Bible, Fifty Shades of Grey Baulked in U.S. Libraries
The Bible makes the American Library Association’s list of the most challenged books at public libraries and schools, along with books such as ‘Fifty Shades of Grey.’
“First of all we should be so happy that we live in a country where people can object to what is in our libraries, that is the most important thing. I’m very happy that atheists can go and say ‘we don’t want the Bible.’ But then we need people with common sense to say, ‘it’s one thing is for you not to want it, another thing is for there to be intellectual openness and tolerance for all.’ And I’d say that not just for the Bible but for other books as well.” Father Morris told the FOX Business Network’s Charles Payne.
Father Morris says that intellectual openness and tolerance are disappearing if more people don’t speak out in their defense.
“That’s what we’re losing in this country if we don’t stand up and say, ‘enough is enough,’ yes you can have your point of view but you can’t tell other people what they are allowed to read,” says Morris.
On concerns that the Bible could be banned from a library or school, Father Morris said, “Individual organizations, atheist organizations have organized better than most of us because we thought there was no way it could happen in the U.S.A., that a Bible could be banned from a public library or a school, but it’s happening.”
But Father Morris says these organizations are forming “around a principle that simply isn’t in our constitution. A supposed separation of church and state which doesn’t allow people to express their religious views openly. What they’re saying is there can’t be a public institution that in any way allows the name of the voice of God or of religion in general to be expressed. That is not in our constitution.
On the other hand, Father Morris says, “Our constitution, our founding documents, talk about two very simple things about religion. One, of course we know, the free exercise clause. That no law shall be passed by Congress to stop people from exercising their religion. Then secondly of course, the establishment clause. The government should not prefer one religion over another, to establish a religion like there is in the United Kingdom.”