Thanks for some powerful thoughts!

I reflect on the language we use. “My Bible hurts… when we throw it across the room”. Some of the abuse of Bible text violates others. It bruises, wounds, damages lives. But sometimes I worry about the excessive use of the language of violence to describe Christian debate. I have seen much in recent years about ‘open warfare’ ‘blood on the sanctuary carpet’ and such like. It expresses the reality of hurt experienced by many, and yet I also feel uneasy about the language. Unlike Falujah or the Twin Towers, no Christian has been physically killed or injured, or actually raped in the (often ill-tempered or even ungracious) arguments we have shared in recent times.
The Church has been guilty of violence in the past. Nor am I sticking up for the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
But when the deeply held beliefs of ‘radical liberals’ or ‘fundamentalists’ in the Christian faith are equated to the hate-filled violence of the suicide bomber, something has gone too far.

We must be allowed to argue, disagree, wrestle with Scripture. And, as Erika has also reminded us, do so with grace and humility. Reasoning from Scripture does not need to be done with malice, self-righteousness or arrogance.

Thank you again.