here. Most important to me is that those who want to lead must lead by example and exhortation, not by extortion and authoritarian methods.
Where we have (or seem to have) little choice but to farm our kids' education out to 'others,' what's in schools--and especially what's pushed in schools--is something about which parents need to know and have a say.
Reading accounts from centuries ago, I recall that there was a push (from churches, no less) to remove children from their parents at an early age, raise them by 'church standards,' and then maybe return them to parents when they are past the most formative ages.
We have that, in the mundane model. Worse, we have the same kind of control notions running through all aspects of 'information' (MSM, censorship of social media for 'misinformation' and so on) in our world. We have psychos dreaming of social credit systems to coercively silence any dissent anywhere. All mundane, but as stridently 'religious' as the most oppressive of churches.
Neither the 'war' nor the 'battle' in the striving for Spirit or even more mundane pursuits should be framed as ruler vs ruler. But here we are. Part of it is that we've been talked into a stupidity of 'expertise' and 'specialization,' whereas heart and wholeness are key.
Should churches be trying to ban things? Should mundane 'authorities' be foisting notions on impressionable children, EITHER passively (library) or actively (classroom)?
If we are to lead or even just assist 'the flock,' herding is not the word. The individual in God's design even of Unity Consciousness is sovereign, ruler of self and no one else, and ruled by no one but self. Children are to be guided and protected, by parents and their adopted 'community,' but should also not be subjected to over-weaning rule. They need freedom if they are to understand their sovereignty in Self.
The gift of self to God cannot be coerced. Good behavior forced is not virtue, it is an abomination.
The problem here is a wide-society lack of self-rule and personal commitment to one's own sovereignty and the responsibility to honor the sovereignty of others.
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John Ash McCormick
Good points BUT
"Reading accounts from centuries ago,"?? Forgot about the Bureau of "Indian" Affairs schools?
There are still 4 open.
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Keith D
Of course it still plays! The point was that this is not a new phenomenon and that it continues in the public schools, public information and so on. That in fact seems to be their very purpose.
What's been done to natives almost everywhere around the world, by nearly the same ilk just wearing slightly different masks, is atrocious. It's just all of us now who are thus subjugated--except for The Swarm--a clique of 'elites,' maybe 10,000 individuals plus their lieutenants and key beneficiaries, who move very much like a Swarm of birds or a school of fish.
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John Michael Gentile
It should be up to the parents only. I think school libraries should be filled with all manner of books as long as they are age appropriate. Politicians have no place in the discussion.
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ether_ore
If the goal is, as the article states, to remove:
“books on bestiality, books on same-sex people having sex, [and] books on adults having sex with children”
Then can we assume they are also opposed to the Old Testament being in school as well?
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Donald G Magel
The Bible is full of sex and murder and made up stories giants and rock throwers.. ...Ban it first!
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Douglas R. Reynolds
Evil, filthy, vulgar, It seems to me these people see everything in those terms. I've read Maus and it's none of those thing. IMHO, this book ban in Texas is because narrow minded people want to push their idea of Christianity. This Christian (me) think these people need to get a life because before long after they get the books ban, then it's movies, TV shows, what you eat or wear. It's fascism in the name of Christ and that's so un-Christ.
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Irvin March Cutler
I am against any tranny or homosexual books, discussions, anything like that in schools. It’s not normal behavior and sadly I see these liberal progressives pushing all this on children. I mean come on!! Let kids be kids and when they are of legal age then and only then does this creepy non holy behavior become ok to talk about but not in pu lic schools .
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Alan Meunier
Everyone is against something until it happens to them. If you had kids and one came out of the closet would you feel the same way? Or are you one of THOSE parents that would disown them? People like THAT make me ill...
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Lori-Ann Neeb
It is sad that those who claim to care about the children so much are most of those who will be the first to judge and disown them if that child grows up to be gay. lesbian. transexual, etc.
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Rev. Klaire ThD, MA
Irvin, You sound like the kind of person that likely still calls Black people the "N" word, Jews the "K" word and similar names for other minorities. You also sound like the kind of person that hasn't traveled much. You're comment doesn't sound very 'normal' at all. More like creepy weird!
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Dan Anderson
Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, talks about sexuality should be taught at home by the parents?
I believe it is the LACK of parental guidance in this area that causes the necessity for this to be in books and in discussions in schools.
