Why are unbelievers answering Bible questions?

Question

I asked this question earlier and here is what I got:

Who made you hall monitor?
I'm an atheist and want to challenge Christians.
Atheists, agnostics, and unbelievers know more about the bible than most Christians.
We HAVE read the Bible and just consider it another book.
We want to offer our personal point of view.
Christians answer questions about other faiths.
Its not just a Christian site you know.
Most biblical scholars are Atheists.
Believers never seem to have gotten further than reading Leviticus.
We actually DO have the right, Peanut.
I then tried to unravel the bible by studying theology. That's when I decided to dump belief in Jesus.
Unbelievers are more than capable of answering questions about the Bible and religion.
Your god has given us Free Will and Yahoo has given us Free Accounts.

Question: Should I trust anyone above to give me a GOOD answer if I asked something about the Bible?

Answer 1

nope...but you already knew that.

Answer 2

Because ANYONE can read the bible and make their own decisions on how silly it is. Your textbook is not a secret manual that only God-fearing people have access to, and the interesting part is when a non-Christian can refute religious questions with scripture just as easily as a bible-thumper can.

However, the opposite is not true. The only Christians that have had a taste of atheist/agnostic viewpoints (and might have a chance at a logical rebuttal) are the Born Agains, but they tend to be more pious than the fundies!

But to delay the answer to your delayed question: No, those people probably have a full six-pack, but lost the little plastic thingy that holds it together. You decide which answers to trust.

Answer 3

Because many atheists are significantly MORE educated about the Bible than many (if not most) Christians. WE have READ the whole thing ourselves, instead of depending upon a preacher to pick out the least violent parts and tell us what the church says it means after he collects our money. An intelligent person can read, study, and understand something WITHOUT believing it.

The Bible SAYS what it SAYS (multiple mistranslations notwithstanding). ANYONE can quote Bible scripture accurately, regardless of his beliefs. But you're more likely to get a biased answer out of a person who lives his life according to what it allegedly MEANS.

Christians, who generally believe that the Bible tells them how to live, obviously have a vested interest in whether it means one thing or another. That there are dozens of denominations with different beliefs, based upon the SAME text, proves that Christians put their own spin on the words so it will agree with their own views.

Atheists don't care whether the Bible says one thing or another. We have no stake in it, no Dog in the fight, because to us it's just another fictional storybook and it therefore has no bearing whatsoever on our lives. Christians don't have a vested interest in what Scarlett O'Hara or Captain Hook say or do, right? Same principle.

Answer 4

I believe that the Bible is a book written by people that contains many historical accuracies, many historical inaccuracies, much beautiful language, some thought-provoking ideas for a code of morality, and some humdrum mythology.

Having read the above, do you consider me an unbeliever? If so, why?

I have read the Bible itself many times, as well as much scholarly and literary commentary. I have also read the holy scriptures of several other religions.

Having read the above, do you consider me incompetent to answer questions on the Bible? If so, why?

Perhaps the most important question is this: Do you consider the Bible off-limits to unbelievers? That is, do you think unbelievers should not read it, study it, discuss it, ponder it, compare it, savor it, and do all the things readers do with other books? If so, why?

Answer 5

You dont need to be a "true believer" in the Bible to answer a question about the bible. There are men and women scholars throughout history who have been on both side of the theological debate, believers and non-believers, who have had the authority and educational background to competently answer questions about the bible.

Having said that, perhaps you should take a look at your purpose for asking questions about the bible: if you're asking questions to re-affirm a particular belief system, then you might be disappointed by some of the answers.

However, if you're genuinely open-minded, then perhaps you will benefit from a variety of view points on the subject.

Answer 6

We are just trying to find some answers.If you are a true believer then why do you mind being questioned? Don't you want to show us the true way? Is it necessary to believe everything you do to know anything about the Bible? Do you really believe that anyone should trust you because you are a "Believer"? What is a GOOD answer? One you agree with? Why not be a little more open minded. You might find out you don"t know everything. I know I certainly don't but I'm willing to listen to different points of view. God Bless.

Answer 7

I answer if I happen to know the answer. We all have our reasons.

Depends, do you know how to look up what someone is talking about? And, to point only at not being able to trust unbelievers, does that mean that you trust someone just because they claim they are a Christian? Why should it be any different for unbelievers than it is for someone who claims to be a Christian. You know the saying "wolf in sheeps clothing"... do you think the wolf is going to tell you they don't believe? Or is the wolf going to tell you that they believe the same as you?

I don't ask you to trust me. But if trust is an issue based solely on what label someone gives you... then I would have to say I wouldn't trust your trust. It's blind.

Answer 8

They do have just as much right as Christians to answer the questions, and some atheists may well know the bible much better than some Christians. And it's also true that they're more neutral in the Chritianity vs. other religions debate. But as to whether you'll get a good answer, the best way to ensure a good answer would probably be to look for yourself. If you look for yourself, there's much less chance of having a verse taken out of context for you.

Answer 9

well i'm agnostic and i have just as much right to be here as the next person as this is an open forum and all are welcome to participate as well as share there knowledge on the subject think about it most atheists and agnostics were once in certain religions and therefore would know how to answer your questions better then some of the christians anyway we ended up leaving because of what we have seen from the bible and the religion and churches themselves

Answer 10

Gosh, doesn't it depend on what kind of question you ask? Some of the most expert bible scholars I know are agnostic. It is their very uncertainty about the nature of the universe that makes them study things so attentively in their desire to know. There is no worse 'expert' than the person who already thinks he knows it all. True wisdom is understanding that you know nothing.

So what is a 'good' answer? If you want a thoughtful, considered, OBJECTIVE answer, ask one of those you mentioned. If you want a standard, pat, simplistic, hackneyed, knee-jerk answer, ask a fundamentalist.

Answer 11

Speaking as a believer, I believe God can use anyone to get His message to the faithful. It not just if they have good answers, but if it is backed up by scripture it's another story. It is some unbelievers that I do not trust, but I believe the verse that say to work out your salvation with God. Chose who you trust with God's wisdom.