Old Mistakes, New Agendas: The Futility of Censorship and Control

The human race is pretty amazing with its ability to endure difficulties and struggles. History shows that resiliency (the ability to meet, learn from, and not be crushed by the challenges and stresses of life.1 ) is deeply ingrained in our DNA. But sometimes, I wonder why we tend to repeat past mistakes. It’s as if, somehow, our brains reason that just because a bad idea didn’t make sense and went against every fiber of human nature, we should still insist on pursuing it with the hope that, over time, it will turn into a good idea.

We need to understand that if something didn’t work then, it’s not going to work now or ever. Sooner or later, forcing a bad idea won’t end well. The result will be a loss of time and resources.

Take, for example, the continuous push for banning books and imposing religion on others in the United States. I know the same is happening elsewhere in the world, and in far worse ways, but let’s focus on this country.

You read headlines such as, “Utah bans 13 books at schools, including popular ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ series under new law,”2 or “New law requires all Louisiana public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments,”3 or “Oklahoma schools ordered to use the Bible in history teaching,”4 and you start to wonder: What are we thinking?

I know some of the people pushing these extreme agendas think they are saving the United States or advancing Christianity, but in reality, the opposite effect is the result. At the end of the day, the promoters of these agendas are not acting for the good of the people. They are doing it for their own benefit — money, political power, and prestige within their circle of influence. Most of them don’t even believe what they are preaching.

We’ve seen or read about all of this before, and we know these attempts failed. We enjoy many of the books they try to ban, and we have the freedom to follow any religion — or not.

We know that in 529 AD, the Roman Emperor Justinian, a Christian, banned the teaching of philosophy and closed Plato’s Academy because the teachings were inconsistent with Christian doctrine.5 6 Clearly, that endeavor failed because today, we still read and study those subjects. Reading philosophy didn’t affect my belief system.

We also know that in 1503, a Spanish crown decree demanded that the Indigenous people of Puerto Rico work for the colonists and convert to Christianity. 7 Later, the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (Index of Forbidden Books), a directive by the Catholic Church, banned thousands of books from 1560 to 1966.8 Even Les Misérables by Victor Hugo was banned until 1959.9

Did these actions have any lasting effect? I don’t think so, because main religious denominations are losing ground — and, for that matter, Christianity as a whole — due to such draconian rules.

I understand why some people push for book bans, displaying the Ten Commandments in schools, and enforcing the use of the Bible in classrooms. They’re easy targets, which these individuals can pursue without much effort.

Most of the time, the politicians pushing these agendas don’t even know what they’re talking about. They’ve probably never read these books with any analytical rigor. They likely call themselves Christians, thinking they are sinless, when in reality, they’re breaking every single commandment written on the two tablets Moses received from God. Most importantly, they are Christians who do not follow Jesus’ teachings, because the New Testament doesn’t include any teachings from Him about banning books or forcing His message on anyone.

Instead of focusing on banning books or forcing religion on others, how about doing some internal cleaning within the church? Let’s hold accountable child molesters, clergy who assault and violate women, priests and pastors engaging in illegal activities or finding loopholes in the tax code to get rich, and church leaders committing immoral acts — among a long list of things they could address — rather than manipulating politicians to create a utopia that doesn’t exist.

We cannot expect much from people who are wired to repeat the mistakes of the past.

But for the rest of us who use common sense, let’s not fall for their nonsense.

  1. Wicks, Robert J. Bounce: Living the Resilient Life. (P. 3). New York: Oxford University Press, 2010 ↩︎
  2. https://apnews.com/article/utah-school-book-ban-d7345be6a89cfa6cd2cb5ddd25fca700 ↩︎
  3. https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-ten-commandments-displayed-classrooms-571a2447906f7bbd5a166d53db005a62 ↩︎
  4. https://oklahomavoice.com/2024/06/27/oklahoma-schools-ordered-to-use-bible-in-history-teaching/ ↩︎
  5. Grayling, A.C. The History of Philosophy. (P.78) New York: Penguin Press, 2019 ↩︎
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justinian_I#Religious_relations_with_Rome ↩︎
  7. Jimenez de Wagenheim, Olga. Puerto Rico An Interpretive History from Pre-Columbian Times to 1900. (P. 39). Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers, 2006 ↩︎
  8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_Librorum_Prohibitorum ↩︎
  9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_authors_and_works_on_the_Index_Librorum_Prohibitorum#Reversals_and_non-inclusions ↩︎

56 thoughts on “Old Mistakes, New Agendas: The Futility of Censorship and Control”

  1. Okay, Ed. You had something on your heart there. No utopia will be available with the present condition of man. I believe in Christ and that He will return. However, each individual has the right to make that decision. I agree with the chaos in the church. The heart conditions of our pastors, preachers, priests and teachers need to be revamped. I do believe in some structure for our children. I don’t believe anyone should have full control over someone else. The political arena continues to work that agenda. It hasn’t worked in the past. History repeats when we haven’t learned our lesson. Isn’t that what is said?

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    1. Sandra, thank you so much for your comments. I’m a Christian as well, so I’m with you. I’m just tired of the so-called “Christians”, and I’ll judge a little by saying they are not, who try to manipulate scripture to advance their monetary and political agendas. In the end, none of that is going to work. We definitely don’t learn from the past because we Christians continue to make the same mistakes by following these people (politicians and religious leaders). As you said, individuals have the right to choose, and God gave us free will to choose Him or not when He calls us. Jesus didn’t push faith on anyone and didn’t ban anything except for the people who corrupted the house of prayer, which many churches still do on a weekly basis. I believe Christians need to push back against these so-called Christians who are damaging our witness and doing unbiblical things.

