Halloween Book Burning at Baptist Church to Include Copies of the Bible
Book burning scheduled for Halloween at N.C. baptist church to include copies of the Bible
Update: Since the original posting of this article, The Amazing Grace Baptist Church’s website - which I cite throughout - has become unavailable. In the meantime, I have added new links to other resources when possible.
I thought that the days of churches burning books were long gone, but the Amazing Grace Baptist Church in North Carolina is proving me wrong by hosting an annual event that they call a “Halloween Book Burning.” (see also this story from KWTX.com.)
(As an aside, it’s purely coincidental that both this post and my last had to do with events occurring in North Carolina, lest anyone think I have it in for that particular state.)
If I were to venture a guess as to what might be included on the list of barbecued books, I would probably list the usual suspects - Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, etc.
And while I’m sure the Amazing Grace Baptist Church would be happy to burn those, it’s also burning books by well-known Christian authors, whom the church’s website declare “heretics.” (see also this story from myfoxdc.com.)
Heretics like Billy Graham, Mother Theresa, Rick Warren, Charles Swindoll, James Dobson and John Piper, among others.
But the biggest shocker?
They’re burning copies of the Bible.
Or to be more specific, copies of the Bible that aren’t the King James version, which they consider the end all and be all of Bible translations.
NIV? ESV? NKJV? Satan’s bibles, according to the church website - perversions of God’s word.
The church claims that the Scriptural Basis for the book burning can be found in Acts 19:18-20, which states,
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.
(Yes, I quoted from the King James version)
The accompanying notes found in the ESV Study Bible (which many Baptists I know use and like, for the record), state
The Greco-Roman world put great stock in magical incantations and spells, often collecting them into books that sold for large sums. Converts in Ephesus brought these relics of their pagan past and held a massive book burning.
This I understand - When one enters into a relationship with Christ, they choose a new way and leave behind their old. Taking into account the time and place, I can see this event in Ephesus as a powerful and appropriate gesture.
But I think it’s a stretch to apply that verse to the actions of the Amazing Grace Baptist Church.
I also can’t help but think that something like this does much more harm than good to those trying to spread the gospel of Christ, if it does any good at all.
Adam Bodendieck, 31, is a lifetime resident of St. Louis currently working in human services. He holds a BA in English from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and resides happily in Eureka with his wife, 3 boys and 7 dogs and cats. He and his wife are founders of and contributers to echad, a blog that examines what Christianity looks like in contemporary culture. They also work closely with proVISION India, a charitable organization dedicated to empowering poor and disadvantaged people throughout South Asia. 
“I also can’t help but think that something like this does much more harm than good to those trying to spread the gospel of Christ, if it does any good at all.” Exactly! The books these people burn will (thankfully) still be in existence, so obviously this is meant to be symbolic–but symbolic of what? Fear? Intolerance? A celebration of poor biblical scholarship?
I try not to get angry when I read things like this, except that inevitably I think about the person out there I might never get a chance to meet or talk to who reads about a church burning books and thinks that’s just what Christians are like. And that’s such a partial picture of our faith. I want them to see inside churches like mine–and many others, I know–where people love the Bible and care about different translations, but they’re also having forums about evolution (led by biologists, not creationists) and reading Harry Potter and The Golden Compass right along with their kids–and enjoying them. It’s just plain perplexing to a lot of people that we all get lumped under the same label. And when the book burners get all the attention it makes the rest of us look like the fringe groups…
It makes me sad that this church and its members believe the best way to model Christ and interact with “secular” things is by having a book-burning.
Pamela and Ren - exactly!
Reading about this I had to deal with a lot of emotions, anger and sadness chief among them. Part of me was really reluctant to even write about this and give it more attention…the part that was hoping it would just stay below the radar and quietly fade away because it’s - quite frankly - embarrassing.
This one gave me another “say what?” moment.
I second the comments about how an event like this brings disrepute to the Gospel.
I wonder, (and I truly don’t know), is there ANYTHING that a Baptist church can’t do? I’m thinking of Fred Phelps.
I actually feel bad for the rational, sane Baptists I know - it seems like lately every shocking and scandalous news story having to do with faith issues has been coming from the Baptists.
I just read a book that dealt with this issue about a fictitious fundamentalist Christian school, Brimstone Biblical Academy. Very eye-opening in light of what is going on with this church. Apparently, this stuff still goes on in fundamentalist circles today. Very disturbing! Does anyone else out there feel the same way?
they set a great example, thus being: If you think your opinion is right, trash others’. way to go guys.
Still picking my chin up off the floor.
Isn’t that an ironic name for that church?
I’m thinking of the suggestion earlier today that we not demand that people explain/defend the worst actions of those from their faith tradition. Please, yes, because as a Christian I would not want to have to defend or explain the book burning! I must be too idealistic or something, because I never stop being shocked by the extremists.
Amen, Sharon!
Is this really true? A Christian church that celebrates Halloween? I wonder if one of their ritual hymns will be “Ghost Riders in the Sky”? At any rate, they can warm themselves by the fire, pretending it’s a cold night in hell. Happy Halloween.