Let him who is without sin remove the first book. The free rendering of a religious text serves to describe what unfolds in society. Utah, United States, is cited as the setting. In March of last year, law was enacted limiting what is deemed “sensitive material” in libraries and classrooms, defined as pornographic or indecent content. This rule forms part of a broader trend in several red states, where studies addressing Europe’s issues—along with discussions of race, gender identity, or LGBTQ topics—have faced intensified scrutiny, reflecting a broader, almost biblical, wave of book challenges.
A bill drafted by Republicans and supported by conservative groups such as Utah Parents United allows any resident to request a review of library contents to decide if they should remain accessible to minors. Since its passage, hundreds of requests have targeted books that commonly include LGBTQ themes. By December 11, a parent in the Davis School District led a petition that drew nearly 74,000 students across 92 schools to demand removal of the Bible.
Icest, onanism, rape, dildos…
The complainant cited passages in what is described as one of the Bible’s more explicit sections, noting topics such as incest, onanism, bestiality, prostitution, oral sex, rape, dildos, and even infanticide. The eight-page document detailing these examples was not made public but circulated to local media in a summarized form. The list appeared in the complainant’s material.
It was argued that the Bible has little value for minors because it is pornographic under the new framework. The complainant urged, “Get this PORN out of our schools!” The text also used satire to signal that the complainant did not intend to veto any book outright, but rather to push a process that could be more efficient. The author stated, “Damn, you don’t even need to see the book!”
The panel reviewing the petition concluded its work on May 22 and decided to keep the Bible in high school libraries, finding no violation of current rules in terms of sexual content or sensitive material. At the same time, it was decided that the Bible would be removed from primary and some secondary classrooms due to concerns about explicit tone or violence, with several schools already implementing withdrawals.
Between April 2022 and May 2023, the same county withdrew 31 titles deemed not valuable for minors, retained 10 contested works, and kept nine more for certain age groups. A review of 47 additional books was underway.
Since December’s complaint targeted the King James Bible, schools using other versions will retain copies after last week’s decision. A separate appeal by a parent to restore Bible access for all students prompted the formation of a three-member committee to review the resource and make a recommendation to the school board.
Last week, a separate case involved a book central to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, headquartered in the state and with a sizable local population. The complainant highlighted violence in this text, including descriptions of wars, beheadings, and kidnappings.
“Mocking” or “significant precedent”
Utah Parents United accused the complainant of aiming to undermine parents who strive to shield children from harmful material in schools. State lawmakers, including a Republican figure, characterized the process as political theater and emphasized the law’s intended purpose. The criticism argued that the law poses a setback to healthy learning environments and that the actions were a form of political theater.
Later, a deputy acknowledged the need to defend the School Board’s decision to remove the Bible from certain classrooms, arguing that the Bible is a complex text best understood at home and as appropriate for specific ages. The law, he noted, was designed to guide what is appropriate for each age group and was seen by supporters as setting an important precedent.
A Republican senator who sponsored the measure in the state senate suggested that the decision could be revisited if other materials are found to contain explicit adult content, expressing a desire for a broader framework of review.
A conservative and organized wave
The debate over the Bible and related books is part of a larger political and cultural struggle in the United States that intensified last year, aligning with documented trends from the American Library Association and PEN America, which track freedom of expression.
PEN America notes that a sizable portion of challenges align with newly enacted state laws, with Utah, Texas, Florida, Missouri, and South Carolina frequently cited. Texas, Florida, and Missouri reported Bible-related challenges similar to those in Utah, according to Education Week.
Data cited by the ALA show that many challenges involve works by authors from LGBTQ communities or people of color, or works addressing gender and identity, suggesting a broader political campaign. Post-analysis indicates that many challenges involve the same set of titles, with a core group driving numerous petitions. Critics argue that censorship is not the solution and that each book should be accessible for scrutiny.
Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom at the library association, described anti-Bible protests as a trend that swept school boards and state legislatures. She urged careful consideration of censorship and emphasized that censorship is not the answer; every book should be subject to open discussion. This, she noted, is not the direction desired for the country.