Librarians in public schools in Charlotte County, Florida, were instructed by the school district superintendent to remove all books with LGBTQ characters or themes from school and classroom libraries. The guidance by Charlotte County Superintendent Mark Vianello and the school board’s attorney, Michael McKinley, was obtained by the Florida Freedom to Read Project (FFTRP) through a public records request and shared with Popular Information. FFTRP requested “electronic records of district and school decisions regarding classroom and library materials.” In response, FFTRP received a document memorializing a July 24 conversation between Vianello and district librarians, known in Florida as media specialists.
i’m a christian and know the bible well. These types of actions do not match how Jesus instructed us to act. When asked by frustrated tax payers whether they should continue paying the unfair taxes, jesus looked at the coin, asked “who’s face is on the coin?” It was Caesar. And he said, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesars, and give to God what is God’s.”
You see, they thought he was going to affirm their desire to revolt and stop paying their taxes, because in their view, jesus was a rebel and of course he would support people rising up to collectively cut off the flow of tax money to the worst government the world had ever seen? No. Jesus said, no don’t do that. Just give it to them. Play the long game. Give up this battle, but win the war.
Similarly, when I as a christian am asked by another christian “shouldn’t we ban these books? they have sinful activity”…I say, no. let the books stay where they are. it’s a library. if what you believe is true, then mere pieces of paper with drawings and text in them should change nothing. Let God sort it out later. You just live your life.
Jesus was much more interested in the inner life of each person, and he made a specific point of telling people to mind their own business and get their own house in order before worrying about everyone else.