BOOK BURNING IS ALIVE AND WELL IN AMERICA
The classic 1966 movie Faherheit 451 is based on the novel by Ray Bradbury and is being replayed in real life in Ashville, North Carolina. According to The American Trial Lawyer Magazine, the Amazing Grace Baptist Church held a book burning on Halloween. They decided they would burn "Satan's works" and burn the evil books no one should read.
These books, however, included many Bibles that were not the King James Version (described as "Satan's Bible's"), books of "heretics" like Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and Catholic popes as well as many other well known authors. They also threw on the fire music of Southern Gospel artists and contemporary Christian music as well as rap and modern music. The list is a long one and Pastor Marc Grizzard is very proud of their work according to their website.
History records many government and religious attempts at censorship over the centuries. Banning access to the internet, newspapers, television and books is a common characteristic of totalitarian societies as recently demonstrated by China. Cutting off access to information is a form of mind control. Even religions try to ban reading. For centuries the Roman Catholic Church has had its Index Libroum Prohiibitorum or list of banned books. Citizens have demanded that public libraries not shelf books they have religious or political objection to. However, when I read about book burning in America in 2009 I am reminded of Nazi Germany and communist country book burning. It's shocking when it happens today and especially in the name of religion.
0 thoughts on “BOOK BURNING IS ALIVE AND WELL IN AMERICA”
When Father Vu came to the hospital to give Pat the Sacrament of the Sick, I told him (with much embarrassment) that we were lapsed Catholics. I expected a gentle admonition at the very least but he smiled and said, “Catholics make up the largest Christian religion in the world. The second largest is Lapsed Catholics.” I thought it was a very kind and wise thing for him to say.