I Don’t Believe In Censorship

I don’t believe in censorship. This is not an original thought but I just feel like I need to say that today. I believe in freedom; more so than almost anything else in the world. People were not meant to live in cages; boxes of thought with low ceilings of control.

I am not an avid reader. I enjoy books and I always have at least two I’m in the middle of but I would not consider myself a book worm. (What? With all the wine and good conversation to be had, I just can’t find the time. *rolls eyes*) Most of the books I enjoy have been recommendations from friends or my sister. Everything from Twilight to Hunger Games to Bossypants to The Shack to Harry Potter to Christ of the Covenants. My friends and acquaintances are, diverse. I trust them. Each one. And I have yet to be disappointed.

Can I just SAY this? Just because I enjoy a good story on vampire love, does not make me believe I AM one. And just because Harry uses magic, does not make me think his spells REALLY work. If a book alludes to a Catholic church scandal, it doesn’t make it historically accurate, true or credible. And just because a self-proclaimed guru on marketing tells me XYZ, doesn’t mean I implicitly believe it will work for ME, in MY realm. These are books. These are creative outlets to engage imagination, thought and at times, help us succeed.

Furthermore, and maybe even specifically, if a post-modern or post-post modern or future ancient or emergent *gasp* theologian depicts God as a woman or proposes the idea that hell is not real or tells me morality is relevant and that faith is more a discussion than a structure, does not mean I implicitly believe it. I have a brain. I have a world-view. I have the mother-fucking ability to discern truth from lies, opinion over fact, relevance over essentials.

I read Seth Godin, J.K. Rowling, Tina Fay, David Sedaris and Bethenny Frankel along with my Donald Miller, C.S. Lewis, William P. Young and yes, even Rob Bell. And I also, read and study the Bible. I have faith in its infallibility. I also believe in the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit – whose mission is to comfort me and point me toward Truth. So no thank you, but me and God got this. You can shut down every Library in a 50 mile radius, ban material, freak out about "secular" teachings that don't comply with your small-minded sense of fear and control, but I will still read. And write. And think.

Ever heard of Amazon.com, assholes!?