Much that has been written about Christian martyrs is embellished by tradition and therefore unreliable. For example, the martyrdom of Polycarp of the second century C.E. is described in Fox’sBookofMartyrs as follows: "He was . . . bound to a stake, and the faggots with which he was surrounded set on fire, but when it became so hot that the soldiers were compelled to retire, he continued praying and singing praises to God for a long time. The flames raged with great violence, but still his body remained unconsumed, and shone like burnished gold. It is also said, that a grateful odour like that of myrrh, arose from the fire, which so much astonished the spectators, that many of them were by that means converted to Christianity. His executioners finding it impossible to put him to death by fire, thrust a spear into his side, from which the blood flowed in such a quantity, as to extinguish the flame. His body was then consumed to ashes, by order of the proconsul lest his followers should make it an object of adoration."
Horror of horrors, Blondie - you have reminded me of a funny story about old Marion Dunlap.
Marion was a high-class paperhanger, usually working from the Murray sisters decorating store on the most expensive Oklahoma City mansions. He did some re-decorating for an old lady who appreciated him talking reasonably with her about the bible. (Marion was NEVER the bombastic pro-witness non thinker, and could actually relate to other religions well)
Anyway, she gave him a selection of religious books from her own library. One of these was Fox's Martyrs - and it ended up in the KH Library at Oak Glen in Oklahoma City. For many years it remained there and I would occasionally sneak it in to read during the really boring meetings.
We eventually got a new presiding overseer (Marion refused it and remained the assistant for the time). He (new overseer, hand picked society man) spotted me reading it, wanted to know what it was, and that very passage got noticed. Needless to say, the book was declared unfit for human witness consumption, and also declared suspect for demonism - and sadly disappeared from the library. I do not know it's true fate.
Marion and I were both disgusted. Farhenheit 451 was discussed. And this was in 1968 - long prior to Ed's trouble in Bethel. Maybe it indicates some of the seeds of the intellectual revival they had.