It has also been shown that homosexuality and other areas you disagree with are NOT deviance but are natural.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201509/when-homosexuality-stopped-being-a-mental-disorder
Are you also ready to dunk who you perceive as witches into rivers to see if they are really witches or killing off women who were accused?
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Robert James Ruhnke
Irvin the only thing creep is the rights hyper focus on children. Y’all are the ones pushing for kids to be parents at 12-16. Y’all are the ones pushing weird toxic antiquated social norms on kids. Not the LGBTQ+, the only ones grooming are the right wing pastors as they cruise their flocks for victims. Every accusation is a confession on y’all part.
SOJ, our schools taught us the dangers of drugs. Not just that they solely existed. You telling half a story for the sake of rhetoric is trolling (and lying btw). Sex Education should be taught in schools so young people can learn about themselves, nothing more. I had it in 8th grade and again Senior Year. If religious fundie parents want their kids ignorant and hateful they can all move to Russia or homeschool them. Public school should be about everyone’s kids, not just how y’all brainwash yours.
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John Ash McCormick
Sure, raise them like mushrooms, after all, nothing bad ever happens to anyone under 18 because they were unprepared for the real world.
Not saying the "different" are evil or even bad, just that once you decide kids shouldn't learn how the world works in one area you have decided to "protect" them far too much to be safe.
Especially when it turns out some of those kids suicide because they think they themselves are evil or bad or are bullied relentlessly because their classmates think so.
That's two classes of children who need to read those books or learn in health class, Bullies and The ones who are so confused about their own feelings.
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ServantOfJudgement
There is a time and place for everything. Some things ought be discussed by parents. If parents chose not to discuss certain things they've exercised their right according to their conscience.
Let's focus in 2 plus 2 in schools.
Leave the sex and gender ideology to the parents please.
Consider this: My parents never taught me about drugs. The school did though. Once the school told me these things existed and how they make you feel I searched them out with due diligence.
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Daniel Todd Kamm
As for those Texans who fantasize about seceding ... nationalize their corporations and send them packing. And good riddance.
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Robert James Ruhnke
These are the same people pushing for the Song of Solomon being put into schools. And that’s just the tip of the sexual explicitly of the Bible. Hypocrisy doesn’t even begin to explain this. When the parents at home are proven beyond a reasonable doubt unhinged religious bigots who hide their own evil behind a stained cloth of faith, perhaps they shouldn’t be teaching their children about the facts of life. Especially when they base they’re on superstitious lunacy.
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Russel A. Kester
Robert, are pagan beliefs included in your idea of superstitious lunacy?.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Anything that contains woo-woo, hokum and phenomena that is not scientifically supported. If they think there are spirits in trees…hokum. Mother Earth as a spirit…hokum. Mother Earth as the Earth…okay.
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Robert James Ruhnke
Depends. If they believe in the powers of the moon it might 😉. If it is based on the ideas of Aleister Crowley, Madam Blavatsky, and some other occultists or modern new age paganism who spell magic with a k, then yes. Madam Blavatsky was a white supremacist who essentially helped inspire Hitler with some of her white supremacist views and the made up histories and crap science behind the social construct of race. Her ideas about Atlantis and other fantasies of ancient powerful nations are disproven junk. Aleister Crowley was a degenerate who tried to rewrite the rules of occult in his perverted image.
Lots of neo pagans are anti LGBTQ+ or are white supremacists. There are many ex Christians who’ve flocked to the Heathen and Norse Traditions because they found Christ’s true teachings as soft and weak, many are now calling woke. They too hide their bigotry and hatred behind the thin veil of their faith. They use it as an excuse. They may have switched gods, but not tactics or base ideas. I have the same proem with them as I do you. Perhaps it is more potent for them because for 2000 years our traditions and cultures were pushed to the pages of history, forgotten, or demonized, as our faiths different believers were targeted, hunted, mutilated, and ultimately ended by the Christian Church.
Understand Kester, I am not atheist, but I do view many of the world’s popular religions as a cancer of the soul. It hollows one till there’s nothing but a husk of a person barely higher than most animals, filled with arbitrary rules and superstition which stopped being relevant the minute we took the atom and smashed cites to dust with them. We have the power now to cure most diseases but choose not to because religious elements object to the treatment because it could help everyone and not just who they think deserves it. These religions have men who use their influence to become wealthy then let their most vulnerable perish for lack of food or water. When I was a Christian, used to think like you. Lie even, like you. Lie to myself mostly about reality and what it constituted. Then someone woke me out of that bad dream. Perhaps someone will wake you from yours, Russell.
