Why do people still believe the Bible?

Question

It's really old and there are lots of contradictions. It's god is very hatefull and oppressive.

Let's just give up on it and start teaching it in high school English classes like Greek and Roman Mythology texts.

I have read much of the bible and I was a Christian until I was 17. Now I'm an atheist.

Answer 1

You have to keep in mind that the Bible is a compilation decided on by a group of people of Christian texts - some things were included, some were left out, and some meanings were lost in translation. A lot of people don't believe in a strict interpretation of everything written in the Bible, but it's got some good stuff in there, love thy neighbor, honor thy mother and father, and all that. The God I believe in is benevolent enough to love the unloveable, and he loved us so much that he sent his only son to die for our sins on the cross. I was athiest myself for a while, back in middle school and high school. I thought, if there were so many religions, and everybody thought they were the only right one, then how could any of them be right? Now I look at spirituality as a much more private, personal thing. You don't necesarily need to go to church to be close with God, as long as you accept Him as your savior and follow Jesus's teachings to serve God and get along with everyone else. The Bible, like a lot of things, is only what you make of it.

Answer 2

The really frustrating thing about reading people's responses to questions like these isn't the idiocy of some of them, but the intolerance. The religious people continually bash the atheists as amoral and the atheists call the religious ignorant. Everyone is making broad generalizations in rabid defense of their position.

The religious people have the right not to believe evolution- but acknowledge that your faith isn't based on fact. What makes it impossible to convince you all that evolution could be true is your faith, your feelings...faith is an amazing and powerful thing, and we're happy that you have it. But just like science can be flawed, so can faith/feelings. Ever had your heart broken? Most atheists don't begrudge the religious people their right to believe, just don't judge the atheists because they don't, and don't belittle them because they don't know "the truth" with your blind arrogance.

On the other hand, the atheists need to recognize that the believers are just that-believers, and just like you KNOW something when you feel it (even if it's wrong), they KNOW there's a god and that Jesus was his son. As ridiculous as it might sound due to the contradictions in the bible and the historical timeline it mandates, they'll always find a reason to believe, just like you'll find a reason not to.

I happen to be between believer and atheist...I believe in a higher power but that it's not the god of Moses and Jesus. Believers should realize that this is possible by the way...just because there is a god doesn't mean that men faithfully represented him throughout history. Think about what the world's reaction would be to Jesus today...would anyone believe him?

Answer 3

When police ask witnesses to describe the scene they witnessed, they often give stories that are different although they all saw the same thing happen. Multiple accounts verify a story, not discredit it. Some things in the Bible are literal and some is figurative. Also, note that the Bible was translated to English by a "middleman," translations lose some of the original meaning regardless of how good the translator. There was an incorrect translation of the Red Sea, which was really the Reed Sea, if I am not mistaken or have it reversed. I enjoyed reading Lee Strobel's books about Christianity; he was an atheist who sought to disprove Christianity, but ended up converting to Christianity. I hope you have a change of heart. Do you think we came from monkeys? That our ancestors were some hairy primates?

Answer 4

Because their intuition tells them they and all civilization are not just a mistake or an accident, and they know as a gut feeling that there must be a kind and wonderful Creator or God. Just a passing awareness of the marvellous way our bodies work, just a passing thought about all the many birds and animals and fish and flowers and trees and climates--all different-- with all details so miraculously well worked out tells them that this wonderful being has an intelligence and a love so far beyond us as to be way beyond our comprehension. So they look for and hope to find information. They search in bibles hoping it might be there. They also search in mountains, in oceans, in meditation in their own minds, in prayer asking to be led and inspired. Sure those bibles are full of contradictions and at best come from false religions but there are truths in there too and people care enough to try to sort them out. Thery want to know that God is loving, is kind, and that this life is not all, that there is more if they also love people and want to help them. Intellectuals find bible errors but they don't quit caring, and they go on and either explore many bibles or they find inspiration from spirit within themselves and their own minds or they are led to it.
Who made us is not hateful and not oppressive. He is full of patience and gives us much to appreciate.

Answer 5

maybe because people believe in god and the bible is gods word and it is a way of living and it has been around for a long time jesus's diciples wrote what god told them to write. 2 peter. 1:21 talks about how men spoke from god. christians believe that christ died for their sins. It is like passing the bible down and spreading it around. A lot of things in the bible reflect on every day things.

Answer 6

I don't believe the Bible. It's a book. I believe in God and the Bible is just a study guide.
Why do some people go so far off their own preferred,regular path to hate others?

Answer 7

What do you believe and why do you believe it? If you cited your sources of faith I'm sure we could find contradictions and imperfections with it also. Look, everyone needs something to believe in. That's how we rationalize our decisions in life. I don't believe everything in the Bible but I certainly appreciate it's truths and teachings of how to become a better, happier person and society. And it has helped me avoid troubles that many other people find themselve in.

Answer 8

Do you really want my response? You know it won't be very nice... It will most likely contain many bad words that will need to be censored, and will most likely be reported for not being in accordance with what the reporter believes, or deems fit to be written.

So I won't write my real response. You can guess it, or you can write to me...

I think we should mainly focus on Greek and Roman mythology, however.

Answer 9

well, the greeks and roman mythology is more,fictional.the bible has been written by many people by many years ago.and stuff it says is real its just that you dont really get the message under that.maybe you've lost hope for god because you think that by just praying you can get whatever you want.life is about challenges and finding out new things.the bible is just like a car manual,but for humans.

Answer 10

Because people need to have a religion, and knowing that Christianity is the most flexible religion and the Bible is as flexible as DC Comics in changing and re-interpreting its contents to fit whatever will recruit more followers, people tend to like it (they don't believe in it because if you notice they quote Human Rights decisions rather than bible commandements).
They can tell you "everything is done away with in the Old Testament", and as the New Testament doesn't contain much of rules, they do whatever they want.
It's an easy religion... steal, kill, lie, have premarital sex, commit adultary, molest little children, abuse 3rd world countries, do whatever you want because as long you have Jesus in your heart, you will go to heaven. :)