Why do people who have not actually read the Bible have so many negative opinons about it?

Question

I have heard all kinds of half truths and bigotry. I wonder if all thes experts on it have actually sat and read it? Do you know what an "informed opinion' is?

Millions and millions of people believe in the Bible so how can it be the way to make people aethists? So far I have only heard distortion- nothing factual. I have heard people who need to be right at any price. Millions of people's lives have been transformed by this book. I have been told over and over in this website that because I am a christian I am mindless and I don't think. I do think and I also have opinions. I also have something that seems like people can't quite comprehend a saviour who walks with me. I have not always believed the way I do now - that is why I know beyond a shadow of a doubt he is real. How do you explain the spiritual- you can't. You have to experience it for yourself.

Before I decide the best answer I want to thank all the people who responded. When I look at a beautiful sunset filled with purples and hues I think " how beautiful" others look at the same sunset and think ' wow , lots of polution in the air today." We are of course both right. I guess it is how you look at it. I still enjoyed hearing your opinions.

Answer 1

sad but true....All we need to do is pray for them.God do works in ways u never expect

Answer 2

I read it when I was a kid (many parts of it numerous times). I studied it extensively throughout my high school years so when I came to the conclusion that I was not believing the bible anymore, I was quite familiar with the book. Even then I would have never refered to myself as an "expert". I believe that I do have an informed opinion, though it has been long enough that I of course can make mistakes regarding its content. For that matter, even people who study it and believe it to be the "truth" admit that it can be difficult to understand. How many "Bible Study" classes are there out there? If it were so cut and dry with no half truths and bigotry of it's own, then I would suspect that everyone would understand it upon the first reading, but they don't. I asked a question regarding some content of the bible on Yahoo! Answers and was corrected for a mistake I made, and that is as it should be, but I also got a multitude of answers all claiming to know what they were talking about all based on the bible as their source.

So to answer your question, yes I have read it and yes I know what an informed opinion is. Keep in mind that none of us is perfect and we can make mistakes.

Answer 3

Yes, I think the negative opinions of the Bible should be obtained by actually reading it. The Old Testament describes a deity that is outright evil. The New Testament shows the take-over of a Jewish revolutionary faction by a Roman mystic. The whole book is littered with mindlessness.

Reading the Bible is probably the single best way to get someone to go away from Christianity.

Answer 4

Since demons were around 2000 years ago, I would think they are around today and once invited by someone will have some control over that person. This person will then be used to fight Christians ie, Hollywood is full of actors, directors, producers, and others that make a great effort against the Christian faith even if it cost them money. If they don't believe then why hate something they say doesn't exist? Demons want to control people that have a great exposure to the masses as in Hollywood and the news media.

Answer 5

I don't believe you have to be an expert on anything to have an opinion. Some people have good thoughts on subjects they just have difficulty expressing them. A lot of negativity today comes from the all the information available on the T.V. and news and computer information which may contradict what we were taught as children. At least for me this is true. Because it is written in the Bible doesn't mean it is all fact. You have to have true faith to believe. Most people don't anymore

Answer 6

Yes I have read it and I have been in a bible class and studied it. It is full of half truths and myths. It contradicts itself throughout the book. Some parts are good and trying to teach and others are trying to make you feel bad so that you will not question the church. It is a book written by men and was scraped together by the council of niccia..not one "holy" person had anything to do with it. It has some potential but of course people are taught that it floated down from heaven and is infallible. Because of this it is used in most of the most bigoted and cruel attacks on goodness and decency leading to the enlightened to dread anyone bringing up anything to do with the bible

Answer 7

Probably for much the same reason that so many people who have not actually read the Bible have so many positive opinions about it.

It's remarkable how people on both sides use the Bible to justify their bigotry. The Bible can't actually justify anything at all - it's just a collection of folklore.

Answer 8

Yes, I have read it, that is why I question it and beleive it false. If I had not read it I would not know that all of that ridiculous stuff is in there. I think that most people that believe in it are the ones that have not read it. Too bad you didn't give any examples on the half truths and bigotry that you claim are given.

Answer 9

"A thorough reading and understanding of the Bible is the surest path to atheism” ~ Donald Morgan

Among other impossible things, we have:

*  a universe in which all that exists are the earth and heaven
*  solid 'firmmament' structure (the sky) seperating the earth from heaven (terrarium earth)
*  talking snakes and donkeys
*  demons chased out of people and into pigs
*  friendly spirits
*  evil spirits
*  walking on water
*  multiplying loaves and fishes
*  people raising from the dead
*  stopping the sun in its tracks
*  parting seas
*  people being bodily sucked up into heaven (which, by the way, lies on the 'other side' of the sky)
*  world-wide flood that drowned the earth to a depth of 40 feet above the tallest mountain
*  creating people from dust bunnies and ribs
*  magical tree of knowledge
*  god speaking from a burning bush
*  ritual cannibalism, by eating god in the form of a cracker

It has been my experience that atheists know MUCH much more about the bible than do 95% of Christians. Also, they typically know a great deal about the history of Christianity, and other religions... topics about which most Christians know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Answer 10

Because of all the contradictory beliefs that people have about the Bible. One Christian says one thing, and the next Christian says something completely different about the same passage.

Answer 11

Dear Theresa,
By REALLY reading the bible, and by reading I mean analyzing the context and information within it with your logic and open mind, you'd soon to realize that the bible is not all that perfect to begin with.
that's why some of the Christians became agnostic, atheists etc.