(HT: Ignatius Scoop)
When I came across this general invitation by Amazing Grace Baptist Church (Canton, NC) to participate in its October 31 book-burning, bar-b-que and worship service I was disappointed that none of my own published works were deemed worthy of incineration. I would have thought that Return to Rome was a no-brainer. But what do I know? Perhaps I am included under “etc.” One can only hope. Here is the announcement as it appears on the church’s website:
Halloween Book Burning
Burning Perversions of God’s Word
October 31, 20097:00 PM – Till
Great Preaching and Singing
Come to our Halloween book burning. We are burning Satan’s bibles like the NIV, RSV, NKJV, TLB, NASB, NEV, NRSV, ASV, NWT, Good News for Modern Man, The Evidence Bible, The Message Bible, The Green Bible, ect. These are perversions of God’s Word the King James Bible.
We will also be burning Satan’s music such as country , rap , rock , pop, heavy metal, western, soft and easy, southern gospel , contempory Christian , jazz, soul, oldies but goldies, etc.
We will also be burning Satan’s popular books written by heretics like Westcott & Hort , Bruce Metzger, Billy Graham , Rick Warren , Bill Hybels , John McArthur, James Dobson, Charles Swindoll , John Piper, Chuck Colson, Tony Evans, Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swagart, Mark Driskol, Franklin Graham , Bill Bright, Tim Lahaye, Paula White, T.D. Jakes, Benny Hinn , Joyce Myers, Brian McLaren, Robert Schuller, Mother Teresa , The Pope , Rob Bell, Erwin McManus, Donald Miller, Shane Claiborne, Brennan Manning, William Young, etc.
We are not burning Bibles written in other languages that are based on the TR. We are not burning the Wycliffe, Tyndale, Geneva or other translations that are based on the TR.
We will be serving Bar-b-Que Chicken, fried chicken, and all the sides.
If you have any books or music to donate, please call us for pick-up. If you like you can drop them off at our church door anytime. Thanks.
It turns out that Amazing Grace Baptist Church is one of those King James Only congregations. I’ve never quite understood how anti-hierarchical, priesthood-of-the-believer, non-liturgical, church-state separationist, believers-baptism types can be so fond of a translation produced by a monarch who stood for virtually everything they reject, including a state-established church, apostolic succession, an ordained priesthood, infant baptism, and a moderate sacramentalism. It’s like finding out that Hugh Hefner’s favorite book is Dawn Eden’s Thrill of the Chaste. If anyone can explain this to me, I will be grateful.
October 14th, 2009 | 3:46 pm
The problem is not with the KJV translation–apart from some archaisms, its pretty sound, especially for the Hebrew of the OT. What astonishes here is the radical exclusionary fervor of what are doubtless a largely monolingual, monocultural folk, angry with modern cultural Christianity and without comprehension of their own sub-cultural enclosedness. Sadly, this makes them more like many of the groups they demonize than they can imagine. Your writings are exempt, brother Frank, because written in a foreign tongue :)
October 14th, 2009 | 4:18 pm
Clearly, these folks are heretics. The true and only form of BBQ is made from pulled pork shoulder.
I’m frankly suspicious of their Carolinian pedigree.
October 14th, 2009 | 4:19 pm
How could they leave out the execrable NAB? Other than that, they’re pretty equal opportunity burners.
October 14th, 2009 | 4:20 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by GreaterPolitics.com, Michael Taljaard. Michael Taljaard said: Book burning Halloween celebration at North Carolina church: Why didn't I make …: I&.. http://bit.ly/ne4E5 http://bit.ly/105Fmv [...]
October 14th, 2009 | 4:29 pm
Remember the old preacherly adage here, “If the King James Bible was good enough for (St) Paul, then its good enough for me!”
