Sharp-eyed readers may have noticed this little hint from my post two weeks ago:
“Now that we have that established, I’m excited to discuss two different types of acronyms: Anacronyms and Backronyms.”
And yet… I only talked about anacronyms. As far as I can tell, there are only two explanations. 1) It was a mistake because I ended up only writing about anacronyms, or 2) It was a deliberate smokescreen to build suspense. Certainly it has to be the second, right?
A backronym is a word that has been made into an acronym. You know backronyms whether you know it or not. They didn’t name the organization Drug Abuse Resistance Education and then realized it actually spelled out D.A.R.E. Politicians are particularly adept at this form of linguistic gymnastics because they know people don’t want to have to refer to a popular bill as MHL 9.46. Those of us in New York may recognize MHL 9.46 as its backronym – NY SAFE Act (Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement). They can sometimes be clumsy, like the USA PATRIOT ACT (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act). Sometimes it might seem like a backronym, but hopefully never started that way. I’m looking at you, Floor Action Response Team, which is a real thing and was not intentional.
The Christian church is very good at creating new (figurative) backronyms with our understanding of self and God. When we read the Bible, are we trying to discern who we are supposed to be based on what the Bible says, or what the Bible says based on who we are. It is impossible to interpret scripture from a purely objective place. There are too many unknowns – when it was written, who it was written to, who wrote it, how the translations have changed the text, if multiple ancient manuscripts had differing content. Because of that, we’re always required to make some sort of subjective leap. Which is fine. It’s unavoidable and as long as we try to keep that in mind and remain humble about our necessary limited knowledge.
But we also have seen times when the Church has tried to make scripture fit into our preconceived notions. The Bible has been used to justify slavery, homophobia, racism, antisemitism, and the list only expands from there. We start to see how we have a pattern of trying to use the Bible as a way to show meaning for their own personal opinions. If anyone ever says, “The Bible clearly says…” then you have a hint that there is a backronym interpretation in effect. If it was so “clear,” then we wouldn’t be having this conversation wherein you try to convince me of something.
This is the grounding and animating force of Christian Nationalism. It is the idea of racial, ethnic, and cultural superiority, that uses Christianity as a way to reinforce those things. It is a cynical manipulation of scripture that supplants the words and intentions of scripture.
Be careful about those backronyms. They can get you in trouble. I was looking for a group to join to help spread the word about energy conservation. Imagine how frustrating it was when I called the D.A.R.E. hotline and was told that there is no group called, “Dudes Against Running Electricity.” I could insist that my acronym is the correct one, but no matter how many times I call, they still refuse to change for me…
Peace,
Rev. Jeff Fox-Kline
If you've enjoyed exploring into the nuances of words and acronyms in the latest blog from our pastor, we'd love to keep the conversation going! At Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church, we believe that meaningful dialogue enriches our community. Whether you're curious about our faith, have questions about life, or just want to say hello, we're excited to chat with you. To learn more about us, contact our office by calling 585-244-8585 or visit us in person! We're located at 1200 S. Winton Road in Rochester, NY in the town of Brighton. We look forward to connecting with you!
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