Interfaith Alliance Stands Against Censorship

The views and beliefs expressed in this post and all Interfaith Alliance blogs are those held by the author of each respective piece. To learn more about the organizational views, policies and positions of Interfaith Alliance on any issues, please contact [email protected].

This week, Interfaith Alliance is proud to join libraries, educators, advocates, and readers across the country in celebrating Banned Books Week 2025 (October 5–11). The theme, “Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights,” reminds us that the freedom to read is a fundamental part of the freedom to think and believe.

Book bans are on the rise in schools and libraries across the nation. Recent data shows thousands of attempts to remove books, many of which tell the stories of LGBTQ+ people, communities of color, and others whose experiences deserve to be heard. These coordinated efforts to silence certain voices are harmful, not helpful, to children. They restrict curiosity and undermine the inclusive democracy that education is meant to strengthen.

That is why Senator Brian Schatz and Representative Jamie Raskin have re-introduced a resolution affirming the importance of condemning the spread of censorship in the United States. Interfaith Alliance first endorsed this resolution in 2023 and was invited to speak at the reintroduction briefing alongside Representative Raskin. We have proudly endorsed it each year since, standing alongside our partners in defense of free expression and inclusive education. The resolution calls on schools and local governments to uphold students’ rights to learn, educators’ ability to teach, and every person’s right to read freely. 

“Anyone committed to preserving religious freedom and democracy for all Americans should be incredibly concerned by the sharp rise in censorship in our public schools and libraries,” said the Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. “Christian nationalists and far-right allies are driving book bans as part of their mission to intimidate and exclude anyone who looks, believes, or loves differently than they do. People of all beliefs must call upon the moral mandates of their own traditions and mobilize to reject book bans wherever they may occur.”

The freedom to read and the freedom to believe are deeply connected. Censorship and religious extremism both thrive on control, while pluralism and religious freedom depend on access to diverse ideas. Protecting libraries and classrooms from censorship is not only about defending literature. It is about safeguarding the shared values of inquiry, compassion, and respect that sustain our democracy.

‍