October 14th, 2009 | 4:41 pm
Why are you wasting money that could go to the needy families in your community? I agree about the KJV being God’s word too. But, to go out and buy the other’s to burn? I pray you aren’t doing that. Why are you burning Christian and gospel music? I am Baptist too. We are to worship the Lord with singing and playing music for His glory and praises! It says throughout the whole book of Psalms, songs and dances and music, that King David did for the Lord .”My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips.” (Psalm 63:5 KJV).” Through out the whole Bible they dance and sing with music. Are you going to burn those scriptures as well? I am not judging. I am just asking. The Lord wants us to praise Him with our whole being. Body,soul and spirit. Not my words His. Do you think He wants us to be a knot on a log? Don’t you sing and play the piano or organ at your Church? If not, you need a revival and a huge wake up call. How are you going to answer to the Lord Jesus Christ and The Father when you get there?
October 14th, 2009 | 4:46 pm
Just ponder it folks…why is this getting ANY attention? Let them worship how they want. They are not hurting anyone and have the right to burn books, practice their particular interpretation of religion. So be it. I wonder how many illegal aliens were invited or will show up? I’m just shaking my head in disbelief.
October 14th, 2009 | 5:25 pm
Just nonsense. Doesn’t this church have a grand total of 14 members? So they want to burn books–I think they should be treated as little children throwing a tantrum, ignore them. They are just little lost sheep.
October 14th, 2009 | 5:44 pm
This is a satans expression your are doing.you will face the consequences on the judgement day. If you want to live for jesus live for him or if you want to live for world keep bible away and go for the world. But dont do this sorts of nonsense.
October 14th, 2009 | 5:59 pm
Now why would illegal aliens show up? I ask you mCa? :)
October 14th, 2009 | 6:50 pm
Shouldn’t they just recycle the Green Bible?
October 14th, 2009 | 7:58 pm
I was born and raised in the strictest of bible structured belief such as you mention. As a 3 yr. old I escaped death through a medical mirical and was labled a chosen one and preped to be a minister, evangelist or missionary for the KJVersion. Whipped for shining shoes on the Sun. as it is work, dancing, movies, bad language, smoking, drinking etc….etc…. etc…. For these things i would live in hell, 7 times hotter than the hottest flame known to man, the pain of my flesh literally burning and falling from my bones would be a constant ongoing terrifying punishment which would last for all eternity. I’m surprised they arn’t burning the aurthors, artist, musicians and any spiritual minded person who dare think differently than they. Jesus may come back and if he does he will kick ass starting with the churches!
October 14th, 2009 | 8:41 pm
This is so sad. It is no wonder it is so hard for Americans to be converted.
October 14th, 2009 | 10:10 pm
Think positively.
They are burning books, not people.
Somehow, they managed to overlook burning the Hebrew Bible (either in the original or in the various English translations).
And the list of people they decry does not include any Jews.
I think that’s a lot of progress.
If they can be that nice to us, someday, they will reconcile with fellow Christians and the full array of Christian Bibles. It may take a millenium or two, but it will come.
Incidentally, I am a great Barbecue fan, but go for either beef brisket or chicken. No pulled pork for this Jew.
Rabbi Chaim Frazer
October 14th, 2009 | 10:49 pm
Too bad my book isn’t on the list either! They would have a field day with mine!- It’s about a fictious school called Brimstone Biblical Academy that is loosely based on my own experiences in fundamentalist Christian school.
God help us all!
October 15th, 2009 | 3:13 am
[...] Beckwith highlights a KJV Only church which has announced a book burning Halloween celebration. The church’s [...]
October 15th, 2009 | 9:08 am
Possibly the only way to get Piper, Schuler, Bell, Driscoll, MacArthur, Joyce Meyer, and Bryan McLaren all on the same list. Wonder if this fits into one of the Left Behind books?
October 15th, 2009 | 11:08 am
I really don’t want to bring up the names of other societies that liked to burn books.
October 15th, 2009 | 1:23 pm
Where I’m from in South Carolina, it’s generally true that the best barbecue joints are located right beside a KJV only church.
