# Book Burning, Georgia Style **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 11, 2006, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366 "2006-05-11T13:45:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/21 "2006-05-11T17:52:50Z")
[QUOTE=Kimstu] I think there’s a bad institutional culture among sermon-writers in this respect, where the notion seems to be that the important thing is the doctrinal or ethical point they’re trying to make, so it’s immaterial whether their allegedly factual examples and anecdotes about it are actually true or not. So they will shamelessly launch right into “A recent study found…” or “As Abraham Lincoln once remarked…” and to hell with the fact-checking. [/QUOTE] You’re surprised? Too much insistence on fact checking, and their entire set of holy books goes right out the window. And I’m sure that they believe with faith that Abe really said what they claim he said, and that’s all you need, right? As for the woman not reading the HP books, give her a break. It’s hard to read when your lops move, and the reading level is probably a notch high for her anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/22 "2006-05-11T18:17:45Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > You’re surprised? Too much insistence on fact checking, and their entire set of holy books goes right out the window. Nah, I don’t buy that argument. Remember, I’m not talking about Bible-literalist preachers here, but ones with a more consciously interpretive scriptural tradition. And in fact, I’ve generally found the preachers I’m talking about to be **more** careful and accurate on Biblical-scholarship issues than on secular urban-legends-type stuff. They seem to be quite comfortable with the idea that historians and archaeologists can disagree with traditional interpretations of the Bible, and some of them even seem to follow the scholarly literature on the subject. I have never (to my knowledge, at least) heard a grossly irresponsible or deliberate misrepresentation of any major point of Bible scholarship or the history of the early church in a sermon. (I’m not saying that there might not be plenty of churches where I could hear such a thing, mind you, I’m just saying that the people I’m complaining about don’t seem to do that.) So why are the same preachers so sloppy when it comes to secular legends that don’t even have any doctrinal consequences? Why is it okay to pretend or imply that a completely fabricated or violently distorted anecdote is literally true? I’m not asking anyone to suppress or debunk the damn things, even; I’d be content with a passing caveat like “This may be an urban legend, but…” By being so undiscriminating and careless, IMO, preachers are setting themselves up for exactly the kind of mistrust and disdain your remark implies. They make themselves and preachers in general, or even believers in general, look like ignorant fools to whom facts don’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/23 "2006-05-11T18:28:22Z")
[QUOTE=Lissa] From my years in a Christian school, I know how succeptible some Christians can be to urban legends and rumors. In chapel one morning, the principal brought out an e-mail she had recieved detailing how half of Proctor and Gamble’s profits went to the Church of Satan and that the CEO had bragged about it on a daytime talk show. She gave us a list of their products and told us not to buy them. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Kimstu] I think there’s a bad institutional culture among sermon-writers in this respect, where the notion seems to be that the important thing is the doctrinal or ethical point they’re trying to make, so it’s immaterial whether their allegedly factual examples and anecdotes about it are actually true or not. [/QUOTE] _“I send you out as sheep among wolves. Be wary as serpents, innocent as doves.”_ - Jesus, Matt. 10:16. The biblical-inerrancy crowd always overlooks this verse, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/24 "2006-05-11T20:39:30Z")
[QUOTE=Kimstu] Nah, I don’t buy that argument. Remember, I’m not talking about Bible-literalist preachers here, but ones with a more consciously interpretive scriptural tradition. And in fact, I’ve generally found the preachers I’m talking about to be **more** careful and accurate on Biblical-scholarship issues than on secular urban-legends-type stuff. They seem to be quite comfortable with the idea that historians and archaeologists can disagree with traditional interpretations of the Bible, and some of them even seem to follow the scholarly literature on the subject. I have never (to my knowledge, at least) heard a grossly irresponsible or deliberate misrepresentation of any major point of Bible scholarship or the history of the early church in a sermon. (I’m not saying that there might not be plenty of churches where I could hear such a thing, mind you, I’m just saying that the people I’m complaining about don’t seem to do that.) [/QUOTE] I didn’t think he was a literalist. But, does he admit in sermons that the Exodus never happened, or that it is unlikely that there was a Davidic kingdom of the size reported in in the Bible. My hats off to him, then. I thought only Reform Jews and Unitarians followed the evidence that far. What I was getting at is that fact checking involves believing in nothing on faith. No matter how sure you are of something, you need to look it up to be certain. If I were a real fact checker I wouldn’t sign my name without checking the outside of my office door to be sure. 🙂 That mindset seems to go against that of any religious person, and not just against literalists. They deny facts staring them in the face, so fact checking would be wasted on them. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/25 "2006-05-12T03:31:00Z")
