How the Bible became conservative book bans' unintended target

As a Republican-led push to purge books picks up steam, some communities are zeroing in on a text that's chock full of sex and violence

Holy Bible.
The Bible has been pulled from school shelves in one Utah community
(Image credit: Illustrated | Gettyimages)

The ongoing efforts in deep-red states like Florida and Texas to ban books deemed culturally or sexually inappropriate for their depictions of racial injustices and LGBTQ+ content have spawned a surprising form of retaliation. Parents and community members alarmed by what they see as right-wing censorship have begun targeting the Bible for removal from schools and libraries, arguing the book's graphic depictions of sex and violence make it just as subversive and inappropriate as the materials being banned under conservative and often overtly evangelical Christian auspices. In one Utah community, the Bible has been permanently pulled from elementary school shelves, while other states have been pressured to review whether the Bible violates any of their newly passed restrictions on educational materials. All told, access to the Bible has become an ironic and surprisingly effective tool in the growing fight over who controls what children read.

The Bible is too "vulgar or violent" for some schools

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Rafi Schwartz, The Week US

Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.