Proof-texting...the Sin of Saints.

Proof-texting is bolstered by contextual extracting of scripture and often  portrays God as the "bad dude in the sky" that is out to condemn ALL who have not said the "sinner's prayer" to suffering and torment in hell's flames for eternity, religionists are cast as the ideal Christians who must defend the Bible and God from any doctrine that goes against their man-made doctrine beliefs.

To people's blame, all of this is done under the guise, that my Bible interpretation is right and here's the scripture to prove it! Never mind that they interpreted the scripture in light of what they believe rather than letting the scripture formulate what they believe.

Proof-texting...lifting Bible verses out of context to prove man-made beliefs...is the traditional weapon of choice some religionists use because it allows the sainted-soldier in "God's army" to wield the sword to destroy (as far as they are concerned) their enemy with a single verse while claiming the impenetrable high ground of clear Biblical interpretation and authority regarding their man-made religious beliefs.

Of course, this army of self-righteous soldiers who wage war against the people who believe the grace  message of Jesus are infamously silent on the host of issues they believe and practice that the Bible is silent on, but because of the proof-texting game they play, they claim their belief is right while heaping shame, blame and condemnation on the people they wage war against. For example, when it comes to things like gluttony, high-mindedness, spiritual superiority, man-made denominations, segregation of the Community of the Redeemed, manipulation and control of people, the misuse and abuse of Bible truth, etc., they are somewhat strangely silent.

Is it because they abuse and misuse the Bible to make it fit their way of thinking?

The Bible is rarely as clear as the literalist claim it is. The Bible seems so clear to the literalist because their use scripture is unknowingly...or...intentionally abused and distorted to support one's perceived doctrine through proof-texting.

Proof-texting is the deceptive practice that offers out of context proof while ignoring the the environmental, historical and contextual context of the scripture used...which is a greater witness of scripture truth, as is reading the Bible through the lens of Jesus being the greatest witness against religion's desired (and predetermined) theological conclusion. Proof-texting used to perpetuate the myth that the Bible is always inerrant, infallible and perfectly clear about everything, when in fact that clarity often only exists when we proof-text one's theology by ignoring the dominating themes of scripture in general and the message of Jesus in particular, in order to condemn and exclude people that are deemed unworthy and fitted for hell.

And therein lies the truly atrocious nature of proof-texting.

Proof-texts are designed to desecrate the beliefs of people, and crush one's ability to think for one's self. It accomplishes this manipulation and control of people, all in the name of God by shooting context-less Bible verses to exclude people from the Community of the Redeemed and condemn them to the torture chamber of hell fire.

Proof-texting is a sin of religious saints that defiles the content of the written word by turning it from what God meant for good into a weapon of mass destruction. By stripping verses of its environmental, historical and contextual context and refusing to acknowledge that the context of a context-less interpretation of scripture is twisting the scripture in order to biblify misuse and abuse of the word, to the  exclusion and marginalization of people.

Proof-texting exists almost exclusively as a means of excluding undesirable people from the Community of the Redeemed and ban them to the Community of the Dammed...namely the everlasting city of Hell!

Proof-texting is antithetical to Christ and the Gospel.

Proof-texting...the sin of saints... is a sin whose end goal  is exclusion, condemnation and damnation and is diametrically opposed to Jesus, who came not to condemn people but to redeem people, and to His Gospel, all the while intentionally embracing religious people to the exclusion of the people religionists call "sinners".

Now, the unfortunate propensity towards proof-texting of some religious believers doesn't mean that people should not use scripture to support one's position, but it must done responsibly, incorporating things like  the environmental, historical and contextual context, as well as science, and common sense reasoning to stimulate biblical interpretation. If not...biblical interpretation and theological conclusions will lack integrity, validity, and truth.

When one proof-texts their doctrine, they are not opening people's understanding or saving them from some religious hell. And they are definitely not taking a stand for the truth...In fact, they are abusing and misusing the written word of God and the people the written word of God points to Christ.