Well, the school board rejected her demand at their meeting tonight. The local news that covered it only described her as “devout,” and were careful not to slant the story in any way critical of her. She was given a forum to say “this is how _they_ start” (poisoning our children’s minds). For an opposing viewpoint, they had a byte from a mumbling 6th grader who likes to read Harry Potter books. Then they had a sentence fragment from the school board member rejecting her demand. The sentence fragment gave you the impression that they decided that a parent could determine what his or her own child reads, but not what is available to other parents’ children. I think that’s what their point was: as I said, it was only a sentence fragment. She will appeal to the state school board. Maybe it was a good thing for the news to treat her as gently as this, since a bad slant would encourage many, many other people to join her by the time she gets to the state school board. But then, these people don’t need strong evidence, if any at all, to believe themselves to be persecuted. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/26 "2006-05-12T03:43:48Z")
I don’t have to read an entire pornographic magazine to know it’s obscene either, but I typically like to – for the sake of thoroughness. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/27 "2006-05-12T03:45:10Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I thought it was “Knights In Satan’s Service.” And W.A.S.P stands for “We Are Satan’s Pawns.” [/QUOTE] My Christian school told me it was “Kings In Satan’s Service”. Also AC/DC stands for Against Christ/Devil’s Children. ---
**Author:** ![Diesel\_Cat\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Diesel\_Cat\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diesel_Cat_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/28 "2006-05-12T10:13:29Z")
Go my state! :smack: Speaking as a Christian and – dare I say it – fairly conservative guy who happens to thoroughly enjoy the Harry Potter series, I must confess to a strong urge to thump this lady with a heavy object. A boxed set of hardcover editions, perhaps. Just…urgh. I remember getting a fairly good education out of the Gwinnett County public school system, my amazing bad luck with English teachers notwithstanding. Has it gone that far downhill in 10 years? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/29 "2006-05-12T10:36:50Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] And W.A.S.P stands for “We Are Satan’s Pawns.” [/QUOTE] We Are Satan’s _People_. Man, the level of education on this board scares the shit out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/30 "2006-05-12T10:42:04Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] [Little did she know…](http://www.balaams-ass.com/journal/homemake/cslewis.htm) _(Cue ominous music.)_ [/QUOTE] Yeah, I’ve seen these guys before. Someone’s talking out of his ass for sure, but I’m not sure it’s Balaam. And the logo even presents the hind end of the ass to the viewer. :dubious: I didn’t bother following their links, but I shouldn’t wonder if it didn’t end up in some other place where someone has “proved” that the bonfire party near the end of “Prince Caspian” is _exactly_ :eek: like a witches’ sabbat. And he has a reformed ex-Satanist to advise him, so he must know. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/31 "2006-05-12T11:55:00Z")
[QUOTE=Rhiannon8404] My Christian school told me it was “Kings In Satan’s Service”. Also AC/DC stands for Against Christ/Devil’s Children. [/QUOTE] I thought it was “Anti-Christ, Death to Christ.” Really, we need a central data bank to keep these Satanic-message acronyms straight. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/32 "2006-05-12T12:11:58Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] [Channeling **Der Trihs**]You are being redundant here! I hate America![/C **DT**] She was grossly mistaken. It actually stands for “Kids in Satan’s Service.” Jeez…some people. 😃 [/QUOTE] Best keep **Der Trihs** out of this. If he and one of these people actually met, rough calculations indicate a big burst of pure white light and about 25 teratons of energy released. That’d make the [Tunguska explosion](http://www.psi.edu/projects/siberia/siberia.html) look feeble. