proof-texting
n.— «It seemed that anyone could really make the Bible support just about whatever they wanted it to. They could control the text, using it as a tool to prove certain beliefs (a practice often referred to as “proof-texting”). As a result, whenever Scripture seemed to go outside of the boundaries of what it was “supposed” to be saying in a certain passage, I was left with a big problem. In fact, the parts of the Bible which fell outside of the few, favorite “proof-text” verses with which I was familiar were completely confusing.» —“Learning How to Read the Bible (Part 1)” by Ryan Issakainen Ryan Issakainen’s Blog (Wheaton, Illinois) Feb. 16, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...