Thursday, 15 October 2009
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Church Book Burning, Bibles Included
As we approach Halloween, many of us are planning special events. Perhaps a friend is holding a costume party, or maybe you're just planning to hand out candy to the local children. One church in North Carolina would like to offer you the chance to participate in a slightly more unusual Halloween tradition: a book burning, and on the burn list are some surprising pieces of literature. While Fahrenheit 451 does not make the list posted on the Amazing Grace Baptist Church website—though I'm sure it would qualify as “etc.”—they are encouraging participants to bring all non-King James Bibles. That having been said, everything from The Message Bible to even the New King James Version is fair game. The site describes these Bibles as “Satan's bibles” and “perversions of God's Word.”
The list also includes an array of predominant Christian authors, some of whom you may have in your own collection. Described as having written “Satan's popular books,” these authors include Billy Graham, James Dobson, John Piper, Joyce Myers, Mother Theresa, and even the Pope.
Books are not the only thing being burned in this bonfire of Biblical proportions. “We will also be burning Satan's music,” says the site, “such as country, rap, rock, pop, heavy metal, western, soft and easy, southern gospel, contempory [sic] Christian, jazz, soul, oldies but goldies, etc.”
Of course, no book burning is complete without some barbecue chicken, which will be served at the event.
There has already been plenty of criticism dealt toward the congregation. “I thought that the days of churches burning books were long gone,” writes one columnist for The St. Louis Dispatch. Mark Whittington of Associated Content takes a more descriptive approach:
One also has to scratch ones head what is Christian, religious, or even sensible about burning Bibles and other books. Besides having the odor of Nazi era book burning, the idea of a Christian church burning Christian books smacks one as bizarre behavior. What the Amazing Grace Baptist Church proposes to do lends credence to the idea advanced by some secularists that people of faith have a tendency to do nutty things.
It would be easy to laugh at the situation were the people of this church not so firm in their belief that what they're doing is right. “What we're doing is we're burning books that are satanic,” pastor Marc Grizzard is quoted as saying on local North Carolina station WTKR. “I believe the King James version is God's preserve, inspired, in erect, infallible word of God.” He also cites Acts 19:18-20 (KJV, of course) as the scriptural basis for burning these purportedly unholy objects:
And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
People have done far worse things in the name of God, but the question remains as to whether or not this act will being edifying to God and bear witness to those who don't yet believe in Him. Perhaps this could even do more harm than good. Watch the video below from the Associated Press, and decide for yourself:
What do you think will be the result of this book burning event? What alternative events might you suggest for the church that might be better received?
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Comments (36)
billy graham writes satanical things?! that's news to me... these ppl are clearly wonky in the head.
that's so sad.
especially this clinging to the King James Version, as if that is the original or something.
If you're going to reject translations, then King James needs to go too.
So silly.
Besides, where in the Bible does Jesus say to burn the things of the world up?
He doesn't.
That sort of thing turns people away from Christ, and not in the "because they don't want to acknowledge the things of God way", but in the "because these people are burning books because they don't agree with them..." way.
they are encouraging participants to bring all non-King James Bibles
Because no bibles existed before the King James version. No, sir. None. God just magically gave King James the "right" version of the Bible because Protestants were destined to be the special snowflakes of the world.
What this church should do first is start acting like a real church because all I see are a bunch of butthurt hypocrites here.
..wait .. what?
lmao "satan's bible" ... and I suppose mother Theresa is the devil's advocate?
This "chuch" sounds more like a cult
People who cling to the KJV and reject all other translations as "Satan's Bible" scare me.
Dang. The same day I submitted my blog about this. lol
Wasn't the KJV the Bible Paul used!!!?? It's got to be the only 'authorized' version then-- lol
I understand this group of people has all of 14 members---that might explain part of the idiocisy (Sp)!! LAW--
What. On. Earth.
Are they going to be burning money, too? That's some pretty evil stuff. Not to mention that with all the money they spent on all the stuff they'll be burning, they may as well have just burnt the actual money...
I can't take people seriously who say that a certain version of the Bible is the 'real' Bible. As far as I'm concerned, unless you are fluent in both ancient Hebrew, and ancient Greek, and have access to all of the original manuscripts, you've never read the 'real' Bible.
@Shy___Away@xanga - I was going to say the same thing! Very, very good point!
No translation is free from errors, especially a translation made 400 years ago when our language was still developing its rules of grammar and spelling. I hate to be mean but are these people idiots? Burning books? Since when was that ever a good idea. I never knew "satan" made books anyway. All I smell, besides the chicken, is the aroma of hypocrasy.
@Shy___Away@xanga "I hate to be mean but are these people idiots?" YES!--Spiritual idiots & at one point, I was well on my way to joining them in MY 'hard-nosed' legalist mindset!--Thank God, I was delivered from that spiritual lunacy. I pray for their deliverance as well!
"Burning books?"---- Actually, in and of itself, not necessarily a bad thing---- See Acts 19:17-20 BUT... Jeremiah 36:24 LAW--
Burn some bibles? Some CD's too? Sure why not. I'm always up for some wanton destruction. I'd be shocked to see me burning a bible again, and on purpose this time but whatever. As long as there' s BBQ chicken.
As for alternatives this is pretty safe. I'd prefer they were planning to burn a couple of books and some CD's then planning to beat an interracial couple or deciding to lynch a homosexual couple.
