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Bible Memory Verses?


holierthanyou

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While happily wasting some time jumping from Fundy blog link to Fundy blog link, I came across this blog which is for (current? former?) ATI "Journey to the Heart" girls, where they talk about how this month's Bible memory verse is to memorize the entire chapter of Romans 8 (39 verses). That seems like an impressive feat (or at least it would be impressive for my paltry brain).

 

http://www.livingthejourney.com/

 

Anyway, it made me curious if most Fundies see that much Scripture memorization (on a constant basis) to be 'normal'? I had been under the impression that there was pressure to memorize one or two hundred individual verses when you are a child, but as a n adult you were more just expected to 'maintain' your memory of those verses. I did not realize that there was a large group of Fundies who seem to (?) memorize entire chapters (and even books) of the Bible every single month for their entire lives.

 

How common do you think it is to memorize that much? Anyone (ex-Fundy, presumably) want to share what the largest single section of the Bible they memorized was? In high school I memorized the 23rd Psalm, but that was by far and away the longest passage I ever managed (and I couldn't get past the first verse today).

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I have some pretty long proverbs memorized. It is not that bad when you compare it to poems and songs that we all have stored away in our heads. But no one made me do it.

My kids memorize verses sometimes in exchange for various bribes. I think it is good mental exercise. Again, no one should be forcing someone to do it, but it can certainly have a function.

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I'm sure it varies some between different fundies, but many consider it the ultimate goal to memorize the bible. I remember hearing about one person who encouraged people to memorize the bible so that when us evil liberals take over and ban the bible they can still worship the lord (cause, you know it's impossible to do otherwise).

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I'm used to plenty of memorization of stuff, and all the various tricks and study methods to make it happen, but for me it was never Bible verses.

Still, when I come across homeschooling blogs that talk about recitation (both for memorization and just a way to show you've understood a passage) and outright memorization and spelling bees and the like, some of the talk is familiar to me.

4-character Chinese proverbs, anyone? :D

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While happily wasting some time jumping from Fundy blog link to Fundy blog link, I came across this blog which is for (current? former?) ATI "Journey to the Heart" girls, where they talk about how this month's Bible memory verse is to memorize the entire chapter of Romans 8 (39 verses). That seems like an impressive feat (or at least it would be impressive for my paltry brain).

http://www.livingthejourney.com/

Anyway, it made me curious if most Fundies see that much Scripture memorization (on a constant basis) to be 'normal'? I had been under the impression that there was pressure to memorize one or two hundred individual verses when you are a child, but as a n adult you were more just expected to 'maintain' your memory of those verses. I did not realize that there was a large group of Fundies who seem to (?) memorize entire chapters (and even books) of the Bible every single month for their entire lives.

How common do you think it is to memorize that much? Anyone (ex-Fundy, presumably) want to share what the largest single section of the Bible they memorized was? In high school I memorized the 23rd Psalm, but that was by far and away the longest passage I ever managed (and I couldn't get past the first verse today).

I memorized the number of verses every week that correlated with my grade in school (5 verses a week when I was in 5th grade, for instance) when I was growing up. This was how I earned a summer camp scholarship week from my church, which my folks matched, so I got to go two weeks. I loved camp like fat kids love cake, so it was not a huge deal. I still remember the verses, but I'm really rusty on the references these days.

Many evangelical/fundie-lite churches use the AWANA program, which requires a lot of scripture memorization, so it's not atypical for those kids to memorize verses weekly.

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I had to memorize the books of the Bible to go to camp, so I did. I also memorized about 3/4 of the NT over the years. I know much less of the OT, mostly some Psalms and Proverbs and select verses from Genesis, Daniel, and Isaiah. I do know the 10 commandments from a song too.

It was supposed to be part of our "quiet time" with God to memorize scripture. I do know many of the stories from the OT and where they are found, but I have not memorized them word for word like I did with the NT verses.

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As an adult I'm memorizing new verses in my bible study group (this past session was three one-sentence verses over eight weeks) and at my MOMS club (one verse - usually one sentence - per month). I like that these verses are related to that sessions (or month's) overall topic so the verses relate to what we're studying. The thought of memorizing an entire chapter or book seems daunting to me. I'll admit that this partly comes from the fact that bible memorization is new to me so the thought of memorizing more than a few lines at a time overwhelms me.

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If I prepare to chant a passage from the Torah -- something I'm doing right now, in fact -- I unconsciously start to memorize the verses. It's inevitable when you spend so much time with the text.

4-character Chinese proverbs, anyone? :D

四字熟語, eh? I remember studying them for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.

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On Bates website Erin set a goal(for New Year) to read the bible the same amount of time she spends viewing any DVDs but in addition to her regular daily reading! ....so she will think twice before squandering precious time.

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In Sunday School, we memorized verses, and in my denomination's version of Girl Scouts, there were topical verses to memorize. One set was Scripture related to how to be born again. One set dealt with divine healing, etc. So I learned much through that program also. I was very interested in doctrine, so I would study on my own. At my Grandmother's house, she only had a LIving Bible, and I went without my KJV. I learned a bunch of verses out of the wrong version which upset one woman at church, but not that much. (It was a small group, and I was tested before a small group of church ladies, not the SNL kind, though.)

