Read the Bible?

Question

A lot of times I see Christians tell atheists "if you read the Bible, you'd understand" or something along those lines. The general implication seems to be that atheists are ignorant of Biblical contents. However, in my experience, most atheists HAVE read the Bible extensively - indeed, often they were Christians who left the faith AFTER reading the Bible.

(On a side note, I saw a question this morning where the questioner said that he was losing his faith after reading the OT, upon which several Christians advised him to STOP reading the Bible, haha.)

My question is: How many of the atheists here have read the Bible, or most of it? And how many of you became atheists at least in part BECAUSE of what you read?

Answer 1

I've read a good portion of it, and am trying to read it cover to cover, but I keep falling asleep.

For the people who say we're reading it wrong (not with the heart) I read it with the intentions of finding God, but I did have the bad habit of letting reason interfere with my readings, I'm sorry.

Answer 2

When i was young i was very much in search of a religion. This is something my parents never provided education on. I am not saying they were atheists but they werent ANYTHING. I basically got to pick a religion and I turned out Atheist (NOT agnostic). I have not only read the bible twice (king James and NIV) but i have read the Quran as well and some other annotated religious texts. I actually TRIED to be christian. All my friends were so i tried to fit in. I went to church and church camps and I found that i knew more about the bible than most of the other christians. Whenever they preached i would say "yes but in this verse it says the opposite" I am sure you can see how those conversations went. Anyways I figured that if god exists he would either make himself clear or ignore us completely. He wouldn't make us if he was going to ignore us therefore he doesn't exist

Answer 3

Yes, I have read the Bible.

I've been born and raised atheist, and it was only last year that I started reading the Bible. Cute book. Rather silly, but in a cute way. The main character, as I remember, was named God or something like that. Mean God, very mean God. I didn't really like him. Kinda arrogant creature as well. Claiming he created the entire universe and everything in it blah blah blah, and then making errors in all the basic explanations of how he is supposed to have done that.

Funny book, but rather depressing.

In that same week I read The unbearable Lightness of Being, from Milan Kundera. Now that's a book! Well written, intelligent, reason for deep thoughts, etc. Brilliant novel. Odd how nobody ever tells me about that book that "I obviously don't understand it".

Answer 4

It still doesn't change the fact that atheists overlook this point in studying the Bible. Even though they might possess the world's brightest minds, if God does not act to open their minds, the Bible will remain closed to them. The apostle Paul explained: "These things [God's Word] we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:13-14).

Because God inspired the Bible, it follows that it is not a mere book that takes only a measure of intellectual effort to understand. God reserves the right to grant an understanding of His precious truths to whomever He will. So if you remain an atheist after reading the Bible, it is because God has not chosen you to understand. You have not been called to accept Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and Savior and you will not become part of the Family of God, or the "first fruits" in the His coming Kingdom in this age.......

Answer 5

I rather enjoy reading the Bible, and have read parts of it many times.

But it does not add up to a coherent belief system.

And if it takes the "right" spirit to understand the Bible, who is authorized to determine which is the right spirit? Most of the time when I here this idea, the underlying message is believe as I believe or else.

Answer 6

I'm not an atheist (I'm wiccan)(although I've heard that there are wiccan atheists, but I'm not one) but, yes, I've read the Bible, the whole thing, multiple times and it's what caused me to leave. Everyone says the NT is peaceful even though the OT is not, but it's not true. Jesus talks about hell in almost every parable, the holy spirit strikes down people left and right, the whole thing is about rules and regulations and death if you don't do communion right. It's bloodthirsty and I hated it.

Answer 7

People became Protestants by reading the Bible without access to authoritative interpretation. Protestantism in its thousands of conflicting, contradicting forms represents rejection of various parts of the Christian faith. So it is not unreasonable to think that some who read the Bible with no reliable means of interpreting it might reject the idea of God Himself.

Answer 8

I'm not an Atheist but reading the bible is what made me decide I could never be a Christian.

Answer 9

Guilty.
I have read the entire bible, as boring as that may sound. Some parts I have actually read as many as 20 times.

Answer 10

I have read it... it seemed like a bunch of gibberish... it probably was part of the reason I left... I mean I didn't want to live by something that seemed to be a bunch of stories thrown in a book and called holy... I mean no offense by this it is just my opinion.