Texas, a deeply Republican US state, has been forced to remove copies of the Bible after its new state law banning books with "sexually explicit" content went into action.

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Parents have slammed the move, which they say categorises the "good book" with "bad books".

What happened?

Texas House Bill 900, passed during the state's last legislative session, "establishes library standards that restrict content in school libraries".

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According to a leaked email from Canyon Independent School District Superintendent Darryl Flusche, the holy book bible was deemed inappropriate for a school library due to its "sexually explicit material".

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According to Mirror UK, Flusche in his email specifies that while the holy book has been removed from school libraries it can still be found in many of the district's libraries.

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In his email, the School District Superintendent quotes 'B 900: Section 33.021. LIBRARY STANDARDS' which defines "sexually explicit material" and says that the standard prohibits all those books that have even one instance of sexual content being described.

It also suggests that interested parents can check a certain website for further information on banned titles and goes on to say that "if any student would like to have a Bible, we have strong connections with local churches that are happy to donate a Bible upon request."

"We are more than willing to assist a student who would like access to a Bible by arranging this from one of our partnering churches."

Parents react

However, the leaked email has sparked anger among parents, who are furious at how the "word of god" is being taken away from students.

Mirror quotes a mother of two as saying: "It seems absurd to me that the Good Book was thrown out with the bad books."

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"In a day when we are needing security guards and bulletproof windows and doors, I think having the Word of God available to our children cannot only be preventative to violence, but also provide comfort and a sense of security in a chaotic world," added the woman identified as Regina Kiehne at a board meeting.

"It just makes sense to have the Word of God in our school library. After all, it is the book of wisdom. It is the bestselling book of all time; it is historically accurate, scientifically sound, and most importantly, life-changing," she added.

Does the Bible contain sexually explicit content?

A quick search on the internet will show you not one but many sexually explicit instances that the Bible contains. These include depictions of sexual violence, adultery, polygamy and even bestiality. 

(With inputs from agencies)