Why do Christian's often respond with answers like "you need to study the bible more?"?

Question

Besides possessing an air of supreme arrogance (as in, "I grasp what you do not thanks to my long hours of biblical meditation"), what makes Christians think I want my answers to come from pouring over their ambiguous collection of parables? Even biblical scholars can't agree on the meanings.

If a person needs to learn HTML, or anatomy, or motor vehicle repair, they pick up a book on the subject, and know with confidence that 99% of the people who read the same book will acquire the same, straightforward, logical knowledge.

Christians have this belief that studying the bible "harder" is what grants insight, as though there is some special virtue in being able to figure out rules hidden in riddles.

Apparently god never anticipated his creations would prefer his (most important) instructions be provided in a straightforward, intelligent, fashion.

Maybe we should follow god's lead and change stop signs to read "think", and then praise people who avoid accidents?

Atheist Eye Candy...

I've been in the "mirror universe", of course. Hopefully Scotty will fix the transporter soon (grin)

Answer 1

Always run from "bible thumpers", they talk the talk because they're really messed up and have alot of hate and condemnation for people.

It's really simple.

If you love and forgive, that's all you need to know.

People who memorize and quote do it because they can only think about it, it's not in their hearts.

Answer 2

Hello Friend,

There are some deeper philosophical answers for your questions. For instance, when you read about Moses in the Scriptures, you can quote him for his leadership qualities, a man who is close to God, a prophet, a levi, a man who was called for a purpose, and so on. The same Moses can be looked upon as a man who was afraid to take on leadership, a man with lame excuses, a man who was afraid of his life, a murderer, a man who did not listen to God, and so on.

There are several things that can be understood from the words written in the Scriptures. That is the reason Bible is a unique book. And again there are other reason too. Bible is the word of God and the readers are guided by the Holy Spirit, however, the personality of the reader reflects the reading and the knowledge gained by the reader. If the reader is a negative person, he would interpret the words in a negative way.

So, every time you read a verse with a mind submitted to the Holy Ghost you are sure to understand the verse in different perspectives.

Answer 3

I do a agree that there are many who say “you should study the bible more” just to sound smart, if they really cared they’d explain in detail their understanding.

However, considering the fact the bible has been passed on from generation to generation translated from old languages and referencing ancient cultures isn't reasonable to figure it would take some significant study to understand?

I would be suspicious of a religious text that read like a text book. I'd wonder if someone just made it up.

Truth is if people took HTML programming a seriously as they take religion there would be many sects with different interpretations on the best why to program in HTML. You'd have groups who believe strongly that one process or method is a better way then another. Then you'd have groups who incorporate whole other program languages into their process.

Honestly as a Access DBA and VBA programmer I strongly disagree with they way other DBA's programmer structure their databases and code.

So if something that straight forward is hard to agree upon

just imagine how hard it is to agree upon an ancient book that allegedly holds the answers to our origin and how we should live life.

Answer 4

Because a lot of christians are blind to the fact that they know nothing about their religion, and they're as lost as a cult that says "follow me blindly and in the end we'll kill ourselves to join up with aliens on a comet that's gonna pass by earth pretty soon." I'm not saying all christians are like that, but there ARE people that just want to whole-heartedly believe SOMETHING so they're not just living a purposeless life. I, on the other hand, am different, and won't settle for "just because" as an answer. I will go to the Bible, to research studies, and even to atheist, agnostic, and alter-religion sources to see what's known. I've found that VERY often, non-christian sources either make MANY assumptions, use faulty reasoning, or contradict themselves. I have found reasoning in everything I've found in Christianity, including the reason for my sin and the reason I can still go to heaven.

As for your HTML analogy, I totally agree. The people who don't know anything about computers and picks up an advanced manual will be totally lost. That's why they make dummies guides for that kind of stuff. I think the dummies guide to the Bible should be Christians. We need to be a lot more knowledgeable about our own literature and be able to give layman terms.

I probably do a sucky job, but I know the Bible, and do better than "just read the Bible and pray."

Answer 5

Your right it makes no sense. It's not like you were in some religious site based on sacred books like um........ the bible.


It's not like the bible responds to the accusations atheist make like saying it supports the earth is flat.

Isa 40:22
" It is he who sits above the Circle of the earth......"

Speaking of arrogance who here is in a RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUALITY forum trying to convert people to a more "enlightened" form of thinking?

Who here says in there profile that religion is driven by "hope and fear" and that if you learn not to need religion you will have a better life.

That seems like a huge assumption.





The resurectionist posted:
"I have to agree. It's analogous to telling someone who doesn't like broccoli that they just haven't eaten enough broccoli, and if they keep eating broccoli over and over again, then eventually they will understand why broccoli tastes good, and not bad like they think it does."


