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AUGUST 7, 2003 at 12:30 PM
Posted by GRAE
Source: The Detroit News via The Leaky Cauldron
After learning about the book burning held last weekend by the Jesus Non-denominational Church in Greenville, Michigan, community members expressed mixed emotions
about the event.
The Rev. Mark Shaw, senior pastor at Calvary Baptist, dismissed the book burning as a misguided publicity stunt.
"What kind of an image are they setting in the community?" Shaw asked.
Toni Jagger, director of the Alvah N. Belding Library in nearby Belding, said she is always disturbed by reports of book burnings.
"Burning books is such an extreme," Jagger said. "Books don't have to be read if people don't want to read them. That's one of the wonderful liberties we have in America."
As long as the book burning does not prevent readers from accessing those titles or other literature, the congregation can do as it pleases, said Tara Conaway, director of the Flat River Community Library.
It also turns out that Harry Potter books weren't the only objects being burned - included in the list of what the church considered evil were the Book of Mormon and non-King James Version Bibles.
Other books, magazines, posters, compact discs and movies that members believe do not promote God also went up in smoke Sunday, as more than 50 people gathered outside the church for the fiery display. Among the incinerated items were Shania Twain's album "The Woman in Me" and the Dan Akroyd movie "Coneheads."
The church's bishop, the Rev. T.D. Turner Sr., said the congregation "will burn 'Harry Potter' books and other witchcraft items to let the world know that there are true followers of Jesus Christ who will not call evil good."
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Muggle
Points: 67
Phoenix Flyer 1 says:
Ok... I used to be a brainwashed Baptist who judged the books before I read them. Now I know better. People are so closed minded. Perhaps they think Harry Potter presents a temptation of the Dark arts or what have you. Perhaps their minds are too weak to handle reading them.
Posted Nov 20, 2005 at 6:12 PM EST
Witch
Points: 913
MaeMuffin[DOT] says:
that's just WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHO in their right mind would burn Harry Potter books!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!
It SHOULD be a crime!
I (sorta) understand aboutr religious purposes, but
( and I DO mean this)
If every thing (and anything) Harry Potter is Satanic and we're going to hell for it,
then
Satan's my homeboy and I'll gladly come(ONLY in that case)
*damu*
Posted Nov 24, 2005 at 8:57 PM EST
Witch
Points: 913
MaeMuffin[DOT] says:
sorry for the double post but:
THOSE incomprehenshanable FOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
how DARE they?!!!!!!??!!!!!!!!??????!!!!!!!!
And:
they burned country???????????!!!!!!!!!!!??????
W.T.F?????????????????
SOMEBODY needs an Asprin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Or a nap
That's ALMOST as random as T&S (I'm abbrieviating their names in case, probably not in a 1,000,000 years though, they read this)
They 100% out of the blue went up 2 my cousin and said that I was being mean 2 them and they don't even know that we're related!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*damu*
Posted Nov 24, 2005 at 9:12 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 33
Saffron Snape says:
I have to say that I think religions have gone too far in these cases. I wish that they would just stop trying to tell people what to do and stop trying to make everyone else convert to their pathetic and ignorant religion where they think they are the only ones who are right. Harry Potter is a fictional story, it is about imagination and escape (at least for it is an escape from the real world). In fact if it wasn't for Harry Potter I probably wouldn't be the same person I am today. Harry Potter has saved my life!
Posted Dec 8, 2005 at 4:47 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 8
mnky4jesus says:
I'm a Christian from Michigan and I just want to let people know that not all Christians are nutters. I hate it when people do stupid stuff like that and then everyone thinks that the whole Christian religion is crazy. I read the Harry Potter books and I also read a non-King James Bible. The only difference is, it makes it easier to read. I'm sorry for all the ignorant people in the world.
Posted Dec 9, 2005 at 10:55 PM EST
Witch
Points: 549
Sinless says:
burning and fire is a way to extinguish "evil". Nothing in ashes can be remade, ashes. It was a way to get rid of evil. But since what they concider as evil is the world now, do they think God himself did not inspire the people that changed our lives to be something better? They refuse from the old ways, therefore, arson is a way of cleansing.
Posted Jan 1, 2006 at 12:00 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 80
magickie_feelings says:
I live in michigan and iv enever heard that before. but it makes me ashamed to say i live hear if thats what they did. no matter whats in the book you should still never burn one. thay should make that illegal. that just ticks me off.
Posted Jan 7, 2006 at 3:13 PM EST
BPIHS's Flirt
Points: 2553
weirdness is MY thing says:
Oh my god
thats sad, people trying to make everyone the same!
we cant all be the same!!
Posted Jan 7, 2006 at 9:52 PM EST
Student
Points: 242
Eloga says:
Umm...why don't they just not read the book? If they buy it, then burn it, the person who made it is still getting the money from it. So what does this solve?
Posted Jan 8, 2006 at 10:53 PM EST
Witch
Points: 570
AvalonKarma says:
Wow. I mean really, WOW! Yes, let's just repeat the darkest times in our history! Seriously. Stuff like this scares me, because I AM Pagan, and it's like -- HELLO, we do NOT worship the devil, so what are you trying to do here? Bunch of crazies! I know plenty about Christianity, and I know that the message of TOLERANCE, and good will toward man prevails. NOT the message of hate, and ignorance.