October 15th, 2009 | 4:01 pm
I guess on the day of Judgement there will be 2 lines………..one for Amazing Grace Baptist Church (Canton, NC) and one for all the other true Christ believing followers!!!!!!!!!!!
October 15th, 2009 | 4:30 pm
Hi, I’m Larry, this is my brother Daryl, this is my other brother Daryl…
October 15th, 2009 | 11:23 pm
Please don’t forget that on top everything else you mentioned, dear old Queen James Ist and VIth was also a notorious homosexxxual! Authorized version, indeed!
October 16th, 2009 | 6:00 am
[...] Bible-hating conservatism: Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, North Carolina, is sponsoring a Book burning for Halloween. And what they are burning, like the devil’s own children, are Bibles. Here is [...]
October 16th, 2009 | 6:09 am
At the risk of being perceived as supporting this kind of insanity, I will answer the question.
When I have raised this issue with KJV-only Baptists they basically say two things:
One: King James did not, in any sense, produce this translation. It was merely presented to him as a legal formality.
And, two: these translators were not “really” Anglicans. They were Puritan non-conformists slightly ahead of their time.
Of course, there is NO explanation for why the original KJV contains the Apocrypha, or why KJV-only Baptists won’t read it even though the KJV translators saw fit to include it.
Let’s not be snarky here. At least they are reading their Bibles. They ARE brother and sister Christians even if they don’t think the rest of us are. And, just because you start in a church like that doesn’t mean you finish there.
They should be loved, cherished, and prayed for.
Do they help give the Church a bad name? Yeah, but so do I, sometimes.
I pray I will be forgiven, and so must they.
Rabbi Frazer (above), although his tongue may be firmly planted in his cheek (and I’m not saying it is), has hit the right note.
October 16th, 2009 | 10:54 am
“Do they give the Church a bad name? Yeah, but so do I, sometimes. I pray I will be forgiven, and so must they.”
ericfromnewyork, thank you and God bless you for bringing a sane word to a crazy world. I, also, enthusiastically applaud Rabbi Frazer’s comments.
October 16th, 2009 | 11:26 am
[...] Gene Veith and Francis Beckwith for bringing this to my [...]
October 16th, 2009 | 2:52 pm
“We will also be burning Satan’s music such as country , rap , rock , pop, heavy metal, western, soft and easy, southern gospel , contempory Christian , jazz, soul, oldies but goldies, etc.”
The only think I agree with in this entire post is “contemporary Christian” Burn away, boys, burn away!
Looks like my favorite genre– “Punk bluegrass”– is safe…for now.
I know what’s right
I know what’s wrong
I dont’ confuse it
All I really want to know is
Why should the devil have all the good music.
But I date myself.
October 17th, 2009 | 12:57 pm
“Do they give the church a bad name? Yes, but so do I, sometimes.”
The difference is that when you and I give the church a bad name, we don’t (I assume) go out and seek publicity for doing so.
The news of this showed up today in my local paper (southeastern Iowa, a long, long way from the Carolinas). A lot of people read this type of thing and think, “Oh, yes: Christians.” It simply reinforces prejudices and, as someone else pointed out, makes it just that much more difficult to talk to non-Christians about Christ.
THAT is the problem.
October 17th, 2009 | 1:58 pm
Craig, I never said there wasn’t a problem. These people are making trouble, embarrassing us, and, despite their ostensible good intentions, weakening both the integrity and the witness of the church.
Ok. There is a problem.
My point is that if, even in a safe place among like-minded Christians, we give in to the temptation to despise them, we will not be prepared for a good witness ourselves in a hostile world.
We can’t control everything. Church members are always going to do things we don’t agree with. We don’t have to defend the indefensible, but we have the Christian liberty to love the unlovable.
Suppose it was your sister, or your mother going to that church. Couldn’t you think of a few positive things to say about them?
