Why do Fundamentalists refuse to interpret the Bible any other way then what fits their bias?

[Rainbow Mage]

Like to use homosexuality for an example. It's been shown time and again that the Bible does not necessarily condemn homosexuality, depending which context you read verses in. There's even books written on the subject. Same for Bible literalism. Why do fundamentalists need to take the Bible entirely literally?

 

[PolyHedral]

Confirmation bias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Confirmation bias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yep, sounds about right

 

[ChristineES]

People are pretty good at seeing things the way they want them to be and not as they truly are. So my answer would be: human nature.

 

[Smoke]

Why do Fundamentalists refuse to interpret the Bible any other way then what fits their bias?

I don't think fundamentalists are unique in that respect.

 

[Skwim]

I don't think fundamentalists are unique in that respect.

I agree. Everyone of every faith interprets their sources as best suits them. Sometimes it's no more than agreeing with what its leaders tell them, other times they actually put some individual effort into it. But it all comes down to what best suits their needs.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Smoke your point is well taken, but that should lead us to an even more disturbing question. WHY do fundamentalists want to interpret it this way? How does it benefit them? From what I've seen their interpretations have an agenda behind it to make our country into a theocracy and justify their hatred of certain minorities. This should concern people deeply.

 

[McBell]

Like to use homosexuality for an example. It's been shown time and again that the Bible does not necessarily condemn homosexuality, depending which context you read verses in. There's even books written on the subject. Same for Bible literalism. Why do fundamentalists need to take the Bible entirely literally?

Um...
Not trying to be a jerk, but...

It's been shown time and again that the Bible condemns homosexuality, depending which context you read verses in. There's even books written on the subject.
​

Why is your particular interpretation any better than theirs?

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Um...
Not trying to be a jerk, but...

It's been shown time and again that the Bible condemns homosexuality, depending which context you read verses in. There's even books written on the subject.
​

Why is your particular interpretation any better than theirs?

Because they use theirs to justify a hateful agenda.

 

[McBell]

Smoke your point is well taken, but that should lead us to an even more disturbing question. WHY do fundamentalists want to interpret it this way? How does it benefit them? From what I've seen their interpretations have an agenda behind it to make our country into a theocracy and justify their hatred of certain minorities. This should concern people deeply.

Is it possible that they interpret it that way simply because that is what they believe?

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Is it possible that they interpret it that way simply because that is what they believe?

That may be what they believe, but why do they want to believe it? Is that belief hurtful or harmful to them? What about the other people their belief harms? Like gay people for example? Does that even matter?

 

[McBell]

That may be what they believe, but why do they want to believe it?

You are making the assumption that they WANT to believe a certain way.
Is it not possible that that is exactly what they understand it to mean when they read those particular verses?

Is that belief hurtful or harmful to them?

Are they even concerned about this when they are reading it?

What about the other people their belief harms? Like gay people for example? Does that even matter?

Not if you take the opinion that God is right and all else is wrong.
In my experience most theists are all black and white when it comes to what god says.

 

[waitasec]

Smoke your point is well taken, but that should lead us to an even more disturbing question. WHY do fundamentalists want to interpret it this way? How does it benefit them? From what I've seen their interpretations have an agenda behind it to make our country into a theocracy and justify their hatred of certain minorities. This should concern people deeply.

absolutely Senedjem!!!
it was the fundamentalists that fought against the abolitionists, they were pro segregation and perpetuated the sexist ideology.
it is because they believe we fell from the will of god and therefore have appointed themselves as the mediator between our freedoms and the will of their god...

 

[Eliot Wild]

That may be what they believe, but why do they want to believe it? Is that belief hurtful or harmful to them? What about the other people their belief harms? Like gay people for example? Does that even matter?

These are very good questions, Senedjem. It seems to me that the most harmful effects often come when we try to force our will on others, or even if we just refuse to recognize others' right to live as they choose, without the threat of cruelty or condemnation.

However, not everyone sees it this way.

I daresay some fundamentalists don't believe they are doing harm when they engage in what you and I might consider self-righteous behavior. They think they are doing God's will attempting to "save " us. To them, that is the better good than allowing us to destroy ourselves or live in ignorance of God's will.

I daresay also that those who don't agree with us believe we are doing harm living our "Godless" lives. They probably believe your personal convictions about your religion and my willful refusal to accept what I believe to be a flawed concept of the divine are sinful blights on God's creation.

They might feel my demands for more rational diety models and my rejection of blind, religious faith as a reasonable medium for understanding truth, both are acts of willful disobedience of God.

The trick for us, since obviously you and I are perfectly right and they're woefully wrong, is to push on with a healthy respect for their rights to believe as they choose, while freely pursuing our own search for truth, or in my particular case, continuing to remain the same layabout drug-addled drunk that finds the whole absurd affair to be a bit comical.

 

[Penumbra]

Like to use homosexuality for an example. It's been shown time and again that the Bible does not necessarily condemn homosexuality, depending which context you read verses in. There's even books written on the subject. Same for Bible literalism. Why do fundamentalists need to take the Bible entirely literally?

A person's religion usually says a lot about them. If someone thinks they are always right, other opinions don't matter, they'll go to heaven and you'll be tortured and they're ok with that, then that says a lot about them. When they say these things, it's not their god that's being revealed, it's their own self.

