“I wanted to let you know about some of our ads that have recently been pulled on Facebook,” wrote my publicist at TAN Books in an email, “including all of our ads for The Devil and Karl Marx.”
That would be my book: The Devil and Karl Marx. It has sold thousands of copies, is being pursued for various foreign translations and film rights, and has over 800 reviews on Amazon. I’ve talked about the book incessantly on over a hundred radio and TV shows since it was released last August — forums that believe in free speech and the free exchange of ideas. But Facebook has targeted the book.
Needless to say, I’m not surprised. Two weeks ago I had learned that my fellow author at TAN Books, Dr. Carrie Gress, had likewise been censored. In fact, both Facebook and Instagram have canceled Dr. Gress’s work. What is this dangerous book by Gress that didn’t meet the approval of the hidden powers of Big Tech? Her book, The Anti-Mary Exposed: Rescuing the Culture from Toxic Femininity.
Yes, they’re censoring a book on the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ. Maybe it was the phrase “toxic femininity” that sprung the blacklisters into action. Had Gress exposed the horrors of “toxic masculinity,” promising to rescue the culture from that plague, well, all would have been surely peachy.
Carrie Gress’s work is a powerful defense of motherhood, exalting the ultimate model of maternity—the Blessed Mother. And the list of TAN Books targeted by the book-banners continues. Facebook also smacked down Kimberly Cook’s lovely new work, Motherhood Redeemed: How Radical Feminism Betrayed Motherly Love. The TAN ad for Motherhood Redeemed innocently states: “A book that challenges feminism in the modern world, with the reminder of the simple truth that all women are called to be mothers.”
That presumably vulgar assertion violates Facebook’s Sensational Content Policy. These criticisms of feminism are apparently verboten. Well, Hell hath no fury!
“They are saying that the ads are being pulled during the time of the election on anything having to do with social or political issues,” continued my publicist, “but we are now months past the election and they have still blocked all of our ads for your book.”
Facebook has even cancelled TAN’s ad for a children’s book called Stations of the Cross for Kids.
Yes, a children’s book, ladies and gentlemen, on the Stations of the Cross.
What excuse did Facebook drum up for this one? Apparently, the image of the crucifix on the cover constitutes a shocking and violent image. The Facebook blocker states: “Ad Can’t Run: Ads must not contain shocking, sensational, inflammatory, or excessively violent content. Read our Sensational Content Policy….”
The above comes from a Feb. 8 story by Paul Kengor in Crisis magazine.
What does Facebook expect Christian children learn about the crucifiction? I certainly recall seeing and hearing in first grade and beyond in a Catholic school about the crucifiction. I think facebook has mud on its face over this.
mikem– I bet you might have also served as an Altar Boy, and helped the priest with devotions like the Lenten Stations of the Cross!
It is a shocking and violent image. It is also an image of love that gives all.
I think it is actually kind of good that someone notices the violence of the crucifixion and doesn’t just “been there, seen that.”
Yet posts promoting the violence of gender reassignment and sex changes are not banned.
And how about lots of violent, destructive, subversive “Black Lives Matter” photos and stories, of all their riots, and all their heroes — especially George Floyd, with every detail of his death??
i have never seen a post promoting gender reassignment. I have never seen BLM photos and stories. What are you doing that you are getting those?
Let’s see, preschoolers must learn that there is an unlimited number of genders to choose from and elementary school students must learn that sodomy is as good as marriage, yet, Catholic families (I’m presuming, but who else would look for a book on Stations of the Cross?) should not learn about the love and sacrifice of our Lord and His death on the Cross.
Maybe we could reassure Facebook that He did not stay there!
Lord, have mercy on us all!
Maybe these sites should focus more on the depraved sexual content they permit. They pretend they care about woman and children. So why are good Catholics still using these communication sources? There are competitors for Facebook, Youtube and Twitter. How bad does it have to get for us to stop using them?
TAN books advertising on FB was not gonna last.
And, yes, crucifixion is horrific. I have to admit that I had not fully understood the physcial suffering our Lord took on for us until I watched “The Passion of the Christ”. Candidly had to take a break during the scourging at the pillar.
shortly to come: listing of similar religious objects, medals,holy cards, etc on vendor websites:verboten. shipoing via amazon and ithers, also not permissible. final straw, satellite transmission blocked unless broadcaster owns the satellite directly
All of this wringing of hands about the blatant censorship committed by FB is missing one important reality: It doesn’t matter what FB does… they do not matter at all in the real world. What success they have had is on the decline and they have rendered themselves insignificant. Same applies to Twitter as well. Overblown with self-importance. Its a pleasure to see them implode.
Is Facebook still a thing?
Yeah…Facebook is kind of like the Japanese soldiers in the 60’s and 70’s that hadn’t heard of the surrender yet…
Hey guys, check your ageism! They have lots of good ads on FaceBook, for things like Buicks and crossword puzzles. Now, where’d I put my prune juice? I’ve got to get back to wandering around cyber space.
When your in bed with the devil anything Holy, Sacred or Catholic is verboten.
Facebook?
Smells like sulphur mr. Zuckerberg.
