Banning King David?

David Sees Bathsheba Bathing by James Tissot

WARNING: This post contains satire!

Jim Watkins began this post with this hypothetical headline: "Bible Publisher to remove works of Kings David and Solomon over sexual assault."

But first an actual publisher’s statement reported by ChristianPost.com:

Christian publishing company Bethany House said it canceled the July publication of megachurch pastor Andy Savage’s book The Ridicuously Good Marriage after he confessed to sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl while he was her youth pastor some 20 years ago.

Savage, teaching pastor at the popular Highpoint Church Memphis in Tennessee, admitted Friday that he “regretfully had a sexual incident with a female high school senior in the church.

“As a college student on staff at a church in Texas more than 20 years ago, I regretfully had a sexual incident with a female high school senior in the church. I apologized and sought forgiveness from her, her parents, her discipleship group, the church staff, and the church leadership, who informed the congregation. In agreement with wise counsel, I took every step to respond in a biblical way,” Savage, 42, said in a statement about the incident that took place while he served at Woodlands Parkway Baptist Church, now known as StoneBridge Church.

Where is the forgiveness? Where is the mercy? I fear that someday I’ll wake up to an announcement like this. (Satire warning!)

Zondervan/Thomas Nelson has announced that its popular New American Standard Bible, New International Version and New King James Version will no longer contain the works of Kings David and Solomon.

A spokesperson noted, “We can no longer promote the work of authors guilty of sexual assault. King David’s immoral affair with Bathsheba and the subsequent ordering the murder of her husband, Uriah, disqualifies the psalmist from writing in holy script. King Solomon’s acquisitions of multiple wives and his embracing of their pagan gods also makes disingenuous his so-called “wisdom” writing. As a result, only the twelve psalms of Asaph and one of Moses will remain in the book of Psalms. We will also delete the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs.”

The world’s largest Christian publisher is also considering deleting any references to Abraham, who had a sexual affair with his wife’s servant. First and 2 Corinthians may be also be removed as the members of the church, according to chapter 6 in Paul’s first letter, had previously engaged in “sexual sin,” “adultery,” “male prostitution” and “homosexuality.”

Yes, sexual assault is ungodly, immoral and listed in Scripture among those acts that deserve hell. Yes, even though one has been forgiven by God, there are still legal consequences in our justice system for sexual criminals. And, yes, we should take seriously any woman’s accusation of sexual assault.

But let’s also not forget, “. . . anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christianity is about forgiveness and redemption, not condemnation. Remember, “Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

Copyright © James N. Watkins - used by permission