Historian: First English Bible Fueled First Fundamentalists

[Psalms18_28]

The translation of the Bible into English marked the birth of religious fundamentalism in medieval times, as well as the persecution that often comes with radical adherence in any era, according to a new book.

The 16th-century English Reformation, the historic period during which the Scriptures first became widely available in a common tongue, is often hailed by scholars as a moment of liberation for the general public, as it no longer needed to rely solely on the clergy to interpret the verses. (as it was posted before, When the Lord Tarries, a new translation will come out so peole do not have to rely on a religion to hear God's Words. The Catholic Church was becoming a "dictator" over christians)

But being able to read the sometimes frightening set of moral codes spelled out in the Bible scared many literate Englishmen into following it to the letter, said James Simpson, a professor of English at Harvard University.

"Reading became a tightrope of terror across an abyss of predestination," said Simpson, author of "Burning to Read: English Fundamentalism and its Reformation Opponents" (Harvard University Press, 2007).

"It was destructive for [Protestants], because it did not invite freedom but rather fear of misinterpretation and damnation," Simpson said.

It was Protestant reformer William Tyndale who first translated the Bible into colloquial English in 1525, when the movement away from Catholicism began to sweep through England during the reign of Henry VIII. The first printings of Tyndale's Bible were considered heretical before England's official break from the Roman Church, yet still became very popular among commoners interested in the new Protestant faith, Simpson said.

"Very few people could actually read," said Simpson, who has seen estimates as low as 2 percent, "but the Bible of William Tyndale sold very well?as many as 30,000 copies before 1539 in the plausible estimate of a modern scholar; that's remarkable, since all were bought illegally."

When Catholicism slowly became the minority in the 1540s and 50s, many who hadn't yet accepted Protestantism were berated for not reading the Bible in the same way, Simpson said.

"Scholarly consensus over the last decade or so is that most people did not convert to [Protestantism]. They had it forced upon them," Simpson told LiveScience.

Persecution and paranoia became the norm, Simpson said, as the new Protestants feared damnation if they didn't interpret the book properly. Prologues in Tyndale's Bible warned readers what lay ahead if they did not follow the verses strictly.

"If you fail to read it properly, then you begin your just damnation. If you are unresponsive ... God will scourge you, and everything will fail you until you are at utter defiance with your flesh," the passage reads.

Without the clergy guiding them, and with religion still a very important factor in the average person's life, their fate rested in their own hands, Simpson said.

The rise of fundamentalist interpretations during the English Reformation can be used to understand the global political situation today and the growth of Islamic extremism, Simpson said as an example.

"Very definitely, we see the same phenomenon: newly literate people claiming that the sacred text speaks for itself, and legitimates violence and repression," Simpson said, "and the same is also true of Christian fundamentalists."

... http://www.livescience.com/history/0712 ... birth.html

[Guest Guest]

Kind of scary, huh?

[Jerry]

Looks like a bit of fear mongering. Following the Bible is what liberates people - it is ignorance of the Bible that gets this world in trouble.

John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

[John81]

Looks like a bit of fear mongering. Following the Bible is what liberates people - it is ignorance of the Bible that gets this world in trouble.

John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

:amen:

[Guest Guest]

I would like to see a study that compares fundamentalist/extremist Islam's interpretation of the Koran with fundamentalist/extremist Christians (and I'm speaking of the white supremacist/Westboro Baptist movement) interpretation of the bible. It is my understanding that, like most fundamentalist/extremist Christians, most fundamentalist/extremist Muslims are uneducated and are fairly new to their faith's literalist interpretation and ideas. It seems like the article which is quoted above speaks to a comparison, would I would still like to see some specifics.

[Jerry]

There is nothing wrong with being fundamental in our approach to the Bible. A literal approach of the Bible teaches devotion to the Lord and love for our neighbour - including correction when needed.

There is no comparison with that of a fundamental muslim. The Koran teaches hatred and slaughter of their enemies - those who are Christians and Jews, or who will not submit to Islam.

The problem is not a literal approach to a book - whether the Bible or the Koran - the problem is the contents of the book! The Koran is filled with error, hatred, oppression, etc. The Bible is not.

P.S. If you do not take ANY book literally (which includes interpreting figures of speach as such when they are used), then you really do not understand it and are not taking it the way the author intended. That goes with secular literature as well as the Bible. If you disregard what it is actually saying, there is no way you will truly ever understand it, as the Author intended it to be understood. God meant what He said - and said what He meant - but then fallen man comes along and tries to change it to suit them.

