HOLY BIBLE or Holey Bible

            How would you feel if I came to your house and took your favorite Bible and thumbed through it, found a passage I didn’t like or it offended me – and simply tore that page our of your Bible?  I continue thumbing through your Bible and find another passage I don’t like, and, again rip it out and toss it into the trash.

          How about if I came to your church and thumbed through the nice, beautiful Bible in the sanctuary or on the Altar, found a passage that offended me and I proceeded to tear it our of that Bible?  Oh look, here’s another passage I don’t like, so I’m tearing it out and tossing it into the trash can too!  I continue this until that wonderful Bible of yours is all but ripped to shreds!  The pages of God’s Holy Word laying in a heap on the floor or in the trash can.  How would you feel?

          Odds are, you would probably not be very happy.  After the first couple of pages being viciously ripped out and callously tossed onto the floor, you’d most likely be getting quite concerned, if not a little hostile.  I have a strong suspicion that you would be getting a little hot under the collar and ready to tell me just what you thought about me tearing your Bible to shreds.

          You may question my actions with ‘Hey, what do think you’re doing’?  ‘Get away from my Bible!’  You may even say ‘What kind of kook are you, get out of my house!’  If it was in your church, how would you respond?  Personally, if it were me, I’d demand an explanation, and then toss the creep out on his ear.   I’d even consider filing criminal charges against him for destruction of private property.  Oh yea, I’d have to hold myself back from giving this character a severe attitude adjustment!

          Well guess what my friends, that’s exactly what’s happening in America today!  There are people thumbing through the Bible to find things they don’t like, or don’t agree with and having them removed or altered in order to suit their wants and whims.  There are people who claim to be ‘offended’ by the Word of God and are on a major campaign to have the Holy Bible changed to conform to their agendas and way of thinking and acting.

          We are seeing more and more groups within the society attacking the Bible and doing everything they can to rip every page out of it they don’t agree with.  The whole premise is to make the Bible conform to a society which is self-centered and wants nothing more than their way.

          Take the so called ‘Inclusive Language’ for example.  Under the inclusive language guidelines which are now being supported and pushed by many mainstream churches, including the United Methodist Church, we are not supposed to address God as Father, Heavenly Father, or use any form of male gender (as in He, Him, His, etc.) when referring to God.  To do so is to offend people and not be inclusive.  To do so is to be called close-minded, intolerant bigots.

          Even one popular Methodist seminary in Kansas City, MO has threatened to lower the grades of students who do not use inclusive language in their presentations or papers.  When a student protested this absurd rule, the instructor stated in class that he was ‘so sorry the pastor and the congregation were so close-minded and intolerant!’

          The theology coming from this and other seminaries is what has been called ‘Progressive Theology’.  A theology that alleviates personal responsibility and accountability while softening the commands of the Lord and definition of sin.  A theology which reduces the judgment of God to nothing more than ‘discernment of how you used your gifts on earth’.  A theology which allows itself to be altered and molded to fit the prevailing society or subculture instead of being the primary guide for society and the proper conduct of such.

          The fundamental Christian values and standards we grew up with are now being called archaic and obsolete.  They claim the language used in the ‘original texts’ does not mean what we have been taught it means.

          For example, the term homosexuality and to refer to homosexuality as an abomination is disputed and they claim the meaning isn’t the same now as it was ‘in the original texts’.  According to our instructor at the seminary, ‘the homosexual act the Apostle Paul referred to was not that at all.  It was when a rich Roman had a young boy under his domain who would do ‘special favors’ for him.’  ‘What Paul was actually against was the slavery of the young boy by his master.’  That was the definition of homosexuality and what Paul was against the instructor gave us.  He absolutely denied that the Bible or God spoke against homosexuality.

          I’m not trying to bash any group or sub-culture here.  I am stating what was said by our instructor.  This is a typical abstraction of the truth and solid morals and values taught in the Holy Bible promoted by this seminary, and others.  This is but one example of how they twist and turn the Holy Scriptures to accommodate and conform to their ways and agendas.  This is society telling us how to interpret the Bible and dictating to us how we present God’s Word and the Gospel of Christ.

          And if you openly disagree with them, try to discuss a different view or, heaven forbid, take a firm stand against this type of nonsense, they will do what ever they need to ensure their agenda and theology is prominent and promoted.  They will intimidate you, threaten you, try do discredit you, or use what ever ‘leverage’ they have to silence you.  To include reducing your grades at school, badgering you in meetings, shunning you, giving you lesser appointments, and even subtly threatening to pull your credentials. 

          In my humble opinion, this is the same as someone coming to your house or your church and tearing the pages out of your Bible they don’t like or don’t agree with or that ‘offend’ them.  This is nothing more that forcing their theology and values upon us who have a more traditional theology and belief system.

          How does it feel to have someone come into your house and desecrate your Holy Bible?  How does it feel to have someone come into the church you have attended since you were a child, and tear the Altar Bible to shreds right before your eyes, and tell you what you believe isn’t right?  To tell you because how you believe, you are close-minded, intolerant, and don’t know the truth?  How do you feel when someone tells you it’s your fault there is so much violence and poverty in third world countries?  It’s your fault there are so many people crossing our southern borders?  It’s all YOUR fault!

          That’s exactly what’s happening.  That is what is being taught, preached and promoted by the certain mainstream churches.  They are taking the Holy Bible and making it nothing more that a Holey Bible – stripped of God’s authority, position, and sovereignty.   Stripped of values, morals, and codes of conduct.  Pages savagely ripped out and tossed aside like so much trash.

        Is this what you want as a God fearing, Jesus loving, Spirit filled Christian?  Do you honestly think our Heavenly Father, in all His glory and wisdom appreciates these subculture groups raping His Word for their our purposes?  Changing His Word to suit their selfish desires?

            Which do you want  - - -

a HOLY BIBLE, or a Holey Bible?