By Reed Downey, Jr.

According to information compiled by Take Back the Classroom (www.takebacktheclassroom.com), in Oklahoma there are 29,753 books across 380 school districts and 1,197 schools containing sexually explicit content. The website lists the books that many parents and community members believe are inappropriate for school-aged children.

I especially address this column to pastors and church leaders. You are called to be a spiritual watchman for your congregation and community. Scripture teaches that watchmen must sound the alarm when danger approaches. Many Christians believe that exposing children to graphic sexual content at an early age can undermine moral values, distort healthy views of relationships, and negatively affect emotional and spiritual development.

Children need guidance, protection, and the stability of healthy families. Our society already faces increasing challenges related to broken homes, sexual exploitation, and the emotional wounds suffered by many young people. Parents and other concerned citizens believe that schools should focus on education while ensuring that library materials are age-appropriate for students.

Matthew 18:6 is spoken in the context of Jesus placing a child before His disciples and teaching them about humility, faith, and the value God places on the vulnerable. When He says: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a great millstone were fastened around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” He emphasizes that God takes the spiritual, moral, and physical well-being of children and those with childlike faith very seriously. The imagery of a millstone was intentionally severe, conveying the seriousness of harming, exploiting, corrupting, or leading the innocent into sin.

The local Board of Education has the authority to remove sexually explicit and pornographic library materials. Because of this authority, I respectfully ask you to make your congregation aware of this issue and encourage concerned members to review the information for themselves and communicate respectfully with their Board.

The Take Back the Classroom website contains book reports, excerpts, and information regarding titles that have been identified by the organization as containing graphic sexual content in school libraries. Community members can search schools and districts and review the material firsthand before reaching their own conclusions.

Please encourage members of your congregation to contact their School Board and respectfully request that the books shown on Take Back the Classroom be removed from school libraries. This is not book banning; these books are available from sources outside our public schools. We are requesting the removal of books that are detrimental to the moral, spiritual, and physical health of school-age children.

Our children deserve an educational environment that supports their intellectual, emotional, and moral development. By working together as parents, pastors, and citizens, we can help ensure that the resources available in our schools are appropriate for the students they serve.