For those who have become Atheists by reading the Bible...?

Question

What did you read in particular?

Did you read the context or just individual verses?

Did you read with a doubtful motive or a desire to prove it wrong?

Were you saved when you began to read it?

I have noticed that many Atheists believe the Bible itself is the #1 cause of Atheism.

I would agree....to an extent.

The Word can only be understood and God can only speak to you through it when the spirit of God is living inside of you. So, if you weren't saved when you tried to gain spiritual insight through it, the things you read were only moral culturalistic tips on how to live life. (Many of which involve "slaughter of the innocent" which would appear completely ruthless and cruel in otherwise circumstances)

God breathes his life into the Word. You cannot have one without the other: The Word, and the Spirit of God.

After answering these questions, are you noticing a difference between the Bible and all the other religious texts you may have studied?

As it happens, I read it trying desperately to save my faith, not to disprove it.
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Why didn't you just give your burden to God?

We can't handle our problems...that's why God sent Jesus!

It doesn't matter whether you're "saved" or not.
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Not according to the Bible itself.

People do not become Atheists by reading the bible. That's an absurd observation on your part.
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According to my last question, 50% of them do.

Answer 1

#1, to answer your question.

I read more ABOUT the bible than I did reread the bible (I had read it before). I read about when it was written, by whom and the commentary on it. I did this in an honest attempt to prove my faith. I found it all lacking historically and morally.

#2. If the bible can only be understood with help, then its not a very good book, is it? I DID ask for help, I WAS a believing Christian, and it still was full of errors, bad morals and contradictions. I certainly cannot be blamed if I asked and did not receive these special "HOLY GHOST BIBLE READING GLASSES" you are referring to.

#3. No, I have noticed no other major difference between the bible and other religious texts, with the exception being that I think the Iliad, for example, is better written.

Answer 2

Well first of all, the Bible don't have the monopoly of a god. The Bible is just one of the available "holy books" out there so when a person came looking for a god, he have a lot of choices.

Like it or not, believers doesn't really read the whole book. They only read what their pastors or church elders tell them to read. That is really a shame because most believers insist to know the Bible.

Judging the common difinition of a personal god, the Bible doesn't really have a very good job of presenting it. Remember, base on common attributes men have given to a personal deity, it must have all the omni-attributes like omnipresence, omniscience, omnibenevolence, omnipotence and so on...But the Bible sometimes define a different deity. So if Person X define God Y having all the attributes yet by reading the Bible gives his a different idea of God Y then why do you expect Person X to believe God Y exist base in the Bible?

Other reasons why some people lose their god belief after reading the Bible are the facts that the Bible is not a perfect book. Obviously, a book that claim to be inspired by a "perfect being" must be...well...perfect. Yet reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we can notice a lot of inconsistencies, contradictions and errors in logic, science and history. Surely if a perfect biblical god exist and inspired such a book, then we may assume that the book is also perfect? Oh and another thing, if the book was written by a trancidental being -outside time and space, then such a book must be also outside time and space. Yet reading the book, you will find that it was written chronologically.

But alas one dead give away is that the Bible was not really written, it was "compiled" by human beings. So any book that were compiled by scholars, fanatics, madmen and businessmen surely is not an evidence that a omnipotent god exist.

As Isaac Asimov said, "Read properly, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever concieved."

Answer 3

I am not an atheist but I have noticed that although many claim to have read the bible, they really have not or they have read bits and pieces of it. I recently surveyed atheists. Some in this forum. One of the questions had to do with whether they attributed anything positive at all to the Bible. Most had nothing good at all to say about the Bible. How could anyone who had really read the Bible with an open mind not have found any value in it? Thou shalt not kill. Isn't that law on the books of every civilized society? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Even if you do not believe the bible to be inspired of God, surely any reasonable person can see the wisdom of this. What about the many wise proverbs of King Solomon that are just plain practical for anyone? What about the beautiful love story of the Shulamite? Why would it be so difficult to acknowledge theses things if one was familiar with it? Or is there some other reason? Think about it.

