February 28, 2007

Sticks 'n Stones

When my daughter was in her teens she participated in Bible Bowl, a program similar to Knowledge Bowl. If a student stayed in the program from the 7th grade through the 12th, they would have committed almost a fourth of the Bible to memory. Because Leslie went to church every Sunday and was knowledgeable in Scripture, her high school peers considered her religious. Interestingly, it was the Youth Minister rather than peers, who labeled her a Bible Thumper during her Sunday school class. And then we wonder why adults won’t study the Bible.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Gail;
-----I heard that they recently eliminated the Bible Bowl program at your church. If that is so, they will be all the more sure to not produce more Bible Thumpers!
-----I understand much of what is meant by that term, though. I am often embarrassed by the behavior of Christians protesting the removal of a cross here, an abortion clinic there, and the treatment of Terry Schiavo in Florida. I agree with them, of course, but they throw out platitudes, clichés, and one-line scriptures as if everyone understands how to-their-faces they are to fall when they hear.
-----I know I bore many with my yadda, yadda, yadda. But I can’t get past the feeling that a good scripture or principle is worth a good explanation. The reason a thumper thumps is partly because they know so much does actually attach to those platitudes, clichés, and one-line-scriptures, but they just don‘t explain it. So really, in my opinion, the difference between a good Bible expositor (which I am not) and a Bible thumper (probably more me) is merely the lack of patience the listener may have for connecting unconnected dots. I do believe it will be a certainty that the one place all Bible thumpers will pass through the memories of all their criticizing listeners is before the Judgment Seat of God. (THUMP…ooowwww)