Author Topic: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible  (Read 10784 times)

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Offline rosenewock21

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Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« on: January 24, 2012, 04:36:57 pm »
As I was typing up a response on another thread it got me to thinking, how many of those fundamentalists have actually read the book they claim guides their lives? Do they willfully ignore that Jesus spoke of loving each other, not judging each other, and was a believer in separation of church and state? Or do they honestly not know because they've been parroting the words of a preacher?

Matthew 22:39 "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." God's own "don't be a dick" rule.

Lithp and Vene really need to have some kind of confusing sexual encounter where Vene spends the entire session lovingly insulting Lithp's technique, then cums on his face, ruffles his hair, says, "You're all right, kid!", and then punches him in the nuts.

Offline N. De Plume

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2012, 04:39:58 pm »
I think part of the problem is that their idea of what constitutes loving thy neighbor is so warped that most rational people have no chance to recognize it. It is not that they ignore it. It is that they have a rather insane way of interpreting it.
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Offline Yla

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2012, 05:04:26 pm »
Read? Some, at least. Think about? No. Those who do stop being fundies about it.
Correcting that, yes, some even think about it. It's just that their thought process does not resemble non-fundies'. (compare to discussing against a fundie)

Also, I think the poll options are biased just a teensy bit.
That said, I've stopped trying to anticipate what people around here want a while ago, I've found it makes things smoother.
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Offline GLaDOS

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2012, 05:16:17 pm »
Proof they never read it: according to their version (the wholly babble) eating shellfish is a worse sin than murder.
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Offline Sigmaleph

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2012, 05:19:27 pm »
There's no general answer. I've met many fundies who have read their book and are familiar with it. I've also seen many who (though I cannot be certain) seem to have read maybe a handful of the most popular verses, if you're lucky one of the Gospels, and just parrot the usual talking points.

Cherry picking, of course, but that's kind of necessary. You can't not cherry pick from a self-contradicting book.

As for the Paulians vs. Christians thing... well, they do ignore a lot of what Jesus said, but they also ignore a lot of what Paul said. Take the whole "Marriage is the basis of society" crowd, for example, completely ignoring that Paul said that people should ideally be celibate for life and marriage is only a last resort for those that cannot control their urges (1 Corinthians 7). Bottom line, people ignore the parts of the Bible that are inconvenient, regardless of who said them. It just happens that a fair bit of Jesus's stuff is inconvenient, and a fair bit of Paul's stuff is not.
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Offline rtvc2012

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2012, 05:20:23 pm »
They only read the parts on homosexuality

Offline largeham

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2012, 05:23:02 pm »
What are Paulians?

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Offline m52nickerson

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2012, 05:30:50 pm »
What are Paulians?

Those Christians that seem to follow the writings of St. Paul more then the gospels of Jesus.
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Offline rosenewock21

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2012, 05:31:35 pm »
What are Paulians?

People who listen more to the works attributed to Paul than the gospels.

As for what Sigma said, this is more a general "What do you think?" type of thing.

I know Fundamentalists who cherry pick. Those are the ones who, if they do quote him, will tell you that Jesus said he came to turn brother against brother in the name of God.

I know people, like my own grandmother, who say they believe everything in the Bible even though they haven't read it. When it gets pointed out to her things like not eating pork or cheeseburgers she'll say "Well, that was back then". When it gets pointed out that things like the questionable verses against homosexuality were back then too she'll tell me to "use some common sense". Congrats, the fight has started.

And I grew up in a small, predominantly Republican, town in the middle of bumfuck Ohio. You better believe I know some Paulians.
Matthew 22:39 "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." God's own "don't be a dick" rule.

Lithp and Vene really need to have some kind of confusing sexual encounter where Vene spends the entire session lovingly insulting Lithp's technique, then cums on his face, ruffles his hair, says, "You're all right, kid!", and then punches him in the nuts.

Offline Auri-El

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2012, 05:36:21 pm »
I know plenty of people who've read the whole thing multiple times, but still have no idea what it says.

Offline largeham

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2012, 05:40:13 pm »
Well I guess some are Paulians, but the Bible and Jesus say shitty things themselves. One could easily be a fundie without being a Paulian.

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Offline Rime

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2012, 06:03:50 pm »
Paul was pretty much bipolar.  He'd make a humble statement in one letter, then write two letters about how the Gentiles are superior to all other human beings.

Fundamentalists have a monument built to their emotions, all supported with their cherry-picked Scriptures.  While it's not a one-size-fits-all description, a Fundamentalist sees the Bible being the infallible God-breathed Word, and if it says what they want it to, that means it's true, and anyone who criticizes them (unless they regard their critic as a higher level Christian than they are) must be weaker in Spirit than they are, and so they're wrong.

I remember a guy once said this:

Quote
The bible is not a book for those who need a weapon. It is not a book for those who know where they are going and what questions they will ask. It is not a book for those who are in a hurry and looking for the shortest route.

The bible is a book for pilgrims and wanderers. It is a book for children and for those who wish to become children again. It is a book for seekers and searchers and dreamers.
And when we're done soul searching,
And we carry the weight and die for a cause.
Is misery made beautiful
Right before our eyes.

Mercy be revealed, or blind us where we stand?

Offline TenfoldMaquette

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #12 on: January 24, 2012, 08:41:31 pm »
Read it? Probably, in chunks picked for them by their preacher.

Do they understand it? Now that's the question.

Offline Sylvana

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2012, 02:24:56 am »
I find that many Christians read their bible a lot. The problem is that they read in segments. The bible makes a lot more sense if you follow a bible study plan or a preachers sermon and such. As a result they will read a couple of verses in one book, and then a couple in another, and then a couple in another book. It allows for a consistent message to be built, while excluding the contradicting bits. (don't get Christians to discuss a contradiction. I was at a home cell when the whole faith alone, or faith + works discussion came up. It went around in circles for hours.)

Basically the use of verse numbers allows Christians to compartmentalize the bible. each verse is a single point they cane use in any given situation as required as apposed to the whole message of the book as a single entity. I used to be reasonably religious until I actually got bored one home cell evening and actually read the bible properly while they were talking about cute fluffy stuff that good Christians say. When you read it continuously you see how the book is written and how its really just a book made by men to control other men. If you just take snapshots each time you read like Christians do, you don't see the bigger picture. it is not quite cherry picking because they will read the over verses too, just not in order.

Offline rosenewock21

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Re: Do Fundementalist Christians Actually Read The Bible
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2012, 06:37:25 am »
Hmmm, perhaps I should have worded this differently.

And, Sylvana, that sort of describes myself. I'm just on the other end of the spectrum. I cherry pick the "don't be a dick" verses and ignore things like Paul. I also prefer to view Genesis, Revelations, and their ilk as parables and political allegory.
Matthew 22:39 "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." God's own "don't be a dick" rule.

Lithp and Vene really need to have some kind of confusing sexual encounter where Vene spends the entire session lovingly insulting Lithp's technique, then cums on his face, ruffles his hair, says, "You're all right, kid!", and then punches him in the nuts.