@Shy___Away@xanga - "unless you are fluent in both ancient Hebrew, and ancient Greek, and have access to all of the original manuscripts, you've never read the 'real' Bible."
I have had only a 'smattering' of Greek & even less of Hebrew, & yet I suspect that I have a good 'feel' for what God is attempting to communicate to me/us. "'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him'--but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God." (I Corinthians 2:9-10). The Corinthians believers were not scholars--just common folk like you and me--yes, they had a definite advantage of knowing the 'koinea' Greek. But I am convinced that if we have a heart to know God and what He wants of us, He will see that we receive it: "If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.' (John 7:17).
I have several translations of the Scripture & I have full confidence that what I need to know, I can and am able to find in my study & comparison of these works. I don't need to know the EXACT words, but I do need to know the message, & that message comes thru loud & clear even in the lousiest translations of Scripture (even the 'CornPatch' version). LAW--
@DeLasombra@xanga - "I'd prefer they were planning to burn a couple of books and some CD's then planning to beat an interracial couple or deciding to lynch a homosexual couple."
That comes next!!!!! LAW--
"Besides having the odor of Nazi era book burning,"
Pardon my language but, Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuullshit...
There is immense distance between people voluntarily bringing their own books and burning them (which is legal, you can pretty much do whatever you want with your own stuff), and the government confiscating books and burning them.
Can we please hold what gets published in newspapers to some standard in terms of accuracy and quality... this hypersensationalism is getting a little out of hand.
Honestly, if I decide that I absolutely hate Carlo Gesualdo because of what he did to his wife and I want to burn the copies of his madrigals that I own... is it not my legal right to do so? I bought and paid for them, no one is forcing me to do anything.
If they decide that there is something wrong with those books (and I can definitely sympathise with them on some of those authors), then don't they have a legal right to do whatever the hell they want with their own property?
You know, I do know sane Baptists. But jeez, when a Baptist is insane they are INSANE.
The book and non-KJV was bad enough. But music, too? I don't think it's a work for Satan unless, you know, the person is singing about how great Satan is (And how many of those exist, anyhow?). I hate it when Christians say Christian rock/metal/rap is evil. Music, first of all, isn't evil. Oh sure, I won't listen to lyrics I find 'bad', or I disagree with. But if you're singing about God there's no way you can turn it around and say it's evil, no matter how the music sounds.
@TheGreatBout@xanga - Yeah I saw you had submitted your post, but this one was already on the schedule! Thanks for the submission, though! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this was an interesting topic.
@ReeserTheShadow@xanga - When I was in college, a very well-known mega-church got a lot of flack for burning money, probably even more flack than this church!
There are only 14 members of the congregations. Talk about a publicity stunt
I wonder what their feelings are regarding bibles that were written before the KJV? Hmm...
@modernmelody - yeah I saw OnDeathsList wrote about this first LOL
So they're burning any non-KJV Bibles, writings by other religious officials, and just about every CD they can get their mits on...
Question: Where are they getting these materials? I can only see three options.
1. Mass Theft from Stores: Walking out of Wal-Mart with a Bon Jovi album, the Modern Teens' Bible, and a Billy Graham book...all in the name of Da Lord. Note that the Bon Jovi burning is negotiable.
2. "Hey, buddy" "Oh, hey, what's up?" "Nothing really...I was wondering if you still had that Kings of Leon album" "Yeah, it's one of my favorites!" "Sweet! Hey, could I borrow that in a few weeks? I want to burn a copy" "Sure!"
3. The people burning this stuff are either going out to buy it or already own it. Hm. Think about the logic on that one.
Can we add this group to the top of the list of Ironic Church Names? If there isn't a list, can we start one?
> "...the question remains as to whether or not this act will being edifying to God and bear witness to those who don't yet believe in Him."
It does? Well then, the answer is No. Glad I could clear that up.
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:9, KJV)
@CyanideNGunpowder@xanga - #2 for the win!
@Kristenmomof3@xanga - Oh I've never even seen them before. Yeah, this story is all over the internet this week!
@Mr_Turniphead@xanga - Don't get me wrong, I think you can easily get the essence of what the Bible was meant to convey with modern day translations. I was merely pointing out the lunacy of accepting *only* the KJV as the 'real' Bible. If people are going to get nit picky over differing English translations, the conversation is over.
Wow, this is almost too stupid for words. No wonder people think we're a bunch of hypocritical psychopaths. Haha.
Where do these people get the right to judge Christian authors and ministers? For Pete's sake, I believe that people like Kenneth Hagin and Mother Theresa were seriously led by God in their ministries. Does this church suddenly know better than God?
And just for the record, doesn't the whole "have a huge bonfire to burn 'Satanic' things on Halloween night" sound worse than just not buying the things that you deem inappropriate? Common sense, anyone?
I mean, the name "bonfire" is derived from the phrase "bone fire". People would throw animal bones or bodies into huge fires until they could see the bones of the victims to ward off "evil spirits" or whatever. It was originally like a voodoo practice or something. Hahahahaha. How ironic is that? I have soooo many other things I could say about this, but y'all seemed to cover it pretty nicely! :)
(P.S. Just so you know, I'm not saying that bonfires are bad or anything, we do them in our town for Homecoming games and whatever, but just the irony of it made me want to bring it up)