"In countries known as progressive and enlightened we have created a senseless, filthy, abominable literature." — Protocols of Zion: 14-5
( The author of the following article, who lives in Ontario, was a central figure in the recent exposure of obscene sex books in public libraries. While this issue is perhaps a more serious problem in Anglo-Saxon, Protestant provinces than, it is in the French-speaking, Roman Catholic sections of Canada, it is undoubtedly a national problem of vital importance which must be faced up to squarely by all Canadians.
-- Editor, S. C.
Most Canadians have read something of the recent efforts of John Cook and myself to put obscene and lewd sex books in our Flesherton Public Library out of reach of our boys and girls. Contrary to some fantastic press 'reports' and fabrications, the overflow public meeting we addressed on this matter overwhelmingly endorsed our stand, some reports estimating by a 20 to 1 majority.
Four of the books exposed (typical of many cluttering up library shelves today) were: The Living Earth, A Lomp Is Heavy, The Last Temptation, and Katherine.
The first-named is highly recommended to girls going in for the nursing profession, is endorsed by the Ontario Department of Education and promoted in high schools by mobile libraries. Its author, Sheila Mackay Russell, received a cash award and honour from the Toronto Women's Canadian Club for writing this book.
It is an open secret that decent, clean books have difficulty finding a publisher — and mass market — today. Publishers want books with plenty of 'spice', and so the author, if he is to cash in on his pen, must inject and exaggerate illicit sex. The Living Earth fully meets these requirements. It tramples practically every Christian virtue, as its central characters reject God's Law in favour of such vice and perversion as we refuse to reprint in these columns. The book, Katherine, which was recommended by the librarian to a 13-year-old girl as an 'historical novel' to supplement her history course, is 588 pages of descriptive detail of the intimate and often illicit sex life of a young debauched woman.
Those promoting lewd literature have spread many misconceptions.
• They hold it up as worthy because it introduces our children to the 'facts of life'. Well, dope and prostitution, unfortunately, are 'facts' and reality today, but who would advocate introducing them to children!
• The subtle sophistry is put forward that "all this sex' is to be found right in the Bible. The Scriptures do, indeed, forthrightly discuss various crimes and sins, including abuse and violation of man's physical attributes. But while the sins are identified and named, there is not the revelling in descriptive detail which characterizes the books in question. And God, in drawing attention to evil and sin, inevitably condemns these wicked practices and warns us of the dreadful consequences — "the wages of sin is death." God's Word warns against sin as a deathly evil. These books introduce it as 'just human' — something to indulge in. Quite a difference!
• Then the thought is advanced that to keep lewd books out of reach of teen-agers is 'dictatorship'. As though it were 'dictatorship' to keep dope and alcohol out of their reach!
• A favourite argument is that because some book received some award, it is therefore good. Upon reflection, we realize that good and evil, right and wrong, are determined by God's Law, not by public opinion or appetite of the moment. Public acclaim has attached to some of the most immoral productions in recent times.
The Christian believes that his purpose in this life is to strive to know, serve and worship God, in anticipation of an eternity in His presence.
It follows that all institutions, if they are to serve the Christian community, must make a definite contribution towards this ultimate purpose of man. No institution, no book, has any legitimate claim upon the mind or resources of a Christian unless it makes some contribution to the health of the body or spirit, or the defence of Christian values and morality.
Communism or anti-Christianity cannot recruit followers from a people with an abiding love and loyalty to God and country, from a people with strong Christian traditions and morality. Therefore, before the anti-Christ forces can reap a harvest they must first undermine and destroy these characteristics and values of our coming generation. Debauched literature is a potent instrument in Satan's design and strategy.
Investigation indicates that libraries purchase books recommended by certain catalogues or reviews. Unless a book receives a favourable review or listing, it just does not get into a library. And, judging by the calibre of book which receives the promotion, favourable review and listing, there is little doubt that non-Christian or anti-Christian elements have control of this very vital field today. And why wouldn't those interested in destroying Christianity concentrate on this field? After all, control of a few key positions gives them control of the reading and mind-moulding, of a whole generation. And so our libraries are becoming more and more a brain-washing instrument under the subtle influence and control of materialists, atheists, and downright anti-Christians — pointed at the undermining and destruction of all Christian precepts and standards.
The home, parental training and guidance, the school and church — these all have a vital, and supplementary role to play. But a library which distributes obscenity does not supplement, but rather vitiates, the efforts of a home and church which teach God's commandments and statutes.
Then, also, there are two steps which could, and should, be taken by every community and library:
(1) Lewd and debauched books should be put out of reach of our children and teen-agers.
(2) Tax money should not be used to purchase this type of trash for those individuals who wish to revel in it. This implies no dictatorship at all. It simply implies that those who wish to indulge in mental filth will have to do so at their own, instead of the taxpayers' expense.
-Ron Gostick
THE CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE (Nov.), under the above heading, comments editorially on this issue:
The report on the corruption of our libraries in this issue is carried because this is undoubtedly one of the important fields being exploited today by those dedicated to the destruction of what is left of Christian society.
Before a completely anti-Christian order can be established, the old order, the old precepts, standards and faith, must be undermined and ultimately smashed.
Many of the inventions of science — cinema, radio and television — all too often bring into the community and home more evil than virtue. And with compulsory education today making everyone a 'reader', how important does the quality of the printed word become in modern society! And Satan would seem to surrender no field to God without a struggle.
You are aware that it is a prime purpose of this Service to bring you information and reports which will keep you informed on world developments and communist designs and strategies — not just for the sake of 'informing', but so that you in turn will be better equipped to interpret and understand events, and detect and combat the many-sided anti-Christian assault upon our society.
But what good is information and knowldege unless we do something with it? And a great responsibility surely rests upon Christians who are prepared to stand for, and live according to, Moral principle and Truth... The warning that all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing, was never so timely as it is today.
Although I deem it unadvisable to reprint the documentary evidence relating to the books referred to on page 3, I firmly believe that every mature, God-fearing citizen should procure a copy of this documentation, and then, keeping in mind that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, that we are but His stewards, and that the welfare of our neighbour and our young ones IS our responsibility — with this in mind, we should ask for His guidance in the discharge of our responsibility.
Please don't lay aside this report until you have done something about it.
NOTE: The documentation establishing the debauchery of the books in question, and additional information, are available from John Cook, Fegherton, Ontario. Enclose a few cents or stamps to cover his production and mailing costs.
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