Please read your Bible??

Question

"Please read your Bible" Why do Christians tell me this when I ask questions on her? Why do you assume as an agnostic I never read the bible? I was a Christians now im not. Reading the bible was part of the reason. For your information i have read the bible in three different languages and different versions. As well as the koran, as well as books on theology. As a matter a fact i noticed many Christians have a very limited knowledge of canon law. As well as science. Do you think im wrong? Do Christians realize how the books of the bible were put together and why???

Answer 1

Most Christians have little knowledge of Canon Law as it doesn't apply to them. Canon Law is a Catholic institution, and does not apply to other Christians.

Church history, on the other hand, more people should be familiar with. How their particular denomination ought to be of importance.

In the end though, most Christians feel that nothing outside of their Bible is important, regardless of how their particular denomination came to their particular interpretation of that book.

Most claim a "clear reading of the text" as what is necessary, but forget that the English is not necessarily a clear interpretation of the original. In fact, the Torah was meant to be interpreted each time it was read, rather than having the fixed and unchanging thing that exists at the beginning of the Bible.

In any event, I'm somewhat like you. I've read the Bible in multiple translations; I've studied Church history. After much effort and learning, I decided I wasn't a Christian and have found a different faith. I'm not atheist or agnostic, but definitely not Christian.

I'm almost sad for those Christians that show their ignorance of their own history when they expound some ignorant ranting that shows simply that they don't understand what they are talking about. I hope that some day they'll pick up a good concordance and actually spend some time learning how to use it, and then actually do so when they come across a verse that seems to show hatred toward a particular group. I hope that they study church history sometime and find out what exactly happened in Constantinople or Nicea or Trent. I hope that they study the Gnostics and find out what they really believed and why their gospels are not included in their canon, while they were read and loved by many Christians prior to Nicea.

Sadly, I don't think this will happen.

Answer 2

Probably because they feel that the answers you are looking for, they found in there. I don't think they are implying you are illiterate or ignorant. Agreed, most Christians do not know canon law, nor are they really interested in learning it.

I was agnostic for awhile, having left the Catholic denomination that I was raised with all my life. It seemed out of touch with reality, the real living world around me. Checked out other faiths and religions for awhile. Buddhism, TM, etc. I'm a Christian now. Why? Of all the knowledge that I had found, nothing seemed to answer this spiritual void and longing within me.

Found a tract one day that said that the only thing that was separating me from heaven was 18". The average distance between our head and our heart. I realized I knew about Jesus, but I didn't know Him. To know Him required faith that He exists and was real, that a relationship could be established. That simple step of faith; asking Him to help me to open my heart and find Him, started a spiritual relationship beyond anything I could ever imagine. It still continues to this day.

The Bible was Spiritually written by men, directed by God's Spirit. That is why the many various versions and interpetations are not an issue. It is the same Spirit, revealing to the heart and mind of the believer reading it, things that can only be spiritually discerned and understood. Even now, there are times where passages, even ones I had memorized as a kid, can take on whole new and clear meanings and revelations. You can't believe all the joy and amazement I still get reading the Word.

I share this with you, not to shame or belittle you, but to let you know that there is more to this Bible reading than is readily apparent. It's wonderful to have the Spirit lead you through a romp through it's pages... learning and growing, and loving Him more with every page. It truly is the "Bread of Life".

Answer 3

I don't think you're wrong in questioning it. I grew up in a 'very' Christian community where everything was narrow minded and absolutely ridiculous. I feel that many Christians in America don't have a CLUE. Like how the bible used by Protestants contains less books than the Catholic Bible- and neither Bibles contain complete texts that have been found that maybe should be there for us to read? But what more is religion than blind faith? And to those who never make it past that point, well, that's where the hatred and ignorance Christians hold for the people/cultures/religions around them comes from- the people who choose not to know better.

Answer 4

This is a terrible general generalization saying that Christians just tell you to read the Bible. I am a Christian and I can't say that I've ever read the Bible all the way through (I'm working on that right now) but I never tell anyone to read the Bible wothout giving them a specific passage, and even then that's usually because the Bible says things better than I do. I am aware of how the Bible was put together.

Answer 5

In the bible Christians are refereed to many times as sheep in a herd that the Shepard must look over. Have you ever looked at a herd of sheep?? They are dumb animals that are not really in touch with their surroundings. Any noise or quick action sends them scouring. How true of Christians today. They are lost people that blindly follow anything shiny in front of them. Rarely and i do mean rarely you will find a few with their heads on the shoulders but even then they would rather just sing praises that actually learn about the bible. A "christian" that is knowledgeable is no longer a "christian". At least in that religion's mindset. Which we both know is the most misleading force in the world.

As for how the books of bible were made please do a deep study into that if you have already not. You will find that many of the teachers of Jesus' time that he personally scorned were some of the "fathers" of today's bible. They bible that we know. Those same men were the ones that brought about many of today holidays. Which if you would read your encyclopedia, it would tell you that. Also it will advise you that the way that many "christian" holidays were formed were a mixture of the Jewish religion combined with pagan beliefs. I mean come on, haven't you ever wondered just how we got from Jesus on a cross to a bunny and colored eggs?

Answer 6

YOur right, many christians don't know much about the bible or their own doctrines. However, that's not the bible's fault. Many answers can be found there, u just have to look for them. I think if somebody is trying to sincerely help u , then they should give u a verse or group of verses to read instead of just saying " read the bible." Before u read too many books though, remember this warning from the bible at Ecclesiastes 12; 12 " As regards anything besides these, my son, take a warning: To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh."

Answer 7

I have found a lot of christians that only read the passages that are in the sermons they hear, they never dig deep, I have read the bible and several other holy books, have even spent a summer living with people of different religions to see where they might intersect, but have never gotten straight answers from christians when I ask them about the bible... because they don't know, they don't bother to read or dig deep or cross reference anything. I will say I am sure there have got to be christians out there that do and are open-minded enough to discuss, but I have found in my experience they are the exception to the rule.

Answer 8

I am sorry, sometimes people ask questions that a 5-year-old would just learn in Sunday school and I have a very in depth knowledge of the Bible , I know how the books of the Bible were put together...Dead Sea Scrolls , how the early Church fathers kept some books out of the Bible , and holy-spirit inspired writing..Some people say read your Bible simply becasue they think you were mis informed and mis quoted the Bible .. I have seen those questions before

Answer 9

What I don't like, but being Christian makes it much more hurtful, is that Christians always counter questions they can't answer is "read the Bible" even they don't know that the answer is in there, they ust trust it is. It really makes sense, because the Bible is the answer to all questions. It should really be stoped, but it never will, really I don't know where I stand on whether or not it's sensiful or not. As for how the the Bible was made, I think I know. A lot of people (back in biblical times) got together and decided which gospels should make it in, depending on if it went with what they had already agreed upon, or something like that.

Answer 10

OK Mr. Brain, you may have read the Bible but did you ever see what's in the Bible?

And why do you ask questions then?

You may have read the Koran but did you ever read the Quran.

Reading the English translations of the Quran that are available is reading another corrupt form of Scripture as you will not find an honest translation of the Quran and you, as a scoffer and not a Believer, will never understand Quran or Islam.

You can only read as Christians read but there is a wall between you and the Quran and there is deafness in your eyes and veils over your eyes, for only Allah can guide and Allah does not guide the Disbelievers.