'This is not stealing': Kentucky church defends members for not returning 'sexually perverse books' to library

( Christian Post )

The leadership of a Baptist church in Kentucky says they support members of their congregation who choose to “not return” certain library books that contain LGBT-related themes, but denies the movement is a “church directive.”

Reformation Church of Shelbyville (RCS), located about 30 miles east of Louisville, says it all began in June 2024, when a family attending the church discovered more than a dozen “sexually perverse books,” prompting a video response from RCS evangelist Tanner Cartwright warning about the books. Many of the titles listed, according to RCS, promoted transgenderism and homosexuality, including My Two Dads by Claudia Harrington, Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, and Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, by Susan Kuklin, which, said the church, includes a story of a 6-year-old child performing oral sex.

At the time, RCS asked for permission from the Shelby County Public Library to hold a “Pastor’s Story Hour” event, but that request was denied. However, the church said it “took that well, because the reason given would also make a Drag Queen Story Hour improbable. We should have known there was something more to it.“

RCS Elder Jerry Doris told The Christian Post that video, far from calling on the church to “check out and not return” books, was intended to expose “what was happening in our local library and encouraged people to contact the staff.”

He said the family came across the books at the Shelby County Library while their children were present, and all 16 titles were “openly available to minors.”

According to Doris, the content of these books was “appalling.”

“One book describes a 6-year-old performing oral sex,” he said. “Others attempt to rewrite history, such as portraying Leonardo da Vinci as a gay man to be emulated, a baseless modern projection he never made about himself. One champions Harvey Milk, while ignoring the fact that he was in a sexual relationship with an underage boy.

“So, these are not awkward 'coming-of-age' books,” Doris added. “They are sexualized, ideological propaganda placed in front of children and teens.”

He said that while members of RCS have sent letters to library officials about the matter, they have gone unanswered. “Apart from the automated late notices, there’s been no real contact,” Doris added.

The church says they have also contacted local law enforcement and the city attorney, who have “all confirmed this is a civil, not criminal matter.”

Still, Doris reiterated that it was only after the books were initially stolen that RCS leadership affirmed the action as legitimate — with a caveat.

“We have never from the pulpit told people to do this. It began organically,” he said. “After the fact, we affirmed their action as a legitimate form of civil disobedience. On our podcast, "Snake on the Table," we have said others are free to do the same, provided they are ready to face the civil consequences.

"But again, this is not a program of Reformation Church.”

In a statement to CP on Monday, Jill Midkiff, spokesperson for the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet and the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, said despite the legal vagaries, deliberately failing to return library books as a form of protest doesn’t happen very often.

“Strategically checking out books with no plans to return them as a method of permanently removing certain books from local public libraries is not a common practice, at least not one that has been reported to the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives,” Midkiff said.

According to state data, there were 302 challenges to library materials in the Bluegrass State in 2024, marking a dramatic jump of more than 1,000% from 2023. 

For Doris, however, the failure to return library materials doesn’t constitute theft under state law. “In Kentucky, not returning a library book is a civil matter, not a criminal one. The penalty is fines, collections or loss of library privileges, just like not paying a utility bill,” he said. “That’s it. No police, no jail."

“So this is not ‘stealing,'” he added. “It is an act of civil disobedience against officials who are abusing public funds to groom children.”

And while his church is focused on “protecting children from sexual perversion,” Doris said he understands his approach might not work for everyone.

“For me, it is a conscience issue. If it were me, I would never return the books,” he said. “Others may choose to respond differently, but I encourage Christians to act according to conscience and be willing to face the consequences.”

In recent years, several states, including Texas, Montana and Wyoming, have cut ties with the American Library Association in response to the association’s defense of materials many parents find objectionable. The organization opposes the banning of books, including those that some parents deem harmful because they promote pedophilia and sexual experimentation at a young age.