Is it fair to say that most critics of the Bible, Christianity, and the God of the Bible are ignorant?

Question

In this case ignorant of what the Bible teaches.

I get the impression that all they do is visit Atheist websites and cut and paste.

Have any Atheists every done any legitimate research with an open mind. Open to all possibilities.

Or have all Atheists simply maintained their previous biases and forced conclusions that do not fit. For example, teaching that the world came into order out of Chaos.

How foolish is that idea?

First of all I want to openly tip my hat in respect to all the Atheist here. I am amazed at the sincere and open tone in your answers. I was expecting to be cussed out as usual.

Second, the general concensus seems to be that some were former Christians then became Atheists.

In love I want you to understand that people do not become former members of God's family. What you should say is, "I was never born again". "I never saw the light". "I never humbled myself before God, admitted that I was a sinner in need of forgiveness, and never accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior from Sin, Condemnation, and Hell."

I am praying for you who answered here. My heart goes out to you.

Answer 1

Christians do the same with facts about other religions too.

I think it is important to try to understand other points of view to help with the basis of ones own faith.

It has made me a stronger Christian.

Answer 2

No but I think most Christians are ignorant of what the Bible teaches and are subject to what the preacher teaches, who was more than likely taught by ignorant teachers.

I’m sure there are plenty Atheists that became Atheist after starting out with an open mind at the feet of different teachers with their interpretations of what the Bible teaches.

Answer 3

I am a former Christian who has read the Bible sixteen times in nine translations.

I have also read a great deal of theology and apologetics works, and am very familiar with the various creeds of Christianity.

It was this study, especially the texts of the Bible and their history, that finally convinced me that the entire thing is false.

I have been an Atheist for over a decade and have seen nothing to suggest that my assessment of Christianity and Judaism is wrong.

I have also read all of the available translations of the Nag Hammadi library and the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as the writings of Flavius Josephus and Philo of Alexandria.

Christianity is a false religion, as are all religions when observed closely.

Many Atheists here are former observant Jews, Muslims or Christians, and generally have a good knowledge of the texts, better than most of the pew sitters and kneelers I have seen posting on R & S.

Answer 4

Having studied the bible genuinely for over thirty years and being a minister for about ten of those, I consider myself well versed in religion and am confident I could cite and explain the bible better than 90% of all Christians.

After getting no decent answers to real, legitimate religious questions I spent nearly ten years looking at alternatives, secularism, atheism, etc.

It's funny you state order coming from chaos is "silly", yet believe a god has "always been"

I think that is much, much, much sillier

Answer 5

It's fair to say that a lot of so-called critics haven't actually done any research on their own, but the whole idea of rebellion against an institution as old as the Church is appealing. You can't really generalize, though. For example, I think the Bible is a great idea, if it's taken as a metaphor, not as a collection of accounts of actual things that happened. Now of course I couldn't have this opinion unless I actually read what those metaphors were, wouldn't you say?

Answer 6

Actually you will find that most Atheists are former Christians/Muslims who have spend a great deal of time researching their beliefs.

You are making assumptions that make you feel good and superior, but you are dead wrong.

I started out as a Bible believing/preaching Christian, I have read the bible many times through and studied different opinions and denominational beliefs. I have also learned that most of the Atheists on this site are in a similar state. That is why they are confident enough to post difficult questions and answer questions posed by Christians.

I think you will find that most Christians don't have a good understanding of their history or the reasons for their doctrinal beliefs.

It takes much more searching and reasoning to give up a personally held belief system than it does to maintain one given by your parents, believe me. It would have been much easier for me to ignore science, and fact and keep on believing that I was heaven bound, rather than following my honest search for truth. It caused me to research religion in a way that I never would have if I were to just believe blindly like 90% of Christians.

Answer 7

You get the feeling that a lot of bible quotes of athiests are the result of them scrapily reading through the bible (or atheist site) to find some possible inconsistency, or something that can be twisted to look stupid.

They obviously have not thought much in most cases, and have not been seeking God. If they have that attitude, God is unlikely to give them grace and light.

Answer 8

Yes, I myself have been an evangelical literalist, a contextualist Catholic, and, in my younger days, a literalist Catholic, and now an atheist. I know what it says from a literalist and contextualist approach, and the more i know it, the less i belive it. I guess the reason for this is that, above all, i have always been a seeker of knowledge, a critical thinker, and open minded and nothing escapes from my thoughts.

Answer 9

There are some intelligent people who disagree with the bible and its premise. There are intelligent people who believe evolution based on the materials they have studied. Some of them but very few take the time to read materials contrary to their own view point written by equally intelligent people. One item I have noticed but isn't universally true is that the most violently opposed atheists seem to be those who are interested in defending their lifestyle choice than they are factually discussing the matters being raised. I have met very few critics of intelligent design that have even read any of their literature in their own words. Rather they jut rely on the caricatures portrayed by those who don't agree with them. In one interesting book I read ( Darwin strikes back) the author asked a man in a debate if he had ever read any of his opponents books. The answer stunned the author as the man admitted he hadn't read but a few articles. He thought to himself how unscholarly. here was someone debating someone in a university and they weren't familiar with the persons material.

Answer 10

Talk to a few atheists. You will soon find that many of them became atheist after reading the bible or paying very close attention in bible study classes.

The bible is full of errors, contradictions, and some plain bad messages. These people saw that and came to the conclusion that the bible is not a divine work but instead the creation of man. Primative man.