Selective Bible Quoting

One of the worst things about the Bible is that you can find a verse that will support any prejudice or form of intolerance. This has been done for YEARS. The KKK has done it, the Nazi's have done it, the Religious Right does it, child beaters do it, misogynists do it, there's an endless array of hatred and prejudice that has been supported by the Bible.
Someone just simply has to find an isolated verse that will support their idea, they then ignore the verses before or after the one's they have picked out. Some people have to ignore whole chapters or even whole books of the Bible. They simply just pick the Bible apart like a chimp picks apart a melon. They take out what they like, and throw away what they dislike.
The most recent form of this is hacking the Bible apart to validate prejudice against homosexuals. One of the most used verses is First Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9 from the New International Version Bible that uses the term homosexual. These people not only have to carefully select a verse, but they have to carefully select what version of the Bible to use. Other versions use terms like male prostitute or 'abusers of themselves with mankind'. "Abusers of themselves with mankind" is a very ambiguous phrase that could mean many things, it doesn't even have to be sexual but people will still rant and rave that it means gays.
The Bible has been abused in this way for centuries. Many different groups have taken verses to support what they feel is right. Here are a few examples.
The KKK had many verses in the Bible that supports slavery, even beating your slaves, slaves are objects not people, and even an account where an Ethiopian didn't understand the book of Isaiah, they felt that means that black people are too dumb to understand the gospel of Christ.

"Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ." Eph 6:5

The Nazis and many other anti-Semitic groups have a wide selection of verses from the Gospel of John (who blamed Jews for the Crucifixion) Acts (which contains accounts of Jews persecuting the apostles) and the Epistles of John (which they interpret as saying Jews are blasphemous). Here are two of these verses.

And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) Act 12:2-3 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. Acts 17:5

During the Salem witch trials many innocent women assumed to be witches were executed.

"Thou shalt not suffer a which to live." Exodus 22:18

Many people also used the Bible to support beating their children. Saying that to be a good parent they must physically abuse their children with a stick or wooden rod.

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. Proverbs 22:15

Many people also used to Bible to keep women as second class citizens, keeping them out of the work force and out of the voting booths. Their purpose is to stay home taking care of the children and make more babies.

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing " 1 Tim 2:11-15

Some people have even used the Bible to persecute handicapped people.

Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them. Lev 21:17-23

Many years ago people even used the Bible to teach that the Sun went around the Earth, people that taught otherwise were convicted of heresy and were imprisoned or executed.

Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. Psalms 4-6

They also used the Bible to teach that the Earth was flat, those that said otherwise were also convicted of heresy and executed or imprisoned.

Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land. Ezek 7:2

And after these things , holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. Rev 7:1

They did the same stuff in regards to the sky, teaching that it was a solid mass of water.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. Gen 1:6-7

Those are just a small example of some of the ways that the Bible has been abused to support personal prejudices or personal ideas. In fact, as long as a person finds the right verse, they could teach any dumb idea as God's truth. I will demonstrate this for you.

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26

See that verse shows that if you want to be with Jesus, you hate to hate your whole family, reject them, disown them, they are scum. In fact, hate yourself too.

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Gen 1:3

See, that verse proves it, snakes can talk... don't believe me, read the verse again. It's crystal clear, snakes can talk. All true Christians would know this.

For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken of the children of Israel from off the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever from among the children of Israel. Leviticus 7:34

There look, "statute FOR EVER" I don't know what all these people that say we don't have to sacrifice think the words FOR EVER means. If you want keep God happy you better do your daily sacrifice. We still have to sacrifice animals to God; this verse proves it -- FOR EVER.

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mark 16:17-18

See that, those are the signs of a TRUE Christian, if you can't exorcist demons, speak in tongues, or heal the sick you ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN. If you aren't immune to snake bites and poison you ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN.
See, selecting Bible verses can help you to claim any bogus concept is God's Truth, everything from beating children and oppressing homosexuals to talking snakes and a flat Earth.
We need to read the Bible as a WHOLE, and focus on the main message, not search out verses and teach the useless message they contain.

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