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(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, 2009

7:00 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.


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