So they are really hung up on the Textus Receptus – so what? They think they are protecting the integrity of God’s Word. They obviously know perfectly well that the Bible was not written in English in 1611. Their methods are inflammatory and almost certainly counter-productive, but I do not know that they proceed from evil motives. Maybe they do, but I don’t know it.
In the meantime, there are hundreds of prominent Christian teachers who deny key doctrines of the faith, walk with the world in all sorts of abominable practices, and are well spoken of by men. They do more damage, IMHO, than a bunch of textual extremists about whom almost everyone already has an opinion and a predjudice, and who are unlikely to change anybody’s mind for ill.
How hard is it for an outsider to understand we have a crazy uncle?
How outraged could an outsider be if we simply said, “Oh, those guys. You gotta’ love’em. No, of course we don’t think that. Now, back to what you were talking about…” ?
October 17th, 2009 | 6:01 pm
Dear ericfromnewyork: Well, I do agree with what you are saying, but I also despise–no, “despise” is too strong. I am quite irritated by those who major on minors, such as I think these folks are doing.
However, as I thought about your post, I realized another aspect of what was really upsetting me: not these people necessarily, our “crazy aunts and uncles,” to use your idea. (Probably uncles. Most women I know don’t get too theologically “out there”; the male/female “theologically erratic” ratio is at least 10/1, in my experience.)
No, what upsets me is a sensationalistic press which paints Christians as loony and ignores the 99.9% of examples of steadfast Christian charity and faithfulness. Why can’t these folks at this church see that they are being held up not for praise, but for ridicule? Or is it that they are willing in their turn to use the press because they want the publicity and don’t mind the ridicule, even if the publicity is “almost certainly counter-productive,” as you put it?
I feel the same way about the miniscule group of “God Hates Fags” people. It’s one thing to be a godly offense to people, the pro-life movement being a prime example. It’s another thing to turn people off NEEDLESSLY–as I think these people are doing.
But I’m just thinking out loud, and am determined to stay in fellowship with other believers, as you pointed out we should.
P.S. Does anyone know how to put italics in these blogs, so I don’t have to WRITE IN ANGRY-LOOKING LETTERS? Your humble servant, cp
October 18th, 2009 | 2:56 am
[...] would be inclined to think this is a hoax, except that the always exceptional First Things is blogging about [...]
October 20th, 2009 | 10:17 am
Hi,
I just checked my instinct calculator, and this church should have already been visited by a legal representative of a locally foreign power with a very carefully crafted partnership agreement…. According to my instinct calculator, the number of souls accepting Christ’s’ finished work for their own salvation worldwide using exclusively the 1769 King James revision (Check the scanned copies of the 1611 version on display at Wikipedia to determine which version you use) of the available copy of the TR is well under one percent of the total conversions worldwide. I’m quite sure that an entire army of “business men” in red suits are already on the way to assist you in your endeavor. (Wasn’t that the suit color of choice when George Burns acted that part in ‘Oh God’?) I would expect them to be very enthusiastically in favor of the book burnings. Quick, lets all help destroy those editions which reach the greater than ninety and nine percent of the worlds’ population.
Please excuse me from your service today though, I have just bought teams of oxen and must needs go prove them.
david
October 20th, 2009 | 10:26 am
My Children have erred from time to time but they are still my children, David said it best when he asked the Father ” What art man that thou are mindful of him?”. We surely grieve the Father with our own antic’s that we call religion. But He Still Loves Us in spite of ourselves. All He asked us to do is simply Love Him and Love our neighbor. I fail also but I’ve got to ask this ” Why was the Koran not listed in these books burning”? Sorry about that but my old nature comes out every once in a while. Raised a Methodist now attending a Southern Baptist Church, I’ve heard the King James enough to know that the Baptists hold him in Saint Hood……….
October 20th, 2009 | 11:47 am
[...] is temporarily down – tons of traffic – but you can find the invitation he sent out here. Read the comments section too where one commenter points out that Pastor Grizzard is surely a [...]
