Scriptural Violence

There is a great deal of violence in the Bible. Actually it has more violence than the Koran. Throughout history people have used the Bible to justify horrible acts. The Crusades with their war, raping, and looting in the name of Christ is one example of this. Jews, Christians and Muslims have a duty to establish an interpretive tradition that emphasizes the good, helpful, healing features of their scripture study traditions.

We all must study by constructing a canon within the canon that moderates hatred and builds compassion. Biblical fundamentalism is bigoted, biased and inaccurate as is secular fundamentalism in its views of religion. All the great scholars of scripture have taught that we must interpret all scripture in a way that promotes love and respect of others. We must listen to all who differ from us with respect for always we have many things in common. But we are as a society talkative and opinionated and not good at listening.

We want immediate answers to everything. This is egotistical and self destructive. In most televised debates you can see that the opponents are not listening to each other and weighing it carefully but rather formulating how to destroy their opponent. But the other guy is always much the same as we are.

It would do no harm and great good to interpret all of the Bible as commentary upon the Golden Rule. Then we could take the violent scriptures as illustrative of what happens when we do not keep the Golden Rule central. This would be the only value then that we give to the violent scriptures. Remember the Hippocratic Oath and John Wesley’s first General Rulee of Order, “First, do no harm.”

All of the major religions teach that the constant practice of compassion will lead us to God, Nirvana, and the Dao (the Way). So an exegesis of Love must become our interpretive method. We desperately need it.

Do you remember the grand old poem of “Abu Ben Adam”? He was visited by the recording angel one night and told that his name was not on the list of those that loved the Lord. At this He smiled and told the angel then to write him down as one who loved his fellow man. The next night the angel returned and lo Abu Ben Adam’s name led the list of all who loved the Lord!

This concludes my articles on the history of the Bible and its usage. I will start another series on Jesus mission to us.