Manipulation---Central Feature of Conservatism | Eastern NC Now

    I have looked Conservatives in the eye most of my life. Sometimes I enjoyed their company. At other times their stench of self-deception made my eyes water and nose burn. To be a manipulator you have to view yourself in the mirror of life as a person who is "GOOD FOR THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY --- ALL THE TIME."

    My first real encounter with religious conservatives was my 1967 freshman year at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. You could usually spot them by the white shirt, narrow dark tie, and a big Bible under their arm walking arrogantly to class. They were defending the faith they brought with them to graduate study rather than exploring the depths of theology, history, and biblical studies being offered. Most avoided Hebrew and Greek since the original languages of the Bible bring questions to the King James Translation of 1611.

    They were like the old Kentucky fellow who stood up and shouted in church from the back. The occasion was the famous Dr. Weatherspoon of Southern Seminary. He was an outstanding biblical scholar who took his Greek Nestle Text to the pulpit and translated from it to read his scripture for the night. As he read --- and the words did not EXACTLY coincide with the King James --- the fellow got so offended that he shouted from the back pew: "I want you to know I believe my Bible from civer to civer!!!"

    With a kind smile and gentle spirit, Dr. Weatherspoon answered: "Sir, I agree with you BUT I believe my Bible from cover to cover. . ." There is a significant difference between a "civer-to-civer" religion and one which is "cover-to-cover." The difference is education, honesty, and using the most original manuscripts as the basis of the Bible. Several things were involved in what was going on at the country church that night:

      •  English Language, itself, has changed between 1611 and 2015.

      •  The KJV is thought by many to be "The Word of God" --- as if God dictated it word for word.

      •  The KJV is based on the King of England wanting a Bible the average British citizen could read and it was based solely on the Latin Vulgate used by Catholics --- NOT on the Original Greek and Hebrew Manuscripts available then and now.

      •  It was sometimes redacted to reflect a desire of translators not to have their heads cut off by the King, should it confront his terrible temper (in your KJV whenever there is a italicized word, it shows the translators inserted something not in the original Latin).

    An example of MANIPULATION in the KJV is found in I Corinthians 13, the "love chapter." The original Greek manuscript says "Love is not provoked. It actually reads: "Love (agape) is not (ouk estin) provoked." King James was famous for his terrible temper and instant beheading of any who opposed him. The translators knew this and softened the definition of love given by Paul with the added "easily" to avoid the chopping ax! They knew a totally accurate rendition to English would get them in more than bad trouble! People can be manipulated into changing and softening their position when power and social prejudice is focused against them. The Bible depicts a 3-story earth with water beneath, sky above, land in the middle with 4-corners. Again, the first astronomers and mathematicians who posited a round earth rotating around the sun rather than a flat earth which was the center of the universe go the threat of burning at the stake if they persisted in their "un-biblical" views.

    My father and I both got fired from a Baptist church. In his case, he refused to cower to a powerful politician/lawyer in the town. In my case it was the same in one instance and in the other it had to do with the "glorified social club" for blue collar folks running that church in a white collar new community of growth in N. Metro Atlanta. We both went against the grain of the social club and dared to preach accurately the Bible---for better or worse.

    During slavery days most preachers in the south did their best to justify slavery with their Bibles in King James English. Some claimed "Negroes do not have souls," others took only the passages pertaining to slaves and claimed that was the way to go today. People who do not read the Bible themselves in a modern translation they understand are easily MANIPULATED.

    They fail to see how Paul said, "There is neither slave nor free, Greek or Hebrew, neither male nor female. All are made in the image of God." Those who have thought for themselves and see the Bible as a whole are hard to manipulate. It is another matter to confront others who enjoy their social club and violate basic tenants of the Faith.

    Not all church members are there for spiritual purposes. They are really thinking "going to church makes my business prosper because customers assume I am an honest businessman." If the preacher crosses them---even if it is in private---they want his head cut off!

    Next up: Intimidation by Conservatism