'Hate crime': Internet livid as trailer with 200 Bibles set on fire outside Tennessee church on Easter

MOUNT JULIET, TENNESSEE: A trailer containing hundreds of Holy Bibles was left outside an evangelical church in Tennessee on Easter Sunday, March 31, and it was later set on fire.

Members of the Mt Juliet Police and Fire Department responded to a suspicious fire outside of Global Vision Bible Church at the intersection of Old Lebanon Dirt Road and Chandler Road.

Pastor expresses shock over 200 burnt Bibles

As WKRN News reported, deputies claim that the trailer was "intentionally" set on fire after being abandoned in the middle of the intersection.

Pastor Greg Locke of Global Vision Bible Church was shocked to learn what had happened at his church on the Holy Day, having only returned from Israel the day before.

In the Christian calendar, Easter weekend, which includes Good Friday, March 29 and Easter Sunday, is the most sacred event.

In a Facebook post, Locke informed followers that a man was seen by the church's security cameras at 6 am on Easter morning dropping off a trailer containing bibles before setting both the trailer and the bibles on fire, as reported by Mail Online.

Locke, who lives near the church, claimed that until he showed up there on Sunday morning, he was unaware of what had occurred. He shared pictures of the burning bibles, fire engines, and police cars responding to the unsettling event on social media.

When the fire was raging, he wrote, a woman who had driven through the night to get to their church was in the parking lot and was able to call the police, who came over right away.

"A trailer with about 200 Bibles had been set on fire blocking the entrance from Old Lebanon Dirt Rd and Chandler Radford Rd into the main part of our parking lot," the pastor said.

He added, "It was quite the scene to wake up on my first morning back from Israel." In spite of everything, he stated in his post, "It's going to be a great day in the Lord."

Locke remarked, "It was strange because he [the suspect] had his blinkers on and he scotched the wheels and everything."

He further added, "He was very meticulous, so he had to be very courageous to do what he did. We've had people do things to our building, we've been vandalized a number of times, hence why we have to have security, but never 200 Bibles being burned."

He concluded, "That's a pretty rebellious statement towards the church."

Internet labels incident as 'hate crime'

As soon as the news broke online, Internet users began to take notice, labeling it as "hate crime." A user wrote on a post on X, "This is a hate crime but I'm sure the FBI will do nothing about it."

Another added, "A hate crime definitely. Of course burning Bibles isn't going to hurt the cause of Jesus Christ. In fact the more persecution, the more it will spread. Nothing can stop the good news of Jesus."

A third mentioned, "This is a coordinated attack on Christianity. Churches were also under fire today. Jesus is King and we will prevail."

"Trailer looks almost brand new how wasteful. If you think burning Bibles is a good way to stick it to a bunch of Christians. They’ve been persecuted for 2000 years," remarked a user.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.