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Russel A. Kester
Robert, it's very interesting to hear that you're not an atheist. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on God/Deity. As for Madame H. P. Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott, despite their all too human short comings they did, it seems, correctly intuit the three interior parts of the proton which we now call quarks before science found them as evidenced in their journals. So she's an interesting character. As for my Christian faith, I was raised in fundamentalist environs, had a healthy rebellion, and have returned to the faith prepared to receive those aspects which promote true faith while also acknowledging those which do not. Like my view of Madam Blavasky, I don't require perfection while we're still here in the material world. I don't let it's imperfections keep me from seeing its beautiful aspects. But that's just me. I also find reading Stoicism a helpful philosophy which is not in conflict with faith.
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Robert James Ruhnke
In 1964, physicists Murray Gell-Mann and George Zweig independently proposed the existence of quarks, subatomic particles that make up hadrons, or strongly interacting particles. Gell-Mann's paper was received by Physics Letters on January 4, 1964, while Zweig's work was unpublished and dated January 17, 1964.
I don’t find white supremacy or racism all that interesting. So why am I not surprised you do. Mitigating them to an interesting character when her ideas unleashed a hell storm of death, is why I think you’re full of BS most of the time. I don’t seek perfection. It is an illusion. I also do not white wash or make excuses for evil either. I am not surprised you’re a zero calorie version of the ideas you grew up with. I left the faith completely at 21. And I never returned to it. It is quite common for Christians to have run wild eras in their life. Only to be seduced back in by the cult as it seeks to assimilate or destroy.
You point to a stoic man and I’ll show you a plucked chicken. Diogenes had the right of it to roast that proto astrology for men. I firmly believe that Plato made up Atlantis as an allegory for men to seek progress and change something better than what is. To go through life as a joyless automaton who makes it his duty to force his existence on others for the sake of some silly philosophical nonsense, nah. Stoicism has a few good ideas, but they’re usually undermined by the drama men create for themselves as they fail to apply their ideas to reality.
My idea of deity is that it goes beyond the pettiness of many of the Bronze Age gods. The Abrahamic god especially. Theyre one part figment of mankind’s imagination, one part madness, and one part living idea. In some ways it could be an apex life form which embodies all aspects of reality, from the quark to the stars. One being or sense of being with many aspects which make up our reality.
When we die, we return to that sense of oneness until something from this side of the divide calls us back. We’ve given names to these aspects over the years, some major some minor. Everything is connected, everything is a reflection of the other, and if one can connect as many dots as they can, the constellations of our lives become that much richer. The war like aspects of Christianity which use peace as just me another weapon, seek to destroy and muddy that which doesn’t fit their cookie cutter facile idea.
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Russel A. Kester
Robert, I agree with the idea that after our life here on earth has reached its end, we return to the spiritual realm from which we came and will return again or not based on our life choices and actions here and now.
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Robert James Ruhnke
I don’t think of it as the spiritual realm. I think it’s something sub molecular. What if the decent to the underworld is just a metaphor for our molecules returning to a state near nothingness and void. When we die, our bodies are supposed to return our basic components back to the earth. So our energy can be reused for other organisms to live and be used to replenish the great cycle around us. For most sentient beings that descent is so fast and incomprehensible it’s just void then light as we return. For most it’s so incomprehensible our minds can only perceive it as such. And that’s not a knock on their intelligence. It’s just human brains aren’t really meant to comprehend it. It’s plausible that some people who have the ability to lucid dream, can control what they see in their descent, and perhaps this is where the ideas of heaven and the afterlife come from. Universes are just one great explosion which grow cold, it’s thought that once the universe grows cold it collapses in on itself sparking the rebirth of a new universe. Now where does god fit into that? I view god as being potentially biological, an apex of life which has survived so long it has adapted to all hostility that this constant explosion has to offer and can navigate it freely in whichever way it has adapted too. With the potentiality of even crossing through dimensions and universes. Sure that’s pretty marvel or comic book for you, but it’s big universe. I also view it as a living figment of our collective unconscious. The first stop on our descent back into molecular torpor or hibernation.
