It's funny because it's true. If you don't believe me, just ask Marc Grizzard of the Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, North Carolina. He and his flock will be hosting a book burning on Halloween that will prominently feature a whole bunch of non-KJV Bibles.
Per the Telegraph:
Marc Grizzard, of Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, North Carolina, says that the first King James translation of the Bible is the only true declaration of God’s word, and that all others are “satanic”.
Pastor Grizzard and 14 other members of the church plan to burn copies of the other “perversions” of Scripture on Halloween, 31 October.
The New Revised Version Bible, the American Standard Version Bible, and even the New King James Version are all pronounced to be works of the Devil by Pastor Grizzard and his followers.
Pastor Grizzard said: “I believe the King James version is God’s preserved, inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God… for English-speaking people."
The King James-only movement has fascinated me for a long time, mostly because I know some of these folks. It would make for a remarkable psychological case study for examining the ability of people to believe absolute fiction without any real proof at all. You ask a King Jameser why the KJV is the only legit translation of the Bible, and all they can really say is that it is and everybody knows that.
On a side note, I realize that a lot of folks in this camp aren't there because they see the KJV as especially protected by the Almighty. They just like King James Bibles. I'm not talking about those people. I'm talking about the folks who think that the King James translation has the Hand of Providence behind it and above it, making sure that nobody screws it up because it's the Bible how God really wanted it.
Naturally, there's nothing in the Bible that indicates King James's translation would be the Divine Standard, which makes for an interesting conundrum for your average sola scripturist. Not only that, and this is my favorite question, why is English the only language that gets its own translation right from God? Does the translator fairy dust carry over to Swahili translations of the KJV? Nobody on the KJV side really cares, and I guess it serves all those lousy foreigners right anyhow for not being able to speak God's Chosen Language.
Moving along, though, to some of Mr. Grizzard's other material.
As well as inappropriate translations from the original Hebrew and Aramaic, the pastor and his associates will be burning books by various Christian authors, as well as music of every genre.
Anybody who burns Rick Warren's books can't be all bad, right?
Mother Teresa is also on the list of Satanic authors.
Ok, maybe so then.
What's your issue with Rick Warren?
ReplyDeleteObviously he's not Catholic, but is he any worse than other Evangelical authors?
I've got the New American Bible, Catholic Mission Edition. Our Vincentian church was selling them for $5. I have to say I really like it. The premise being they went back to the oldest texts they had on everything and retranslated. It is so much more readable than King James and I suspect more accurate as well. The King James Only people are crazy. I can see the argument for people liking the old school English, but yeah saying that came from God seems to ignore history.
ReplyDeleteI like reading the KJV, for literary purposes; it's beautiful. But you bring up a really good point with the translating into English. Some people just like to wear the blinders, I think.
ReplyDeleteHey Haskovec,
ReplyDeleteDid you know that in the NAB, King David takes a siesta?
Look it up--2 Sam 11:2.
Karl,
ReplyDeleteI did not know that and I just looked it up. That totally rules!!!
Phil:
ReplyDeleteMy issue with Rick Warren is that, while he isn't as bad as Joel Osteen, he basically boils the Gospel down to the purely temporal sphere. In his efforts to push the Purpose-Driven Life, he seems to forget about the after-life.
I can only take him in very small doses. After the 3rd or so time of hearing about how suffering is because of a bad attitude or perspective, I begin thinking of Job's buddies and have to find something else to do.
Mix this up with what comes off as a "nice people all go to heaven" view of salvation and a non-existent opinion on sin, he just rubs me the wrong way. It makes fluff of the Gospel.