Posted Jan 9, 2006 at 5:11 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 89
Foaly says:
Wow that's real Christian, destroy everything that doesn't go with us.
What's wrong with this stupid world?
Posted Jan 10, 2006 at 5:21 PM EST
Grillows Girl
Points: 2785
Miss Baltimore Crabs says:
Oh my word, that is EXTREME!
Why would you do that? They are so ignorant...
If you don't like a certain book, then don't read it!
Posted Feb 6, 2006 at 2:53 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 47
~Mia~ says:
Ok, I am very upset of this, one the burn the Book of Mormon. Now, i believe in god and everything HArry Potter is soemthing fun I love to do. There is nothing wrong with that. I find people who burn books to prove a point you dont burn something, that is just making a fool of yourself.
Posted Feb 18, 2006 at 12:25 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 24
sfactor says:
What can I say? Sometimes even Christians make mistakes- but to burn non-King James Version Bibles is just ridiculous! Yes, some translations can be mis-translated, but that doesn't change the fact that the ORIGINAL Bible (the one written in Hebrew & Greek) is God speaking directly to us.
Posted Feb 22, 2006 at 3:01 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 358
Dave1988 says:
What the Heck is that About Kids Like to Read Those Books Is there any point In Burning them Plus Harry potter is a Great Book who can Burn such Goodness.
Posted Feb 23, 2006 at 7:29 AM EST
Points: 1797
howdoideletethis says:
Well, this article was a LONG time ago, but I'm commenting anyways. Mostly because, that is just WRONG! They have no reason to burn those books, especially when it can be offending religious groups. Ii'm Mormon, so obviously, the fact that they were burning Books of Mormon is kind of disturbing. Even if I wasn't.. it would still be wrong! These people are out of their minds!
Posted Mar 5, 2006 at 8:09 PM EST
Squib
Points: 122
Kranotti says:
An wise man (don't remember who) once said: "People who start burning books end up burning people" or something like that. Let's face it, the most famous bookburners of all of history were the Nazis.... Besides, destruction in general is just wrong.
Posted Mar 9, 2006 at 11:32 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1596
alastor_moody says:
This is one of the many reasons i dont go to church i bet that they never even read it!whats next the bombing of the psychic network?they need to get a life~!!!!
Iunctum tam unus, apud Severum stamus
Posted Mar 12, 2006 at 9:42 AM EST
Squib
Points: 118
Dan Em Rup Fan 2011 says:
I guess they have a point. I mean it is magic and chuches don't want nothing to do with magic. I still think they shouldn't burn the books though. I mean J.K. Rowlings worked hard on these books she didn't want people to burn her books. I mean seiously.
Posted Mar 13, 2006 at 6:27 PM EST
Squib
Points: 118
Dan Em Rup Fan 2011 says:
I think the church has a point my mom explained it and this is her explination. Do you think it is right for people to have abortions? I don't so what if their was a book about abortions they would burn it to and I know I night join in too if I was asked because that's not right to me.
Posted Mar 13, 2006 at 6:49 PM EST
Student
Points: 265
ThePowerOfRedemption says:
I'm a little disturbed by the comment made about this being one of the reasons not to go to church. Hopefully people realize that a specific church does not represent all church's beliefs and actions. Believe it or not there are some people that go to church that read Harry Potter books and can actually find good Christian themes in them. Another point is that there are references to Witchcraft in some of the best Christian written books such as the Chronicals of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings. Believe it or not these books have some of the best lessons of Good versus Evil and inspire others to be better people.
Posted Mar 16, 2006 at 11:17 PM EST
Student
Points: 258
dragongirl_58 says:
Stupid bigoted lunatics! They're no better than the Nazis. I hate people who think that the Harry Potter books and any other works of fantasy are the work of the devil. What about LOTR or Narnia? Books with obvious Chistian themes? Oh no wait! They weren't written by the right types of christians, so those don't count! Stupid bigoted bible thumpers!
Posted Mar 17, 2006 at 11:50 AM EST
Student
Points: 265
ThePowerOfRedemption says:
I agree that book burning is ignorant. As a Christian I even read books of those who don't believe in a God. It helps me to challenge what I think as well as understand another person's point of view. I live pretty close to
Greenville. Hopefully I can be a voice of positive change near this community.
Posted Apr 8, 2006 at 10:06 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 1
musicfreak15 says:
Why can't people just leave other people's religions alone? That is why we have the freedom of religion. I don't agree with book burning. It is wrong and should be banned. If you didn't like the books then don't buy them.
Posted Apr 8, 2006 at 10:54 PM EST
Squib
Points: 167
Miss Eeylop says:
That is ludicrous! Were they actually burning copies of the Bible??
People need to learn how to think for themselves...
Isn't there something about "judge not..."
Anyhoo
Posted Apr 18, 2006 at 4:49 PM EST
Squib
Points: 137
SnApE iS mY hErO says:
This is such a horrible occurrence. This IS exactly what the nazis did. The sad thing is...I bet most of these people haven't even read the books. I guess people always dislike what they don't understand.
Posted Apr 18, 2006 at 9:29 PM EST
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