None of it can be proven and it’s honestly a matter of faith. It’s why I’m more of a seeker than believer, Russel. I’m in a search for the gods. Along the way I find fellow seekers and believers and discuss findings. Or. I rip their politics injected security blankets they call faith to shreds. I do want you to know something. I may be mean to you, but I don’t hate you. I find you annoying, patronizing, and absolutely tacky in your opinion lol. I am grateful you are well and are an adversary I do respect more than I let it show. I just don’t play nice about it. I would rather have an honest frienemy than a lying ally. Maybe I watched Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men too many times in my youth. Who knows.
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Russel A. Kester
LOL, I loved your reference to grumpy old men. Thank you for your kind words, Robert. I too am grateful for your presence here. I actually appreciate it when people challenge my comments and uncover assumptions I make without foundation which you have done on several occasions, and I am thankful for that. I like what you said above. I do differ, possibly, in that I believe our consciousness does survive the destruction of our bodies. Stay well.
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ServantOfJudgement
There's plenty of books kids can't read. It's illegal to show certain material to kids.
To the crowd that doesn't think binary exists, surely you see there's extreme content kids should not see and there's material nobody could complain against.
Like it or not, we currently ban books from kids that nobody except MAPs disagree with.
Let's be wise with our children.
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Rev Ned
Include The Bible on that list. It’s full of raunch and gore.
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Colleen McAllister
Wow this thread got way overblown and off topic.
The real answer is that BOOK BANNING is always WRONG. Period. For whatever reason.
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Robert James Ruhnke
I’m not saying I didn’t, but I feel like all roads lead to woke or anti woke conversations as these chats go on with this blog. I see a lot of trolling and counter trolling.
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John Condron
Really? These guys are so pathetic that they couldn't pare down their list by just ten to give us "the mark of the beast?"
That's just lazy!
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Rev Ned
The worshipers of the Anti-Christ do wear the mark of the beast on their foreheads, the Chinese made MAGA hats.
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Rev. Mike Eggleston
In the unlikely event that the ban is applied fairly and impartially, al the bibles in public schools will have to be removed.
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Merlin
Start with the Bible, Ezekiel 23:20. As bad as it can get.
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Stephanie V Mozingo
I believe these books will warp young children's minds and thoroughly confuse them. Young children's brains cannot process this type of information and compare it to "normal" relationship information as they grow older. How are they supposed to know what is appropriate when this material is freely available? We don't put Playboy or Hustler magazines in schools; why would we put other age inappropriate books and other material in schools?
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Robert James Ruhnke
That’s a nice false equivalency you got there Steph. It’s not a shame it’s not true. Y’all gladly push the Bible on kids and it’s 10’000 times more pornographic with violence abd sex, it just shows your cognitive dissonance and ignorance. Also. LGBTQ+ relationships are as normal as hetero ones. There’s no confusion, except the nonsense you’re trying to push and sew. Do grow from hate already.
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Russel A. Kester
Well said, Stephanie. It was gratifying to see your comment was focused on what is good and healthy for the children.
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Rev Ned
Is the Bible on the ban list? It should be with all the raunch and gore in it. King David sending a General unto battle to be killed, so David could bang his wife, killing all the women and children in Jericho and Lot’s (?) daughters wanting to get him drunk so that they could bang him and get pregnant, etc..
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Eric J Wiggins
Banning reading material is not the answer, all should be available to digest. An individuals rights allow all to be read, it's up to the individual to decide for self what is appropriate. Granted there are things to be kept away from our youngest until they reach the age of understanding, banning books just creates more interest. These people should realize that this type of behavior, banning books, just creates more interest and demand for same. No one else should be able to decide for them or force them otherwise.
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Harold Albert Clark
Are those that recall teachers and parents worked together to choose books, lessons, curricular, etc. A simpler time I supposed, but the basic goal is still intact, the best books, information, media, etc for educating young people. Banning books has been almost a "hate crime" for more than 50+ years now! Banned books make them more popular, more wanted to read; recall the film "The Last Temptation of Christ" in the late 1980's, there were riots, boycotts, etc, now I have known several churches that have screened it!
I may be off track, book banning had almost always a bad situation, and a lot of the time is not for the children's benefit, but the leader, or organization, notary or popularity. As the school systems and libraries have been, probably, the books for reading selections to prepare college, state or not.
If this Texas minister, or any minister, tries to band books, I believe the minister is wrong and it would hurt the young people. Lets try to do more for our young people, not against them.
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Rev. BH
When I was a kid in school (loooong ago), I had no idea what books were in, or not in the library. We seldom even went there. Now we have chaplains, pastors, ministers and Christian Nationalist thugs providing the kids with a list of naughty books! Wish I'd had that..
