There’s no reason to give tax exempt status to these thieves:

A local church is urging its members to permanently remove books from the Shelby County Public Library by checking them out and never returning them. The books portray gay characters and historical figures or explore LGBTQ+ themes.

Pamela Wilson Federspiel, who has been director of the library in downtown Shelbyville for 34 years, says the action is tantamount to “stealing.”

But three leaders of the Reformation Church of Shelbyville defend what they call an “act of civil disobedience.”

“Yes — we have urged Christians, both locally and across the country, to search their libraries for books that promote sodomy, gender confusion and rebellion against God — and if found, to check them out and never return them as an act of civil disobedience,” pastors Jerry Dorris and Tanner Cartwright and Austin Keeler, an evangelist with the church mission, Reformation Frontline Missions, recently told the Lantern in an email.

The library has “lost” 16 books valued at $410.85 since a member of the church checked them out last year with due dates in late June 2024, said Federspiel. Some of the books were written for children, some for adults. (The list of books is at the bottom of this story.)

• “He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters,” Schuyler Bailar, adult nonfiction, $35
• “Raising LGBTQ Allies: A Parent’s Guide to Changing the Messages from the Playground,” Chris Tompkins, adult nonfiction, $27
• “Raising the Transgender Child: A Complete Guide for Parents, Families and Caregivers,” Michele Angello, adult nonfiction, $22
• “The Art of Drag,” Jake Hall, adult nonfiction, $27.95
• “The Art of Being Normal,” Lisa Williamson, young adult fiction, $22.99
• “Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out,” Susan Kuklin, young adult nonfiction, $27.99
• “Between Perfect and Real,” Ray Stoeve, young adult nonfiction, $23.99
• “Puberty is Gross but Also Really Awesome,” Gina Loveless, young adult nonfiiction, $23.99
• “Pumpkin,” Julie Murphy, young adult fiction, $22.99
• “Julian is a Mermaid,” Jessica Love, juvenile fiction, $22.99
• “I Love You Because I Love You, Muon Van,” juvenile fiction, $22.99
• “Kind Like Marsha: Learning from LGBTQ+ Leaders,” Sarah Prager, juvenile   fiction, $22.99
• “It’s a Girl Thing: How to Stay Healthy, Safe and in Charge,” Mavis Jukes, juvenile nonfiction, $21.99
• “My Two Dads,” Claudia Harrington, juvenile fiction, $33.50
• “My Two Moms,” Claudia Harrington, juvenile fiction, $33.50
• “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Puberty – and Shouldn’t Be Googling: For Curious Boys,” Morris Katz, juvenile nonfiiction, $19.99

If they really believe in banning books that contain what they consider unnatural sex, they should dump the book that promotes this, which is illustrated in the painting at the top of this post:

Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.

Not to mention Lot also told some guys to rape his daughters earlier in the story:

They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” (6) Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him (7) and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. (8) Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”