"The Bible has become a book with which to bludgeon people."

[kpete]

Retired pastor knows why people don’t like Christians any more

.............................


“We’re finding more and more that there are a lot of people out there doing a lot of talking and protesting and bellyaching, but fewer people actually walking the walk,” said Minor, author of Journey Across The Tiber: My Many Rooms. “We have extremists protesting funerals of gay soldiers, pundits decrying the use of abbreviations for the word Christmas and activists campaigning for prayer in public schools. These are all very divisive issues, and have little to do with the good works the Bible wants the faithful to perform.”

Minor bemoans that the Bible has become a book with which to bludgeon people.

“Too many people are using religion as a sword to fight those with whom they disagree, instead of as a plowshare to help their fellow neighbors tend the land and form a community,” said Minor, who retired as a United Methodist Church pastor after 23 years.

The key to reversing the trend, according to Minor, is to use actions more than words, and for people of faith to quietly go about the good works and charity that is at the essence of the Bible’s teachings.

the rest:
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features-the-religion-world/2011/05/25/retired-pastor-knows-why-people-dont-like-christians-any-more

[panader0]

1. The extremists aren't protesting the funerals of gay soldiers

but WBC is protesting the the funerals of all soldiers because the US tolerates gays. This guy is out of the loop.

[david13]

2. Uh, yeah. It started how many hundreds of years ago, with a thing

called ... the Crusades?
dc

[tularetom]

3. "Faith without works is dead"

Seems pretty obvious on the face of it, yet no phrase in the bible or perhaps in the entire English language has caused more verbal gymnastics on the part of fundamentalist christians in an effort to claim that it doesn't mean what it so obviously states.

[trotsky]

4. "has become"??

Dude's about 1900 years late to the picnic.

[Odin2005]

5. Reverend, when HASN'T the Bible been used to bludgeon people?

[izquierdista]

6. Before it was "divinely" inspired?

And before that, they used to smack people with a rolled up Torah. :shrug:

[RainDog]

7. dupe

the thread, not the pastor...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1189421

[BadgerKid]

8. Alex, I'll take "The Inquisition" for $200.

Though having more actions and fewer words is right on, IMO.

[madamesilverspurs]

9. There are many people of genuine faith

who do NOT use the Bible (or anything else) to bludgeon people with. Those who DO engage in that particular activity are not what they claim to be.

A couple of former friends went deep into fundie thinking and began to sour just about every relationship with anyone they ever knew. They remarked one day that they were a bit puzzled that people they'd known for years didn't seem to want to spend time with them any more. Having been on the receiving end of some of their "teaching" I suggested that they consider what the book really says, that its message is to be carried in the heart instead of a holster. They took great umbrage at that and demanded an apology. And they really didn't like it when I asked what version they read: KJV? RSV? NSV? or AK-47?

-

[FeelingBlue]

10. Oooo, I like that holster comment!

That's a good one. Thanks.