How can I read the bible atheistically?

Answer 1

Go through it from this site.

You can also go through the Koran with it.

It's a lot less head nipping when there's reasonable language along side.

Answer 2

I can think of three ways. The first would be to start at the beginning and read it straight through. This gives you the historical perspective leading up to the New Testament. The second would be to read the part that has to do with what Jesus taught. This Bible is called the "red letter edition". That means, to make it easier to find what Jesus said, you just have to read the part in red. If that is all you want, you can just read the New Testament. The third way would be to get a notepad, a concordance (Strong's is pretty thorough) and a Bible. Before you start reading, write down all the questions that you want answered from the Bible.
I don't really know you or your intentions, so I don't know if this will help or not. I know a guy who won't believe Jesus is the Messiah because nowhere in the Bible does Jesus ever say, "I am the Messiah". But, if you read the gospels (1st four books of the New Testament) you can find His claims of deity.
Good luck!

Answer 3

You can read it critically... atheistically isn't a real word.

Just read through it, if something doesn't make sense make note of it. You should also read books on textual analysis of the bible as well as what historians have to say about the context of the bible and such... There's a lot more to it than just reading it an applying it to what you know. You have to understand the culture from which it was written within and what was happening at the time as well as how symbolism and metaphor is used and why it made sense to them and how it can be interpreted differently by us. Hope that answers your question.

You may also want to compare it to other religious texts and ancient mythology of the Mediterranean cultures... there are several parallels.

Answer 4

User David = Arrogant troll.

Regarding the Bible, just read it. If you're confused by a passage, then look it up or ask about it. The Bible is a man-made collection of books -- some are mythological, some are historical. There's nothing mysterious or otherworldly about it, and you don't have to believe in something to read about it.

Answer 5

Athiesm is just another belief. A belief there
is no God. Which cannot satisfactorily be
proven any more than anyone elses beliefs.
The Bible calls "science, falsely so-called".
Because science is just another belief system, in that scientists reject thier own test results if
they don't go along with thier predisposed
ways of thinking.
Therefore, it would be easy to read the Bible as an athiest. Just read it objectively, without prejudgement.

Answer 6

Whether or not you believe in God, the bible has a lot of wisdom in it. You can learn how to avoid things and how to live with good morals in it. Proverbs for one. There is good wisdom from some of the prophets as well, and Jesus's teachings are insightful. Stuff that you can use daily just to live a happy life even if you chose not to believe in God.
Also, it is a great history book. While it only gives you one piece of history (The Jews) it is cool when you compare it to all the other pieces of history that were happening at the same time.

Answer 7

The Bible offers guidance in matters of morality, and it describes effective solutions to the problems of crime, hunger, and pollution. The trouble is, most people no longer view the Bible as an authority in such matters. At one time, it was listened to with respect—at least in the West. Although the Bible was written down by humans, in the past the majority in Christendom accepted it as the Word of God and believed that God himself had inspired its contents.

JUST READ IT FOR ACCURATE INFORMATION IF YOU NEED TO. IT WILL PROVE USEFUL EVEN THAT WAY.

Answer 8

Read it cover to cover. Learn some of the history surrounding the times it talks about. Compare it to the Illiad and Livy's Roman history. Learn how societies preserve their myths in their written history and their stories of origin. Compare the archaeology from the middle east with the stories in the Bible. Compare the histories given by Egypt to the stories in the Bible. Compare the stories to the stories we have from ancient Mesopotamia (like the epic of Gilgamesh).

In other words, read the Bible like you would any other collection of stories promulgated by the myth-makers of any area. Realize it is a complicated mix of fact, fiction, propoganda, and philosophy.

good luck!

Answer 9

The only way to truly understand the Bible, particularly atheistically, is to read it in its original language: Hebrew, Aramic, and Greek. And due to the fact that it takes years to become fluent enough in these languages this might take some time.

Answer 10

Just read. You can read the bible and be an Atheist. If you are convinced otherwise, you will no longer be one.

Answer 11

Why bother, just read the story book and fall asleep everytime you get through about 10-20 pgs of the most difficult read in the history of humanity. PEACE!