All things are not equal and morally relative. This reality should guide school district officials in deciding which books to have in libraries. The issue arises again as District 20 officials grapple with dozens of complaints about obscene books and one about the Bible.

To contemplate the distinction between good and evil, consider religious liberty. Anyone can develop or embrace a religion and the law may never judge those beliefs. Yet, nuns running an AIDS hospice differ substantially from a cult of lawyers in Topeka, Kansas, who profess God "hates" members of the LGBTQ community.

They are equally protected by the First Amendment, but otherwise quite different.

To further contemplate absolute versus relative, consider directions. Right and left are relative; north and south, absolute.

Given that good is not evil and north is not south, we can discern the difference between the Bible and detailed books about modern sex and violence. The most recent conflict began with about three dozen parents asking in writing for D20 to remove three sexually explicit books from libraries. They include:

— "Identical," by Ellen Hopkins, which tells in stark detail the trauma of twin girls sexually and otherwise abused by their father. Children read about easing distress with opioids, alcohol and sex.

— = "Lucky," by Rachel Vail. A review describes the book as the "punishingly detailed" account of a man raping a teenager.

— Flamer, Mike Curato, details the coming-of-age of boy who is gay.

— "Push," by Sapphire, conveys through obscene dialogue and graphic detail the story of a pregnant teenager who already had a baby by her father when she was 12.

These books have a place, but maybe not among middle schoolers with parents who object. Upon receiving complaints from dozens of parents, then-Superintendent Thomas Gregory asked principals to remove the books.

Under the district's removal policy, parents can appeal any book decision. The process winds its way through the superintendent who can order a book removed or replaced. That's as it should be, given that superintendents are the executive officers entrusted with the care of children, known legally as "in loco parentis."

After Gregory ordered the books removed, district parent, atheist and First Vice Chair the local Democratic party Rob Rogers — known locally for his "Eye Hate God" patch — argued all things are relative. His complaint against the Bible should be treated as those against graphic books about sex and rape, otherwise it's "discrimination."

He says the Bible contains sex and violence. He's correct, though context is king. The New Testament tells us to treat others as we would have them treat us. As a whole, the Bible comprises a lesson in good and bad, right and wrong, fire and brimstone, life and death.

Push introduces children to racist stereotypes and the merits of disrespecting teachers. When a teacher tells a student to leave the classroom, a black girl says: " 'I ain' going nowhere muthf—ker (redaction ours) till the bell ring. I came here to learn maff and you gon' teach me.' He (the teacher) look like a b-tch (redaction ours) just got a train (gang rape) pult on her. He don't know what to do."

And: "He (the teacher) a skinny little white man... A peckerwood."

The First Amendment prohibits governments from interfering with the writing, printing, distribution and reading of information. It does not guarantee the right of adults to provide children with media their parents don't like.

Government and private libraries and bookstores censor books, lawfully, each time they decline to buy and carry one. The director of a vegan library has no obligation to carry a trophy hunting book. If schools carry all books, with no discernment, we'll have authors teaching children to make bombs.

Rogers complained to the district and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, of which he's a member. That's a predatory anti-Christian group that attacks faith with sophomoric knowledge of the First Amendment.

Rogers argues his complaint is just like the others, saying "I basically just copied what they did."

His anti-faith activism knows no bounds. He recently went on Facebook and TikTok to excoriate Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, a Christian minister and the city's first elected Black mayor, for attending a tent revival and daring to say "Jesus."

A book that contains The Golden Rule, advocates love and says God loves all is not the same as one that conveys racist, hateful and profane dialogue between students and teachers.

Because one parent complained about the Bible, the rape and sex books are back. Under the direction of new Superintendent Jinger Haberer, the district will follow a detailed protocol before removing books.

Indeed, schools should use protocol. That does not make the Bible the same as other books, and it does not make all books appropriate for children.

REPRINTED FROM THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE

Photo credit: Patrick Tomasso at Unsplash