Piers Morgan Just Doesn't Get It

In an interview with pastor Rick Warren, Piers Morgan ranted about how the Bible should be altered to accommodate our twenty-first century culture because it, like the Constitution, is "inherently flawed" (link). This, he admitted, is due mostly to his advocacy of same-sex blessings and/or marriage. I cannot help but wonder: Does he also think that the Qur'an should be amended to accommodate for same-sex marriage?

Typical of many, Morgan et al. find themselves rather brazen with regard to Christianity. "Change your views, you bigots," they demand. "Amend the Bible in order to meet our Western, enlightened views!" But they cower like spineless jellyfish in the face of Muslims and their Qur'an. Oh, sure, they may harp about women's rights and clothing in the Muslim world. But they do not dare say a word about amending the Qur'an in order to appease our post-postmodern, sacrosanct, anthropocentric culture.

Perhaps Morgan is unaware of the already-accomplished amendment present in the LGBT Queen James Bible. But the Bible is not a document forged by the opinions and wishes of men, like the Constitution (Ps. 19:7-11; 119:4, 9-16, 18, 19, 20, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 33-36, 105; Jer. 20:9; 23:29; Matt. 24:35; John 1:1; 10:35; 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21). If it were, Scripture would appear far different than how it has come to us.

For example, if the Bible were strictly men's opinions and wishes rather than what it actually is -- God's inerrant word to humanity -- then many of their statements would appear anthropocentric rather than Christocentric. Subjects such as sin and hell would appear far, far less, while love and unconditional, universal forgiveness would dominate the tenor of the books and letters (which would also probably appear fewer in number).

I remember seeing an episode of The Golden Girls many years ago in which Sophia, Dorothy's mother, took possession of the Pope's ring during one of his American tours. She said to Dorothy, "Maybe this is my chance to get in the Bible." The audience laughed. Dorothy responded, "Ma, the Bible is a done deal." I thought to myself that the character Dorothy understood the Bible far better than the majority of liberal scholars. At least she understood the state of the Bible far better than Piers Morgan.

The Bible is a "done deal." No word, phrase or sentence can be added to or taken away from it, in the original manuscripts (cf. Deut. 4:2; Rev. 22:19). But through his finite lens, Morgan feels entitled to stand as judge over Scripture, rather than submit to Scripture and let it judge his thoughts and feelings and behaviors. Bill Muehlenberg comments:

And we do not have the luxury of selectively choosing, cafeteria style, what we want and don’t want to acknowledge and obey. We are not God, so we do not have that option. God has decided what truth he has revealed to us, and it is up to us to go along with the plan, and not make things up as we go along. 

People have been the Bible's judge for thousands of years, so Morgan is not the first, nor will he be the last to call for amendments. The only one worthy of amending Scripture is its Author, and He is eternal, thus never having had a thought occur to Him.

In other words, because Scripture's Author is eternal, what is contained therein derives its authority from Him alone and hence there can be no amendments. James Arminius comments:

The authority of any word or writing whatsoever depends upon its author, as the word "authority" indicates; and it is just as great as the veracity and the power, that is, the authentia, of the author. But God is of infallible veracity, and is neither capable of deceiving nor of being deceived; and of irrefragable [indisputable] power, that is, supreme over the creatures.

If, therefore, He is the Author of Scripture, its authority is totally dependent on Him alone. (i.) Totally, because He is the all-sufficient Author, all-true and all-powerful. (ii.) On Him alone, because He has no associate either in the truth of what He says, or in the power of His right. For all veracity and power in the creature proceed from Him; and into His veracity and power are resolved all faith and obedience, as into the First Cause and the Ultimate Boundary (Gal. 3:8, 9; 1 John 5:9; Rom. 3:4; Tit. 1:2; Psalm 1:1-23; Gal. 1:1, 7, 8; John 5:34, 36; Rom. 11:34-36; 13:1). (link)

Arminius sums up nicely all I have concluded in studying the subject of the inerrancy and infallibility of God's word:

Either He who speaks truly claims these attributes for Himself, and so His discourse is Divine . . . or (let no blasphemy adhere to the expression!) it is of all foolish speeches the most foolish: Between these two extremes no medium exists.

But in the whole of the Scriptures not a single tittle occurs which will not remove from them by an invincible argument the charge of folly. (link)

God is the Judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25). He alone has the authority to establish what is moral and what is immoral -- what is right and what is wrong. Calling for an amendment -- improvement -- of God's word is an insult from a finite being and is the absolute height of arrogance.

Perhaps Piers Morgan should amend his views rather than call for the amendment of Scripture: "Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you" (Jer. 26:13 KJV).