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P. Keith Benefiel
What is the problem? When was the last time anyone saw a kid with a book rather than their "device". on which they can access literally anything?
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Rev. Michelle Love
Kids can access books on their device using programs such as Kindle. There are some popular young adult novellas that can only be read online as they have never been published in print.
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Rev. Michelle Love
I can't help but notice that every single book displayed above has the exact same complaints which I find very hard to believe. Toni Morrison received a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize in Literature for the book Beloved. Do these people find this book offensive because it was based on the true story of a former slave?
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Angela Sidney Andrado
I agree, it slavea or jews. People want to sweep history under the rug like it didnt happen. If we are ever to truly have UNITY in this country we MUST learn our history, not be proud of, but learn from it to understand each other and then join and grow I am half Black Mom and half Italian Dad so I have coffe with cream skin and 40 years ago interracial marriages were a no no and I got called everything jn the book but this country learned and grew because kids like me and people like my parents stood our ground and didnt sweep it under a rug or hide it like these crazies want, and Im a Texan.
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Rev. Michelle Love
Angela,
Let's not forget about the Hispanic community. The book, "The House on Mango Street", is a coming of age story of a young Latina woman growing up in Chicago. It seems as if people are using the same blanket statements to ban books that even remotely represents an ethnic minority.
It's ironic that the name of the group that is claiming that these books should be banned is called the TX Freedom to Read Project. I think that they should consider renaming themselves since it only seems as if they are promoting censorship instead of actual freedom to read.
It seems as if this Republican leaning non-profit organization, which partners with a local church to do their bidding, knows that representation matters, and that they are whitewashing the content available to students in their local schools as a way to assert that Caucasians are the dominant race.
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Jimmy Moon
Let's start by banning alphabet people from schools.
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
so your homophobic? where is meester keister when you want him attacking the homophobes
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Jimmy Moon
Yes I am homophobe if that's what you want to label it. I really identify as a person who wants little kids left alone to NOT learn about perverted lifestyles that the GOD says are an ABOMBINATION.
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Robert James Ruhnke
The only ABOMINATION here is your comment, jimmy. Go be a coward elsewhere.
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Rev Ned
So you’re scared of scary 🌈s on stuff. Sad, bigly sad.
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John Ash McCormick
Easy to now identify 676 truly evil dispensers of the BLUE pill. They have a real flock, ostrich flock.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
It is true that there is no hate like Christian hate. I pity what people there are that claim to be Christian but not the weapon8zed christian mentality. Those few who do actually grasp the truth of love, tolerance and forgiveness as was Jesus real message get lumped in with the conservative, fringe group right fighters preaching judgement and condemnation .
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Stacey Owens
This is the knowledge of good and evil: the imagination. The scriptures state, "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." This beast has the same attributes of the Popes of the renaissance period and dark ages. They never wanted the people to worship God, just as people today. Their making law on top of the law of the spirit of life. This is an evil imagination to control the masses. But Jesus said in Matthews the 24th Chapter what will take place in the last days. When he looked at the temple; not one stone will be laid upon another till all be thrown down. Worshippers will be deceived, following another gospel. Its the abomination of desolation. And its being played out here on this platform. The anichrist is alive and well. He's the dust of the earth. If you believe in the earth, then to the earth you will return,
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Rev. Rory
Sadly, I find that the pastors making the most noise are the pastors that fail their own congregations. They feel like they've lost control of their flock so they go after society in general. The best pastors engage and understand their followers, establish a school for the youngest if they want them to have a particular religious education and youth programs for the teens. They encourage young families to become involved with the community to live the life they preach about. They respect and assist the oldest members of their group. They also understand that not everyone has the same belief system and that the United States is not a theocracy. Instead, these pastors promote anger and unacceptance of anybody that is not part of their church. The failure is their own. I hope someday they see the light.
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Russel A. Kester
The person I speak of John Spencer who is an internationally recognized subject matter expert in urban warfare that regularly consults for United States Army Forces Command units, Training and Doctrine Command, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the United Nations, and many others military and national security organizations.
He holds a master of policy management degree from Georgetown University.
What do you, as a privileged American sitting comfortably and safely in your home in a country with one of the strongest militaries in the world, know about urban warfare that allows you to feel entitled to judge a nation fighting entrenched terrorists? You know nothing.
