‘Graphic content’: Academics bizarrely put ‘trigger warnings’ on various events in the Bible
Secular educators in the United Kingdom have decided to apply “trigger warnings” to parts of the Bible.
And Andrea Williams, chief of the Christian Legal Center, said it’s crazy.
“Applying trigger warnings to salvation narratives that have shaped our civilization is not only misguided, but absurd. Singling out the Bible in this way is discriminatory and deeply ill-informed. To suggest that the crucifixion story involves ‘sexual violence’ is not just inaccurate, it’s a profound misreading of the text.
“The account of Jesus’s death is not a tale of trauma, it is the ultimate expression of love, sacrifice, and redemption, central to the Christian faith,” Williams said.
It is the Christian Institute that reported English literature students at the University of Sheffield now are being told to prepare for “graphic bodily injury and sexual violence” in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Same warning for Genesis, where the lives of Cain and Abel are documented.
It was just a year ago that Nottingham University put itself up for mockery when it said the “expressions of Christian faith” in medieval literature were potentially distressing.
Officials at Sheffield said, “A content note is a standard academic tool used to signpost when sensitive or graphic content will be discussed. Its purpose is to ensure subjects can be highlighted and discussed openly and critically, while preparing students who might find such details difficult.”
But Angus Sauil, of the Christian Institute, pointed out, “Neither the Gospels nor Genesis give explicit accounts of Abel’s murder or Jesus’ crucifixion, and what the ‘sexual violence’ label refers to is mystifying. While Christians and unbelievers alike can be profoundly moved by the powerful and enduring words of Scripture, such passages are far less explicit than many of the set texts English Literature students come into contact with.”
He continued, “What people are more likely to find offensive in the Bible are its bold assertions: that there is one God; that all have sinned and fall short of his glory; that Jesus Christ is God; that he died to offer forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe in him and repent; and that salvation is only possible through him. Such truths are offensive to many, but they are a tremendous blessing to those who believe. The only ‘trigger warning’ the Bible needs is ‘This book may completely transform your life.’”
The Nottingham controversy, earlier, had the school telling students “Chaucer and his Contemporaries” contained “incidences of violence, mental illness, and expressions of Christian faith.”
According to the Daily Mail, Monsignor Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Anglican Bishop of Rochester who converted to Catholicism, said, “Students have to be exposed to what is unpleasant and frightening so they can learn to deal with that. The Bible is very restrained in how it describes both the murder of Abel by Cain and the crucifixion, particularly if you compare the accounts of the Evangelists with something like Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ.'”