Fundies occasionally have bonfires where they pressure youth to burn their old “evil” books and music — solidifying their new identity in Christianity.
In that spirit, a Baptist church in North Carolina is hosting a good ol’ fashioned book burning — but this time, it’s the Bible. That is, any Bible that isn’t the OneTrueTranslation™, the 1611 KJV:
The Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, N.C. will celebrate Halloween by burning Bibles that aren’t the King James Version, as well as music and books and anything else Pastor Marc Grizzard says is a satanic influence.
Among the authors whose books Grizzard plans to burn are well known ministers Rick Warren and Billy Graham because he says they have occasionally used Bibles other than the King James Version, which is the sole biblical source he considers infallible.
According to the church’s Web site, members will also burn “Satan’s music such as country, rap, rock, pop, heavy metal, western, soft and easy, southern gospel, contemporary Christian, jazz, soul (and) oldies.
Their website even has “kjv” in the url (amazinggracebaptistchurchkjv.com), and on the homepage it’s one of the first things they mention. These people worship this Bible version:
I can assure you we are an Independent Fundamental King James Version Baptist Church and Website….
[W]e believe that God has preserved His word for the English speaking people through the King James Version 1611. We make NO apology about it either. Were not ashamed of it, that’s why we dedicate a whole section to nothing but the KJV. We use ONLY this Bible and none else. All other Bibles for the English speaking people are perversions of God’s Word.
These people are just as deluded as Fred Phelps and his cult. I find it very sad people can get sucked into something so obviously crazy.
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49 Comments
Ignorant people are easily impressed with “thee’s” and “thou’s”. It sounds so durned fancy, I tell ya.
Not to mention, if they have to learn a new Bible translation there’s the risk that it may lack support for their favorite prejudices. Can’t have that!
Seriously, I think this is the real reason.
I’m pretty sure that this is the root of the Conservative Bible Project, actually. They’re explicitly talking about eliminating passages that contradict their favorite prejudices.
The KJV-only crowd, though, I think comes from a different angle. It goes something like this (though, of course, not nearly so formal – humans are pretty good at doing this sort of stuff automatically):
1) The Bible is the inerrant Word of God.
2) Different Bibles say different things in different ways
3) They can’t all be right
4) One of them must be right and the rest are wrong
5) All of them agree that if I do the wrong things, I’ll go to Hell
6) I don’t want to go to Hell
7) It’s therefore vitally important to know which one is the right one
8) America is the best nation in the world
9) God doesn’t want Americans to go to Hell
10) Americans speak English
11) Therefore, one of the English versions of the Bible must be the correct one
12) I don’t trust Catholics, who are instruments of Satan, servants of the Whore of Babylon, and the Vatican isn’t American
13) Therefore Catholic translations all must be wrong
14) I don’t trust pointy-headed academics who are probably all secret atheists or tools of Satan or generally European socalists. At the very least academics are un-American.
15) Therefore any translation touched by a pointy-headed academic must also be wrong
16) Off the top of my head, I will assert that no pointy-headed academics had anything to do with the KJV
17) I will refuse to research how the KJV came to be compiled
18) If I remain ignorant of facts I can believe whatever I want about them
18) The KJV is the Bible they used in my Church when I was 8
19) If the right translation is something other than the KJV, everyone I love who has died has gone to Hell
20) I don’t want grandma to be in Hell
21) Therefore the KJV is the correct version, and all other “translations” are corruptions created by Satan through his minions in the Catholic Church and at liberal Universities.
The logic is so easy once you lay it all out there.
Jer,
You are spot on! You must either be: from the South; indoctrinated as a youngun’; had a radical ’salvation’ later in life; or all of the above… because that is the mentality precisely.
What kills me about that especially is that ‘thou’ was the archaic *informal* address, with ‘you’ being the respectful form.
I remember learning that too, and being confused. I guess they wanted to show intimate friendship with God.
Naturally God would use ‘thou’ with us, since we’re his servants/slaves.
I’m kind of jealous that in Modern English we miss out on all the fun of a T-V distinction. Not.
Obvious question: They do realize that the bible was not originally written in english, right?
EXACTLY what I was thinking, hahah. Hypocrites.
Exactly the point I was about to make. To act as though the King James version (subtle hint found in the name) is the original version of the bible is ludicrous and shows how little this group knows about the history of their own beloved religion, which I for one find sad.
