God help us! Students given trigger warning about the Bible’s death and violence – including Christ’s crucifixion
They have come for the great works of Homer, Shakespeare, and Dickens, and now the awakened warriors have issued a triggering warning against the word of God.
English literature students are being warned about violence and murder in the Bible, including the crucifixion of Jesus.
Bizarrely, the University of Sheffield advises that the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John contain scenes of ‘graphic bodily injury and sexual violence’ when describing the events leading up to Jesus’ death.
Details of the guide given to students studying biblical and classical sources of English literature were obtained by The Mail on Sunday under Freedom of Information laws.
Christians and historians last night said the warnings were ‘misguided’, ‘nonsensical’ and incompatible with discussions of morality.
One of these concerns the story of Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, the first person born in the Book of Genesis, kills his brother Abel, the first person to die.
However, critics of the censorship point out that there is no mention in the Bible of how Cain killed Abel and are completely unable to explain the inclusion of ‘sexual violence’ in the warnings.
Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: ‘Imposing trigger warnings on the salvation narratives that shape our civilization is not only misdirection but nonsense. Separating the Bible in this way is discriminatory and deeply misinformed. To suggest that the crucifixion story contains “sexual violence” is not only inaccurate but also a profound misreading of the text. The story of Jesus’ death is not a story of trauma; ‘It is the ultimate expression of the love, sacrifice and salvation that are at the heart of the Christian faith.’
English literature students are warned about violence and murder in the Bible, including Jesus’ crucifixion
Monsignor Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Anglican Bishop of Rochester who converted to Catholicism, said: ‘Knowing the Bible is very important if you are studying English literature.
‘Students need to be exposed to things that are unpleasant and scary so they can learn to cope. The Bible is pretty limited in its depiction of both the murder of Abel by Cain and the crucifixion, especially if you compare the Evangelists’ accounts with something like Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ.’
Jeremy Black, author of A Brief History of History, said: ‘The Biblical and Classical narratives oppose good and evil in the universe, society and individuals. These struggles are fundamental and foundational… Students must be exposed to the power of the texts, their uncompromising character, and the violence of the passage to salvation. ‘There is no need to trigger alerts when it comes to morality.’
The University of Sheffield said: ‘A content rating is a standard academic tool used to indicate when sensitive or graphic content will be discussed. Its aim is to ensure that issues can be highlighted and discussed openly and critically, while preparing students who may find such detail difficult.’
