Holy Bible on List of ‘Challenged’ Books at Libraries

On the latest list of books most objected to at public schools and libraries, one title [the Bible] has been targeted nationwide, at times for the sex and violence it contains, but mostly for the legal issues it raises . . .

“You have people who feel that if a school library buys a copy of the Bible, it’s a violation of church and state,” says James LaRue, who directs the Office for Intellectual Freedom for the American Library Association, which released its annual 10 top snapshot of “challenged” books on Monday, part of the association’s “State of Libraries Report” for 2016.

LaRue emphasized that the library association does not oppose having Bibles in public schools. Guidelines for the Office for Intellectual Freedom note that the Bible “does not violate the separation of church and state as long as the library does not endorse or promote the views included in the Bible.” The ALA also favors including a wide range of religious materials, from the Quran to the Bhagavad Gita to the Book of Mormon. LaRue added that the association does hear of complaints about the Quran, but fewer than for the Bible. (Read more from “Holy Bible on List of ‘Challenged’ Books at Libraries” HERE)

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