Faith-healing Oregon accused - True Scotsmen?

Source: The Register-Guard

Six Creswell siblings became wards of the state Monday as their parents await trial in connection with the death of their teenage son, who died in December after the couple allegedly chose prayer over medical care for his undisclosed treatable ailment. 

Brandi and Russel Bellew face second-degree manslaughter charges in the death of 16-year-old Austin Sprout. But they may continue to care for their remaining children under a state-supervised “in-home safety plan,” Lane County Circuit Juvenile Court Judge Eveleen Henry also ruled in a brief afternoon hearing.

I don't think 'evil' is a word that has any functional use outside of theology. That said - with whatever knowledge of theology I have gleaned over the decades - when I look at the actions of some God-fearing people I do not see the virtuous, pious and good, I see evil in the most basic understanding of the term from a theological perspective.


More moderate Christians might be tempted to levy the 'No true Scotsman' fallacy at me, but this Oregon couple's interpretation of Scripture is probably more true to the tenets of Christianity than their own. That makes the moderate the 'non-true-Scot'.


You see, cherry-picking the good bits of scripture and discarding the bad, and chalking certain parts up to metaphor, allegory or analogy, is no better than adopting all of it verbatim. 


If one truly wants to be a follower of Christ, you would be better off disregarding all of scripture - for all the sense that Christians have made of it over the millennia - and start living in the 21st century, looking into the actual historical Jesus.


Only then we can talk objectively about what is 'good' and 'bad' in terms that negate 'evil' and have genuine and meaningful applications in today's global society.


Your thoughts?


Tris Stock is a secular atheist, sceptic, pop-philosopher and writer trying very hard to build up a following with a view to one day make an income from doing what he loves. Please follow him on Google+, Twitter and Facebook.