Photo ©2006 Wikimedia Commons user Trounce. Licensed under CC-BY-SA
Today I got personally insulted (by insinuation) on Facebook. And it pleased me no end. Because the insult was based on the kind of prejudice that proves my point better than any argument I could make.
I got enticed, against my inclinations, into a discussion about homosexuality. A woman asked me how I knew that homosexuality was a sin. (An inexact description of my position, as I consider only homosexual actions sinful; the orientation itself is neither here nor there, except as an aspect of the Original Sin we all share).
I told her that I’d read the Bible, rather than just hearing it talked about.
She admitted she hadn’t read the Bible, but said that she was pretty sure I hadn’t either.
Well, I have. More than a dozen times. But I found her assumption fascinating and revelatory.
We Protestants are prone to seeing Biblical ignorance as an aspect of the Dark Ages. Illiterate Christians of those times viewed the book with superstitious awe, even fear. Only the priest, enjoying magical protections, was able to unpuzzle its mysterious symbols and mediate its meaning to the common folk.
We have entered a new Dark Age, in terms Biblical knowledge. Once again the average church member sees the Bible, not as a book to read, study, and discuss, but as a fearsome talisman. It’s so long, and so full of riddles. We dare not approach it. Open that cover, peruse those mysterious words, and a madness is likely to seize us. Soon we may be changed out of recognition. We may no longer be able to live our lives as we are accustomed to.
Which, of course, is true.
Bravo!
I wish I could remember which of my teachers observed that Higher Criticism has done more to take the Scriptures away from laymen than any Middle Ages edict ever did. Now, rather than threatening them with burning at the stake they are simply told that it takes an advanced degree from a liberal seminary to properly understand the Bible.
Excellent point.
It’s worth pointing out that really the biggest problem with reading the scripture in the Middle Ages was that most people (95%+) were illiterate and thus literally could not read it (pun intended).
Despite that, there was a very strong effort to make sure the unlettered would at least know the stories. Stained Glass windows and Mystery Plays were aimed at making sure everyone at least knew who John the Baptist was.
Today we’ve achieved a totally new level of illiteracy in that no one even knows the stories. The average American would have no idea who John the Baptist is or what he did.
So this Bible miniseries is kind of like a stained glass window, huh? Maybe somebody will discover they can actually read the book, if it grabs their interest.
It’s interesting that you picked Isaiah for the graphic, Lars. I’ve been thinking about a passage from that a lot the last few days, Isaiah 45:6-7.
Veggietales creator Phil Visher’s latest project is a series of kids videos that seek to build Biblical literacy in the younger generation.
http://whatsinthebible.com
He uses cheesy songs and silly hand puppets to not only tell the Bible stories, but the story behind the stories.
Cheesy Song Example
“We may no longer be able to live our lives as we are accustomed to.”
That and we might find out traditions don’t line up with what we read.
Either of these things cause a situation too great for most people to deal with.
For what it’s worth; Richard Dawkins admits he hasn’t read the entire bible, but still claims to have read more of it than most evangelicals.
Grim,
I think when you ponder on Isiah 45: 6-7, it’s important to remember that there must be opposition in all things. You must to hunger to know full, good to know bad, sad to know happy. Evil was (for lack of a better expression) a necessary evil. And the devil existing must have also been a necessary evil.
But be fully aware that all things which are good come of God; and that which is evil come of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fights against him continually, and invites and entices us to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.
There are great blessings in resisting the temptations of evil.