I was thinking the other day about false Christian doctrine, and how so many people fall for it... then I began to wonder just how this stuff comes about. I think all false Christian doctrine follows the same basic process, delineated in the following five steps...
The "five points" of birthing a false doctrine...
1. Decide what you want to believe. (note: it is really best to do this before ever cracking the cover of your Bible).
2. "Search the scriptures" to find passages, verses, and even portions of verses that seem to support your fledgling notion.
3. Purpose to ignore other verses in the Bible which unquestionably refute what you've chosen to believe.
4. When challenged with those verses mentioned in step 3, resort to eisegesis--meaning that you read a new and different meaning into those bothersome passages and then hope that your antagonist will just go away and leave you alone. It may also help to act aloof during such encounters, which can give your opponent the impression that he or she is not intellectually advanced enough to see things as they actually are.
5. Lastly and very importantly, purpose to consort only with other Christians who share your newly contrived point of view, avoiding at near any cost fellowshipping with those who may have a tendency to bring up verses that you really just wish weren't in the Bible in the first place.
...and voila! You're done. It will also help a lot if you'll be careful not to read anything other than the writings of those who agree with your point of view. Once you have a following, you can begin working to ensure that your members avoid these same troublesome publications. And watch out for those pesky ministers who remain uninitiated to your new understanding. ;)