*ahem*
I do believe you mean the QUEEN James version. He was one of those ungodly homosexuals, you know….
Didn’t the KJV originally contain the apocrypha?
BURN THE HERETIC!
Geesh, did you ever get a song in your head and you can’t get it out? I have two running now – “Burn, baby burn, Disco Inferno, Burn, baby burn, Burn the muthah down” and “Smoke on the Water”.
I like Jesus… often have issues with church-people though… but this is just lunacy.
What’s left in music? Old hymns? Chances are they sing the old hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” which Luther adapted the melody from a popular bar tune. Would like to hear their thoughts on that.
Adding to @Arkonbey’s comment: I was actually just learning about this today. KJV is even translated based off of 25 manuscripts, when today’s translations are from 5,300 manuscripts. Maybe they should rethink which translation to get rid of… or just learn Greek, Hebrew & Aramaic.
Anyone else thing it’s ironic that their name is “Amazing Grace?”
One of my fav hymns used to be “Power In the Blood”. Very ‘powerful’. Gets the emotionalism all worked up.
It’s amusing to me that they think they are reading the 1611, when they’re not. They are reading a later version, as the original had much different spelling (not just thee’s and thou’s) and many errors. They are actually using the 1769 “corrected” text.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorized_King_James_Version
But reading about the history of their precious bible translation is about as likely as them reading the history of the bible itself.
Our small human minds cannot understand the perfect (if perplexing) spellings of the Lord God Almighty!
The tides have turned. BURN THE HERETIC!!!
Good grief! What languages have these tales been through to end up in English? Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin? After thousands of years of politicised editing (which seems to be back in fashion), try running anything through Babelfish that many times and see how “infallible” it turns out. Christians burning bibles does amuse the poop out of me though.
Greek! Don’t forget Greek.
Don’t they know my translation was mostly made up?!
Wow, they’ve also left out other stuff such as a lectionary for morning and evening prayer. Our baptist church had a large pulpit bible that contained the apocrypha, but in much smaller print. Children were warned not to read the apocrypha or they would go blind.
I thought they caught the writers of the KJV with their pants down trying to slip explicit mention of the Trinity into the NT, where there was none before?
From what I heard, subsequent publications have included a footnote for that passage that says something to the effect of “Note: this was not found in any version of the Bible before 16xx.”
But, then again, I heard this all from a Jehovah’s witness, and Lord knows they’ll do anything to drag any bible but The One True (Watchtower) Translation™ through the mud.
Fools, don’t they realize that burning or banning a book is the fastest way to make it really popular…
oh.
I see what they did there. Very clever christians.
LOL, this is pure irrational hillarity!
And people keep using the word “think” with these people… Don’t you see the obvious fault there? :)
If English was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me!
These people don’t worship God, they worship a book.
Well, in their defense, at least the book is demonstrably real.
Exactly. KJV-only Christians are violating one of their own precious commandments – they’ve created a false idol and they’re worshiping it like it was a god.
What makes it even worse is that the preachers who do this set themselves up as the only legitimate prophets who can correctly read from the book-god to tell their cults what to think. Any other person who claims to understand the book-god – or worse, points out the non-deity nature of their cardboard covered idol – is a heretic. At least they’re sticking right now to destroying other books – if I were Rick Warren I might be a little worried that nutters out there don’t like my interpretations of their paginated divinity.
Cardboard covered? Mine is covered with Fine Corinthian Leather.
I didn’t realize this was so common among other religions. They did this to my class in a Mormon seminary (a high school age theological instruction class).
I refused to bring anything in. I liked my music and told them I would be bored listening to hymns all day.
But, what about the Vulgate of St. Jerome? Rod Flanders will truly be disappointed!
Aram… Arameric… Never was too good with them long furrener words… Hell, Jesus spoke King James English, and addressed his Sky Dad as “thou” and “thee”, and if it’s good enough fer him, it’s damn, er, darn well good enough fer us!
AY MAYEN!
I like the article title. The title warmed my very heart until I found out they were just going to burn anything that wasn’t their particular bible! “Burn the Bible” – without discrimination – still sounds like a fun thing to try to celebrate Samhain.
How come atheists don’t try something like that? I know an answer: a love of reason and being level-headed tends to keep one from considering hot-headed emotional hype like book-burning. But then, trying new experiences might be fun. Halloween and Samhain are coming – I need a nice bonfire spot.