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      1. I understand. I don’t feel led to any reaction videos. There are enough of those. I do encourage you though. Christ in you. Jesus said “if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me.” Remember, He does the work. We just have to keep showing others Jesus. Some of us can still do that.

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  2. Edward, in my experience it is hard to talk of issues that truly matter. Because once you open your mouth or pen people get offended/defensive immediately. You shed light on important matters highlighting key points 👉 Don’t ignore the past. Thank you new friend. I look forward to reading more of your well thought out/researched views. Keep bringing the light ✨️ it makes a difference.

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  5. a brilliant and well researched piece, Edward. In his book, Bullies and saints, John Dickson highlighted many of the “mistakes” of the early church, and chronicled their misdeeds up to the present. The amalgamation of church and state has never led to anything good for a populace. Oppression is the name of the game in nearly all theocracies… If not all of them.

    the push by “Christian Nationalists” to have books censored, and laws passed to protect America’s “Christian” identity is nothing more than a push for political influence with agendas which will disregard the rights of many Americans going forward.

    i have so much more id like to say, but for the sake of brevity and to keep the comments section a beautiful place for dialogue, I’d end my response. 😀

    great article, sir. 🙏

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  6. Well, the Spanish did manage to spread Catholicism throughout Spanish-speaking Latin America, but it isn’t the Catholicism of Rome. People held onto a lot of traditional beliefs and even their clergy often believed in “liberation theology.” But I agree that book bans don’t make a whole lot of sense, especially with the Internet everywhere and much worse in its content.

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    1. You’re right that Catholicism in most of the former Spanish colonies isn’t the same as in Rome. In my view, Catholicism is losing ground because it was forced upon people, and over time, it lost credibility. Add to that the current issues, which continue to degrade its influence.

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      1. You’re very welcome! Yes and a whole host of other emotions. There are solid compassionate people out there doing great work through churches/organized religion, there is no doubt about that. I’ve witnessed and participated in plenty of those type of endeavors. When I could no longer surround myself in environments rich in hypocrisy/self-righteousness/chauvinism/greedy behaviors I stepped away. Not from God – never. 🙏🏻

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        1. I’m with you, Michele. There are a lot of good people out there doing amazing things. I’m supporting a few organizations, mainly local food banks and efforts to combat sex trafficking, but organized religion is driving me crazy with its “issues.” I’m taking a break from it because I can’t reconcile what I read in the New Testament with today’s so-called church. Too much money and emphasis are going to the wrong things like buildings, salaries, parking lots, etc. I couldn’t care less if the church meets under a tree somewhere, as long as they’re doing the right things. I’m still hopeful that one day I’ll find the right place.

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  13. Wonderful article, Edward! It surely resonates with those who engage in analytical reasoning and critical thinking. This is what should be prioritized in our society—encouraging people to think, not only analytically and critically but also creatively! Humanity would be so much more ahead! For as long as errors are repeated, evolution is bypassed! Thank you for helping us go a little bit further! Lots of light and blessings to you*

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    1. Thank you, Wynne. You might be right about the misdirection if you meant that they are doing it to avoid a real issue. Most of those leaders have personal or institutional problems, so a little misdirection is probably helping them hide their real issues.

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  16. You are spot-on here, Edward. My father taught us how to discuss, debate, and persuade. Of course, we have to have someone who is interested in the same. But pushing, demanding, abusing, and yelling will never convince someone of our way of thinking. And why can’t we see things differently anyway? It is all about fear and control.

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  17. The founders wisely decided the United States would not have a state religion. They decided to act differently than the governments of the countries they or their families immigrated from in Europe and around the world. Freedom to practice religion or not practice it, is a fundamental constitutional right. Placing copies of ten commandments at school is a violation of the Establishment Clause. People are free to learn them at home or at their place of worship if they wish.

    As for banning books, I think it is uninvolved parenting. I think that information and books should fill libraries, and parents can curate what they wish their elementary school children to read. We are training our kids to be adults and make their own decisions. Teens should play a highly active role in choosing what interests them to read.

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    1. Rebecca, I couldn’t agree more with what you just said. The sad part is that the politicians and religious leaders who are knee-deep in politics and call themselves champions of the Constitution and freedom are the worst violators. They claim to believe in freedom, but it’s a twisted version where only their belief system is valid, and everyone else’s beliefs don’t matter.

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    2. The Founding Fathers came from several states that already had official churches and knew imposing a national religion would finish the Republic before it got started. I also think parents who want to ban books should spend more time with their own kids to talk about what they are reading, but sometimes the parents are too busy at work (how many people are barely keeping a roof over their heads?) and others get distracted by their “smart phones”.

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      1. Agreed. Parents have a responsibility to get involved in their children’s education and read those books before offering an opinion or pushing for bans. I understand that some work long hours, and others get distracted by smartphones, sports, or video games, but they are still responsible. Somehow, they need to find a way to get involved, especially if they are going to support book bans.

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        1. Sometimes I wonder if we will drift into a capitalist version of Plato’s Republic, in which everyone is so busy working the government will take over raising kids completely, and CEOs will be our unphilosophical kings. It’s not natural for parents and children to spend so little time together.

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          1. That’s a good point, and it seems to be a trend among many families. I know there are special cases, like single parents or those with multiple children, where they don’t have many options besides working long hours all week. However, I also know many families who work just to maintain their expensive lifestyles, jeopardizing the well-being of their children.

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            1. One of my teaching jobs in China was preparing mostly wealthy students for studying abroad, and it was easy to tell which had parents that spent time with them and which had parents that only spent money on them.

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