To start with:
This brings up an interesting point. What caused what? Did the selective scripture reading cause the lazy theology or did lazy theology cause the selective scripture reading as a way to maintain the theology? Which came first? The chicken or the egg?Mormorrisey wrote: ↑Mon Feb 04, 2019 7:06 amI agree, and I also agree with Gina Colvin that it's also a product of poor theology. Given that the church only has a lay leadership, and that even it's full time clergy had jobs before, none of them ever went to to theological seminary - they have never performed real scriptural exegesis (other than looking for Mormony events in the Bible) or even looked at theology, philosophy or deep doctrinal musings. And it has produced very lazy theology in its members.Just This Guy wrote: ↑Mon Feb 04, 2019 6:02 amI think it is more that Mormons have always been very poor about reading scriptures in context. Mormons read them with blinders on. They will take a scripture and read just that. They do not examine what is before of after it. That takes too much time away from the rest of their study. This also has the effect to help prevent any cognitive dissonance. If they knew the context, they may have to rethink their message.
To be fair, this sort of scriptural tunnel vision is not unique to Mormonism. I see it all the time in other Christian sects.
I would say that it is more likely that they are not stupid and they are not intentionally misrepresenting anything, they are just lazy.
I am kind of leaning towards the lazy theology is what requires the selective reading, and no, it's not a correlation thing. It goes all the way back to JSj.
in the early 1830's when he was working on the JST, he edited 1 Corinthians 15:40 to include reference to his made up Telestial kingdom. When read on it's own, it supports his three kings of glory doctrine, but when read in context, the changes make no sense and stand out like a sore thumb. You have to read that selectively for the change to work. So the poor theology results in having to selectively read scriptures to maintain it.
What say you? Chicken or the egg?