Russell Moore has written a piece on his blog that offers two good reminders for us when it comes to the use of quotations. One lesson comes from his comments on someone's mistake and one can be seen from the mistake he makes.
Moore points out that a church had on their website the following motto: "If you will but worship me, all will be yours" (Luke 4:7)." He then points out that that statement is made by Satan!
The church has removed the statement and wrote, "This lesson is a demonstration why when using tools online to identify quotes that you think deliver the honest and sincere message you intended you should always view the quotes in their whole context."
That is for sure! However, Moore then goes on to make a similar error as he attacks the denomination the church is a part of. He writes, "Inaccurate? Who said it was inaccurate? A United Church of Christ (UCC) hears Satan speaking and mistakes it for God. This is all right above the 'God Is Still Speaking' campaign logo, advertising the UCC's trendy social and sexual liberalism. It seems perfectly accurate to me, except perhaps that the word 'god' shouldn't be capitalized (2 Cor 4:4)."
Moore seems to have the same problem as the church—remembering who to attribute a quotation to. The church took a statement by Satan to make it seem like it came from God. Moore takes a statement by one church and makes it look like it came from a denomination. One church’s mistake cannot be accurately or ethically used to represent the message of the entire denomination.
Not only is Moore just as inaccurate, but he is doing it intentionally. Thus Moore's error is much worse than the church's because he is purposefully misusing the situation in an un-Christ-like manner to attack his brothers and sisters. I would take the accident over the intentional any day!
Moore points out that a church had on their website the following motto: "If you will but worship me, all will be yours" (Luke 4:7)." He then points out that that statement is made by Satan!
The church has removed the statement and wrote, "This lesson is a demonstration why when using tools online to identify quotes that you think deliver the honest and sincere message you intended you should always view the quotes in their whole context."
That is for sure! However, Moore then goes on to make a similar error as he attacks the denomination the church is a part of. He writes, "Inaccurate? Who said it was inaccurate? A United Church of Christ (UCC) hears Satan speaking and mistakes it for God. This is all right above the 'God Is Still Speaking' campaign logo, advertising the UCC's trendy social and sexual liberalism. It seems perfectly accurate to me, except perhaps that the word 'god' shouldn't be capitalized (2 Cor 4:4)."
Moore seems to have the same problem as the church—remembering who to attribute a quotation to. The church took a statement by Satan to make it seem like it came from God. Moore takes a statement by one church and makes it look like it came from a denomination. One church’s mistake cannot be accurately or ethically used to represent the message of the entire denomination.
Not only is Moore just as inaccurate, but he is doing it intentionally. Thus Moore's error is much worse than the church's because he is purposefully misusing the situation in an un-Christ-like manner to attack his brothers and sisters. I would take the accident over the intentional any day!
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