ns, were no more than cults doomed to everlasting hell. Although he believed that all of the Bible was God’s words, he also believed that certain sections and verses were more important than others, which seemed a bit arrogant to me.

Selected holy verses have long been used by clergy to ju

What was the original intent of the prophets and holy men? Did they hope for the faiths they formed or inspired to break into quarreling factions who claim their interpretation of the holy words is the one and only interpretation? Did they anticipate that their disciples would hate, judge and kill in their name and the name of God? Did they know that the words of their holy books would be interpreted, in spite of the many contradictions, as the literal truth and not, perhaps, as the fables and lessons they were intended to be?

Most faiths today have their moderates and those who would be considered fundamentalists. Several years ago I had a good friend who was a fundamentalist Christian. I admired, and even envied, his total faith and commitment. There was no doubt in his mind that the universe has been created in six days, the world is about six thousand years old, evolution is a disproved theory, and the only hope for salvation of all of mankind was to accept Jesus Christ according to a specific formula. In his mind, other Christian denominations were weak, some, like the Lutherans and Episcopaleans, were marginal, and others, such as the Catholics and Mormons, were no more than cults doomed to everlasting hell. Although he believed that all of the Bible was God’s words, he also believed that certain sections and verses were more important than others, which seemed a bit arrogant to me.

Selected holy verses have long been used by clergy to jus

ll in their name and the name of God? Did they know that the words of their holy books would be interpreted, in spite of the many contradictions, as the literal truth and not, perhaps, as the fables and lessons they were intended to be?

Most faiths today have their moderates and those who would be considered fundamentalists. Several years ago I had a good friend who was a fundamentalist Christian. I admired, and even envied, his total faith and commitment. There was no doubt in his mind that the universe has been created in six days, the world is about six thousand years old, evolution is a disproved theory, and the only hope for salvation of all of mankind was to accept Jesus Christ according to a specific formula. In his mind, other Christian denominations were weak, some, like the Lutherans and Episcopaleans, were marginal, and others, such as the Catholics and Mormons, were no more than cults doomed to everlasting hell. Although he believed that all of the Bible was God’s words, he also believed that certain sections and verses were more important than others, which seemed a bit arrogant to me.

Selected holy verses have long been used by clergy to ju

would be considered fundamentalists. Several years ago I had a good friend who was a fundamentalist Christian. I admired, and even envied, his total faith and commitment. There was no doubt in his mind that the universe has been created in six days, the world is about six thousand years old, evolution is a disproved theory, and the only hope for salvation of all of mankind was to accept Jesus Christ according to a specific formula. In his mind, other Christian denominations were weak, some, like the Lutherans and Episcopaleans, were marginal, and others, such as the Catholics and Mormons, were no more than cults doomed to everlasting hell. Although he believed that all of the Bible was God’s words, he also believed that certain sections and verses were more important than others, which seemed a bit arrogant to me.

Selected holy verses have long been used by clergy to ju

lution is a disproved theory, and the only hope for salvation of all of mankind was to accept Jesus Christ according to a specific formula. In his mind, other Christian denominations were weak, some, like the Lutherans and Episcopaleans, were marginal, and others, such as the Catholics and Mormons, were no more than cults doomed to everlasting hell. Although he believed that all of the Bible was God’s words, he also believed that certain sections and verses were more important than others, which seemed a bit arrogant to me.

Selected holy verses have long been used by clergy to ju

ns, were no more than cults doomed to everlasting hell. Although he believed that all of the Bible was God’s words, he also believed that certain sections and verses were more important than others, which seemed a bit arrogant to me.

Selected holy verses have long been used by clergy to justify slavery, manifest destiny, fascism, and terrorism. Christianity can look back on its own Inquisitions, Crusades and the brutality of the Reformation period to see the perils in selective interpretation.

The Jihadists and Islamists, especially since 9/11, have demonstrated to the world the dangers of selective and rigid interpretation, and yet the response among some elements of Christianity and Judaism has been more selective and rigid interpretation on their part. When there is such rigidity and superiority, anger festers on all sides, we have the makings of accelerating spirals of hate. It becomes easy to rationalize terrorist acts, including the martyrdom of suicide bombings, when one’s absolute and indisputable beliefs appear threatened and one knows that the non-believers are doomed anyway. Some, in fact, thrive upon enduring and escalating chaos and war and pray against any efforts toward peace. Many fundamentalist faiths are only a few steps away from the slippery slope and spiral of hatred, paranoia and revenge.

The challenge for the religious moderate, then, is to stand back and consider not so much the meaning of every word and verse, but