My sister has a gorgeous backyard (we just fixed it up for my niece’s wedding), and there’s a nice big firepit…I’m picturing a whack o’ bibles, a big fire, and a nice bottle of wine. Any takers?
Where? I probably only have the budget for staying in Washington state.
It’s crazy how many people believe that the KJV is the only way to hear God’s word. My grandfather attends and teaches at a very conservative church which would fear heresy if someone were to bring any other version. It makes sense to some extent, though, if you make every person in your church read the same bible, there is 1) no chance there will be any confusing differences between the pastor’s bible and a member’s bible, and 2) if you find something you can pervert in the bible, no one will have a version which has it in other words to prove you wrong (and this sound like the kind of pastor who would find it written loud and clear in the bible that he is to make the final ruling on all things in his congregation’s life.)
Isn’t the KJV the one with references to Unicorns in it?
YES!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090928185959AAKVB5q
Hi Daniel,
I’m losing my virginity by commenting here (I frequent your site often but haven’t commented until now.)(with laughter) I grew up in Canton, NC, I think my parents still live there (we don’t talk…so I don’t know.)
I will probably write upon this soon at my Ex-Minister site or blog. Obviously they want to show disrespect, but what they manifest is xenophobia. Almost every religious person I know from Canton if extremely weird with me. They are intimidated and yet frustrated because they know that they cannot defend their views outside of Canton’s city limits. Their answer shuts out everyone that isn’t like themselves which is mere protectionism. “Book burning etc.” by these folks isn’t censorship (they are not a governmental authority) and thus have no power. Weird people do weird things, but burning books shows their hatred against “strangers” to their limited thinking. Ignorance of certainty is manifested whenever they refuse to openly discuss or debate with outsiders. Good to know that this xenophobic congregation is limited in size (just 14 members.)
Can’t blame the media, this was a story that can help them to sell advertising. Too bad they missed the real story!
Can you imagine their shock if they were to learn anything about the history of the Bible? I don’t expect that to happen to people who would rather burn books than read them though. I am assuming that some of them can read.
Read? What for? Their minister can read the holy book for them
I wonder if these people know that King James would have them either burned or imprisoned for not conforming and submitting to him as ruler over the church?
Yet they worship the Translation that was made under his rule and supervision.
Hmmm….
Oh lawd! I’m from NC and yeah we have our wingnuts, but we are one of the more ‘progressive’ states in the buybull belt (feel free to LOL) . Pretty sure we are now considered a ‘blue state’. We do have some VERY liberal/progressive pocket areas. So not all of us are over-all wearin’, jesus lovin, bible thumpin, confederate flag wearin stereotypes (not a stereotype if it’s true, right?).
But these macadamia nuts never fail to make their presence known. And really, it’s not wise to go around announcing one’s atheism (if you want peace, if not, then preach on brotha)…”bes be keepin’ that to ya self boy, repent now or u’ll be burnin in a lake a fire”. I kid not. People get fired, harassed, cars with Darwin stickers, etc end up getting keyed, or harassed by good ol Christian road rage. They’re nice that way.
I’m from NC and yeah we have our wingnuts, but we are one of the more ‘progressive’ states in the buybull belt
Yeah, but this is Canton, just west of Asheville and about ten miles south of Hell.
I had friends in Canton. Good folks, who just happened to live in a double wide with a battered car body in the front yard. As someone in another blog put it, these folks probably figure that dying and going to heaven is the only way they’re going to get the paper-mill smell out of their nostrils.
I agree that most contemporary christian rock SHOULD be burned, but jeez, these people are really nuts aren’t they? Completely unaware that the bible was translated from the original languages, with people using their best guess as to meaning, within a mysogenistic and supersititious culture. Yeah, you’re right. The KJV MUST be the inerrant word of god.
This is right where I live. It was in the news, told one of my only Christian friends about him and he called him crazy. Believe it or not, this takes up most of the Baptist group, they only believe the KJV is right, Victory Baptist School is a good example of that. Fundies, suck.
Yes, I use KJV in my blogs, but, not because it is the best translation from the original Greek and Hebrew languages. I use it only because it is “public domain.” That simplifies a lot of problems in asking permission to use copyrighted scriptures in weekly blogs. The English language has changed a lot since 1611. Since I use it as the anchor for commentary in my classes and blogs it is fine. My study Bible is New American Standard, and my devotional reading is from NIV. May God forgive the destruction of His message for mankind.
Bob
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