Chapter XVII: Appendix: D

THE CENSORSHIP OF THE PRESS.

With what intelligence and religious toleration the censorship of
the press is conducted may be judged from examples found in an
official document:

“The quotation, in religious books, of the words of Scripture for
proof or illustration, has been subjected to the will of the censor;
and even the printing of religious books has been objected to on the
ground that since Christians are graciously allowed to use the Holy
Bible, they need no other books of religion. Appeal from the
decisions of the censors is practically unavailing. This censor
insists that the Scriptural phrase ‘Kingdom of Christ’ may not be
used by Christians....

“The index list of the Bible lessons for 1893 is simply a table of
contents prepared by the British Sunday School Union. The censors
have refused to permit the publication of this index list, unless
some fifty titles are erased, or modified into a form at variance
with the matter of the lessons, or expanded to a degree impossible
in a brief table of contents, for example: St. Luke iv., 14–21,
‘Gospel liberty.’ The word ‘liberty’ must be erased. Jeremiah
xxxiii., 7–16, ‘Sorrow turned to joy.’ This title must be
suppressed. Haggai ii., 1–9, ‘Encouraging the people.’ This title,
which refers to the Divine encouragement given to the people in the
work of rebuilding the temple in the days of Zerubbabel, must be
erased.

“Psalm xxxiii., 10–22, ‘Wicked devices frustrated.’ This title must
be stricken out.

“Esther iv., 1–9, ‘Sorrow in the palace.’ This title must be
suppressed.

“Romans iv., 1–8, ‘Saved by grace.’ This title must be modified to
read ‘Saved from sin by grace.’

“Psalm xxxviii., 8–15, ‘Hope in distress.’ This title must be
suppressed.

“Joshua i., 1–9, ‘Fear not.’ This title can not be allowed.

“Romans viii., 31–39, ‘Rejoicing in persecution.’ This title must be
erased.

“Romans xv., 25–33, ‘A benevolent object.’ This title cannot be
allowed to stand unless the object is stated.”—_Foreign Relations of
the United States_, 1893.

We learn that four months after the complaint was made the particular points specified above were arranged. But as soon as foreign pressure was relaxed the activity of the Censor revived, and is now more intolerable than ever. A gentleman of long experience and intimate knowledge writing from behind the scenes within a month, states: “The Censorship of the Press is so severe as to amount almost to a prohibition. At Constantinople a most reckless and destructive mutilation of books goes on; and, contrary to the expressed utterances of the Porte guaranteeing religious liberty, Christian doctrines are expunged or changed, so as, at times, to become ridiculous and false. The men appointed as Censors of the Press seem to be utterly ignorant of all Christian literature and history and their object is to make all books conform to the doctrines of Islam.

“The religious weekly of the American Mission in Syria, which had been published for thirty years, was suppressed for a whole year, no reason being given; and when the permit was finally secured, it was accompanied by puerile and humiliating conditions.”

Some special departments of literature, such as history and poetry, are forbidden, wholesale, by the Censor. Many of the Censor’s decisions and the grounds on which they are based would be most laughable, but for the fact that they are part of an attempt to throttle and starve the hungry and growing minds of millions.