Comments on: Bible Bullies

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:38:55 +0000

Thanks, Art. I check it out. Thanks for writing the book.

By: Art Ellis

Art Ellis — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:46:32 +0000

Jim. Looks like we’re totally on the same page on a number of issues, especially what I refer to as “pseudo-Christians.”

Glad to send a copy of my upcoming publication, Bible Bullies, the introduction and preface of which are available on my website, http://www.biblebullies.com.

Best of luck,

Art

By: Jim

Jim — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 12:09:57 +0000

Charlene. Sounds like you turned out strong anyway. Thank you so much for writing.

By: Charlene

Charlene — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:38:24 +0000

Finally! I find someone who understands what he reads. Where were you 60 years ago. I pretty much gave up on church’s when I was 7 because every where I turned all I saw was frauds in the any church I went to. I read the bible for comfort not power.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:36:42 +0000

Jay,

In general I agree, but it is important to not treat discrimination as a mere opinion. If someone thinks the Bible condemns homosexuality that is an opinion. If they work to keep gays and lesbians from having the same rights they do, it is discrimination. It isn’t judgmental to point that out because we are seeking a fair scale for all people. Stopping a bully isn’t bullying.

I agree it can get confusing, but if our goal is to make sure everyone gets their human needs met, it gets much clearer.

Thanks for your thoughts, Jim

By: Jay Adams

Jay Adams — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:39:06 +0000

Thank you for your article. Below, I have several thoughts. I humbly share them. I acknowledge that I could be wrong.

1. Name-calling isn’t useful when we’re preaching love. Our goal should be to arrive at the truth not just win the argument. Just because someone disagrees with us doesn’t mean they “hate.” We can get to the point of saying, “I think everyone should be able to believe whatever they want as long as they believe that people should be able to believe whatever they want.” If they don’t believe that, then are they “wrong?” How did you come to that conclusion? Judging? It’s rare to find someone who looks at Scripture with a desire other than “what can I get away with and still get into Heaven.” If one studies, he can see that the concepts of judging a person’s behavior and judging them to eternal hell are two very different things and are treated as such.

2. Making the choice to only follow things Jesus addressed directly is simply self-serving. Usually, that stance can be translated to, “I want to be considered a religious person and yet be pro-choice, pro-homosexuality, promiscuous and smoke weed.” Rarely does having a stance of “the Bible is just a giant parable” lead one to exhibit more self-restraint.

3. In the “clobbering passages” as well as all other verses regarding homosexuality in the Bible, the word for “woman” can be translated as “young male, ” or “boy.” Having sex with boys was a common practice and still exists today in some areas of the Middle East. Ask a soldier who has been over there about “gay Thursday.” Thus, Scripture doesn’t condemn homosexuality.

We spend a lot of our time trying to justify and denounce the things we don’t like in Scripture. When our number priority is to serve Christ, we have the Holy Spirit to guide and reveal Truth to us. Isn’t that the point? The relationship?

By: james douglas ulrich

james douglas ulrich — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 01:21:27 +0000

what I like about this term “Bible bully” is its utility and the definition given here for it. I will use it as a verb as well as a noun. The theory that fundamentalism is driven by those who gain influence by condemming people who can be stereotyped to represent some social fear or anxiety just resonates as an explanation. If someone hasn’t done a study of the patterns of fundamentalist condemnation as a manipulation of social anxieties, I think they should.

By: What I’ve been reading since my last post about what I’ve been reading – Loudoun Progress

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:00:49 +0000

[...] more from Jim Rigby: Bible Bullies and "But What About Romans?" These are follow-ups to his post, What Part of “Thou Shall Not [...]

By: Aimee Conard

Aimee Conard — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:25:41 +0000

Thank you for hitting a nerve! There is much discord between what many churches teach about homosexuality and what the Bible actually says about the subject. When I was working on a paper for a Christian Ethics course in college, my pastor pointed out to me that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality. The paper I wrote can be summed up as this, “We as Christians focus too much on sexual orientation, and too little on love.”

By: John Horman

John Horman — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:27:42 +0000

I will use your term, “Bible Bullies” from now on…it is a very apt description of what I encounter so many times. One comment I usually make to people who start quoting “cherry-picked” Bible passages is …..”Do you know the scripture, Matthew 25?” When most say “no”…I urge them to read it not once but at least 3 times in its entirity and…then ask themselves what it has to do with our Christian behavior in today’s world. For those who actually look it up and read it—it is an eye opener. Why is the entire reading not used more frequently? It is so powerful! Most times we only hear the: “What you do to the least of these”…part. The entire passage says it all.