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/33 "2006-05-12T15:00:45Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] Well, the school board rejected her demand at their meeting tonight. [/QUOTE] Good. [QUOTE=Slithy Tove] The local news that covered it only described her as “devout,” and were careful not to slant the story in any way critical of her. She was given a forum to say “this is how _they_ start” (poisoning our children’s minds). [/QUOTE] Why the hell not? Maybe ridicule is the only way to deal with wingnuts??? [QUOTE=Slithy Tove] The sentence fragment gave you the impression that they decided that a parent could determine what his or her own child reads, but not what is available to other parents’ children. [/QUOTE] Exactly. If she doesn’t like HP, she doesn’t have to read it. What other people read is none of her damn business. [QUOTE=Slithy Tove] She will appeal to the state school board. Maybe it was a good thing for the news to treat her as gently as this, since a bad slant would encourage many, many other people to join her by the time she gets to the state school board. But then, these people don’t need strong evidence, if any at all, to believe themselves to be persecuted. [/QUOTE] On the other hand, they will play the persecution card anyway. If they want to feel persecuted, fuck 'em. Let the games begin. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/34 "2006-05-12T15:37:08Z")
[QUOTE=SteveG1] If they want to feel persecuted, fuck 'em. Let the games begin. [/QUOTE] Will there be lions? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/35 "2006-05-12T15:56:47Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] Will there be lions? [/QUOTE] I think we should have [ligers](http://www.sierrasafarizoo.com/animals/liger.htm) and some [aggressive sea lions](http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/12/BAGPNIQS5Q1.DTL)😃 ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/36 "2006-05-12T16:14:25Z")
You know, looking at the band, one would think a more plausible acronym would be Kids In Satan’s Skivvies. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/37 "2006-05-12T17:05:47Z")
[QUOTE=SteveG1] Exactly. If she doesn’t like HP, she doesn’t have to read it. What other people read is none of her damn business. [/QUOTE] Wrong. It is _exactly_ her business. If kids are allowed to read this stuff, they’ll turn into Satanists. This will cheese off the Big Guy, who will remove his Magic Dome of Protection from us. Then we’ll be freely attacked by terrorists, hurricanes, bird flu, and Massachusetts Liberals. They, turn, will come after her children. Won’t someone please think of the birds? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/38 "2006-05-13T01:49:37Z")
[QUOTE=Kimstu] So why are the same preachers so sloppy when it comes to secular legends that don’t even have any doctrinal consequences? Why is it okay to pretend or imply that a completely fabricated or violently distorted anecdote is literally true? I’m not asking anyone to suppress or debunk the damn things, even; I’d be content with a passing caveat like “This may be an urban legend, but…” [/QUOTE] That’s not a good idea, and I’ll tell you why with a illustrative example. I work in a museum and part of my job is to give tours. Once, I had a very chatty and curious couple, and ended up yakking about history with them for a good hour. One of them asked me a question about Conestoga wagons, and I said, “Well, the urban legend is that the bottom is curved because they were built by shipbuilders, but it’s actually just a design to keep frieght from shifting.” A week later they returned and said they wanted to do some research in our library about the shipbuilders who came up with the curved bottom of the wagons. This is not the first time it has happened by any means. I’ve learned to be \*extremely \*careful when these kinds of things come up: “This is what they _say,_ but it’s not true. Again, it is not _true_.” Secondly, we all have read the stories here on the Dope of people who recieve those urban letter chain e-mails and carefully debunk it to the sender, only to have them send the same thing again. “If it ain’t true, it should be, and I’m gonna pretend that it is, because it’s a fun story.” ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/39 "2006-05-13T02:10:45Z")
As a native Georgian, let me explain. Here in Georgia, we’re not like other states. We don’t throw our mentally ill people out in the streets like a lot of states do. Well, not all of’ 'em. We’re PROUD of them. We elect them to the legislature and the Senate and make them our religious and cultural leaders. Think Lester Maddox. Think Zell Miller. And if that means we have people telling school children not to worship Harry Potter or ride Jeebus horses into the sunset, well, it’s a small price to pay. And that’s all most of us can afford. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366/40 "2006-05-13T02:15:56Z")
> [@](#): > > **Voyager** : I thought only Reform Jews and Unitarians followed the evidence that far. You have researched all denominations and sects? > [@](#): > > What I was getting at is that fact checking involves believing in nothing on faith. No matter how sure you are of something, you need to look it up to be certain. I think your assumptions are a kind of belief system. _No matter how sure you are of something, you need to look it up to be certain._ (None of us live up to that.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-burning-georgia-style/356366.md?page=3)