Why Should We Watch What We Read?

She eagerly hopped on her Schwinn Stingray bike.  Passing houses, duplexes, apartments, barking dogs, passing a small shopping center, and making her way across intersections, she pedaled exactly one mile to the public library, and quite often.  She was in search of a good book to read.  In those days, there was no internet; there was no way to read or buy a book online.  Money was tight in the middle-class neighborhood and no one she knew owned many books.  The exception would be her brother.  Whenever she flung open his bedroom door and saw the sci-fi paperback books stacked to the ceiling, she would roll her eyes.   “How can anyone read so much”, she wondered?

She loved the public library, the smell of new books and the quiet reverence for all the antique books.  She was looking for something different.  She sauntered by the Dr. Seuss books which she had read when she was younger, sailing by the Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys collection, then she meandered the aisles by category:  fantasy, adventure, historical, etc.  Most of these books started with “The Secret of”, “The Mystery of “, or the “The Case of”.  She liked clues and solving problems, but nothing really caught her eye.  She would stay until she found a promising book. 

By 10th grade, her English teacher required book reports and suggested the epic high fantasy trilogy “The Lord of the Rings” novels by JRR Tolkien.   She would love this story until she grew old.  It had it all: reluctant heroes, unlikely friendships, high adventure, overcoming hardships and peril at every turn, unselfishly and relentlessly moving forward with the quest to save the world from evil. 

J.R.R Tolkien wasn’t just any writer.  His writings often reflected his Christian beliefs, and his faith strongly influenced the themes and moral undertones present in his works.  There are a number of Christian elements present in Tolkien’s writing. For instance, themes of sacrifice, redemption, perseverance, hope, and the battle of good against evil are prevalent throughout his stories. The characters in his works often display incredible virtues such as courage, friendship, loyalty, and selflessness. The words from The Lord of the Rings is so true.

“The world is changing.
I see it in the water.
I feel it in the Earth.
I smell it in the air.”    J.R.R. Tolkien

Tolkien became friends with CS Lewis, who at the time was an atheist.  But after many conversations, Lewis became an ardent believer.   

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”  C.S. Lewis

Lewis’ was greatly influenced by his friendship with Tolkien which was self-evident as it trickled through his literary works.  He wrote the famous fantasy novels “The Chronicles of Narnia” as well as literary works, “Mere Christianity”, “The Great Divorce” and “The Screwtape Letters”, “Surprised by Joy”, etc.  And so, a young girl’s mind was shaped by what she read.   

That girl – is me.  

I would go on to read other books including the Bible.  I began to understand for myself the reason God sent His son to earth.  Why Jesus would willingly die with such unimaginable pain, the Lamb of God, a man without sin who freely took on our sin (past, present, and future).  Through faith, I believed, just like Tolkien and Lewis.   

What’s going on at our public libraries these days and who is running it?

The current President of the Library Association is a self-proclaimed Marxist lesbian, Emily Drabinski.  Nothing good can come from her beliefs.   Many believe that under her authority, the American Library Association (ALA) will continue to push local libraries to stock LGBTQIA+ books to pervert and confuse youth.  The ALA has been known as one of the biggest promoters of sexually graphic material to kids as young as kindergarten.

The public libraries have been offering “Drag Queen Story Hour” for about 8 years across this nation.  They have traveled to public libraries, schools, bookstores, and children’s museums in many cities across the nation.  Even PBS broadcasted a drag queen, “Lil Miss Hot Mess” read to children.  The books they are reading are not innocent books like Dr. Seuss.  They are reading LGBTQIA+ books on queer and/or trans characters, and gender-transgressive themes.  See some of the books here. 

Young children are seeing crossdressers – adult men dressed as women (in the old days, we called them transvestites). I think you can agree they are all pretty scary looking.  Their intention is to teach your child to “embrace gender diversity”. The left has been working hard to normalize it.  In other words, they want your child to question their own gender; the gender God intentionally made them. 

Gender is not a social construct nor determined by culture.  Gender is not a personal choice. We can know someone’s gender by looking at their DNA.  Therefore, no amount of dressing up as another gender or removing body parts will change God’s design.  Gender is determined by God; there are only two genders.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

I have one big question….

Why on earth are parents taking their children to Drag Queen Story Hour where children are intentionally influenced and indoctrinated?  Are they totally unaware of what is being read to their children?  Do they even care?

The alternative.  Is anyone introducing wholesome books during Story Hour?

You may remember, Kirk Cameron, who played Mike Seaver on Growing Pains.  He has written two faith-based children’s books, “Pride Comes Before the Fall” and “As You Grow”, published by Brave Books.   Sadly, he has been denied from reading his books at over 50 public libraries.  The ALA has openly violated the First Amendment by discriminating against traditional values (freedom, truth, humility, bravery, compassion, etc.) from being read at their libraries. Using your taxpayer dollars, the ALA continues to allow Drag Queen story hour at public libraries. 

Just this past week, the public library in Huntsville, Alabama, cancelled Kirk’s event due to concerns about security and the number of attendees, then the library reversed course and agreed to host it if certain conditions were met.   As expected, LGBTQIA+ activists came out to protest Kirk reading his own books to children.  

When parents, voters, and political leaders understand the history of Drag Queen Story Hour and the ideology that drives it, we should all strive to deter our from seeing it. We need to draw a line between adult sexuality and childhood innocence and send the perversions of queer theory out of our libraries.  For years at Pride events, we’ve heard the chant “we’re coming for your children” – we know they have been trying.  Their goal – to reshape your child’s ideas on gender and sexuality.

Take no part

If you are a parent, DO NOT take your child to a Drag Queen story hour.  Don’t participate in the works of darkness.  Instead, read a good wholesome book to your child.  

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”  Ephesians 5:11

Expose Them

Until Jesus returns and raptures Christians out of this world or death comes first, we should feel compelled to slow/subvert the spread of immorality in our culture.  However, it is a balance as we need to act with a heart of love. Crossdressers and those in Drag don’t know God or Jesus (yet).  We need to pray the Holy Spirit opens their eyes and heart to truth. As a Christian, we need to be like Jesus and reach out to people full of grace and truth.    

“And the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” John 1:14