The Bible beat out Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga for the second week in a row to remain the most-visited page on Facebook. Pretty impressive for a book that is often maligned as a stodgy, outdated rulebook.
Facebook users are flocking to Facebook.com/TheBible to show their love of Scripture, posting messages like “we know stars like Bieber and Gaga, but talk about someone who created the solar system: GOD.”
The timing for the popularity of the Bible’s Facebook page is particularly appropriate. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the most-published book in history, the King James Bible. While usage of the King James Bible has certainly waxed and waned during the past 400 years, its influence has reverberated across the English-speaking world and has permeated nearly every corner of culture. From literature to law, praise to politics, the King James Bible has shaped the way the world speaks and writes.
The King James Bible’s significance is born out of its creation as well as its enduring impact. It was significant in its time (1611) because the collaborative process of its creation brought peace to warring theological factions. It is significant for all time because it is the most widely published book and arguably the most influential book in all history.
Even noted atheist Richard Dawkins praised it saying, “You can’t appreciate English literature unless you are to some extent steeped in the King James Bible. There are phrases that come from it – people don’t realize they come from it-proverbial phrases, phrases that make echoes in people’s minds.”
“For me the most significant impact of the King James Bible has been on the lives of those who have, for 400 years, read its truths and discovered its life-changing message,” says Lamar Vest, president of American Bible Society.
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