Tales of rape, infanticide, bestiality and incest are readily available in the Holy Bible, which sits ready for impressionable young eyes to stumble upon on the internet. A new anti-pornography law in Virgina against websites that depict such things could force Bible websites to shut down there, even as websites like Pornhub have had no choice but to ban all users there (as well as Mississippi and Utah), lest they be held legally accountable for minors bypassing the age verification and viewing pornography.
Consider this verse in Ezekiel 23:20 found on the ‘Bible Gateway’ internet site:
“There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.” (New International Version)
Some are arguing that young people should be protected from such offensive biblical content. They say websites showing Bible content need to require age verification, just as pornographic websites must.
Across the country, critics are raising the alarm about what they see as the growing influence of religious beliefs in everyday public life – from more restrictive abortion laws, to libraries losing funding over LGBTQ+ books, to chaplains becoming school guidance counselors.
Some of the efforts to push back have been (partially) successful. Earlier this year, parents succeeded in getting the Bible pulled from school shelves in Utah. The decision, however, was later reversed.
Through that lens, this effort to enforce age verification for biblical websites is reflective of a pushback against religious influence in the public sphere.
It also encourages a broader debate: to what degree should religious beliefs guide public policy?
About the writer: Matthew Woodruff is an Independent Journalist and Author who believes in Freely Accessible, Honest and Open Reporting.
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