2009 and still burning books - article here "A Baptist Church near Asheville, N.C., is hosting a 'Halloween book burning' to purge the area of 'Satan's' works, which include all non-King James versions of the Bible, popular books by many religious authors and even country music.
The website for the Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, N.C., says there are "scriptural bases" for the book burning. The site quotes Acts 19:18-20: '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.'"
In the context of Acts 19, those "which used curious arts" refers to pagans who were recruited to christianity and giving up their Old Religion. That, I could go on about for days, but all that aside I don't think it was encouraging burning all interpretations and versions of scripture that weren't their own. If so, there'd have been no bible. Notice how most of the stories are men's names? They're their separate interpretations of their common beliefs. Hello?
"Church leaders deem Good News for Modern Man, the Evidence Bible, the New International Version Bible, the Green Bible and the Message Bible, as well as at least seven other versions of the Bible as 'Satan's Bibles,' according to the website. Attendees will also set fire to 'Satan's popular books' such as the work of 'heretics' including the Pope, Mother Teresa, Billy Graham and Rick Warren.
'I believe the King James version is God's preserved, inspired, inerrant and infallible word of God,' Pastor Marc Grizzard told a local news station of his 14-member parish."
...you know what, just nevermind. That speaks for itself.
"Grizzard's parish website explains that the Bible is the 'final authority concerning all matters of faith and practice,' for Amazing Grace Baptist Church. In the Parish doctrinal statement, Grizzard expounds that 'the Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning, and all issues of interpretation and meaning shall be determined by the preacher.'"
No need to read the whole book carefully. Big Brother's Thought Police will tell you what it means.
"The event also seeks to destroy 'Satan's music' which includes every genre from country,rap and rock to 'soft and easy' and 'Southern Gospel' and' contemporary Christian.'"
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"Church leaders did not respond to Raw Story's requests for comment, but the website notes they will be providing 'bar-b-que chicken, fried chicken and all the sides' at the book burning."
I double checked, and no, this isn't an article from The Onion.
The church's website is
here, but it's in "system reserve", which I'm guessing means it got more hits than it could handle?
At least it's an excuse to use my new icon...