seedeez2 posted (#61)
As a Christian, it saddens me to see there are still other Christians out there with this kind of mentality.
My fundamentalist brother-in-law claims that the KJB is the only book mankind needs and contains the only knowledge mankind needs. He claims that anything that disagrees with it is heretical and satan-inspired, while anything that agrees with it is unnecessary because we already have the KJB.
I suggested that if all we know we learned from the bible, nobody would know how to make a shoe. He doesn't talk to me any more ;).
Actually, book burning is a long-time Christian practice and this wackaloon is only the latest in a long line of book burners.
First came the destruction of as many of the 'heretical' gospels as could be found, with only the three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and later the gospel of John allowed to survive. Only recently have copies of several of the other 50 or so gospels been found, sequestered away from the Church's reach.
Then, though the Royal Library in Alexandria, Egypt had already suffered several attacks, what was left was destroyed after the edict of Christian emperor Theodosius I in his quest to destroy all 'pagan' temples in Alexandria.
In fact, throughout the Dark Ages, any book not approved of by the Church was destroyed or at least banned. All of the works of the Greek and Roman civilizations were lost to Europe for a millenium. It wasn't until Christians finally expelled the Moors from Spain that they found these works that had been lovingly protected by Muslims. Also, a small group of (heretical?) monks in Ireland also hid many of the great works away. We will never know how much of the wisdom of the Ionians, Greeks, and Romans who lived before Jeebus was destroyed, never to be seen on Earth again.
Then there is the crime against humanity committed during the Spanish conquest of the Maya, when Bishop Diego de Landa ordered the destructions of thousands of priceless codices (folding books) as 'pagan' writings. Today, only four codices remain, and we have learned so much about Mayan mathematics, astronomy, and calendars from these puny four codices that it boggles the mind to think about what was lost.
These are a few of many, many examples all through the history of Christendom where pious Christians set about trying to destroy anything that wasn't directly related to the worship of Jeebus.
