Phil, this is thought provoking.  As you know, I was spiritually 
raised in Baptist churches and graduated from a Baptist Bible 
college.  And I agree with you that the pages of a bible, print or 
Braille, aren't holy.  They are just so much wood pulp.  Maybe, it is 
human frailty, but when I had a Braille bible, I had more affection 
for those volumes than I did for other books.  I think I have more 
affection for my puter and for my Braille Lite because the bible is 
in them.  And there is just something about that ol' American flag, 
Sousa marches, the Star Spangled Banner, fire crackers, and guns at 
funerals, that stir my heart.  I know they are just things but they 
cause me to think about our country, freedom, and the sacrifices of 
our soldiers and their families and that is why my heart gets 
stirred.  I think that how people treat symbols shows the attitudes 
that they have for the things those symbols represent.  If a person 
tramples the flag underfoot, even though he has the freedom to do so, 
I doubt if he has a high opinion of this country.

earlier, Phil Scovell, wrote:
>It is time for me to be in trouble again.
>
>Phil.
>
>Is It Holy Or Just A Book?
>
>
>By Phil Scovell
>
>
>
>      I was raised in a strict Baptist home.  Actually, I think it
>did me more good than harm but most today would disagree.  I find
>it humorous that so many Pentecostals and Charismatics today were
>raised by, what appears to be, the same parents.  We just went to
>different churches was all.  anyhow, I digress.
>
>      Before focusing on what I really want to say, and before I
>explain what happened to me recently, I want you to know exactly
>the type of life I lived growing up in Iowa with a Baptist
>preacher for a father.  We did not go out to eat on Sundays.
>Shoot, we hardly ever went out to eat in the first place but never
>on Sunday.  I did not ride my bike on Sundays and my bike was my
>life.  We went to church Sunday morning, and Sunday evening, so
>most of the time my folks made my little sister and I take a
>Sunday afternoon nap.  What's up with that?  Anyhow, I figured it
>out.  We took a nap because mom and dad had to take a nap or they
>would fall asleep in church.  My dad was the head deacon out of
>about 25 men on the board so we couldn't have that happen.
>
>      I loved flying kites in the field next to our home but I
>never flew kites on Sunday as a kid.  Dad didn't work on the car,
>unless it had broken down, we didn't watch television, if my
>sister and I were allowed to go outside, we had to stay in our own
>yard, and we were not allowed to play with other kids in the
>neighborhood on Sundays.  I could probably write a book about this
>topic alone, but by now, you get the picture.
>
>      I said all of this to talk about symbolism.  Is it important?
>Well, if you know anything at all about the Bible, you know
>symbolism is very important but how important is it in every-day
>life?  Let me explain.
>
>      I was taught that you never placed the Bible on the floor.
>You never, absolutely never, hit another kid on the head with your
>Bible.  I saw many who did such things but I was afraid to try it.
>Furthermore, you never laid the Bible lower than other books.
>Additionally, you never, never, never, placed anything on top of
>the Bible because, at the very least, it should be on top of any
>stack of magazines, papers, or other books.  I'm sure you
>understand why I was taught this.  Was it necessary?  I'll refer
>to the answer after my next story.
>
>      We were in a Pentecostal church one night.  We were members
>of this church.  We had a wonderful time of worship and the
>preaching was great.  The pastor was the best organist I have ever
>heard and he knew how to play by the leading of the Holy Spirit,
>too.  He was fantastic.  He sang very well and his preaching, in
>my opinion, was very good.
>
>      So, as I started to say, after this great service one night,
>the whole church ends up down at the front.  For you
>nonpentecostals and anticharismatics, it isn't all that common to
>have an all church altar call, meaning, everybody ends up down
>front praying or being prayed for.  Yes, I know.  We are often
>worried we've sinned and backslid and lost our salvation but
>that's for a doctrines class.  Besides, I don't believe that
>anyway.  "Once a Baptist; always a Baptist?"
>
>      So, we are down front, as I said, and the pastor, and God
>only knows where he came up with this hair brained idea, takes his
>Bible and lays it on the carpeted floor.  No fooling.  He lays his
>Bible, God as my witness, right down on the freaking floor.  Then
>he gives a little speech about how important it is to stand, the
>key word here is "stand," upon the Word of God in our daily life.
