Secularist Censorship
October 7th, 2006
(By Phil Johnson)
Here’s a surprising news item:
Banned books celebrated in Farmington and many libraries nationwide
By Andrea Koskey
The Farmington, NM Daily TimesFARMINGTON — Mary Greenwood, 75, scanned the adult literature at the Farmington Public Library on Monday before choosing Mary Higgins Clark’s “Two Little Girls in Blue” and John MacArthur’s “Safe in The Arms of God.”
Both books were on a shelf tagged with a yellow caution marker that read, “Caution. Item(s) on this shelf have been BANNED or CHALLENGED at other libraries. It’s Your FREEDOM We Are Talking About.”
It’s hard to imagine why anyone would want that book banned, but it does seem clear that our increasingly “tolerant” society is becoming more and more intolerant of Christianity.
For example, yesterday Katie Couric issued a disclaimer on her blog after CBS aired the testimony of Brian Rohrbough, a Christian man whose son was murdered in the 1999 Columbine shootings. Couric wrote: “We knew when we decided to put on this segment that a lot of people would disagree with it. We also knew some might even find it repugnant.”
“Repugnant”? Really? Watch Rohrbough’s statement and judge for yourself whether Couric’s loaded language was appropriate.
Then read this related news item from the Denver Post:
After Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people and wounded two dozen more on April 20, 1999, the school invited students and parents to continue providing tiles to help the process of healing. But the school authorities later rejected several of the tiles, including two made by Brian Rohrbough, whose son, Daniel, was killed at Columbine. One of Rohrbough’s tiles depicted 13 crosses and the other cited a Biblical passage. The school promptly banned the religious themes. Rohrbough and the parents of another slain student, Kelly Fleming, sued. District Judge Wiley Daniel ruled in their favor, finding that by opening the tile program to the community, the school district had created a limited public forum and could not censor the ideas expressed in that forum.
Once again, Jeffco [Jefferson County] appealed and won a ruling from the 10th U.S. District Court of Appeals that it could ban the tiles.
No belief or point of view is more censored by our society than Christianity. This is just more evidence of the trend.
Things are very similar in the UK. The challenge to us is not to lose our nerve. After all Jesus is Lord, and his Lordship is resisted and resented by those who serve other gods.
The so called freedom of speech and tolerance that the secular left professes is a myth. They really are dedicated to a politically correct speech and tolerance that does not include many things such as Christainity. Bill Maher made this clear recently when he said the following on Fox News on Wednesday September 20: “I don’t like it when people tolerate intolerance.” There you have it, intolerance in some cases is encouraged. The reaction at Columbia Uiversity a couple of days ago is but the latest example of how the secular left views speech they do not like.
[...] Pulpit Magazine » Blog Archive » Secularist Censorship [...]
Great article and another example of the bias towards Christians. David Limbaugh wrote on this in his book called “Persecution” where he shows how the culture and the government censor Christians. We will be seeing more of this in the days ahead, especially with Christmas just around the corner.
John 15:20: “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…”
Tolerance is being redefined as ‘accepting all other views as valid’. This is MAD. What is worse it is now being re-redefined as accepting all other views that accept all other views as valid. In other words, accepting those who agree with you. Hitler was tolerant on that definition.
While I understand your point about Katie feeling she needed to provide a disclaimer for the views expressed by Mr. Rohrbough, it appears to me that the disclaimer itself is fairly accurate. Isn’t it the case that many (“some” according to Couric) will find truth to be repugnant?
[...] It’s hard to believe that CBS News actually let this guy say what he did. They call the segment “Free Speech,” but in liberal media that usually doesn’t mean anything. It must be an indication that the network is at the bottom of the ratings. On her blog, Katie Couric responded to criticism by noting that “We also knew some might even find it repugnant.” The segment is about as succinct a statement as you could ask for on how America is to blame for the school killings and other tragedies. May God give Brian Rohrbough greater courage and opportunities to speak the truth in the coming years. HT: Pulpit Magazine [...]
[...] Phil Johnson on secularist censorship [...]
We are so very blessed to be living in an age and place where we can consider not being allowed to put up a couple of tiles on a school wall to be “persecution”. I wonder what John Bunyan would think of us.
…and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Heb 11:35-38). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
Tolerance = “We must accept all positions as equal except those that don’t accept our acceptance without exception.”
or
“It’s my idea that your idea about God’s idea is a bad idea.”
or
“Nothing vexes a man so much as seeing his sin in someone else.” (That may take a tad explaining…People who wrongly think they have “truth” talk to Christians who DO have “truth” and they’re enraged due to sinfulness. They get caught in hypocrisy and lash out, trying to silence their accusing conscience.)
It’s the same everywhere though. The US doesn’t have it half as bad as most of Europe or Canada. Keep preaching the gospel and know that you’ll be hated. The word will do it’s work.
“The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” – Psalm 118:6
If you are interested in persecution, check out The Voice of the Martyrs at persecution.com. They have many resources, some of them free. The Lord has given us much opportunity to pray, to give, to learn. Love in Christ Jesus to all my brothers and sisters, L