Bible-Believing?

Those with only a passing familiarity of the conservative Christian church will note a peculiar recurring phrase, one that is simultaneously offensive and defensive: "We are a Bible-believing church." Does this mean that other Christian churches do not regard the Scriptures, that claims have been made to challenge one's commitment to the Scriptures, or maybe a little bit of both? We may never know the totality of the implications such a phrase connotes, but one thing is for sure, someone isn't telling the whole truth.

"As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says." (NIV - 1 Corinthians 14)

"Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?" (NIV - James 2)

"If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him... Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death." (NIV - Deuteronomy 21)

I speak for myself, but I have yet to find a church willing to stone or sacrifice a child, or that disallows women speaking privileges within the church. This is just an extremely condensed sampling of passages. One will find an infinite number of contradicting and flatly immoral prescriptions if s/he chooses to read further.

Does this mean the Scriptures should be disregarded? Of course not. As a historical marker and chronicle of the evolution of the Christian faith and humankind's understanding of God, it is an invaluable text. However, the same can not be said for its place as a prescriptive moral text. Present the preceding passages, or any of one's choosing, to a pastor within the Evangelical or Fundamentalist tradition, and the response will most likely be a long-winded and contradictory dismissal of the passage. Evangelical churches in particular have launched a virtual smear-campaign on churches who do not hold to its militant theology, taking a particularly vitriolic tone toward the Episcopal/Anglican Church.

While one could consider the Evangelical/Fundamentalist obsession with "biblicism," as they term it, to be only a mild nuisance, it is actually a dangerous perspective to all in its path. This extremist and contradictory thought can be found amidst society's largest moral issues. Those with ties to this style of thought have previously supported slavery, attacked interracial marriage, and called for religious intolerance to the point of violence. In our current culture, the Evangelical church has opposed anti-hate speech legislation, opposed various civil rights, and opposed proper science and health education in public schools, all-the-while supporting a system of militant forced morality and workplace discrimination. "Biblicism" can be found at the heart of some of the most disturbing theological perspectives disseminating through mainstream churches today, promoted by major figures such as Rick Warren and James Dobson. Many well-intentioned yet under-informed individuals have been caught up in Evangelicalism's charismatic style and infinite promises.

Before joining a church associated with this movement, please carefully consider the implications of a theology based on faulty morality and fear of punishment. Also, check before attending a church. Many seemingly innocuous churches strongly embrace this theology. The largest church of this thought is currently the Southern Baptist Convention, but the concepts are often found amidst many groups that term themselves "non-denominational."