Personal bias

The below quote from Relevant Magazine points out what I consider one of the most offensive areas about Christianity. I have been a Bible student since my youth and there are certain doctrines that do not resolve in Scripture no matter how much time I spend studying them. Yet those are often the same doctrines about which there is so much dissension and division among Christians and denominations. Why can’t we be humble and gracious enough to admit that in some areas, “We simply don’t know enough to take a firm stand.”
“4. We All Pick and Choose the Bible We Believe, Preach and Defend. Christians often accuse believers with differing opinions of “cherry picking” from the Bible; holding tightly to verses they agree with, while conveniently jettisoning ones they are uncomfortable with. The only problem is, each time this assertion is made, the one making the accusation conveniently claims objectivity; as if they somehow have a firm, dispassionate understanding of the entirety of Scripture, without bias or prejudice, and that the other is violating that.
As we mature in our faith, some of us may be able to shake off some of our personal biases and get closer to the true meaning of Scripture. But until then, most of us have our own Bible, made somewhat in our image. There are as many specific individual interpretations of Scripture in history as there have been readers of it. Our understanding and belief about the Bible is a product of our upbringing, the amount of study we’ve had, the friends we’ve lived alongside, the area of the world we live in, the experiences we have and much more.
Is it really fair to accuse someone else of selectively using Scripture, unless we’re prepared to admit to the same crime in the process?”
Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/…/5-things-i-wish-christian…