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
but you read a book so....expert on experts? lol
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Robert James Ruhnke
Oh you mean the terrorists Bibi has been aiding and funding behind closed doors can get his extermination campaign under way. Likud party thugs assassinated one of their own progressives just to keep it going back in the 90’s. Bibi also funded Hamas to kill off the Palestinian moderates and and progressives. It reeks of US intervention practices going back to the Korean War. Name dropping someone on the internet to sound cool doesn’t really work the way y’all think it does.
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Russel A. Kester
Comment has been removed.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Anything that begins with ‘A faith group in Texas’ means somebody flushed the toilet and there is a stinky mess coming down the cops.’
But all is not crazy in Texas. There’s one really religious State legislator, James Talarico, whose political views I agree with. And this guy is really laying into the GOP in Texas over all the stupidity they’re trying to pass into law.
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Chuck Day
We are a “FREE” nation made up of many diverse cultures, beliefs, and expressions. For a State to mandate or censor what is read, spoken of, or distributed is in itself against the fundamental rule of such freedom. My belief is that what a person does in their home, what they believe, how they express themselves, and how they view and raise their family is their business and not that of a third party or government to control. Who you love or choose to live and share your life with, what you choose to read, and again, how you express yourself is up to you.
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Geoffrey C. Olive
It’s about time that this website also had a down vote 👎 option with statistics showing subscribers’ leanings! How about it themonastery.org?
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Rev. BH
Like the idea. But most of us have already pegged the respondents who always get zeros, vs. those with ones, twos and above.
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Russel A. Kester
BH, your comment allows one to understand it as meaningful that those who engage in groupthink are clearly identified as are those who think independently.
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Rev. BH
Russ, The word "independently" does not imply courtesy, intelligence or correctness. It simply means differently.
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Steven Ferrell
If they are forced reading, then that should be stopped. Depending on how sexually explicit they are, they should not be in Elementary or JH schools.
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Anna Rojas
Pastors don't get to choose what is read in schools just like prayers are no longer allowed to be said in school. Pastors are not educational teachers they are spiritual educational teachers there is a difference. Stick to teaching what you know.
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James G. Ward
I am sick of the bullies trying to politics and religion to control the lives of others. We have a Constitution and its amendments for a reason. we also have morals and values as individuals as well as parents and it is these that are supposed to guide us and shape us. I don't need some gator who is supposed to spread the word of God to tell me what I can or cannot read. His opinion may be valid for him and his flock but I am not a member of his flock.
I grew up shaping myself in many ways and yeas I have made mistakes along the way. I was never adversely affected from the books I read. The journey of Anne Frank was important for all of us and it should never be restricted. If someone were to read the Bible especially the Old Testament to their children in it's true form it would scar them forever. If anyone bans a book based on content from any school the Bible should be at the top of the list.
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Lisa Marie Carter
The ONLY book that should be in Schools Is The Holy Bible , it Bears no False History or Scripture . Nothing can be added or taken away 🙏 Bless all
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Rev. Michelle Love
Lisa Marie, Are you familiar with the Apocrypha? Those texts are proof that information has been taken away from the Holy Bible.
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Cheryl Pettijohn
Have you actually READ the bible? And there are definitely pieces missing. You might want to rethink your position. The bible has some of the most egregious acts of genocide and sexual immorality (and not at Sodom).
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Rev Ned
The Bible should be also banned. The story of Noah and the Flood, the most complete genocide (if true) ever, makes such a heart warming story for children.
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Rev. Michelle Love
Since we are talking about banning books with LGBTQ+ content in it, let's talk about adding the Holy Bible to the list. Have you ever wondered why Jesus was washing the feet of His disciples? He was trying to publicly out them as being attracted to men. He seemed to have His sights on Peter, who denied knowing Him three times before the rooster crowed which would insinuate that Jesus propositioned Peter at least three times in the middle of the night. Apparently, Peter had the Armor of God, because Jesus' attempts to out him as homosexual backfired on Him when Judas Iscariot accepted 30 pieces of silver to kiss Jesus publicly in order to show how comfortable He was in receiving public displays of affection from a man in public.
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Russel A. Kester
Michelle, there are simply no words to describe the willful disrespect shown in your comment about Jesus Christ and his passion narrative.
