It is something odd that one notices after a short time of associating or arguing with fundamentalists and literalists; the oppositions ability to apply literal interpretations to some parts of the bible and yet ignore the parts that are actually commands.
I know numerous fundies, some of them work in the healthcare industry. How do they reconcile the fact that the bible states demon possession and lack of faith are the cause of disease? They deny science and it's theories that are proven out time and again while claiming that the bible is inerrant, yet their jobs require them to use scientific equipment and they apply germ theory to successfully cure the patients. No credible nurse or healthcare professional says that "germ theory is only a theory." Yet they do say this about evolution, even though evolution is a conclusive theory that has allowed healthcare to be what it is today. Why is this?
I think that it derives from the general lack of rational thought and scepticism.
The obviously allegorical creation myth is held up as a truth by people that desire an absolute truth. What these people fail to recognise is that there are NO absolute truths. Often, they even recognise that the book which they like to claim as an absolute truth, isn't. The belief that the Earth is held up on four pillars or that the sky is some form of material (aether) in which the stars are "placed" into for our edification are also in the bible, yet these are dismissed by most of those that claim Genesis is the "word of god."
Another popular claim is one that marginalises an important and worthwhile segment of society, homosexuals. The most often heard claim is that the bible calls the act an "abomination." There are other abominations in the bible, however; rare indeed is the fundamentalist christian that abstains from pork or shellfish.
Some abominations that christians enjoy and pretend that jesus allowed:
-Wearing anything that is considered men's clothing or accessory. No wristwatches, pants, or short sleeved t-shirts are allowed to be worn by women.
Deuteronomy 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
-No dogs, prostitutes, or gays are allowed in church. This gives lie to the "love the sinner" catchphrase.
Deuteronomy 23:17 There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
23:18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.
-Eating shellfish is an abomination, and so is pork.
Leviticus 11:7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. (11:7) "The swine ... is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch."
11:8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
11:9 These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.
11:10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:
11:11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.
11:12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
-Killing something for god that has a birthmark. This might seem to be inconsequential, but there are people that still do this and many people "bless" the meat, taking no care that the meat is free of markings.
Deutoronomy 17:1 Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.
These people also like to push for public prayer even though jesus expressly ordered that private prayer is good but public prayer is exceedingly bad and hypocritical.
Matthew 6:5-6 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
They like to promote the gaining of wealth as a christian value, when actually christ commands them to relinquish all wealth and to become vagrant.
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
So for all of you fundamentalists and literalists:
When you begin living day to day with no thought of tomorrow, when you actually obey the laws of the book you preach, when you stop forcing your prayer on others, when you dress according to scripture, when you obey ALL of the rules; then you can start demanding that society at large recognise some point you'd like to make. The point will still be wrong, but at least you won't be inviting us to call you a hypocrite when you do so.
No comments:
Post a Comment