An Observation

[Struggler]

It's not so much about worshiping the Word, but a lot of C of C'ers worship their interpretation of it.
The lack of "church this" and "church that" on this trip was refreshing!

[agricola]

I think some Jews kiss a scroll now and then or have outward show of reverence. Muslims freak out if you flush a Koran (man do I wish my water saving toilet had the ability to flush a book). But maybe the closest you come to with CofC with a Bible is IMO like patriots treating their national flag. You have a worn out ancient KJV pew Bible that is has lost the cheap cover. Still, throwing it in the trash can is so awkward. So in that sense there is some sort of weirdness around the book itself. But still I think it is what it stands for, not the book itself, again, like treating the flag with respect. But yes, some people love to deride and publicly insult and deface the flag so that it upsets other people. Some people just like to do those kinds of things and then justify it as being on a cause for truth or something...but generally they are just rude IMO.

We kiss it a LOT. But it is very clear that God is God, and the Torah - however holy and special - is not God.

I think what Cootie and the guys are talking about is a kind of attitude from many coc members (maybe other denominations too, I don't know) that 'the scripture' absolutely HAS to exist for absolutely EVERY question, concern or topic, and it isn't possible to read, say, the Sermon on the Mount and DEDUCE that certain actions ought to be done, or ought not to be done. The coc guys have to actually get into the pages and find something WRITTEN DOWN about it.

There's nothing wrong (I don't believe) in searching the scriptures for guidance, but expecting there to be no guidance EXCEPT in writing is asking kind of a lot from an 1800 year old collection of letters and some memoir-type writings.

[zeek]

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[B.H.]

I think the traditional way that is considered respectful to dispose of an old Quran is to bury it.

[agricola]

Torah scrolls, Bibles (Hebrew Bibles), prayer books etc - anything with the name of God in it is buried in a graveyard - once the storage place is full, anyway!

[KLP]

KLP said:

Muslims freak out if you flush a Koran (man do I wish my water saving toilet had the ability to flush a book).

Romans 12:21 says "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." How does intentionally disrespecting someone else's sacred things demonstrate "overcome evil with good"?

The thread topic is to fault CofC for worshipping the Bible itself, I was giving context that if worship of a physical text is a concern for anyone then there are more obvious places to begin. Sorry it confused you, but yes, I am not applauding the flushing of Korans but merely pointing out the strong reaction indicates a physical reverence for a physical book...oh, and my coveting of such wonder flushing power in the bowl...in the bowl, there is power...power...wonder flushing power

[williamray123]

I think the waters are being muddied slightly with the do they / don't they worship the bible itself because I think the original post carries a lot of truth - the CoCers are, in my opinion, obsessed with church/the church itself almost to the point of lessening the relationship to God and Jesus.

To them, you are a good christian if your butt is in the pew every Sunday and Wednesday - yes they pray to God and say 'in Jesus name' but the emphasis is on attendance to please God, not pleasing God by just being the kind of person that pleases him. Most CoC folks I knew walked around like they were sucking on lemons - bitter, self righteous people - but they sure thought they were ok, because they attended the "true church"

[KLP]

One of the defenses against science or atheism being a church, religion, or cult is that they do not have certain attributes of those other things. So because atheism doesn't have local membership clubs with weekly meetings then they are not a church or religion. But of course there are many things in common in the behavior and way of thinking. And even when it is pointed out that there are Atheist Meetings...well then they are not really like Religious Conventions...ok, whatever. So CofC is not a cult because it does not have certain attributes even though it does have certain similarities in how people think or react to leaving or expulsion.

So no the CofC does not "worship the Bible" even though there is a very high reverence to the Word due to the beliefs about God, revealed wisdom, and possibility of apostasy. So sure, if one has a perspective that the Bible is not important or not "that" important or that apostasy is no big deal, then to that POV sure the CofC has too much regard for the Bible. But that is just bias of the observer making the comment, it is no way objective. So if someone wants to say the CofC worships the Bible and that accusation does something for that person then fine, I just do not see the point or value. IMO, it is sort of like pointing out that Christians believe in Jesus or that Patriot fans think inflate-gate was BS.

[williamray123]

remember, the CoC only reveres the New Testament only - the OT is for our learning only - I find the CoC feels they can use the OT to prove a point - Nadab and Abihu, whatever, but if you try to prove a point with the OT, it isn't valid scripture. A one-way theological street so to speak (or type).

[KLP]

How about 2 Peter end of chapter 1 and into chapter 2. Peter is making the argument that prophecies of old that were proved true gave evidence, but then they also had false prophets in the OT times and so there will be false prophets in then current times (sort of nothing new under the sun), And then Peter goes on to make the point that just God in the case of Noah and Sodom that God will continue act the same, knowing how to preserve the righteous and keep track of the evil. Or Hebrews 2 making the argument that if the word of God given through comparatively inferior beings such as angels and prophets proved true and God upheld, then so much more so the Word given through his Son Jesus.

Plus Paul and Peter both had a bit to say about the parts of the Old Law that were no longer in force. So it seems to me it is not just some new fangled CofC notion thing to use the OT to show past behavior of God to make conclusions even though obviously some bits of the Old Law have long since played out and been put away.