That was a bad analogy b/c that actually would work. Your taste pallet can alter to accept certain foods you didn't like.


To ZEE the last text you mentioned was perfect for the situation. It was great.

Answer 6

Do you suppose that scholars differ on the significance of a work like 'Being and Time' or 'On the Interpretation of Dreams'? Of course. Those are complex works of speculative philosophy and based on other pre-existing works, and were originally written in languages other than English.

Suppose you are an expert on Freudian psychological theory. Now suppose some Christian fundamentalist rattles off a completely uninformed attack on what he assumes is Freudian thought. Your response, more than likely, would be "Read the book for yourself - it doesn't say what you think it says." Of course, the Christian would likely respond, "I'm not going to read that trash - Freud was a dirty old man! And besides, modern psychologists can't even agree on what Freud thought."
Sound familiar?

Answer 7

The Wiccan Rede
(Full Version)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust.
Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give.

For tread the Circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out.
To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme.

Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you little, listen much.
Honor the Old Ones in deed and name,
let love and light be our guides again.

Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the joyful tune.
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane,
and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane.

When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two.
When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart's desire seek.

Heed the North winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail.
When the Wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast.

When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on the mouth.
When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and rest.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.
Birch in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest towers with might, in the fire it brings the God's
insight. Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.

Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.

Hazel-the tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.

Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.

Elder is the Lady's tree burn it not or cursed you'll be.
Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark.

As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it's now Samhain.
When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows.

When the wheel begins to turn soon the Beltane fires will burn.
As the wheel turns to Lamas night power is brought to magick rite.

Four times the Minor Sabbats fall use the Sun to mark them all.
When the wheel has turned to Yule light the log the Horned One rules.

In the spring, when night equals day time for Ostara to come our way.
When the Sun has reached it's height time for Oak and Holly to fight.

Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall.
Heed the flower, bush, and tree by the Lady blessed you'll be.

Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know.
When you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed.

With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend.
Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks and warm the heart.

Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow wear the star upon your brow.

Be true in love this you must do unless your love is false to you.

These Eight words the Rede fulfill:

"An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will"

Answer 8

Its one thing to interpret it many different ways...its quite another to impose that interpretation on the other people. We have the same problems in Islam. God says he makes the Quran easy and clear to the one who reads it with belief and an open mind and heart...it doesn't say anywhere that we need a "go between" to tell us what it really means. Islamic scholars will tell the ordinary Muslim that its impossible to understand the Quran unless you did umpteen years of studying this and that and learn Arabic and are descended from Arabs and dress like Arabs and ....the list goes on. Dont know about Christians but as a Muslim it sucks to hear people tell you you are in fact pretty stupid and will never understand your holy book and need someone else to explain it to you while you sit with mouth shut, ears open, brain turned off.

Answer 9

nobody can really "answer" for other christians (except for themselves)...

but to try to answer this "legitimate" question...

the answer may lie in the fact that some "supposedly professing christians" do seem to think that they know a lot about the bible & they just can't seem to tolerate people who trash the book especially if the person doing the trash talking most probably haven't even read even two pages of any single book in the bible.

& of course, some of these seemingly "professing christians" do have an air of arrogance... (not unlike the pharisees & teachers of the law in 1st Century Palestine)

Answer 10

heads up you're gunna get alot of hate mail!!

i learned the hard way not to attempt to tell them they're wrong. Then they just reply with something equally stupid as before except maybe inserted with big words. Its really time consuming and pointless because after a while you realize you're wasting your time and they just dont want to be proven wrong. They are some of the worst people to debate with just because they take everything written in the bible and use that as their only source for proving their point when really this source was written by multiple men centuries ago and cant be proven as true stories, they can't even be legends, they're myths. Why should Homers work and Greek pantheon be considered myths when the Bible is fact? They're literally the same stories rewritten to fit the religion more. Starting from The Garden of Eden(Pandora) and ending with revelations of the end of the world(Zeus destroys Earth or something similar, its been a while since i read it, basically we all die either because of the olympians or titans)

Answer 11

Not a bad take on the arrogant and blind faith of the knee deep in mud looking for pearls .
If it keeps them out of your way it serves some purpose but as you point out wouldn't a more articulate upgrade to an understood text make a lot more sense .the vagaries and contradictions only serve the ignorance that it should eliminate .No wonder Christians can't abstain from sin as Jesus Christ when they can't get above their own confusion .
this just further shows the ridiculous nature of what should have been gods doing but leaves no other conclusion but to call the concept of god inspired words a failure and gives more credence to atheism. truly wish there was an answer that could enlighten these spiritually misguided
people and free them from their simple foibles that fetter them to disaster and suffering.