You would think that after all these centuries, people living in a First World country would have evolved past the point of superstitious stupidity. But no, there are still idiots in Iowa (and other states, I have no doubt) who think that book burning is righteous act and a moral duty. In all likelihood, these are the same brain-atrophied individuals who rant and rave about religious fanatics and zealots in the MiddleEast, steadfastly refusing to recognize their own faces in the mirror.
I support their right to burn books. I can't believe in the democratic process, free speech, and general tolerance if I don't. But that won't change the fact that they're small-minded religious bigots, nor that I find it enormously funny that the fire codes, of all things, have proven such a stumbling block (see original article, attached to continuation of this entry).
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) -- A church's plan for an old-fashioned book-burning has been thwarted by city and county fire codes.
Preachers and congregations throughout American history have built bonfires and tossed in books and other materials they believed offended God.
The Rev. Scott Breedlove, pastor of The Jesus Church, wanted to rekindle that tradition in a July 28 ceremony where books, CDs, videos and clothing would have been thrown into the flames.
Not so fast, city officials said.
"We don't want a situation where people are burning rubbish as a recreational fire," said Brad Brenneman, the fire department's district chief.
Linn County won't go for a fire outside city limits, either.
Officials said the county's air quality division prohibits the transporting of materials from the city to the county for burning.
Breedlove said a city fire inspector suggested shredding the offending material, but Breedlove said that wouldn't seem biblical.
"I joked with the guy that St. Paul never had to worry about fire codes," Breedlove said.
The new plan calls for members of the church to throw materials into garbage cans and then light candles to symbolically "burn" the material.
Posted at July 14, 2004 02:37 PM in Social Order