Letters to the Editor: If we’re banning books to protect kids, what happens to the Bible?

To the editor: In the spirit of book banning to protect our youngsters, I decided to check out the world’s best-selling book, the Bible, for any questionable content that could seriously damage the vulnerable minds of our children. I was shocked by what I found.

In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, men have more than one wife, Abraham’s wife tells him to sleep with their slave, and a man offers his daughters to be raped in lieu of male angels.

In Exodus, it is declared that female servants can be used for sex. In Leviticus, the writer says that if a priest’s daughter prostitutes herself, she must be burned. In II Kings, a house of male prostitution is destroyed.

With the goal of brevity, I could only mention a tiny portion of the adults-only material in the “good book.” I need volunteers to start the purge of this evil tome from all religious institutions. Personally, I will begin in earnest the campaign to remove them from hotel room drawers.

Jerry Lasnik, Thousand Oaks

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To the editor: The more things change, the more they remain the same.

My father was a high school principal for 40 years in a small town in middle America. Back then, people were expected to belong to a church and attend regularly. Those who didn’t were pariahs. Nearly everybody in our town was either a Lutheran or a Catholic.

Once a month, national church leaders would send out a church “bulletin” to all members where they would review various religious topics. There was always a list of “B” movies we shouldn’t watch and titles of various novels we shouldn’t read.

Parishioners were encouraged to call local libraries and schools to find out if any of the incendiary books were present, and if they were, to begin the process to have them removed.

Every month, after bulletins arrived in local mailboxes, my father would get a call or two from concerned parents about a certain book. His first question was always, “Have you read it?” In 40 years, he never had a parent admit to having read the book about which they were complaining.

Then he would say, “Why don’t you read it? Jot down the issues you have with it and call me back. We’ll discuss it then.” Again, in 40 years, no parent ever called him back.

Cheryl Holt, Burbank

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To the editor: I am amused by the Texas parents who apparently are not aware that their children will soon be collecting banned titles, some of which they probably hadn’t even heard of. They will find these “taboo” books elsewhere.

Why are many conservatives so worried about how race is taught in schools? History shows white people enslaved Africans brought to North America and later denied their descendants the right to vote. White people also stole land from the Indians.

Parents can’t change history by banning books.

Beverlee Nelson, North Hollywood