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Rev. Michelle Love
Russel, No disrespect was meant when I made this comment. Jesus was a wanted man and they wanted to get Him by any means necessary. He was the shepherd they wanted to blame for having to destroy so much livestock because they wanted to hold Him accountable for giving them Mad Cow Disease after treating the leper of his condition. Leprosy was another word for shingles which is a strain of the herpes virus which can cause encephalitis in humans. People may have seen an attractive young man hanging around 12 men all day long and wondered why He was not married. Between the Pharisees trying to find him to verify acts of witchcraft to include necromancy with the resurrection of Lazarus after he had been dead for four whole days to the Romans trying to get Jesus for tax evasion by keeping His followers from having to pay the Temple Tax by holding His sermons in public places, there was definitely a witch hunt happening. And, when they were not able to get anyone to testify against Him, they decided to throw the spaghetti on the wall to see what stuck, and that turned out to be His sexuality. Keep in mind that I never said that Jesus was gay. However, on His last night on earth because of His pending crucifixion, Jesus may have been feeling His mortality and wanted to express His emotions for men He openly admitted to loving in a manner that may be seen as bi-curious.
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Russel A. Kester
Michelle, that was a lovely response and clarified much of your thinking for me. Thank you. As for Jesus being gay, I kinda always thought he was since I was a kid and read the story of the last supper. Of course back then I couldn't say anything or I would have been persona non grata. Thank you again.
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Rev. Michelle Love
No worries, Russel. I know that my opinion may not be a popular one, but I did not come by it lightly. I believe that Jesus presented as a more gentle soul because He was raised by His mother while Joseph was in prison for most of His youth. Because of His calling as a rabbi, I believe that Jesus presented as asexual for most of His adult life before His crucifixion.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
I would be interested to know where your beliefs come from. I. get that mind derive from the teachings of a woman who founded a gnostic christian church. with specific info derived from trans sessions with her guide later backed up by whatever scientific or historical proof can still be found after 2000 years with so much being lost to time on all sides. but accuracy speaks to me. I consider the church and spiritual findings to be separate from the psychic work. all I can say for sure is that she was amazingly correct several times and her son who inherited the ability has recent been very correct again and I do not accept such claims easily. I give little Background as leading info when asking questions and am always looking to see if I see signs of cold reading like a lot of fakes fool people with and never find it there so they have credibility with me. And following the teachings of that gnostic christian church, Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and very much in love with her. He survived the crucifixion and left with his family to what is now France. pilot decreed. as one of the people in the plan, that if it worked they were to leave pilots territory, pilot was the one who scheduled thenprocéedings so that Jesus spent hours on the cross instead of days. He was also never betrayed . the whole kiss part was simply for show to convince others the events were real. his human father was older than His mother and died when he was young. as to the preferences of the disciples, I have no opinion and would think of it as separate from his ministry anyway if they were or weren't into men.
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Rev. Michelle Love
Lori-Ann,
My beliefs are my own as I prefer to formulate my own opinions about a text that no two people could ever come to a complete consensus about. I have done a lot of research, both of the Bible and World History, and will agree that the person that was called Jesus in the Bible did live in France at one point in time. The stories in the Bible were prophetic, so the names and locations of most of the stories were incorrect because some of the countries did not exist at the time of writing and the people being written about had yet to be born.
I do not agree that Jesus was madly in love with Mary Magdalene because there is no evidence to support that fact. However, almost every theologian would disagree with the fact that Jesus was never betrayed because the name Judas has become synonymous with the word betrayal because he accepted payment to out his friend.
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Lori-Ann Neeb
I can respect that and those beliefs. Everyone must find the path that speaks to them. I believe there are some references made, even in the bible that attempts to erase Mary Magdelyn 's rile mentioned. The wedding at Cannab, fabled to be hos first miracle was actually his wedding ro amary Magdelyn. His mother would have naturally gone to him about the wine supply s8nce the groom was responsible for the wine. She would never have told servants to do anything 7nless they were her servants in her own home people at their social level would never go into someone elses home and order there servants to do anything as that was considered a mahor breech in social custom for them then when Mary Magdelyn is with those supposedly helping to prepare his body is suggestive that she was very close to him. Only women of importance to the man participated such as wife, mother, sister, aunt, etc.
