Omission

Wow! I decided to Google a verse this morning because I couldn't remember exactly where it was found. I knew it was Titus 2, but I wanted to be sure of the actual verse numbers. As I glanced at one of the sites that came up in my search, I was shocked and thought surely my eyes were just not focusing that well so early in the morning. I clicked the site to read more and was definitely appalled at what I found.

Apparently there are certain verses in the Bible that the Irish Catholic church doesn't like because they feel they subordinate women and they are discussing just taking them out so as not to "give an undesirably negative impression regarding women." Seriously? You know, verses like that one in Titus 2 that encourage us to love and care for our own families and mind our own business so that the Word of God is not dishonoured. Scandalous, wouldn't you say?

Well, while we're eliminating verses we don't like, I am not really big on that verse that says I am to love and bless those who persecute me. I wouldn't mind it just disappearing. And what about pretty much the whole book of James because it would be a whole lot easier to just run my mouth about someone when they get under my skin rather than have to actually control my tongue and be silent on the matter. I'd also probably change up the Beatitudes a little because those seem very counter-intuitive to how things should play out in real life and I might even just put a big ole red mark through "wives submit to your husbands as unto the Lord" because that seems a tad archaic. I mean, if I can't be comfortable reading the Bible and really enjoy what I read then what's the point?

Is anyone else seeing how truly dangerous a mindset like this is? Tim has talked a lot about the danger of "a la carting" scripture, but this is actually just throwing the whole doggone dinner out the window because it might give you a tummy ache. How dare we choose which verses are important and which ones should be eliminated based on how they make us feel.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 in The Message says ~

There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

I guess we'll have to rip that page out, too, in order to feel good about skipping these other ones! Before long there won't be much left other than something akin to a book about a cosmic Santa who just showers us with goodies because, with no standard to live up to, we all look like good little boys and girls!

Lord, May I never get to the point in my life that I would rather eliminate or ignore portions of scripture that make me uncomfortable or take me out of my comfort zone rather than deal with the Truth of what they say. Would I see each scripture as having great value in my own life and the lives of others. As a teacher, would you make me mute if I ever dare try and distort scripture into a feel-good message that doesn't stand the potential of offending anyone. And, Lord, please forgive those who are choosing to cheapen what Your Son did on the cross to make them feel better about themselves!