is the bible too long?

Question

would more people read the bible or koran if it was much shorter

Answer 1

I have read longer books than the Bible, but then I am a prolific reader but I can see how the old Testament would be considered too long for first time readers.

Answer 2

You can't fit the Bible on a T shirt, or a bumper sticker, or in YahooAnswers, or in a TV commercial.

If it's more than 2 lines long, nobody will read it. So in that sense, it's too long.

The Bible was never meant to be read like a novel. The early church followed a liturgical calender because the Jews did, and the earliest Christians were Jews.

Catholics follow a similar calender, and 95% of the Bible is read aloud over a three year period. The Bible says the Word of God is to heard, not read.

The vast majority of the world population over the past 2000 years could not read.

Answer 3

It was not even considered a reasonable possibility, previous to the invention of the printing press, that the average person would even possess a complete copy of the books of the Bible. The original authors of the texts certainly never made such a consideration nor conceived that their letters/books were to part of a great collection of sacred texts.

So no one should necessarily feel that they must read it cover to cover. It would be a good thing to eventually read all of it, but it is better to read the parts you find interesting and take your time than to be daunted by the task of reading it all and end up reading none of it.

Answer 4

If each book of the bible contained some money, would you want one or fifty-six?

Details: Let me answer from the Christian perspective.

We Christians believe the [Christian] bible is God's word as spoken by the prophets. It is a religious book, not a conversion manual, about how God fulfills his promise in Christ Jesus and about our hope for eternal life.

Think of it as a dinner menu where you can read what we know about God, what God promises, and what is to become. It is everything, in fact the only thing, we have. The bible is a collection of books, and like a meal, we choose what we read. Naturally we do not choose every item on the menu for a single meal, nor we do read very book in one sitting.

For example, the bible assumes that God exists (there is not proof of God existence within its pages) and that God existed before he created everything we can observe. Everything we know about God is revealed. There are no facts as in the scientific method about God.

As said before, the bible is a collection of books (actually scrolls) which is available to us. Whether we belief what is written is our choice, but belief is a matter of faith. No logical argument will force anyone to belief. What you believe is yours, and your beliefs make you, you.

Life has challenges, and when things are beyond our control, Christians use what they known and believe from the bible. As said before, the bible is a religious book, a book to help us on our way. A way that is through Christ.

As you can see, this detail answer getting far too long (actually not long enough). If each book contained some money, would you want one or fifty-six?

Answer 5

No, I don't think it's too long, but it isn't the type of book one can just sit down and read within a few hours. The Bible is supposed to be ABSORBED. There's too much in there to just read it, like one would do with any other book.

Answer 6

I think the bible is just right! It is God in words. I don't think we could handle any more of the one and only true God! At least in the bible it does not say to kill those who didn't agree with the beliefs of the Koran

Answer 7

If it were shorter it wouldn't have something for everyone. Everyone has there favorite chapters and books. Plus it is short for a law book. Imagine reading every law congress has ever made, The constitution, the declaration of independence all in one book. It would be thousands of pages longer.

Answer 8

No. I have read many Stephen King novel's that were much longer. The Stand, Insomnia, It...and I am sure I could cite other authors works who were more lengthy as well. Length of the work has nothing to do with the message of the work.

Answer 9

They make those pocket editions with the Gospels, Acts, and Psalms and Proverbs. Those are probably the best for first-time readers, since you get the pretty stuff, the wisdom, and a good amount of the action.

Answer 10

The interesting thing is you can fit all the good bits (religiously speaking, there is a lot of history too) onto about 5 pages. The rest is either irrelevant histories, or talks about stoning unbelievers etc.