Book Burning on the front page of my newspaper today...

[Bettie]

Guess there are zealots everywhere....

Fire codes prevent C.R. church's proposed book-burning
The Gazette
Sunday, July 11, 2004, 10:04:11 AM

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Throughout American church history, preachers have built bonfires for the burning of books and other materials they believed offended God.

The Rev. Scott Breedlove, pastor of The Jesus Church, 225 Fifth Ave. SW, wanted to rekindle that tradition in a July 28 ceremony where books, CDs, videos and clothing he and his 100-member congregation deem offensive would be put to the fire.

City and county fire codes don't allow the burning of plastics and recyclables, however, so a symbolic ceremony with candles in the non-denominational church's parking lot may have to suffice.

(SNIP)

Breedlove said he understands that some outside his congregation might recoil at the thought of burning books and movies. He added, though, that if people believe these items keep them from living a godly life, they have a right to dispose of them if they want.

Breedlove's alternate plan calls for a "Cleansing of the Temple" service at 7 p.m. July 28, where people would throw materials into garbage cans and then light candles to symbolically "burn" the material.

Here is the link to the full article:

http://www.gazetteonline.com/article.aspx?art_id=85334&cat_id=11

[Jerseygirltoo]

1. He should change his name to Breedhate

or perhaps Breedignorance

[Obamarama]

2. Well, why don't they wait until November.....

They can then call it "Kristallnacht 2004". These people are no better than the Taliban.

[Solly Mack]

3. Burn a book. Burn an idea...burn a body.

You burn books to get rid of the ideas offered up in those books...and if you want the ideas gone...then you burn the author.

Call it far-fetched..but I would then suggest a history class or two.

[Bettie]

5. The thing I don't understand about these people...

Is that they claim to be doing this to strengthen their faith and get rid of things that keep them from living "right".

Now, if your faith is so weak and your values so unimportant in your life that they can be undone by watching the wrong movie or listening to unapproved music, well then, burning the stuff isn't gonna help, you are doomed.

Still, scary little group and just when I was beginning to think that Iowa wasn't the wilderness!

[Solly Mack]

6. I agree. Their faith must be awfully weak

and they are very scary.

[Raster]

7. Don't burn the books...

"...they claim to be doing this to strengthen their faith and get rid of things that keep them from living "right".

"Now, if your faith is so weak and your values so unimportant in your life that they can be undone by watching the wrong movie or listening to unapproved music, well then, burning the stuff isn't gonna help, you are doomed.

don't burn the books...burn YOURSELF!!! Takes care of the problem!

[phaseolus]

4. "...if people believe these items keep them from living a godly life..."

"He added, though, that if people believe these items keep them from living a godly life, they have a right to dispose of them if they want."

With the love of money being the root of all evil 'n all, you would think they would have a money bonfire. I'll start taking his ilk seriously if & when they start doing those.

[Tsiyu]

8. Look on the Bright Side:

maybe somewhere on the pyre are some Ann Coulter and Rush books...

[prolesunited]

13. No, I doubt it

They are in their pantheon of false gods.

I wouldn't want them to anyway. The best way to destroy them is have their ideas face scrutiny. They are as empty and hollow as the authors are.

[RoyGBiv]

9. Hmmm...

"...if people believe these items keep them from living a godly life, they have a right to dispose of them if they want."

One would think a more rational option might be not to purchase those items in the first place.

Spinach offends me. Therefore I do not buy it.

[Wilber_Stool]

10. The First Annual Madison County Baptist

Book Burning Festival had to be canceled this year. Nobody had any.

[Bettie]

12. Baptists? or Books?

Just kidding....made me smile though!

[playahata1]

18. Hey, are you from Florida?

You mentioned Madison County (Madison). I know where you're coming from. :)

[HFishbine]

11. "they have a right to dispose of them if they want."

Um, why buy them in the first place?

[TlalocW]

14. You've got to figure though...

In these kind of churches, people always want to be seen as the most holiest by outdoing everyone else, and chances are they probably don't have too much in their possession that would be deemed burn-worthy so it's the whole "Let's show the French what we think of them!" cycle again. They're going to go out and buy last season's Ozzy Osbourne show or Bill Clinton's autobiography or some video game to have something to throw away. Let them waste their money and their time on this crap. If they want to buy something and set it on fire - whether the object has been bought for a while or just recently for the big event - let them. :)

TlalocW

[no_hypocrisy]

15. "Where books are burned, human beings will be burned too."Heinrich Heine

I don't join the book burners. Don't you think you are going to conceal facts by concealing evidence that they ever existed?
Dwight David Eisenhower

[Blue Gardener]

16. Plenty of zealots in Cedar Rapids

That is part of the reason I moved to the Iowa City area, it's much more liberal and you're much less likely to encounter these people. It is a safe haven in Iowa.

[Bettie]

20. Actually, I live outside of CR

We live in Belle Plaine, a small town West of Cedar Rapids.

Before that we lived in Waukegan, IL for seven years and before that eleven in Madison, WI.

I miss Madison so much. I feel like I am surrounded by conservatives....oh, wait, I am!

Since we have two small children, I don't end up venturing far from home all that often, but I must check out Iowa City.

[Blue Gardener]

22. Haven't been to Belle Plaine in years

But welcome to Eastern Iowa, and welcome to DU!

[Scairp]

17. You forgot to include their phone number

Please, call up the good Reverend and tell him what you think of his Nazi plan to burn books. 319-369-3087

I also looked up this Reverend, and he is listed on Anywho.com. Name, address and telephone number. The one above is to the church.

[jburton]

19. Sure it wasn't Freehold, Iowa?

Home of www.landoverbaptist.org

:crazy

[Blue Gardener]

21. Love that website

I could spend hours on it. It's hilarious! They must have had the NW corner of Iowa in mind when they created this fictional town. Lots of fundies in that area. It's kind of creepy.