October 22nd, 2009 | 5:42 pm
Just a side note, burning books is illegal in the state of North Carolina. It would be equally illegal to burn household trash or any other man-made material.
October 23rd, 2009 | 12:39 pm
wow…this is crazy. it’s not even about criticizing them. it’s about wow…to tag satan to something is such a strong offense. men that are used BY God for MANY souls to be saved. i would hate to be the one standing before God for this…giving satan credit where credit is not do. and burning God’s Holy Word. NASB is actually one of THE closest translations to the original greek…that’s why so many renowned preachers use it! i can’t get over this. I give GOD the GLORY for using those men…who you are calling heretics!!! Whether or not you want to believe it, they are God’s men…not Satan’s. Only Satan accuses…and that’s what you are doing…accusing people falsely. May God Be With You.
October 23rd, 2009 | 6:28 pm
“Where one burns books one will, eventually, burn people.”
The Nazis had their little book-burning parties too.
October 23rd, 2009 | 11:39 pm
These people appear as being full of light and right, but they are full of ignorant darkness and wrong. They are actually doing the devil’s work through this and I bet they are white supremacist as well. One thing for sure, fundamentalism in any faith is all about control along with the man being king, the wife a dominated kept pregnant woman, and I hate to think what happens at home to the children beyond getting whipped for shinning shoes on Sunday. This pastor reminds me of Jim Jones.
October 24th, 2009 | 12:07 pm
Dear Amazing Grace Baptist Church,
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men…for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell…
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
But all their works they do for to be seen of men.”
Excerpts from Matt. 23 (KJV)
Red letters, BTW
October 24th, 2009 | 1:12 pm
How sad, that they would do such a thing. I mean if it was totally opposite of the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible. I could see it.
But, most of these writers, and I cannot attest for all of them, are true, God fearing people. And what about the Bible, in different versions? Well It does say in Revelation 22:18
Not to add or change any of the words from the Bible. So, I will leave that to God to judge.
After that, who would want to eat their fried chicken they are offering?
All you can do is pray for folks. We all need God. Love is how we will be known.
If all else fails, love, the love of Jesus, will cover the multitude of sins. And we all sin, and come short of the glory of God.
October 24th, 2009 | 4:28 pm
[...] just means you are wrong (e.g. No, the other Orthodox are not heretics, No, you are not the Pope, No, it is still wrong to burn Bibles, etc.). So, I freely admit that I’m going out a bit on a limb here, so please take it with [...]
October 24th, 2009 | 10:05 pm
Please see below for quoted text. mCa – FIRST, they actually they ARE hurting someone and they DO NOT have the right to burn books because of North Carolina’s open burning laws. So, they are breaking the law. They are COMMITTING A CRIME!
SECOND, how does the immigration status of un-named, hypothetical people play into this? As far as I know, the people organising this event are LEGAL in the US or that would have been brought up by the media. Whenever US Citizens break the law or do something foolish, there is always some jerk who drags immigration and the “illegal aliens” into the conversation. Really, try to stick to the topic at hand, if that is possible for you. You shook your head so many times back and forth that all your common sense fell out.
Oh, and PS, setting things on fire is not “worshipping” it’s pyromania. :)
And oh yeah – as a Native American – “US Citizens” are actually the biggest hypocritical ILLEGAL ALIENS ever. If you don’t like how things are going get out of MY country! PS, thanks for stealing our land.
IN RESPONSE TO mCa: Just ponder it folks…why is this getting ANY attention? Let them worship how they want. They are not hurting anyone and have the right to burn books, practice their particular interpretation of religion. So be it. I wonder how many illegal aliens were invited or will show up? I’m just shaking my head in disbelief.
November 8th, 2009 | 9:30 pm
These people are nuts, plain and simple. People like them are why I turned away from religion, hooray for decisions! I love how people like this say that we should destroy all of [this type] of music and [this type] of literature, so that when they finish with their list of things-to-burn, there’s absolutely nothing left except for their own “holy book.” =)
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