>So far; so good.  Then, God forbid, he invites individuals to step
>forward who wish to stand on his Bible as he prays and dedicates
>their lives to living a Biblical life.  I almost blew a gasket.  I
>thought my heart would stop beating or lightning would fall and
>burn the church down.  I never even believed anybody would attempt
>such a thing but he did.  Person after person stepped on to the
>Bible laying on the floor and as they "stood" on the Word of god,"
>the pastor prayed for them.  When he began running short on people
>who wanted to "stand" on the Bible, he began calling people by
>name.  By this time, I was so mad, I was spitting nails.  I prayed
>he'd ask me by name to come forward and step on the Bible.  I
>would have punched his teeth right down his throat.  Oh, I was
>ready.  Please, God.  Let him call my name.  I am not a combative
>person but that day, I would have been arrested for assaulting an
>idiot pastor that had lost his marbles.
>
>      The little service continued and we were down to young
>children stepping on the Bible.  I decided in my heart, if that
>man called just one of my kids, or if one of my kids volunteered,
>I would have spoken and condemn this hideous and unholy practice
>for the evil it was, and walk out of the place with my family.
>Thank God, the pastor never called on my kids nor did my kids
>volunteer because they knew better.  Do you?
>
>      Now, let me focus clearly on the subject.  You surely know
>that the thing we call "The Bible" is just a bunch of paper and
>ink and leather, or simulated leather, and it is just a book.
>Right?  Yes, I know it says Holy Bible on the cover and so it
>should, but it ain't the cover that's holy, if you get my drift.
>It isn't the paper and it is not the ink on the paper.  I know; I
>know.  It says "Holy Bible" on the cover but it isn't the material
>thing that is holy, it is the words of God inside.  Correct me if
>I'm wrong.  No, forget what I just said.  I don't need any
>correction; I know what I said is true.  However, the symbolism
>that material book represents transcends all human understanding.
>If you don't believe that, you best find another book to read.
>Regardless, I am simply trying to point out how important
>symbolism is and that symbolism carries with it, tremendous
>meaning.  In the case of the Bible, it carries meaning that can
>literally change a life.
>
>      So where do we go from here?  That's up to you and the Lord.
>I know where I stand.  The Word of God is in my heart and mind and
>I stand upon its authority.  To physically stand upon it is dumb.
>No, forget that.  It isn't dumb, it is ungodly and I hope god
>strikes you dead if you ever do it.
>
>      Now, think about spiritual symbolism.  No, not everything in
>the Bible is symbolic.  I know that and you know that.  Yet, some
>things are symbolic.  I'm not hear to clear up all your screwed up
>theology in order to make you believe like me.  I do want you to
>think about the importance of symbolism.
>
>Now, I was recently feeling around on top of our entertainment
>center, that's what they call an overgrown bookshelf which stores
>your TV and other electronics, for a place to put something down.
>I think it was the cordless phone but I don't recall for sure.
>Anyhow, as I said, I was feeling around on top of this thing for a
>place to sit something down.  Feeling?  Yes, when you are blind,
>it works better that way.  What am I doing as a blind person with
>a TV in my living room?  Watching it, of course.  Do you know how
>much junk ends up on top of your entertainment center?  We have
>church in our home every Sunday so often Bibles are forgotten when
>church is over, I wonder what they read during the week when their
>Bible is in my house, and they somehow end up on the entertainment
>center, or on one of the end tables, but eventually, somebody puts
>it on the entertainment center.  So, here I am, trying to find a
>place to sit the phone down, or maybe it was the remote, and my
>hand finds a Bible.  For one split second, I almost sat what I had
>in my hand down on top of the Bible.  then I stopped and said,
>"Nope.  I won't even do it now," and I didn't.  Nor should you.
>Why?  It is called symbolism.  It is the same when the American
>flag passes by during the parade and off comes the hat or up goes
>the hand over your heart.  "Oh," you say, "it is just cloth," or,
>"the Bible is just paper and real simulated leather covers."  You
>can go climb a long rope, too, for even thinking that.  Didn't you
>learn anything from going to Sunday school as a kid?  Come on!  I
>suppose you have the same nonchalant attitude about the symbol of
>a cross, too?  It figures.  No, silly.  We aren't worshiping the
>Bible or the flag or the cross; we are worshiping Jesus.  Well, at
>least I am.  Did you forget Jesus said He was the Word?  Yeah, you
>did forget that one, didn't you?  There is something to be said,
>however, about respect and what is to be said about respect is
>symbolism.  Stop and think about it or get off the bus.  Church is
>over.  It is time to live what you've learned.  If you don't know
>Jesus by now, you've been listening to the wrong screwed up TV
>evangelist.  Speaking of which, I hope the government outlaws
>Christian radio and television pretty soon.  Then maybe you'll go
>back to church and stop horsing around on Sundays.  You know what
>I mean, Vern?
>
>Has He Ever Crossed Your Mind?
>www.SafePlaceFellowship.com

John