As someone who unfortunately has had contact with such people, I can assure you that the most extreme of them read their Bibles (KJV ONLY!) every day. For these fundamentalists the Bible is literally their laws, and so extensive knowledge of scriptures becomes a core part of how they exert power over each other and maintain their social hierarchies.
Of course. They fit the pattern of Yeshua's own characterization of the Pharisees perfectly. Just read Matthew chapter 23 and replace "Pharisee" with "Fundamentalist".
Or don't. There's countless better ways to spend time.
You know? You're right! I'm currently enjoying my friend's birthday party. I will not read it. This is much better. I hope you've also enjoyed your weekend so far, friend! ❤️
I was raised by these people. We read the Bible every day, and the family had weekly study sessions where we would all read a portion together and discuss it. We definitely went through the entire thing.
The problem is not that they don't read the Bible. The problem is that they have developed an obscurantist interpretational framework which allows them to ignore the plain meaning of the text and twist it to conform with their ideology.
Completely agree, very well said. I remember feeling agitated that someone I knew, like that, had interpreted at least one verse from the sermon on the mount to make it mean the exact opposite of what it was saying. Wish I could remember which line.
My favorite is when you point out all the shit from their Bible, they don't follow, and they hit you with "oh that's from the old testament, and Jesus did away with all of that."
I'm also always amused at the concept of a perfect infallible being not getting it right the first time and having to push out the revised new testament.
“oh that’s from the old testament, and Jesus did away with all of that.”
Except for the one little verse that says gay people are bad. That part of the Old Testament still applies somehow because reasons.
I’m also always amused at the concept of a perfect infallible being not getting it right the first time and having to push out the revised new testament.
I think the intended idea here is that God is guiding humanity like a parent raises their children and you need different rules for different stages of development, but that would mean growth and change are actually good things and the Fundies really don't like that.