Picture yourself walking into the YA section of your local library. You pluck a book from a shelf at random and flip it over to read the back cover summary. It sounds intriguing. You want to read this book, but you hesitate. Why? Are you worried that, while diving into the story between the covers, you might stumble into a scene that has the potential to fill your Christian mind with all sorts of un-Christian thoughts?
Wouldn’t it be nice if such books weren’t even on the shelves?
You’re not the only one who thinks that. School boards, governments, parents—even those who are not Christian—have argued over what to do with unwholesome and unfavorable content in printed materials for ages. For some, the solution is banning such books altogether. But book banning is not as straightforward as you might think.
Let’s look at what book banning is and is not, and why there’s a better, more far-reaching solution.
Hey, I’m Lauren, author of YA Christian fiction and blogger for teens with higher aim.
In This Article
Book Banning: What it is NOT
What actually is book banning? You might be surprised to learn that you have it wrong.
Every year, upwards of two million books are published in the United States. That’s staggering when you think about it. And every day, librarians across the country choose which ones to put on the shelves of their library. And teachers decide which to include in their curriculum. For children’s and young adult fiction, especially, content is a major consideration. Your local librarian or teacher may choose not to make a book available to her patrons/students because of what she considers inappropriate content.
This is NOT book banning. This is wise consumerism. No law says your school or local library has to offer you a specific book for free. Librarians and teachers can—and should—use discretion when choosing books for children and teens.
Librarians and teachers can—and should—use discretion when choosing books for children and teens.
If, however, you want to buy that same book with your own money but can’t because the government expressly banned it from publication, THIS is book banning.
Most people do not understand this. Even when a school board chooses to “ban” a certain book from the teaching curriculum, this is not book banning by its most concrete definition. Students who are unhappy with what their library or school offers can still go to the bookstore and buy those same books with their own money.
It’s when that’s no longer the case that we have a book-banning situation.
Not a Fan of Book Banning—Our Worst Best Solution
This list of books banned by governments is quite fascinating. Except for one title that contained classified military information (which was subsequently reprinted with said items blacked out), all official book bans by the U.S. government have been overturned. You can thank the 1959 Smith v. California ruling for that. Before then, obscene publications laws made it punishable for a bookseller to sell books with salacious content.
As a Christian, you might think banning obscene publications sounds like a good idea, right? Not so fast. Let me tell you why I, a devout conservative Christian, am not a fan of book banning.
Why I’m Not a Fan of Book Banning
1) Book banning is highly subjective.
What makes a book “clean”? Is kissing okay? Can the characters have a healthy discussion about sex, or should that topic be avoided altogether? Can the narrator describe a drinking-and-drugs party scene to demonstrate the dark life her protagonist struggles to rise above? How detailed can a scene of violence be before it is considered too graphic?
Would you call Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series “clean” even though it contains the occasional swear word, several discussions about sex, scenes of violence, and the consummation of a marriage?
This was the issue for booksellers before 1959. They had to know exactly what was in every book they put on their shelves. (Imagine doing that when you have two million to choose from.) Many played it safe and refused to offer books that were only mildly questionable, which in itself created a sort of secondary book ban.
One of my favorite works of young adult fiction—The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (see my review in Clean Classic Books for Teens)—was the subject of banning debates for many years because of its portrayal of gang violence, underage smoking and drinking, family dysfunction, and profanity. (FYI, there isn’t a single swear word printed in the book.) But I love this book because of its strong elements of loyalty, family (despite the dysfunction), and honor. I had no problem with my middle school son reading it in his literature class at school.
You and/or your parents might disagree, however.
On the other hand, I am not a fan of the popular YA novels The Fault In Our Stars and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before because, among other things, they promote physical intimacy between unwed teens as expected and normal.
Christians should always shun graphic sex, violence, profanity, disrespect, etc., in literature. But who decides what else passes and what doesn’t? We humans cannot agree about this.
2) Book banning could become another form of cancel culture.
When it comes to the negative effects of book banning, this is big. Historically, banning happens with books that are perceived to portray or promote sin. As Christians, we can’t argue that we need to limit these types of elements in our media and seek out wholesome literature.
The day may come when any reference to God, Jesus, or the Christian church is forbidden.
But our culture is no longer led by Christian values. The day may come when any reference to God, Jesus, or the Christian church is forbidden. Already, any negative viewpoint on certain lifestyles can be challenged as hate speech. For that matter, who is to say that any book that pronounces anybody’s lifestyle wrong won’t suddenly be banned?
Free speech is something to fight for. If we can “cancel” the other side, they can and will “cancel” ours.
3) Book banning doesn’t solve the problem.
The heart is the root of the problem.
Banning books that show teen drinking and promiscuity in a positive light won’t deter someone from that life and certainly won’t change a heart. The heart is the root of the problem.
Did you know porn is a $97 billion global industry? And this is even with the availability of restrictive software and parental controls. But think about this: If everyone had a pure heart and a desire to serve God to his or her fullest, that industry would struggle to exist.
If our hearts were not inclined toward sin, we wouldn’t go searching for that kind of literature in the first place. If there’s no market for it, no one will write it. As it is, there’s a reason Harlequin romances are still going strong.
Cultivating a Pure Heart: Better Than Book Banning
If you truly want to crush Satan’s plans, then concentrate on cultivating pure hearts—starting with your own. Sin is a condition of the heart, not a product of too few rules. That’s why purity of heart is more effective than banning sin. Make the choice today to fill your mind only with that which will bring you closer to God. Become a discerning reader, and encourage your friends to assume a wholesome culture as well.
And never forget your life—your language, your social media pages, the way you treat others, how you react to authority—all these things are tools for cultivating pure hearts and promoting wholesomeness, even among nonbelievers.
Be an example and steer others from Satan’s traps!
Clean YA Books: Where Can I Find Them?
Back to the YA section, where you’re still standing with that unknown book in your hand…
How do you wade through the piles of explicit literature to find clean YA books? What can you do to make sure your next reading experience is both pleasurable and godly? You’ve come to the right place. My recommended reading lists are sorted by genre and contain both YA Christian fiction and clean mainstream YA fiction suitable for Christian teen readers.
Check them out!
Subscribe to my blog for monthly reading recommendations, and be the first to know when another list is published!
And take a look at my post How to Find Clean Young Adult Fiction in a Dirty Market for practical tips on seeking and screening YA books the next time you visit the bookstore or library.
Purity & Holiness: More Resources for Teens
You don’t have to have all the answers.
But, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
These additional articles put holiness and pure hearts into perspective:
Will be waiting for your next post which answers the “What instead?” question at the end of this writing…..
You are quite the author, always leaving your reader’s wanting more!! Thank you, Lauren! ??✝️
You make some really good points, Lauren. Your boys are in good hands and I thank God for parents like you and Brian. You will instill a love of reading guided by hearts for God. Love you and thank you for sharing your talents.
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