Don't quote Bible verses to me. I'm not impressed. You might look and sound like a scholar to other people. They'll think you're something else, reciting the Word of God and making a point that might or might not have something to do with the story the verses comes from. Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyers get away with it every week, and they draw crowds! Isn't that special?
Not to me. I stop listening. If I don't I'll go into conniptions. I refuse to be a victim of Biblicism-- that inane and careless yanking of Bible verses from their contexts and from the larger story of the Bible, all wrapped up in a smile and cutesy pious platitudes designed to take the rough edges off of life.
Biblicism is the Bible reduced to life coaching. This is what the ravages of fundamentalism and evangelicalism has done. It has created a whole nation of shallow, unenlightened, and Biblically illiterate people.
To be honest, I couldn't care less. I'm not trying to stop it. I just don't want to be part of it.
This is similar to what I call proof-texting, and I don't care for it either. It is used either as a motto or slogan.
ReplyDeleteBut it can also be used to defend a conservative interpretation on doctrine, as though a group of scriptures pulled together from different contexts, and without comment, is sufficient proof of the user's point of view.
Proof-texting reduces the Bible to sound bites. And poorly nuanced ones at that. I appreciate your comments!
Delete