With my being and remaining a 'fundamentalist' (actually, I like to think I'm a 'fun everything') the root of this stability in outlook has been a result of experience and the fact that reading God's word as revealed to us in the Bible and demonstrated to us in His living Word and illuminated by His Spirit lights up so many areas of need and security in our fallen world.
It is true that people do indeed read, "the core messages of the Bible in ways that support their existing views," but it is also true that these views are supported by the way that they read them, perhaps more than by what they read. There are times when the Simon and Garfunkel gene kicks in (the SG7_'A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest' gene) and people will see their own lifestyles, values and attitudes endorsed regardless of whether this is the case. this is why we get all sides of the contest prooftexting and posturing. The problem is that some will read the Bible to establish a basis of support for things that obviously are not of God and are not compatible with a Christian lifestyle and these are to be found in orthodox and liberal wings of the Church, there is no monopoly.
Challenge is great, especially if we decide where the challenge is to be found. Sadly, this is (or am I unique?) rarely the reality.
So what has experience taught me such that stability and constant adherence to God's word (logos and Logos) is indicated?
That Christians are sinful and these sins involve greed, sex, selfishness, deceit, laziness, self-satisfaction and all the other trappings that make us flawed and fallible creatures. there are none who are free from these and despite the fact that some will carry placards and denounce others, I would not wish to see their private sins exposed for they would look no differ from those against whom they rail. That said, I would not wish to re-interpret the Bible in the light of today's culture in an effort to sanctify that which God obviously hasn't until now! There will be a meeting with the author and I believe He's covetous of His mss and takes fiddling with it a little badly.
That when I engage with humans as described above, I am called to restore them, love them, refrain from condemning them and be grateful that I am not them - all the time remembering how awful my own particular brand of sins are to God.
That there are people out there engaging in sexual sin (of all sorts) who acknowledge that Christ died for them and believe all the same things that I believe - that their sin is not mine neither makes them any worse or me any better - we're all just different sinners. I do believe that there are lying Christians, thieving Christians, adulterous Christians, homosexual Christians, lazy Christians and more beside (feel free to add your own sin to the list)
That Micah 6: 6 - 8 is a call to act justly and to have mercy as a forethought safe in the knowledge that my own sins will keep me humble and from that the realisation that viewing other people's moral certainties and uncertainties, the constant that is either applied or obviously missing in not just the word of God but the heart of God. This doesn't make us liberals, even though I have been accused of this from a number of people, merely more engaged with the heart of Christ.
The Gospel is universal and is for all people regardless of age, nationality, income group, education. Those who live in fat, rich Western nations have no more right to dictate to others and the voices of the poorest, disenfranchised people (and nations) are often that still small voice which we so often crave but fail to hear with our tellyvangelists, prosperity nonsense and triumphalistic nothings.
So when it comes to dealing with sinners, do we allow them (and us) to hear the words that confer forgiveness and when they end with the phrase, "And go and sin no more," where does this leave us?
Personally - on my knees, thankful for the Cross and looking to God's patience and love
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