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The Art of Twisting Scripture: How Evangelicals Like Mike Pence Get It Wrong

The Art of Twisting Scripture: How Evangelicals Like Mike Pence Get It Wrong

Last updated on: April 23, 2024 at 6:50 pm by Stuart Delony

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The Art of Twisting Scripture: How Evangelicals Like Mike Pence Get It Wrong 2024-04-23T18:50:18-04:00 Stuart Delony

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The Bible as a Prop, Not a Sacred Text

Ah, the evangelical art of Bible twisting—where Scripture is less a sacred text and more a prop for ideological theatrics. If you’ve ever wondered how politicians like Mike Pence manage to contort biblical verses to fit their agendas, you’re in for a treat. Inspired by a recent Salon article, let’s dissect this masterclass in bad exegesis, shall we?

Stitching Together Verses Like a Frankenstein Monster

Ah, Mike Pence, the man who can turn any biblical verse into a political slogan. During a recent GOP debate, Pence decided to play biblical patchwork. He took Jeremiah 1:5 and Deuteronomy 30:19, two verses separated by centuries and contexts, and stitched them together. The aim? To present his anti-abortion stance as divinely ordained. It’s like making a quilt out of silk and sandpaper and expecting it to keep you warm.

The Intellectual Laziness of Cherry-Picking

Welcome to “proof texting,” the evangelical version of “fake it till you make it.” It’s a hermeneutical faux pas where you start with a belief and then cherry-pick Bible verses to back it up. It’s intellectually lazy and a slap in the face to anyone who takes biblical study seriously. But hey, why let a little thing like context get in the way of a good narrative?

Erasing the Act of Interpretation

But wait, there’s more! Pence used the verbs “I read” and “I knew” to imply that his interpretation was as straightforward as reading a stop sign. This is a classic evangelical sleight of hand. All reading is interpretation, especially when it comes to ancient texts. By jumping from “I read” to “I knew,” Pence tries to erase the act of interpretation, hoping we’ll be so enamored by his invocation of “The Book” that we won’t notice the man behind the curtain.

Context, Context, Context

So, what’s the cure for this epidemic of bad Bible readings? Three words: context, context, context. We need to read these texts as they were intended to be read, considering their historical and literary settings. And we need to call out bad exegesis when we see it, whether it’s coming from a pulpit or a political stage.

Bad Theology, Bad Faith

Using the Bible to prop up your own agenda isn’t just bad theology; it’s bad faith. And it’s high time we start holding these evangelical contortionists accountable for their scriptural gymnastics. They’re claiming the authority of the Bible and God for their political agenda, and that’s a problem. So the next time someone tries to sell you their ideology wrapped in a Bible verse, remember: context is king, and bad theology makes for even worse politics.

Evangelical

About Stuart Delony

My hope with Snarky Faith is to incite change no matter how big or small. I want to cultivate conversations that help people to look for new ways to live out their faith. I'm also one of the weird ones who think that God still moves today - we're just looking in the wrong places. You can read more about the author here.

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