[papertyger]

Why even bother with Scripture at all then?

That, you would have to take up with God. I would not presume to answer, though I should point out most of what we rely on as uniquely Christian Scripture was not so critical until the Reformation made it the basis of their separation from the Traditional Church Hierarchy.

[Radix]

OK, so Scripture is essentially worthless unless some ecclesiastical bureaucrat decides that it is OK to refer to it if it satisfies the agenda of whatever the contemporaries in control say it means.

A bunch of double talk? Back at you.

I submit that actually reading what the Bible on the whole has to say about issues of concern makes a lot more sense than occasionally referring to certain convenient passages when it comes to matters of faith.