davidleong.info

every once in a while, just when you’re starting to feel optimistic about people and their ability to think and communicate in a civil, constructive manner- regardless of their faith tradition or lack thereof- someone like “pastor steve” comes along (for a real treat, see jack’s comment on eugene’s blog- i almost peed my pants reading it). even though i knew what i’d find, i couldn’t resist checking out steve’s church website, and what i discovered there was indeed equal parts frightening and hilarious. part classic christian fundamentalism and part deep thoughts, steve’s “teaching” embodies the best of what fundamentalism has to offer: ridiculous anti-intellectualism, extreme bigotry and ignorance, and of course, a healthy dose of fear mongering religious manipulation. add a twist of dangerously distorted theology, and there you have it- the perfect recipe for fundamentalism’s greatest hits.

it’s disturbingly intriguing to listen to why billy graham is going to hell (apparently he wasn’t fundamental enough), and even more bizarre how steve wears this fundamental “king james only” badge so proudly. these are the hermeneutics employed by the KKK, and while i am normally an advocate for friendly dialog before calling it like i see it, in some cases, a little bit of unfriendly language may be a necessary starting point.

but rather than belabor the obvious, and to help counter some of steve’s sickeningly twisted and reductionist proof texting of scripture, i thought i’d share some of my own favorite verses, many of which he has supposedly memorized. or maybe he forgot about these and conveniently left them out- it would certainly seem to suit his misguided agenda.

from matthew 23:

13-14 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and then you make that convert twice as much a child of hell as you are.

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?