This 40 page booklet offers the reader an insight into the unethical world of censorship. From the censoring of the Holy Bible through the Columbine tragedy and beyond, this free textbook looks at what has been censored, why it was censored, and why the censorship code is too ambigeous.
It also offers insight into films and other reference materials which are considered illegal in the United States; yet, passed inspection by the United States Censorship boards.
Great for a student researching Censorship for a school paper.
Excerpt:
Since the 14th century, censorship has been both a moral and political issue in American lives. Religious leaders, politicians , and other organizations have attempted to coerce the American people into what they could read, see, and hear. These influential persons may believe they are doing what is appropriate to “purify the souls” of American citizens; however, I believe it is more suggestive of their use of communistic propaganda (all messages given by any group that insists it is speaking the truth w ithout any evidence to the contrary), and socialist dictatorship (any group that seeks to make its polarized opinions forcefully met in specific groups of enterprise, and demand that its opinion be enforced legally).
Translating the Holy Scriptures from Latin into English was banned in the 14th century. The Roman Catholic Church feared that the translation would be corrupted o r misinterpreted. John Wycliff and his reformers, however, completed their first English translation in 1407. The Church immediately banned this newer version. Furthermore the English clergy strictly forbid one to read this new book without obtaining a special license. Following the America Revolution, the Roman Catholic Church finally granted their imprimatur (seal of approval) to the King James Version since it owned that book’s publishing rights. This issue became the fuel that ignited the flames of censorship throughout America.
The prudish sensibilities of the Victorian Age caused many to believe that their biblical figures were incapable of committing “unacceptable behaviors.” After John Bellamy published “The Holy Bible, Newly Translated”, others began to produce Bibles that eliminated anything these individuals felt was obscene. In the twenty-first century one might question whether or not he or she is reading a correct translation of the Holy Book, or only a book that has been reedited multiple times to satisfy the needs of the Victorian people. The debate about accurate versions continue today, as each religious faith claims it is God’s appointed choice.
An atheist within the Brooklyn Center Independent School System of Minnesota challenged the teachings of the Bible in 1992. According to this individual, “the lewd, indecent, and violent contents of this book were hardly suitable for children.” Others cited more than 300 examples of obscenities in the Bible, making the objection that it “contains language and stories that are inappropriate for children of any age, including tales of incest and murder.” These facts make one wonder if censorship has gone too far.
In the early 1900’s Christian groups worried that a new form of media was destroying “the souls of” the people. This new form of entertainment was called the motion picture. “The May - Irwin Kiss” was the first film to be deemed as offensive. While kissing in public was not prohibited, this film was censored b
