As a person of faith, I have been horrified to watch Christianity’s fall from grace in mainstream America. The former president’s legacy stands out as an embodiment of what is missing today from our leaders in Congress, and in church.
In my experience, every time someone claims “the Bible says so” to justify their own evil, it doesn’t actually say that. And when it seems ambiguous, a little bit of basic academic research clears it right up. And guess what? Still doesn’t say what they say it does. But no amount of evidence or explanation or research will change their minds because it was never important to them in the first place, but a convenient justification for being monstrous. Like you said, “appeal to authority”.
In my experience, every time someone claims “the Bible says so” to justify their own evil, it doesn’t actually say that. And when it seems ambiguous, a little bit of basic academic research clears it right up. And guess what? Still doesn’t say what they say it does. But no amount of evidence or explanation or research will change their minds because it was never important to them in the first place, but a convenient justification for being monstrous. Like you said, “appeal to authority”.