Cafeteria Christianity

Cafeteria Christianity is a (generally derogatory) term used to refer to the practice of deciding for oneself which parts of the Bible to accept. The term derives from the idea of selecting certain foods in a cafeteria while rejecting others. This implies that the person believes in a deity, but may not adhere to any particular creed of Christianity, preferring to decide for themself how to express their faith. Other terms include "salad-bar Christianity" and "cherry-picking Christianity." Cafeteria Christianity is an example of self-generated Christianity, i.e., "Christianity" interpreted in the context of one's own beliefs.

This associated practice is particularly common among liberal denominations, which often cite passages showing Christ's forgiveness and mercy in order to deny the existence of Hell or the necessity of faith for redemption. Matt. 7:1, "Judge not, that ye be not judged" is quoted particularly often for this purpose. Likewise, they do not adhere to passages which refute evolution, condemn abortion, make statements about the role of women that refute modern feminist dogmas, condemn homosexuality, adultery, and remarriage after a divorce, and conflict with other liberal views.

However, cafeteria Christianity is not limited to the left side of the political spectrum: conservative Christians often cite Scripture selectively in order to expose hypocrisy while explaining away the same issues in their own camp (such as criticizing the Catholic Church for covering up child molestation among its priests—arguing that the problem is due to the Church's prohibition against priests marrying—while ignoring similar cases involving married pastors or leaders within major Protestant churches or denominations). A notable example of "right-wing" cafeteria Christianity can be found on Coservapedia. For instance, Conservapedia articles cite the Bible to condemn homosexuality, while denouncing abortion despite certain passages of the Bible in support of it. (e.g. Numbers 5: If feelings of jealousy come over her husband and he suspects his wife and she is impure... The priest shall put the woman under oath and say to her, "If... you have made yourself impure by having sexual relations with a man other than your husband... may this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries.")

Due to contradictions found in the Bible and Christian organizations, adhering to every part of the Bible is technically impossible. Thus, anyone could theoretically be argued to be a "Cafeteria Christian".

Bible teaching against cafeteria Christianity

The Bible quotes Jesus as saying:

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4 (KJV)

Note: "every word," not "some words." The counterargument of many cafeteria Christians is to assert, typically without evidence, that the word of the authors of certain parts of the Bible is not necessarily the word of God. However, absent evidence that a certain passage of the Bible is not God's Word (e.g., Paul's explicit statement that he is expressing a personal view), that counterargument is circular, as it assumes the propriety of cherry-picking the Bible in order to justify cherry-picking the Bible.

Confusion as to just how literally Biblical texts should be taken abounds, even amongst those who generally accept the Bible to be the word for God. Few would argue, for example, with the statement: 'However, the bible cannot be interpreted literally, if this was the case then rebellious children would be killed: Deuteronomy 21:18-21. Also, Women may not speak in church: Cor 14:33-36. The bible is not a collection of dogmatic and strict rules, it is a book of God that promotes compassion, faith in God, truth, and love.' Conversely, many would argue for and against those passages in the Bible which command obedience to tradition , to established authority , to the leaders of the church , to human institutions , and against sola scriptura private interpretations of the Bible .

Proof texts

A common tactic used by cafeteria Christians is reliance on proof texts. A proof text (sometimes spelled prooftext) is a short passage from Scripture that is cited, to support a doctrinal position that the Bible when read as a whole may not support.

"A text without a context is a pretext for a prooftext"
—Evangelical Protestant scholar Dr. Donald A. Carson, who attributed this saying to his father.

When cafeteria Christians are confronted with Bible verses that contradict the results of their prooftexting, they typically respond that such beliefs only reflect ancient Jewish/Christian tradition, not God's word.

Conservative Christian historians and apologists are mindful of this statement by John Eck addressed to Martin Luther, in the year 1521:

"...there is no one of the heresies which have torn the bosom of the church, which has not derived its origin from the various interpretation of the Scripture. The Bible itself is the arsenal whence each innovator has drawn his deceptive arguments. It was with biblical texts that Pelagius and Arius maintained their doctrines. Arius, for instance, found the negation of the eternity of the Word—an eternity which you admit, in this verse of the New Testament—Joseph knew not his wife till she had brought forth her first-born son; and he said, in the same way that you say, that this passage enchained him. When the fathers of the council of Constance condemned this proposition of John Huss—The church of Jesus Christ is only the community of the elect, they condemned an error; for the church, like a good mother, embraces within her arms all who bear the name of Christian, all who are called to enjoy the celestial beatitude."

See also

• Cafeteria Catholic
• Christian In Name Only
• Fast Food Christianity
• Fluffy bunny
• Liberal Christianity
• Situational ethics
• Casuistry
• Sophistry
• Specious reasoning
• Hypocrites
• Confirmation bias
• Schism
• Heresy
• Apostasy