January 2, 2015

Newsweek writer and pundit, Kurt Eichenwald really gets Erick Erickson's goat with his article entitled The Bible: So Misunderstood It's a Sin. Eichenwald's article was written because of the incredible inconsistencies associated with the world's best selling book. American fundamentalists have contorted the scriptures to align with their worldview which demonizes so much more than Jesus intended. The article begins:

They wave their Bibles at passersby, screaming their condemnations of homosexuals. They fall on their knees, worshipping at the base of granite monuments to the Ten Commandments while demanding prayer in school. They appeal to God to save America from their political opponents, mostly Democrats. They gather in football stadiums by the thousands to pray for the country’s salvation.

They are God’s frauds, cafeteria Christians who pick and choose which Bible verses they heed with less care than they exercise in selecting side orders for lunch. They are joined by religious rationalizers—fundamentalists who, unable to find Scripture supporting their biases and beliefs, twist phrases and modify translations to prove they are honoring the Bible’s words.

This is no longer a matter of personal or private faith. With politicians, social leaders and even some clergy invoking a book they seem to have never read and whose phrases they don’t understand, America is being besieged by Biblical illiteracy. Climate change is said to be impossible because of promises God made to Noah; Mosaic law from the Old Testament directs American government; creationism should be taught in schools; helping Syrians resist chemical weapons attacks is a sign of the end times—all of these arguments have been advanced by modern evangelical politicians and their brethren, yet none of them are supported in the Scriptures as they were originally written.

Erick Erickson finds it mildly ironic that a man whose magazine is no longer available in print form, only online, has the nerve to criticize the most widely published book in history. What he fails to understand is the vast amount of time between the events in the Bible and their transcription is longer than the time between when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and today. Compounded by poor technology, language issues and the fact that words are strewn together without spaces, Eichenwald understands the vast disparities between all versions. He backs up all his assertions quite nicely. This infuriates Erickson to no end.

Fox News' Todd Starnes, who wrote his critique of the sixteen page article, said,

Newsweek’s 16-page diatribe portrays Evangelical Christians as homophobic, right-wing fundamentalist hypocrites who believe an unbelievable Bible. And just in case the reader misses the writer’s subtle nuance, the essay was illustrated with images of snake handlers, Pat Robertson and the Westboro Baptist Church.

Sorry, Faux News' sanctimonious Christians, but that isn't terribly far from the truth. In addition to pictures of these modern-day, vile perverts of Jesus' word, Eichenwald also includes a photo from Rick Perry's giant prayer assembly, which was praying for rain.

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Rick Perry's Reliant Stadium Prayer Extravaganza

Erickson is truly pissed that anyone would have the nerve to critique the science-denying, homophobic, racist Christians that watch him on that channel. Sorry Erickson, Eichenwald gives far too much concrete evidence that verifies his theory.

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