When I went to Christian School in eighth grade, we memorized a chapter a month. You earned special privileges if you did, though it was not mandatory. With every other English booklet (each year had twelve booklets in the Accelerated Christian Education system), you had Scripture memory which was chapter long by the time we hit high school.

When I went back to volunteer, after I graduated but before I got married and left town, I would memorize the passages along with the students.

As the Psalm goes, "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee."

I think it teaches focus and discipline.

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We usually had at least one verse a week each for Sunday School and Wednesday night. We also had memorization for school. Then we had additional competitions that we memorized for. I won an award for memorizing 150 verses the fastest at camp one year.

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I memorized the number of verses every week that correlated with my grade in school (5 verses a week when I was in 5th grade, for instance) when I was growing up. This was how I earned a summer camp scholarship week from my church, which my folks matched, so I got to go two weeks. I loved camp like fat kids love cake, so it was not a huge deal. I still remember the verses, but I'm really rusty on the references these days.

Many evangelical/fundie-lite churches use the AWANA program, which requires a lot of scripture memorization, so it's not atypical for those kids to memorize verses weekly.

I grew up doing AWANAs I still remember tons on the stuff we had to memorize. Our churches reasoning was Psalms 119:11 they word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.

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Bible Bowl was big at my kids first (Chrisiian) School, but the emphasis was on word memorization rather than understanding. A few years after that I was forced to endure an unbearably long "recitation" by 4 girls in my daughter's American Heritage Girls troop of one of the smaller books of the Bible (can't recall witch one now). The youngest girl was almost in tears--it was horrible.

In spite of that I do memorize Bible verses (as well as other quotes) that (sorry, have to use the Duggar/Bates word) encourage me in my life. I also have encouraged my kids to do so--my son's tattoo features a Bible verse.

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FJers: You guys are impressive for all the memory work you have done! I really find it quite a feat to be able to memorize so much. I agree with what some others have said here in that there is not a problem with memorizing Bible verses (or poetry, or other literature if one were so inclined), I am just jealous now I think that so many of you have done so much already! Maybe that will have to be my New Year's Resolution (five days delayed)- to try to memorize x number of verses. I don't think I could compete with the Bates' or anyone else who has memorized an entire chapter (I'm looking at you snarkbillie- who memorized 3/4 of the entire New Testament!!!?!!), but I can try starting smaller.

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The Duggars recite "some of Ephesians 6." You can see the famous hand motions, as well. It's only 10 verses though (I think?) not 39.

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I used to be able to quote big chunks of the Bible along with all the books of the Bible. I think I might be able to do the New Testament now, but the Old Testament, probably not.

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四字熟語, eh? I remember studying them for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.

Exactly! We had to learn a lot of them for regular school too.

So, you speak Japanese also then! Cool! :D

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Part of the requirement for getting back into sixth form in my Catholic school was doing well in our religion exam, which basically involved us memorising huge chunks of the New Testament (and the "correct" explanation/interpretation to go with them).

Unfortunately this made blindingly obvious the inconsistencies between the gospel stories, holes in what we were expected to believe etc, and only made me a more confirmed agnostic. But at least I can whip out Bible verses at will. :lol:

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I had to memorize the Heidelberg Catechism. :D Good times.

LoraLynn just posted about this. She pays her boys in Legos.

There are so many heart lessons to be learned with this little challenge: Responsibility, Diligence, How to Memorize… And even when I step on those tee-tiny pieces and vacuum them to smithereens, I know it will not have been wasted time. Time spent learning God’s Word is never in vain and never returns void.
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I used to memorize certain verses or chapters (I think my mom made me memorize all of Prov. 31...), but not whole books.

Ok, I have a theory...the Journey to the Heart stuff is for young, single adults, right? Mostly women? So maybe the whole "memorize the whole Bible!!!!" thing is just another way of giving them busy-work to distract them from the fact that they don't have any choices in their lives. I think it's kinda sad that grown women who should be starting their own lives would spend hours/day doing something that is basically useless. I mean, if they were sitting around memorizing Emily Dickinson, that would be cool, but also useless in the grand scheme of supporting themselves, forging their own lives, etc.

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When I was in Jr High and my brother was in HS, we memorized the whole book of 1 Corinthians for our district's Bible quiz team. We could say it all the way through, quote one verse randomly picked out when given the reference and answer questions related to any verse in the book. It was quite an undertaking and we quizzed each other constantly. Unfortunately, I couldn't quote a single verse from that book now. I'm sure it's still in my brain somewhere, but I certainly can't pull it out on demand like I could then.

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When I was in Jr High and my brother was in HS, we memorized the whole book of 1 Corinthians for our district's Bible quiz team. We could say it all the way through, quote one verse randomly picked out when given the reference and answer questions related to any verse in the book. It was quite an undertaking and we quizzed each other constantly. Unfortunately, I couldn't quote a single verse from that book now. I'm sure it's still in my brain somewhere, but I certainly can't pull it out on demand like I could then.

WOW!!! :o

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