Don't Patronise Me!

This is my big gripe. When I ask Christians for help, and they say "you need to read the Bible". Well, I do read the Bible. I've studied it academically, and I've read it devotionally as well. I hate it when people start doing the "I know so much about this and you know nothing" when I've told them that I am informed about what the Bible says. Its fine if someone just starts off by saying things about the Bible, because how could they know that I've read it? but when people know I've read it, several times, that I've studied it and that I like it, and then say "you don't know the Bible", or "you need to study the Bible" it gets on my nerves.

Its incredibly patronising to assume that I know nothing when I've already told you that isn't true. I don't mind - at all - you sharing your thoughts on the Bible, but not when it isn't sharing but forcing. Please don't assume I'm ignorant. Most Christians are terribly ignorant about their own sacred text, so why assume a professed Christian knows more than me?

Another irritating thing is if, say, I'm disagreeing with someone about something in the Bible, and they say, "you can't understand what the Bible says because you're not a believer" (or, not a true believer - someone who believes the same as them). They usually quote 2 Corinthians 4:4 "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God." and 1 Corinthians 2:14 "The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.". To which the only answer is, "If I can't understand the bible because I am not Christian, why do you bother quoting it to me?" If people really believed that they wouldn't put bible quotes in evangelistic messages!

I can understand the Bible, and I have read it - don't assume I have not. Don't patronise me. I want you to share, but I don't need force-feeding.

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