On the day of Biblical interpretation, the fundamentalist sits on his glorious throne, and separates Bible passages before him, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And to those on his right, he says, “Come, things the Bible clearly says! For I was confident, and your fostered my arrogance; I was certain, and you gave me no reason to doubt; I hated others, and you assured me that God hated them too.”
And the Bible said nothing in reply, because a book cannot talk, and to hear what it says, one must read it with ears willing to hear.
And to the passages on his left, he says, “Depart from me, things the Bible cannot possibly mean! For I was confident, and you spoke of humility; I was certain, and you sought to put me in my place; I hated others, and you spoke of love even for enemies.”
And the Bible said nothing in reply, because a book cannot talk, and to hear what it says, one must read it with ears willing to hear.
And so it was that the passages on his right remained in his presence as “what the Bible clearly says,” while those on his left were sent away into everlasting forgetfulness. And there was weeping and gnashing of teeth – not from the Bible, which has no teeth to gnash, but from those who encountered the misguided fundamentalist, and found that even the teachings of the Bible could not get through to him.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In