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)
;-)

[nailit]

//Why do you need other people to justify it? Who cares what other people think?//

Why have an AB then?
Lets do away with news and politics for the same reason.

[maggiebee]

It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true word of God.
The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of good teachers, will bring us to him.
We must not use the Bible as a sort of encyclopedia out of which texts can be taken to be used as weapons.

C. S. Lewis

[Atheist]

Maggie. How do you know what Christ Himself thinks, or has said?

[Mamyalynne]

Having grown up with Biblical stories and texts I tend to see them as illustrative of early ways of telling tales of the times - though to be honest I'don't dwell on such matters often.

I have just tried to live a decent life like most people and do as little harm as possible.

[maggiebee]

I don't Athiest, it's a C.S. Lewis quote I found. Interpret it as you will.

[Atheist]

Sorry, Maggie. I thought you might be in agreement with CSL.

[Theland]

The bible is often a classic example of brevity and understatement.
Compare the first few verses of Genesis with the history of science.
There's a clue.
Also like a jigsaw puzzle different parts of the bible fit together perfectly, one explaining the other.
How do the first few verses of Genesis interlock with John ch1?

[nailit]

//How do the first few verses of Genesis interlock with John ch1?//
You been serious Theland?

[Theland]

Deadly.

I notice a few atheists a getting quite good at preaching.

The wrong gospel but a good effort.

[nailit]

//I notice a few atheists a getting quite good at preaching.

The wrong gospel but a good effort.//

No idea what you on about but never mind?
Crack on with the original question

[Theland]

Nailit, the points I made are serious.
Keep on with your studies, but don't glance through it looking for faults, see what you can get out of it, now that the exuberance of youth has given way to mature comtemplation.

[andy-hughes]

// Nailit, the points I made are serious.
Keep on with your studies, but don't glance through it looking for faults, see what you can get out of it, now that the exuberance of youth has given way to mature comtemplation. //

Come on Nails, do as you're told!

[Theland]

Andy - I am being polite. Is there a need for sarcasm?

[naomi24]

Khandro, //it's criteria isn't about credibility but interpretation, what you draw from it is what you believe & need on a personal level.//

So what it actually says is irrelevant. You make of it what you will …. in which case none of it really means anything specific - in your opinion.

Theland, //Nailit - As I thought. You learned nothing. It went right over your head.//

According to Khandro you make of it what you will, so who’s right. You or him?

[vulcan42]

Theland, you have again told nailit to " keep on with your studies", so I assume you have found something in Genesis which you think nailit, and the rest of us, have missed. You should, therefore, be capable of explaining just what this vital piece of information is. Will you do it?

[Theland]

For millennia it was thought the universe was eternal.
It was not until 1929 with Hubbles telescope that it was realised that our expanding universe actually had a beginning.
The bible begins with, "In the beginning."
It was way ahead of science.
There is more.

[naomi24]

//There is more. //

Nothing you've said to date convinces me. Shall we not go there?

[jim360]

Every religion has a creation myth. The Bible in that regard is hardly unique.

[Theland]

Naomi - I am not in the business of trying to convince you of anything.

[Theland]

Jim - Science lagged behind the bible based on the evidence.