[Psalms18_28]

I would like to see a study that compares fundamentalist/extremist Islam's interpretation of the Koran with fundamentalist/extremist Christians (and I'm speaking of the white supremacist/Westboro Baptist movement) interpretation of the bible. It is my understanding that' date=' like most fundamentalist/extremist Christians, most fundamentalist/extremist Muslims are uneducated and are fairly new to their faith's literalist interpretation and ideas. It seems like the article which is quoted above speaks to a comparison, would I would still like to see some specifics.[/quote']

most of those christian extremist go by verses that will support their propaganda and ignore other verses. The hate is already there, they are just trying to find an excuse to support their hate. They are not interested in studying God's words.

For example, an abusive husband will show his wife that she have to submit to him so it will give him excuse to abuse her. Yet, when someone show a verse that a husband have to love his wife and treat her as his own flesh, he will ignore that verse. I always felt that if a husband is going to beat his wife, him should beat himself first then beat his wife. If he won't beat himself, then he shouldn't do it to his wife.

[Guest Guest]

Interesting. So they do have scripture to back up their views? Very interesting in deed.

[IM4given]

Verses can be taken out of context and used to support just about anyheinous act or crime. But when the Bible is read and viewed with understanding, then it is liberating and useful book of instruction.

There is coming a day, and it will not be long, when we are going to be asked to bring our Bibles to the town square for a Book Burning Party.

[Guest Guest]

So, just so I have this straight, that looney tunes at Westboro Baptist twist the scriptures and takes them out of context to further his views? Same the the neo-Nazi, they are having to misrepresent the scripture to further their segregationist and hate field ideas? To hear some of them talk, it sounds like it is comeing right out of the Bible.

[HappyChristian]

So' date=' just so I have this straight, that looney tunes at Westboro Baptist twist the scriptures and takes them out of context to further his views? Same the the neo-Nazi, they are having to misrepresent the scripture to further their segregationist and hate field ideas? To hear some of them talk, it sounds like it is comeing right out of the Bible.[/quote']


Yes, jon, that is exactly right. Just because someone claims to be following the Bible doesn't mean they are. That is why it's so important for each of us to study and know God's Word. Cults are started by people who trade on other people's gullibility when it comes to Scripture.

The group at Westboro are just as wrong in their approach as any other group that twists Scripture.

[IM4given]

:amen:

[Guest Guest]

"Yes, jon, that is exactly right. Just because someone claims to be following the Bible doesn't mean they are."

A bold and definite statement. Maybe even revolutionary. I would love to hear some examples of this from people who know about these groups (I myself am not very familiar with the subject of Biblical misinterpretation).

[John81]

There is nothing wrong with being fundamental in our approach to the Bible. A literal approach of the Bible teaches devotion to the Lord and love for our neighbour - including correction when needed.

There is no comparison with that of a fundamental muslim. The Koran teaches hatred and slaughter of their enemies - those who are Christians and Jews, or who will not submit to Islam.

The problem is not a literal approach to a book - whether the Bible or the Koran - the problem is the contents of the book! The Koran is filled with error, hatred, oppression, etc. The Bible is not.

P.S. If you do not take ANY book literally (which includes interpreting figures of speach as such when they are used), then you really do not understand it and are not taking it the way the author intended. That goes with secular literature as well as the Bible. If you disregard what it is actually saying, there is no way you will truly ever understand it, as the Author intended it to be understood. God meant what He said - and said what He meant - but then fallen man comes along and tries to change it to suit them.

:amen:

[John81]

"Yes, jon, that is exactly right. Just because someone claims to be following the Bible doesn't mean they are."

A bold and definite statement. Maybe even revolutionary. I would love to hear some examples of this from people who know about these groups (I myself am not very familiar with the subject of Biblical misinterpretation).

For example, the Bible teaches that God hates sin, but he loves all sinners so much that He sent His Son for us and desires that we all turn to Him.

Westboro teaches "God hates fags". God hates homosexuality, but God does not hate the sinner. Therefore, Wesboro is not teaching the Bible.

The Bible is the Word of God and as such, it's intended to be taken as a whole. If a person chooses to take one verse out of context and tries to make a doctrine out of that, then they are not following the Bible because they have ignored the rest of the Bible.