SHOULD CHRISTIAN PASTORS AND PARENTS BAN CERTAIN BOOKS?

One seeker wrote in to complain about a pastor who told him not to read certain books. He asked if this kind of censorship was legitimate. Here is how I answered:

“The young and even college students and adults are going to be indoctrinated by someone. In fact we all have to place our trust in someone, whether the plumber or the doctor. Consequently, we have to be careful where we place our trust.

Parents, despite the bad rap that they have been given, are the most trustworthy. Why? They are the loves who want the best for us. In contrast, the government has a poor track record when it comes to informed caring. Instead, we are usually just their political pawns.

However, it should not be simply a matter of trust. However, I warn my students that they shouldn’t read certain books unless they are first committed to researching them thoroughly and have the tools to do so. Otherwise, we will simply fall prey to the one who can out-argue them and who has more education.

Consequently, I shy away from reading medical journals. I simply lack the tools and knowledge to be able to meaningfully evaluate them.”

We can claim that the pastor was being close-minded, but I think that there is a place for this. New believers need to be protected from ideas that they cannot defend against. In fact, while Israel was open to immigrants – and there are many commands about loving the alien – never once do we have any indication that they were allowed to practice their religion or proselytize in Israel.

While the situation is different in the NT, the same thing pertained to the Church. No one could teach another belief in the Church:

·       But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8-9 ESV)

The Church could only teach what accorded with the Gospel. Any philosophy that came against the Gospel had to be confronted. Therefore, Elders had to be knowledgeable in the Word:

·       He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. (Titus 1:9-11)

Even outside of the confines of the Church, the individual had a responsibility to conduct spiritual warfare. This consisted of vigilance against any thought that might challenge the blessed Gospel:

·       For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ… (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

I must confess that I read “forbidden literature.” However, I need to do this in order to warn students again them and to “take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

Before the Lord, each of us must assess whether we have the tools, time, and the knowledge to do so. Otherwise, I would counsel, “flee,” as I too must flee from certain circumstances that I have not been given the grace to confront.