I was very struck by this quote from the book I’m reading, Romans Disarmed, by Sylvia Keesmaat and Brian Walsh:
“Sometimes it seems to me as though biblical authority is appealed to only when the church wants to beat someone up.”
Ain’t that the truth. We only seem hear about the “inerrancy of Scripture” or the “authority of the Bible” from fundamentalists and Christian conservatives when it comes to condemning LGBTQ+ people, or women in leadership, or some other transgressor of traditional cultural norms. Never do you hear the inerrancy of Scripture when it comes to caring for the poor, welcoming the immigrant, or condemning the wealthy and the powerful.
It’s almost as if its not about fidelity to Scripture that is at the core of their concerns.
I really have no problem with conservative Christians. I just wish their commitment to using the faith as a weapon against the culture would extend itself to areas that the Bible spends a lot of time actually talking about, like justice and wealth and a concern for the least and the hurting.
Justin DaMetz 