The Bible Tells Me So: Uses and Abuses of Holy Scripture

The blurb says, "Illuminates historical and current events where religion, politics and power collide and Holy Scripture is used and abused to influence public opinion and policy."

Hill and Cheadle show us how the Bible has been used throughout US history by those on both sides of public issues, including war, abortion, homosexuality, slavery, capital punishment, and many others by means of "prooftexting" -- excerpting a brief passage out of context. As you learn about how prooftexting was used to argue on both sides of the same issue, it becomes obvious that Bible verses out of context can mean whatever we want them to mean, and that verses can be dredged up "justify" any view of any subject.

This book is even more important in the show more current religion-charged political environment than it was when it was written in the mid-1990s. It will help you understand current issues in a new light. show less

In The Bible Tells Me So, J. Hill and R. Cheadle describe how the Bible has been used as a political and moral tool throughout Western history, especially the United States. The authors use advertisements, speeches, and images to show the multiple sides of the debate on racism, sexism, and many other "isms". They also include a bibliography and further readings. Scholars of history and biblical interpretation would gain added insight from this book. Many will find this book frustrating in the way that others have used the Bible, but will acknowledge the need for all to handle God's word with humility.