Answer 4

I read and studied the Bible for many years prior to becoming an Atheist. I used to be a very devout christian and it was during this time of intense bible study that the cracks began to appear. It was not all down to the reading and study of the bible either, but also lateral study, about the bible, timeframes, the development of language, especially in its written form. It was also the contradictory nature of god that turned me off too. None of it makes any sense. The way god is described in the bible fits in more with other ancient and mythological accounts of god and gods yet that is not how christians portray him. The Bible does not support the Christian interpretation of God.

The Wisdom guy has a very valid point with regard to how god is portrayed in the Old Testament. Funnily enough, Satan doesn't really appear until the New Testament, when God amazingly becomes the God of Love and not the God who inflicts and commands torture, murder, genocide, etc.

Answer 5

I answered your earlier question concerning atheists who read the bible, and I'll elaborate on one of your points here:

"The Word can only be understood and God can only speak to you through it when the spirit of God is living inside of you. So, if you weren't saved when you tried to gain spiritual insight through it, the things you read were only moral culturalistic tips on how to live life."

This is the biggest example of circular logic used to defend the faith...and its also a fail-safe for those who find their truths in the bible. The bible is supposed to be the word of god, and we know this because the bible tells us this. If we can only get truth from the bible by already being saved, then why have the bible in the first place? It makes no sense that the book that tells someone how to be saved, can only glean truth from it if they are saved.

Answer 6

I have read the King James Bible, cover to cover. I was an atheist before reading it, though, and I read it partly because so many Christians have suggested it. Mostly, though, I read it for pleasure's sake; I am a voracious reader and will read anything you put in front of me!

All in all, I found it to be very interesting (with a few exceptions, like Deuteronomy, which I found monotonous) and very poetically written. I wish I knew Hebrew so I could read it as it was originally meant to be read. I would also like to read all of the books that were removed from the Bible over the years, though most of them have probably been destroyed.

On the other hand, I found the horror stories in it--rape, murder, slavery, etc., etc.--to be absolutely despicable and heart-wrenching. It is hard to see how a God who would permit and even encourage such atrocities could possibly be described as "loving" or "benevolent".

There were also numerous contradictions. However, I realize that all of the books were written down by different people from different time periods and that many things have been changed and mistranslated over the years, so these contradictions didn't particularly bother me.

All in all, the Bible had no effect whatsoever on my lack of religious belief. I enjoyed reading it, though, except for the stories about death, rape, and torture. I deeply, deeply hope the more gruesome passages have no historical basis and were put there merely for emphasis. Even now, it makes me sick to my stomach to think about it.

Answer 7

"Why is it that many former Christians exchange into atheist after reading the bible?" i could might desire to assert a super component of it is the church homes' fault, as maximum church homes in no way prepare the "difficult" factors of the Bible, so while a guy or woman gets to considered one of those factors and sees that's hugely distinctive from the "sugar lined God" that they are taught approximately they have a tendency to reject the Bible and Christianity simply by fact they think of "how can God be loving, yet do all those issues". "Or, that some human beings, while attempting to discover information and help for the claims interior the bible, exchange into atheist." i've got not heard of that before, even nevertheless I definitely have heard the alternative happening... (i.e. C.S. Lewis) "does not it look that reading the bible could deliver one closer with God?" with acceptable interpreting it does, the concern is that folk tend to verify what's declared yet proceed to be blind to the main factors interior the story that the Bible does not point out, case in point the Bible does not talk approximately how Baal (the "best" God interior the area that the Israelites had conquered) grew to become into worshiped by putting a stay infant on a heated statue (truly cooking it alive) as a sacrifice

Answer 8

Well I was raised christian, so I knew many of the stories in the bible. As I grew up I realized there is no god. However, I decided that I would like to read the bible, since it is such a well-read and much talked about book. Plus you need to understand it to get a lot of imagery in other books and movies.

Anyhoo... reading through the bible as an adult, it actually deepened my distaste for bible lore. All the horrible violence in the ot.... All the contradictions... The way christians pick and choose what to follow out of the ot...

