Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
And a few bonus scriptures:
Colossians 3:8
But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
Romans 14:19
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
1 Peter 2:1
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
Matthew 12:34
How can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
*Which is not to say that I have anything against reading the Bible or being a Christian. I just think that if you're going to claim the label and (especially) try to force your beliefs and values on others, the least you can do is live up to it. All of it. No cherry-picking, please.
"All of it. No cherry-picking, please."
ReplyDeleteExactly.
This whole Palin thing is just sickening. And she's never going to get it. They're never going to get it, no matter how clearly it's explained to them. Because at the end of the day it's all theatrics and ego, and who gives a fuck if someone gets hurt? As long as it's Dems and children of Dems who get hurt, that is.
ReplyDeleteWell done!
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, I think that people on the far-right who do identify as religious or Christian only see these kinds of scriptures as applying to their relations with other Christians. So being kind and helpful is building each other up only applies "within the flock," if you will.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, Jules, and in fact they see their assaults on secular culture as being a war they've been commanded by God to engage in. Of course, I think that's a gross misinterpretation of scripture, but that's probably why I'm no longer involved in organized religion...
ReplyDeleteTo me one related tragedy here is that there are plenty of Christians who do take these kinds of scriptures very seriously and practice a "kinder gentler" form of Christianity than some of the fundie groups. But the extreme groups are much more prominent in the media and in our cultural conception of religion, partially because of the extreme and sometimes outrageous things they say and do.
ReplyDelete