the Protestants who, frankly, interpret the Bible as they darn well please.
NOT AT ALL.
. . . . unless, perhaps one is citing JW's or some other unorthodox sect not really considered very Christian by the bulk of Protesty's.
Even in some of the flakier congregations I've visited have made an earnest effort to the highest they were capable, of taking the text and the best scholarship of the text to discover what the text was really saying AND TO SEEK TO FOLLOW GOD ACCORDINGLY.
Of course, some folks seem to have a compulsion to wallow in IN-GROUP/OUT-GROUP dynamics so compulsively that facts seem to matter little, if at all. BUT IN THIS CASE, I HAVE NEVER OBSERVED ANY PROTESTY'S TO BEHAVE AS DESCRIBED. I realize rock throwers will never lack for rationalizations to throw rocks, however.
Very sad, that.
Feel free to include me on posting your excellent comments. It's refreshing to the soul to find someone who believes the word of God.
Yes, and unless you want to accuse Jewish believers of some strange conspiracy, wherein the texts they publish today for their own congregations are just a "ruse" to throw off Christians, the Hebrew text is consistent with our English translations. Reading them just adds to a deeper understanding of the scripture. All the prophecies that we claim prove Christ are contained therein and I'd say even clearer than in the English.