I do see the "danger" in liberally interpreting much of what is read, though. When I was raised as a Catholic, but was really more of a liberal, general monotheist, I regarded most of the Bible as irrelevant and hateful, written by people that were not inspired by god, except for the parts I agreed with. All those genocides, slaughtering of men, women, and children, references to a jealous god that wants sacrifices and worship, bizarre rituals and death penalties for people that don't do things right, were just viewed by me as stupid and irrelevant.

But eventually I realized that I was just cherry-picking the parts I like form these old authors, effectively making my god in my own image at the time (the image of a 14 year old girl ). I was only remaining under the label of my original religion because that's how I was raised. So when I realized all that, I deconverted from religion.

Liberal interpretations have the "risk" of a slippery slope into not being Christian anymore.

-Lyn

 

[The Neo Nerd]

Confirmation bias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

With a rather large side order of

Cognitive dissonance - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[fallingblood]

Like to use homosexuality for an example. It's been shown time and again that the Bible does not necessarily condemn homosexuality, depending which context you read verses in. There's even books written on the subject. Same for Bible literalism. Why do fundamentalists need to take the Bible entirely literally?

You're over generalizing. Especially when considering that fundamentalists don't considered much of the Bible to be needed to be followed. There are many different fundamentalist groups. I've heard many fundamentalists condemn homosexuality, by calling it a sin, but going no further. They take the Bible to say that homosexuality is a sin, and interpret it that way. However, they call it a sin the same way that lying is a sin, as in all sins are equal to each other. They may suggest that a homosexual does not live that life of sin, but that is up to that person. Not saying this is true for all fundamentalists, as we know it's not, but there are groups who believe this.

The whole problem I see with your over generalization is that it is ignoring the fact that there are many levels of fundamentalists. Also, your bias also has been shown to effect your interpretation of the Bible. Such as arguing that the Bible does not necessarily condemn homosexuality.

 

[EverChanging]

Liberal interpretations have the "risk" of a slippery slope into not being Christian anymore.

That's always the problem...defining these religions. Even in Catholicism, there is enough wiggle room with the various dogmas that Catholics sometimes hold very different opinions. Religion, in some areas, is necessarily vague.

The whole problem I see with your over generalization is that it is ignoring the fact that there are many levels of fundamentalists. Also, your bias also has been shown to effect your interpretation of the Bible. Such as arguing that the Bible does not necessarily condemn homosexuality.

I have found that the Bible is a very complex book and so ancient and removed from our culture, not to mention mistranslated, that it is very easy to misinterpret some passages. I have read books and good arguments suggesting that the Bible does not indeed condemn all homosexual behavior. Much of our misunderstanding comes from our removed cultural context.

As for fundamentalism, I think that it is dangerous in any form. A fundamentalist may be moderate (if fundamentalism can ever be called moderate), but convince her of a more extreme interpretation of the scripture, and she's all for it.

I was 14 when I finally listened to my doubts -- doubts I had had for years, since I was a very young child -- about the inerrancy of and historical, literal truthfulness of the Bible. No matter how hard I try, I simply cannot fathom how any intelligent adult can believe that Adam and Eve were real characters, that the creation account is factually true, talking snakes and forbidden fruits, God-men that rise physically from the dead and FLY into heaven (as if we live in some kind of three-tiered universe with heaven at the top, earth in the middle, hell at the bottom). I absolutely don't get it.

But I suppose for many people whim and psychology determine that they somehow read ancient mythology like a newspaper. Maybe someone smarter than me can figure it out.

I'm probably being quite condescending right now, but I have family members with these beliefs, and I care for them, but they have often been quite destructive people, and they seem to live in fear of everything about reality and modernity, they hate gays, and other races, and anyone in general who is different. Sometimes I just wish I could make them see how fascinating and wonderful THIS world can be, but I suppose that's not my job, so long as I do what I can to make sure they're not creating a theocratic Christian state with the agenda to execute all gays and women who have had abortions in the meantime. And while not all fundamentalists have these agendas, I am not at all lax about the power behind the religious right in the USA, especially in the South, where I'm living. My friend is having a hard time even buying her birth control right now, and evolution is challenged or not even taught in many schools around here. Religious fundamentalists often come around to tell college kids that we're all masturbators and fornicators going to hell, and they hold up big signs in the street, like "JESUS IS MY PRAISE," so coming from this racist, homophobic, sexist, part of the Bible belt, maybe I'm a little more ******* off about it than most.

 

[luvuyesua]

Why does the history of homosexual preferrences have,
1. usually secret closed door activiy. like the fharos. and their is a saying about coming out of the closet.
2. non acceptance
3. parents rejecting, (ignore it maybe its a phase)
4. embarrassment
5. people to this day react insulted if someone asks if they are a homo (even the ones that have friends that are)
6. they have their own bar as if serrogated
7. many unhappy that they came out Gay (when have you ever heard of a heterosexual unhappy because they are heterosexual?) I doubt their is counciling for that.
8 why has it needed publicity to brainwash for acceptance
9. and why would such a subject united religions in a meeting held in Israel to reject homo parade in Israel
10 why does it seem natural for humanity to reject this?
11. why is it described in the bible as God abhorring it?

blessings to you all

 

[luvuyesua]

quaxotic, please dont mis interpret, I placed answers and questions to the question of the Bible and how the reaction is. and you gave me no answers but the same one, that is not my fault. and I dont think badly of homos and do wish them blessings, I just wrote actual acts and how it was and is, in some things such as publicity, I accept and respect but I dont feel it has to be jammed down ones throat, and some people did have to go through brainwash, and you took this personal and fecisious. you and me are gonna get along better understanding eachother, or agreeing to disagree, if you want.

may you find yourself in blessed thinking