BIBLIOLATRY – The Free Dictionary website defines this word as an “excessive adherence to a literal interpretation of the Bible, extreme devotion or concerned with books, excessive devotion or reliance on the Bible, extreme fondness for books, the worship of books especially the Bible, the worship of the Bible…”
After the successful First LGBT Mass Wedding held in Baguio City some of my friends from facebook were asking questions about my personal beliefs in this issue and often quoted the Bible for their reference. But I respected their opinions about it. And so often here in this country the Bible is being used to condemn homosexuality as immoral, mental disorder, devilish and other negative adjectives that you can imagine. Most of our countrymen is having a hard time accepting our belief on same sex holy unions and they often quote the bible.
Protestants are often calling Roman Catholics as Idol worshipers and they often say that Roman Catholics are “Idolaters”. But as I have observe Protestants and all those churches who often quotes the Bible is guilty of being a “BIBLIOLATER” or the sin of “BIBLIOLATRY” you know why?
1. They forgot that the Holy Bible was written 2000 years ago in different languages and in different cultures. It is a 2000 year old book. When it was written all of our scientific and religious knowledge now are non-existent during that time. So quoting a 2000 year old document in the light of today’s issues is like putting an small cloth on a large person or trying to count all the stars in the sky using an eye glass.
2. Most churches uses the Bible to segregate women and make them a second class citizens. They cannot be ordained as priests. They cannot be elected in the highest positions of churches. They quoted the Bible so that males will dominate churches.
3. There are churches who just use the bible to make a money making business especially those who are building mega-churches with a prosperity gospel teachings.
4. When they use the Bible to condemn someone it is bibliolatry.
5. When they use the Bible to divide churches instead of uniting them it is bibliotary.
6. When they use the Bible to make themselves like gods instead of being humble it is bibliolatry.
7. When they use the Bible to discriminate other people instead of loving them it is bibliolatry.
8. When they use the Bible not to accept things that they don’t really understand and have a “know it all” attitude it is bibliolatry.
9. When they use the Bible as if this is the only book about the complete knowledge of God and dictate everyone what to do this is bibliolatry, why? because we cannot contain the complete knowledge about God in just one book. God is much bigger than the Bible.
10. When they use the Bible in persecuting people instead of understanding, accepting and loving people this is Bibliolatry.
EKKLESIA TOU THEOU 