Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Is being right the point of Christianity?
James McGrath, in this post for the Christian Century Blogs Network, writes about the difficulty of having a discussion with some conservative Christians who constantly pull out Bible proof texts to show their view is the right view, the only truth, regardless of the topic being discussed. He warns against playing that game with them. Thoughtful, progressive Christians know that “being right, having all the answers, is not what matters most.” He calls the idea of inerrancy “a highly toxic teaching.” Why? According to McGrath, “Inerrancy is really about being able to say ‘I know I’m right.’ An allegedly inerrant text, which one is confident one has interpreted correctly, allows one to avoid learning, to sidestep challenging conversations, and to practice an arrogance and pride that are ironically at odds with key teachings of that allegedly inerrant text.” James F. McGrath is an associate professor in the Religion and Philosophy Department at Butler University in Indianapolis. His article is cross-posted on his Exploring Our Matrix blog on Patheos.
Being right point christianity
