The Vision (7/19/12): On a New Bible Museum and Hostility to Scripture

This week I ran across an online article from the Washington Post (7/10/12) on plans to construct a large-scale Bible Museum in our nation’s capitol within the next four years.  The museum project is being funded by a wealthy philanthropist and will draw from a collection of over 40, 000 Bible related artifacts.  It sounded like an interesting project, and I plan to make a pilgrimage to visit when it opens.

Beyond the article, however, I was also intrigued by the hostile comments that were posted in response.  Here are a few of the various comments:

I thought that institutions that had books containing fiction were called Libraries rather than museums.

Maybe we can create a museum for the Collected Works of the Grimm Brothers as well?

User ID:http://washingtonpost.com/RH03qTQnCLIJ8%2BZXDADR8/JkV59ZvvsM2tG8oZLe/1VoGeVxxh

The Bible should be reclassified in the Dewey Decimal system from 220 to 753 (mythology) or to 813 (fiction).

Religion has always been the enemy of culture, the enemy of the human intellect, and the enemy of progress. The Bible certainly belongs in a museum, as do the neanderthals who continue to build their lives around it.

How wonderful...just where all those Bibles belong...in a museum right alongside all the other relics of mythology.

It is striking how some in our increasingly secular society are not content merely to be indifferent to Scripture but feel compelled vocally and vociferously to oppose and disparage it.  Paul’s insightful analysis of men in their unregenerate state who “hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18 AV; NKJV:  “suppressing the truth in unrighteousness”) still rings true.

May we who live in such a time as this be emboldened to admire and uphold the Scriptures even more boldly.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Note:  One opportunity we have to study and teach the Bible comes next week with our third annual “Puritan” Vacation Bible school for youth and children.  Pray for this outreach and ministry as we meet Monday-Wednesday (July 23-25) from 6:00-8:00 pm.