Joel Lohr to Speak on "Using and Abusing the Bible" in NC

There are few people whom I respect more than Joel Lohr, Dean of Religious Life at University of the Pacific. If you find yourself near Elon University tomorrow (Feb 19, 2015), you'll want to know about this:

As debates continue to rage in America over same-sex marriage, abortion, gun control, evolution, immigration and stem-cell research, people of faith often look to their scriptures, particularly the Bible, for guidance. At times the Bible is wielded as a weapon to silence debate, to promote a cause, upheld as a moral standard for all, or is used as a source book for things like the golden rule or dictums like “love your neighbor as yourself.” But critics and people of faith alike are often found wondering how and why the Bible should be used, and whether there might be a definitive method in using the Bible in such debate. In short, who sets the rules? And why should any religious text—whether Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, or Sikh—be privileged in public debate? In this lecture, biblical scholar and religious dialogue expert Joel N. Lohr will map some of the territory before offering tentative guidelines for using sacred texts responsibly.

-anthony