Wouldn't you call the young earth crowd a Bible Cult?

Question

The literal interpretation of scripture is only advocated by a Cult that claims to be the only true saved Christians. Millions of Christians would differ including the Catholics who in their heyday were the fundamentalist jerks of the Dark Ages.

I wouldn't venture to guess how the universe came to be the way it is. There are plenty of competent scientists working on that and other questions. I certainly wouldn't involve a morality parable in any conjectures, no more than I would use the parable of Sodom and Gomorrah to decide how God feels about gays.

Most of the rhetoric from this Luddite group is indicative of a group of psychologically disenfranchised individuals with authority issues. They misunderstand that when Jesus spoke of the Word of God he refers to himself and his followers. The children of God are the “Living Word of God.” These cultists worship the Bible as if it’s a part of the Godhead.

The scriptures didn’t exist in those days and each book or letter was a separate document and not one authoritative reference. It was the custom at the time to place warnings of damnation if anyone changed the text of the document to prevent unauthorized editing. The book of Revelation was chosen as the last book specifically to use it’s warning to give an impression that the curse would apply to every document included in the Bible. The intention is clearly to take the Bronze Age attitudes of the Old Testament, which aligns well with bigoted hateful thinking, and create moral validation for similar views in contemporary society.

Science proves hands down that the creation myth is not what happened and despite the rhetoric, noise, and bluster from the Christian Bible cult there’s practically no scientific debate about creation or evolution.

Many Christians take a much more spiritual view of God refusing to allow their spiritual faith to interfere with their God given intelligence. Science and faith are completely separate subjects and absolutely no one can escape the heavy hand of science. Faith is of course optional. Those of us that choose to exercise faith find inspiration, enlightenment, hope, peace, and happiness from our beliefs. A healthy Theist knows the place of faith in their lives.

An unhealthy Theist will attempt to use their faith to claim authority over others, make moral pronouncements, claim occult knowledge of an impending doom that only they have the secret of escaping, struggle to obtain and enhance political power to further their agenda, and blame all the shortcomings of society on the refusal of unbelievers to accept their truth.

As a Christian who researches and adheres to an ancient tradition called Catharism I’m ostracized from the BC (Bible Cult) Christians anyway because I find their unhealthy faith lacking in tolerance, respect, love, or adherence to the mysteries taught by Jesus and his followers.

I send my love to the millions of Christians that aren’t part of the BC crowd, to the people of all peaceful non-Christian faiths, and to the agnostics and Atheist who sacrifice faith for a better perspective for all mankind.


♥Blessed Be♥
♥=∞

Answer 1

Again, you put your finger on issues which I feel akin to. This
so-called "young earth" crowd consists in Christian funda-mentalists who, by counting back through the generations
named in the Bible, arrive at a date for the creation some-
where between 4500 and 8000 years ago. This type of
Christian is a literalist, and calls the Bible the "infallable
word of God". The truth is, there are many different types of
works(books) composing the canon of the modern Bible,
some allegories, some creation myths, some general
historic books, some poetry and song, some mystical and
some apocalyptic and so forth. So just as we find at the
gnostic site of Nag Hammadi in Egypt, the Bible is actually
an entire library of gathered texts, written in different ways
at different times and forth different purposes, and they
were written by inspired authors, who tried to understand
what God wanted said, and said it for him, some better
than others.
All this being recognized, however, I don't really think it is
so helpful to call these type of Christians "a bible cult", which
is divisive and off-putting, IMO. We should caution each
other as well as Christians of all kinds, to the dangers of
Bibliolatry, the "making any book into an idol". Thanks for
a good question, my young friend.

Answer 2

Effectively, it is a cult, yes, although it is not so well organized and monolithic as a cult in the usual sense.

But once the concept is planted that you are choosing between hard science and religious tradition, you have a difficult concept to defend, which causes things to become cast in concrete the way cult doctrines do.

This is not really about the Bible as such. Lots of people find real value in the Bible without being creationists. This is about the decision that this particular writing is infallible and to be taken literally. The problem is, there really are a great many passages that cannot be understood without interpretation, and many of them contradict one another. So the Creationists are left with a cognitive dissonance that makes them pretty neurotic. Just like a cult.

Cults also develop their own vocabulary to express things in a self-confirming way. So we have terms like Intelligent Design, and the term Creationism itself, which attempt to paper over the contradictions with a term that can become a buzz word.

What worries me is what all this is doing to the ability of their young people to think clearly, get a real education, and be able to make their way in the world. It seems quite possible these people are effectively condemning their children (and yours, if they succeed in dominating the local schools) to a marginal future out of step with modern life.

Answer 3

'Many Christians take a much more spiritual view of God refusing to allow their spiritual faith to interfere with their God given intelligence."

... Yeah. How about that!

Answer 4

Yes I may say that, it is rather a big problem, but really it is just a lack of simple understanding. I work ceaselessly to tear down the illusion, the limiting ideas that infect the masses, I love being here because here is where I find me in you and that makes me want to live. It is great to see you.

Answer 5

Applauds Gnostic's Question AND comments as well.

Raji the Green Witch

Answer 6

People tend to forget that the catholics and christians went about the world destroying naturally developed cultures. We are on the mend but we must not forget who are enemy is and who still seeks to destroy us... the evidence of their treachery is still out there... there is not god, that term is used exclusively by religions... there is only nature and now there are guardians of nature... elements of nature consciously aware and getting closer to destroying the catholic and christian element on earth...

Answer 7

i think that if people had not committed so many terrible atrocities in the name of god, your point of view could be accepted more easily.
i agree with you that there are many different types of people who believe in god, but this same god is responsible for the torture and killing and near destruction of many cultures and beliefs.

i see your point, and i cant agree with some of your ideas and sentiments, but i cannot reconcile the two.

i am glad though, that there are people as intelligent and thoughtful as yourself in the world!

blessed be

)o(

Answer 8

I would call all creationists a bible cult. There is really no difference. They are all ignorant

Answer 9

Maybe they'll catch the next comet out.

Answer 10

You can call us however you want. I am only interested what God calls me. It is not a big deal to me if the earth is young or old, God can make things aged so this argument is pointless. : )