Suppression of Truth is getting old.
Best to leave big Tech companies to rot in their own defilement.
“A book that challenges feminism in the modern world, with the reminder of the simple truth that all women are called to be mothers.” Well I would most certainly disagree with this statement, since I have never been interested in motherhood or children at all. It’s kind of a ridiculous statement, but inane as it may be, it should not be censored. What’s interesting to me, is that social media is censoring both right wing and left wing ideologies. Since most people stay stuck in one echo chamber or another these days, they don’t know this.
Facebook censoring the Left? Maybe once but not the multiple times for conservatives. And that’s too bad you missed out on Motherhood and reject it. Of course, it has it’s ups and downs but the rewards are nothing you could ever experience in other ways of life except maybe giving your life to the Lord through service.
I recall well, crying at lunchtime with many others, over the assassination of President Kennedy, in 1963. Walter Cronkite even cried, announcing it on TV. I felt very badly, seeing Jackie Kennedy in her lovely pink outfit, and pillbox hat– all stained with her husband’s blood. (Loved all her clothes and hairdos.) The very picture of a “Pieta,” like Our Blessed Mother holding her beloved Son, Christ, after His tragic death! Of course, as we all knew, her husband’s blood and brains were scattered all over her, when he was shot in the back of his head– and she was unable yet, to clean up and change her clothes– bless her. Lucky she missed those awful bullets. Should the stupid computer companies refuse to post stories and photos of the JFK assassination– an important part of American history? How about the assassination of Lincoln? Or Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King? Or Robert Kennedy? Or many heroes, in history. How about wars, and war heroes? How about historic, tragic 9/11? And what about an ad for a book or play, of a Shakespeare tragedy– like “Macbeth,” “Julius Caesar,” or “Hamlet?” Jesus Christ was an extremely important world figure in history, too. Every year, Christian pilgrims flock to the Holy Land during Holy Week, for all the religious events– and the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) is a huge event. I have never liked computers, and mostly ignore it all– and couldn’t care less about Social Media. Maybe we need some smart, talented, devout Christians to figure out a way to construct a “Silicon Valley” for our own needs.
This is ridiculous! Whoever is making these decisions needs some sensitivity training and an introductory class on world religions. The Stations of the Cross is a beautiful Catholic meditation on the central focus of the Christian faith: Jesus Christ.
I just read this children’s book, online, by Catholic wife and mother, Regina Doman. You can also get it on Amazon. A very popular book! Very thoughtful, simple, tasteful, and nice artwork! Just as I thought!! A sad and true story– but not presented in a violent manner–very simple and tasteful. Not at all violent, like the Marvel comics! Not scary, like the Wicked Witch in “Snow White,” or Maleficent in “Sleeping Beauty!” (Love both of those Disney films, though!) And of course– Jesus Christ had His glorious Resurrection on Easter Sunday– happy ending! Alleluia!
Does anyone remember the excellent, charming, beautifully-illustrated Catholic children’s books, particularly the “St. Joseph” series, written by Fr. Lawrence G. Lovasik, many decades ago, before Vatican II?? This Catholic children’s book is similar. Like Fr. Lovasik’s Catholic children’s picture books, it is an excellent teaching tool, great for children’s Catechism classes. It has lovely pictures, fine historical and Scripture lessons, the traditional prayers, and the “Stabat Mater,” and is just beautiful!
I often wish that our bishops and pastors would strongly advise their flock to completely detach themselves from Facebook, Twitter, etc. … perhaps not under penalty of sin, but simply to better follow Our Lord and Savior.
For laptops and PCs:
1) Go to Facebook and Twitter (logged in).
2) Explicitly log out of each site.
3) In the browser’s preferences/settings, delete all cookies associated with facebook.com and twitter.com.
For tablets and smartphones:
1) Open the app.
2) Inside the app, explicitly log out from your account, … then close the app.
3) Delete the app.
Never go back.
We actually should be using them to spread the Gospel.
Oh, no, Mr. Bill… to the contrary… every diocese and most parishes have Facebook pages. Staff members are paid to post content every day in order to make the diocese and parish seem hip and relevant and with it. Meanwhile… kids don’t use Facebook anymore. They view it as grandpa’s social media. The church is always behind the times whenever it tries to be modern and hip.
When you stand before the face of God and He will ask you, why you chose not to let little children see the torture and punishment that He went through, because HE LOVED them and us??? How will you answer your Lord And Savior???
Almost all of our churches right now, are livestreaming Masses daily, due to the Pandemic, on Facebook. I have also watched some livestreamed Masses on their websites, and on Youtube. But they all refer to Facebook, as the correct place to go, for their livestreamed Masses. Too bad they couldn’t figure out a better way. I am a lot older, not very computer-savvy, and have always detested Silicon Valley’s liberal-hippie-leftist, Satanic-influenced creators, employees and CEOs. They all earn gigantic salaries, have no morals at all, and peddle obscenities, prostitution, pornography, human trafficking, pedophilia, filthy, pervert sex acts, horrific bullying, extreme radical violence, and Satanic filth to the world. Morally-ignorant, Godless, a great danger to our society! Get rid of it all.