As the Alberta government moves ahead with its initiative to review and remove “age-inappropriate” or “sexually explicit” material from school libraries, we are calling for the fair and consistent application of this policy to all texts—starting with the Holy Bible.

Why the Bible?
The Bible contains numerous passages that, under the government’s own criteria, would raise serious concerns:

• Sexual Content – Stories such as Lot’s daughters committing incest (Genesis 19:30–38) and the explicitly erotic Song of Solomon contain vivid, graphic content that is inappropriate for young readers.
• Extreme Violence – Accounts of gang rape and dismemberment (Judges 19), infanticide (Psalm 137:9), and conquest and slaughter throughout the Old Testament depict brutality in disturbing detail.
• Discriminatory Teachings – Verses that condemn homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13), endorse slavery (Exodus 21:20–21), or instruct stoning women in certain cases (Deuteronomy 22) are not only troubling—they are antithetical to the principles of inclusion and equality.

If other books are being flagged for removal on the basis of containing sexually explicit, violent, or discriminatory content, then allowing the Bible to remain untouched would demonstrate a clear ideological bias.

This petition is not an attack on religion. It is a demand for consistency, fairness, and transparency. If the government is going to police school library content, it must be prepared to hold all texts to the same standard, regardless of their religious or cultural significance.

We, the undersigned, call on the Alberta government to:

1. Include the Bible in its official school library review process.
2. Apply the same evaluative criteria to religious texts as to any other material.
3. Reconsider the entire censorship initiative and instead promote policies that support intellectual freedom and diverse perspectives in education.

When governments begin to censor books based on political or religious ideology, no material is safe—unless privileged. This petition challenges the government to uphold its own stated standards or abandon them in favor of a more principled approach to education and free thought.

Sign and share if you believe in freedom of information, equality under the law, and the right of students to access diverse and uncensored educational materials.