The Holy Bible

In a religious discussion in Skypeland, a fervert fundamentalist became quite irate at the suggestion that Catholics used a "holy bible". As far as she was concerned, ONLY the King James Bible is "holy", or possibly other versions of the Protestant bible. According to her, the bibles used by the Orthodox Churches or Catholic Churches are not holy bibles. She was extremely angry about it. I said she should consider being tolerant. This made her furious of course. (Interestingly, http://www.catholicdoors.com/bible/index.htm advertises a Catholic "holy bible".)

I suggested that people who claim to be Christian should follow the "golden rule" (also known as the ethic of reciprocity) since it appears more than once in the bible, and even was quoted by Jesus when he was asked about the most important commandments. Immediately the fundamentalists claimed the golden rule is not in the bible and that Jesus never said "love they neighbor as thyself" was the most important commandement. Several people in the room disagreed with them. The fundamentalists were incensed, but relatively cowed. I said that the problem I have with fundamentalists is that they use their faith as a reason to hate others who believe something slightly different, even other protestants, or Catholics, or Orthodox, or God forbid, the filthy Jews, or the Muslims, let alone the Hindus etc. I pleaded for tolerance of others beliefs and their right to follow their own spiritual paths.

This of course made the fundamentalists really angry. They claimed that they are ordered to "teach" others about their faith. Others in the room said that teaching is fine, but it should not cross the line into judgement, condemnation, superior attitudes and hatred. I was going to point out that the Pharisees are condemned several places in the bible for similar kinds of attitudes and behavior, but then I lost my connection...

After a while I start to notice a pattern or two. I have previously heard Harold Camping of Family Radio preaching fervently that no good Christian should love his neighbor as himself. I have had other fundamentalists and evangelicals become extremely strident and angry when I suggested that the golden rule is an important precept in Christianity and in Jesus' teaching. Hmm...interesting...