Am I the only one that thinks this about the bible...?

Question

Ok, I am an Atheist, (If that matters at all) and I feel that the bible is a fictional book full of stories that are supposed to help us run our lives better, and help to guide us to be better people, I also think that the bible isn't supposed to be taken literally, b/c it's just a bunch of moral-filled stories... Am I the only person that think this?

Have a nice day, everybody!

I know some of it is very wrong, (About slaves, and selling people, and killing, etc), but When the bible was written, those things were probably accepted... they aren't now, and I don't necessarily think the bible is a good book, but I think SOME of the stories are/and have good morals in them, *Some*.

Answer 1

I'm sure you are not.

However, I don't agree that the bible is filled with stories to "help us run our lives better" The stories are mostly pointless, though many of the parables, for example, are little "morality plays".

Much of the bible is violent , disgusting, and reflects the values and mores of a pre-scientific, bronze age culture. Some of these are universal and timeless (don't kill, don't steal) but many of them are not relevant. (it's ok to beat your slaves, kill your child for insolence)

Answer 2

No, your not. I'm Pagan, and I believe the same thing, although recent discoveries have given proof to the existence of many places, people and wars that are mentioned in the Bible.
I don't think it is entirely made up, out of total fiction. In many cases it does record actual events, it also retells many stories from other cultures, giving them a slightly different slant. Some of these are myths and legends.
The Bible has also been translated, re-translated, over and over, and it has been subjected to the personal views and prejudices of varying times in history, not to mention mistakes in translations. This is one of the reasons why there appear to be so many contradictions.
I don't believe that it was ever meant to be taken literally, especially since so much of it is wide open to personal interpretation. It really is not much more than a book of the moral standards of the times in which it was written. Much of it is now obsolete. I know I'm going to get flack on that one.

Answer 3

I couldn't agree more. I think the Bible is fictional and should be used for how to live life. I'm personally agnostic, but if I were a Christian, I would certainly look at the stories as metaphoric, not literal. I think it's very much the case that the stories were used in the past to explain things that people could not explain (such as how us humans came to be) and when it was able to provide wisdom like that, people began to realise how valuable a tool religion could be. Therefore, common sense told the intelligent people the best way to live, and these people used religion to control the less intelligent people. If that makes sense :).

Answer 4

Well I'm a Christian and I believe what the Bible says is the truth. It is a non-fiction Book full of stories that help us run our lives better. If you have not researched to find out what the Spiritual meanings are(most of the stories have multiple meanings), then it's easy to reduce it to just a moral-filled story.

I disagree with you but our ancestors died so that we have a right to free speech and to have a free opinion.

Answer 5

I will tell you that I am a Christian. I love Jewish people, I know that God is the one who sacrificed Jesus and I believe that the Bible is the written Word of God because from the very first part of the Bible, Jesus was fortold. In Genesis, the man will crush the serpent's head (Satan) and the serpent will bruse His (Jesus) heel. This is the first story of the Gospel. The letters were written hundreds of years apart but, still proclaim Jesus.

Read Isaiah 53 rd chapter. Isaiah was written 600 years before Jesus' birth.

I believe that the Bible is God's written Word to us.
It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. All of it is literal and true. Because of the way that it was written, it can seem like fiction. You must understand that the persons writing down what God wanted them to write, had no knowledge of these events (such as creation, the garden of Eden event, and the flood, ) and did not expalin the details as we would have.

"Above all you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21. (New International Version)

They wrote what God wanted them to write in their own wording. All three of the Gospels tell the same story of Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection in the words of the writer.

Breakdown of the Bible
36 human authors inspired entirely by God over 1600 years.
66 separate books
39 Old Testament
Genesis- The creation of the world, sin, flood and birth of Israel
Exodus to Esther- History of the nation of Israel
Job to Proverbs- the books of poetry and wisdom
Isaiah to Malachi- Prophecy or foretelling of the future events to come.
27 New Testament
Matthew to John - Four Gospels representing the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ now with all authority in Heaven and earth.
Acts- Birth of the Church (The Bride of Christ)
Romans to Jude - Letters to the Churches
Revelations - The ultimate future plans for: The Church, Heaven, Hell, a New Heaven and a New Earth.
Here are some Bible Study Resources for anything you may want to look up:

http://www.Biblegateway.com
http://www.Ntgateway.com
http://www.Bible.org
http://www.bible-history.com

Answer 6

I think you have a very benign view of Christianity. Jesus was a misfit within Judaism. He did not bring Peace but the sword. He violated the Sabbath. He hated his own background and under all his preaching was his belief that he was better than his countrymen. This spirit was faithfully translated to his followers. Jews have been singled out by Christianity as the worse of the worse that's why they have been persecuted all around the globe, including Russia specially. As the killers of Christ Hitler had no problem in railroading the Germans into accepting the philosophy behind the Gas Chambers and the Holocaust.

Answer 7

The Bible was written to help us and the people that came before us run our lives better but at the same time... I do take it literally... and for one thing how could a book that was written over thousands of years not contridict once... I write a speech in three days and it has many little contridictions in it... so if you can tell me that then I listen but it may or may not change my oppinion...

Answer 8

No, I don't think the Bible is the literal truth at all. I do think some truths go beyond the literal. I think the holy texts of other religions are virtually the same. I do have a spiritual practice...I don't think anything I have said denies the presence of God. I don't care if you are an atheist, everyone is entitled to their beliefs, and mine aren't exactly orthodox. :)

Answer 9

First of thanks for not trashing the Bible. Second of all I believe that the Bible is a book of truth about all of life with content that could be accurate from 1 A.D. to 100,000 A.D. It does teach morals and there are some great parables told by Jesus, but other than those parables I believe all of it to be true.

Answer 10

It's going to be tough to get past the historical fact that Jesus died on a cross a little over 2000 years ago and has changed the world. But if that does not bother you then by all means party on Garth!