Why Would An Atheist Read The Bible?

[nailit]

Why would a creationist read The God Delusion?

Anyway, Ive set myself a goal (always lived my life by goal setting, it focus's the mind) to read the entire Bible...Genesis to Revelation...in 3 months!
Ive read the entire Bible before, but forgot much of it, and after a few conversations at work (with Evangelicals) Ive decided to read the lot again. After 14 days I am currently at the first few chapters of Deuteronomy. Have struggled (but persevered) through meaningless chapter after after chapter of animal sacrifices in Numbers to meaningless chapter after chapter of ridiculous laws in Leviticus, with endless repetitions of genealogies and the endless repetition of killing animals because it is a *Pleasing aroma before the Lord*

I can quiet understand why Bible believers have never read the Bible.
Its Boring.
Its sick
Its Immoral
Its irrelevant

But I'll read it!
Can Bible believers understand why I will?
(for the next couple of months at least)
;-)

[naomi24]

Khandro, I've read them both [the bible and the God Delusion] ..... //

Me too.

//the bible is better.//

Why?

Theland, Israel's existence can only be credited to man and his determined ability to cling to purpose.

[jim360]

It's worth pointing out that if the Universe was finite in diameter when it was "created", then it would be finite in diameter now. But that is not what is believed to be so. Space is likely to be infinite, in which case it was infinite to start with.

I'd be happy to discuss that with you further beso, but what's certainly true is that the Universe wasn't a Planck Length big, and it's also not true that the Planck length is a minimum possible length scale, ie that there are no possible smaller distances. That would have severe consequences for Special Relativity, in fact. What *is* true is that the Planck length is the smallest length we can claim to understand at the moment.

[Theland]

Is it not true that our pahysics and mathematics breaks down at 10 to the minus 32 secs after the Big Bang so we can only speculate on what went on before?

[jim360]

It's true that we don't know everything (and probably never will) about the start of the Universe. I can't say I remember the exact figure.

The problem is, why is that a weakness?

[naomi24]

Theland, regardless of science you can only speculate about what went on before anyway.

[nailit]

Bit behind in Biblical goal of reading Bible in 3 months...
Missed a few days reading but finished Joshua.
Man! What a hoot. If you like blood and guts and God-Given genocide then read Joshua. Got nothing on Stephen King!

What does this book tell me about God exactly?
(Apart from been a psychopath)?
I utterly fail to see what it is supposed to convey apart from slaughtering enemies is good?
Am I missing some spiritual insight?

[nailit]

Would like some spiritual insight.
But suppose that im blinded or something?

[Theland]

God was building a nation, and wanted those tribes who worshipped false gods to be anhialated and there was a prohibition on the Isralites intermarrying with them, or sharing their ways.

[naomi24]

//[God] wanted those tribes who worshipped false gods to be anhialated//

Shame the Jesus idea didn’t occur to him sooner. Instead of encouraging mass slaughter, God could have had all those victims converted.

[Theland]

They all knew the truth but wanted instant results, they thought, with magic and false gods, which were more immediate.

[naomi24]

//wanted instant results, they thought, with magic and false gods, which were more immediate. //

Wow! The magic and false gods worked!

[Theland]

So God destroyed them.

[archibaldy]

Other humans destroyed them.

[Theland]

His agency.

[naomi24]

Great bloke, God. All that blood on his hands - women's and children's too. You really condone that, Theland?

[Theland]

Is my or your morality in the great scenario of history superior to the Author of morality in whose image we are made?

[naomi24]

Theland, please stop with the 'in whose image' stuff. Yes my morality is superior to his.

[Theland]

Congratulations.

[naomi24]

No congratulations necessary, Theland. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t espouse values that reject genocide …. except you, by your own admission.