I don't know how anyone is supposed to be INSPIRED by it. It is a greusome story.

So the psalms could be inspiring for a believer. I can't stand to read them. I can barely even skim over them without barfing. No kidding.

If you study the stories, people really read into them way to far. The story of Ruth is really not that inspiring, but people go on and on about it. Same as the story of Job. You are supposed to be inspired by the fact that god let him lose his whole family, his possessions, his health? Whatever.

The other thing that really bothered me is that fundamentalists actually take this stuff literally. Like the entire earth could be populated by Adam and Eve. And then when god wipes out the earth with a scientifically impossible flood, Noahs family re-populates the entire earth. A man gets swallowed by a whale. All the firstborn of Egypt die in one night. The plagues...

It is so ridiculous. And yet there are actually people out there who take it literally. It was bad enough when I was raised in the United Church and we were just supposed to be inspired by it and not take it literally.

I hope that answers your question.

Answer 9

I did turn atheist for awhile and some of the reason behind that was from reading the bible. But I never went back to Christianity either.

1. I read the entire bible from cover to cover.
2. I read it with a sincere desire to understand.
3. I was not saved when I read it.

Yes, I do notice the difference between the bible and other religious texts. The bible just didn't resonate with *me* personally. I actually prefer The Hermetica and some modern Buddhist writings. Those touch my soul far deeper and just "feel" more in tune with my beliefs. More right for me.

But more power to those who find what they're looking for in the bible. I think it does a lot of good for a lot of people.

Answer 10

I appreciate your efforts, I truly do. Thank you so much for writing in a respectful tone.

I am an atheist. I grew up Christian, Roman Catholic. I have read the bible, studied the bible, studied theology, daily for 18 years through catholic elementary, secondary schools and a Jesuit university.

Let me try to provide you with a little insight.

Becoming Athiest for me, and many others, was a process...it didn't happen by reading the bible, or being 'turned off' by a bad religious experience. And it certainly didn't happen overnight.

I have read the bible with an open mind, an accepting mind, and a mind full of faith.

Was I saved? Well, I was baptised, confirmed, etc. Is that defined as saved? Or is 'saved' believing the words you are reading are inspired, having unweilding faith that the bible is 'truth'. I believe you have stated a major Catch 22. If you do not believe, if you do not have faith, then the bible can't speak to you. Let me turn that around...if you allow yourself to doubt, then the bible reveals a whole new set of mysteries which inspire you to explore and learn more.

My first step to Atheism was doubt ... and here were my first.

Why would a loving god judge you on what you believed rather than how you acted?

Why would religions all tell you that theirs was the only true faith?

Why do Christians, Muslims and Jews fight each other (and themselves) every day, when they share the same God, but with different 'twists? When they share practically the same dogma, and rules, just different stories?

If I had been born in Saudi Arabia, I would have been born Muslim, and believe in Islam. If I was born of Jewish parents, I would be Jewish. If I was born in the amazon rainforest, I would trust my Shaman. But wouldn't I still be me? Wouldn't I still choose to do good for the sake of good...so what matter does it make which religion or faith I follow?

If God interceded in the world, or had the ability to intercede, would he have allowed the crusades, missionary conquests, priests touching little boys, wars, wars and more wars, in HIS name? So he is willing to speak to prophets, tell them precisely what to write down in books, but he is unwilling to reveal his displeasure with how religious institiutions USED this knowledge for the aggregation of weath?

So my first doubts, were with what religion taught - it must be false.

Any good god, would judge on action, not on belief.

No good god would allow the kinds of actions continually perpretated in his name, therefore either Yahweh/Allah/God is false, or he/she has no ability to intercede.

Any faith that has as it's primary interest that people do good and act moral (rather than have as their primary interest their own propogation and weath/power accumulation) would accept that any other faith that also inspires good action is POSITIVE, not NEGATIVE!

Therefore, every religion I know of is irrelevant.

I could write on forever, I will leave it there.