Proof-Texting Isn't Just Quoting Bible Verses Anymore

[MineralMan]

Proof-texting is typically the use of Biblical quotations out of context to attempt to make some point. These days, the power of Google can lead you to quotations from all sorts of people. You can take those out of context, too, to reinforce a point. It's easy to find something a prominent person said about almost anything. Usually, you can find something that agrees with you in just seconds.

That's the beauty of "proof-texting." Whatever it is you're trying to say, you can find a Bible verse or a quotation from someone everyone recognizes to suit your purpose. It doesn't matter that what you quote is out of context, see. You're using an authoritative source of some kind to bolster your weak argument.

Proof-texting is very popular among people who are trying to promote a questionable or patently false premise. They know that most people won't go look at what was quoted to see if the context surrounding it supports the fragment. So, they post their quotation or Bible verse and believe they have proved their point.

My recommendation when you encounter such proof-texting is to use Google to discover the actual context of the quote or more from the quoted source. If proof-texters can use Google, so can we all. It's enlightening to explore and discover just how wrong someone can be in attempts to sell us all some sort of nonsense.

[DetlefK]

1. I knew somebody who had studied theology...

She told me that studying theology is more than philosophy and religion. It also encompasses history, ancient languages and archaeology. Stuff you need to understand what the text is supposed to mean.

She told me that during studying theology you take a cold, analytical look at the Bible. The firebrands, the fanatic believers, were the first to give up, because upon closer inspection the Bible did not support their personal beliefs.

A crisis of faith from knowing too much about the Bible...

[MineralMan]

2. Many atheists have a thorough knowledge of the Bible.

Often, they are more familiar with it than the people who argue with them. That's because one common path to atheism begins with a background in religious belief.

Familiarity, they say, breeds contempt. In the case of scripture, it often leads to rejection of it as a source of truth.

[Mariana]

3. That may be more common than many people think.

I personally know several people who became atheists after they set out to really read and understand the Bible. Maybe that tendency helps explain why the Church used to burn people who tried to make the Bible more available to the common people.

[MineralMan]

5. I'm one of those.

I memorized the entire book of Matthew at age 14. I knew the Bible inside and out.

[Major Nikon]

6. This happened to my dad

He was a devout Christian until divinity school and found too many biblical contradictions and inconsistencies to continue believing in the divinity of Christ. He converted to Unitarianism and eventually obtained an advanced degree in theology. According to him, this was quite common with many theology students converting to other religions or becoming atheists. You'll also find several prominent atheist theologians who were once believers.

So yes, those who believe in an inerrant bible are in for a rude surprise if they actually engage in objective study of it. Some simply delude themselves by referring to the bible as "metaphorical" when it suits them and literal in other instances without ever explaining how one determines which is which, not to mention never bothering to explain how the murder, rape, slavery, homophobia, and misogyny advocated by the bible can possibly be "metaphorical".

[Pope George Ringo II]

4. As a phenomenon, it's not even limited to the written word.

If the entire house burns down but a bible survives, it's a sign from god.

If there might be some kind of possible pattern in your toast, it's a sign from god.

If a tree is struck by lightning, it's a sign from god.

If a tree isn't struck by lightning, it's a sign from god.

Most of these signs are to do what you wanted to do anyway, but we knew that. The books of the world, just like the world as a whole, only say what they want to read.