I would disagree that the Romans were that eager to get ro him without the situation being forced. He was far from the first man claiming to be the messiah of thewell known prophesy. Some have said as many as 300 others mifht have been accused . He was not well known in his own time. He had his following who were devoted but population wise it wasn't as significant sized group as the bible portrays it to be. The romans knew who and where he was and weren't all that concerned about a man preaching live and forgiveness. They worried more about the more into violence and wanting to overthrow them
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Stacey Owens
Geoffrey, why are you so sensitive? Why does it have to be nonsense? How come you cannot see pass what was said, oh I know why, your self righteousness. My bad.
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Jimmy Moon
Why are my comments always removed?
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Robert James Ruhnke
Because what you’re saying most of the time Jimmy is rancid hot sewer based propaganda. I get a few of my more spicy comments get clipped on occasion. Don’t take it too personally. Comments are removed because they’re too personal a lot of the time. An that’s on anyone.
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Jimmy Moon
All my comments are the truth. Based on the BIBLE, not man's interpretation of it. GOD is always right. Some just won't except the truth even though they have been given the truth.
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Robert James Ruhnke
Which Bible? There’s like 5 or 6 editions. If it’s KJV, king James being a known homosexual, edited for political reasons, which is technically a big no no. Your interpretation is a regurgitated political talking points making them furthest from the truth. The Bible is a series of stories which have been made “truth” by power hungry conniving men. You echo them for your own piece of that rancid pie.
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Russel A. Kester
I think that sometimes comments are removed accidentally. And maybe sometimes the moderator just misunderstands a comment. But at other times, I could swear it depends on what someone had for breakfast! I've seen many of your comments and you communicate quite boldly. But you are not alone.
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Angela Sidney Andrado
The Diary of Anne Frank is kiterature that I read 20 tears ago. People beed to stop worrying about this kind of stupud sh#% and just concentrate on teachjng the children morals at home. I have 10 kids, 3 girls and 7 boys and they read things like this but what they put on tv worse, look at new razor ad that literally shows a woman shaving her pubic area and says the word pubic region. Now this during day and prime time when my 4 year old teiplets saw and came asked me what she doing. But these idiots concerned about literature. Just be a parent is all it takes
First let's ban the Bible from public schools. It's full of filth, genocide, etc.
It accurately details the historic nature of mankind.
Last century we humans conducted 5 separate genocides. We're good at it.
I wonder how many genocides we'll conduct this century. So far we've got two going as we speak, on in Darfur and one against the Rohingya people in Myanmar.
Ten bucks says we beat last centuries record.
Don’t forget the Palestinian genocide going on right now at the hands of Israel…
There is NO Palestinian genocide by Israel or anyone else.
Wrong Kester. When Israel kills more civilians than actual terrorists it’s genocide. Chalking it up to just terrorist collateral damage is grossly misinformed and myopic of you. There’s too much evidence you’re ignoring. Israel is the 4th most powerful military in the world backed by our military industrial complex.
Robert, what is the "right" number of civilians allowed to be killed when a nation is fighting a terrorist groups that uses civilians as shields and children as martyrs for it hatred of Jews? I've listened to the foremost experts in urban warfare state for the record that Israel has complied with all international laws to avoid killing civilians and has even gone beyond them. It has the lowest combatant to civilian ratio of any war in history. You read that right, not just modern warfare but any warfare in recorded history. Get HAMAS to lay down its arms and no more civilizations will be killed. Or do you support HAMAS? State yes or no for the record.
I don’t support Hamas or Israel. I support the Palestinian people who are being scape goatee by bigoted idiots like yourself who will gladly side with tyrants as boot hungrylick spittle when it suits them. The answer is zero. They’re using terrorists as an excuse to murder people. Your expert is most likely just another right wing talking head who ignores the obvious in favor of a pretty lie. Hence why I treat you like the internet troll you act like.
The Palestinian People. received exactly what they voted for in January 2006. Since that time no elections have ever been held.
Lol oh gods not another silly lion reference. You’d have a point if Bibi’s far right hasn’t been supplying and arming parts of Hamas from behind the scenes much like how the US supplied the Mujahadeen and Al Quaida during their war with Russia. Everything going on over there has been because of Netanyahu and his campaign of extermination. They didn’t and don’t deserve to be slaughter because Americans have let their rabid dog of military state that Israel off its chain and told them to kill.
My response on the expert to whom I referred got posted down below as a separate comment. Don't know how that happened. But I did respond.
You could bump it to 3 genocides if that's your perspective. From what I gather it would end if the terrorist organisation called Hamas handed over the people they stole from Israel on Oct 7 but they won't for some reason.
Three it is.