Why do atheist find the Bible so intriging when it's something they don't believe in?

Question

I have been having an email conversation with one of our posters who is an atheist. He is trying to convince me that the Bible is untrue. Now I ask why? What difference does it make whether I believe the Bible to be true or not. I have found that most atheist go to great lengths to convince Christians that the Bible is just a bunch of made of stories by atleast 40 different lunatics, that none of the OT prophecies came true, that Christ was somebody that walked the earth but none of the eye witness accounts are true, and that science is the only explanation they can come up with as to how the earth was formed, and even that explanation they don't all agree on. There has yet to be proof that the Bible is untrue. I guess all the scienctific evidence that has been found, is untrue also - so tell me why is it that atheist are so determined to prove the Bible is untrue, what is the big deal, why are they so intrigued with it?

Could it be that somewhere lurking in the back of their minds that there is just a litttttle bit of doubt that just maybe it is true? I wouldn't question science except usually they come back later and say something different about what was supposedly proven 10 yrs earlier - one cannot say that about the Bible - there has been nothing, even scientist will say that there has been nothing to prove the Bible wrong - so why keep trying to convince Christians that it is untrue. Atheist don't like it when we keep telling what the Bible says, yet they are just as bad at brow beating or worse because usually they get insulting - Why, why do you care. Christians do it because we don't want to see anyone go to hell, so why do atheist try so hard to convince us the Bible is only fiction. NO insulting remarks please, serious answers or please don't bother, insults are not welcome.

Christians do what the Bible tells us to do - go and tell. When a question is asked of me, I try to answer, then I am accused of being crazy for believing the way I do. I can't help but wonder that if no one believed the Bible, if no one tried to teach the Bible, where would we be today, what would people have to gripe about. The Bible teaches morals - which I might add is declining rapidly in this country, the ten commandments teaches right from wrong - should we be able to murder, comment adultery, be unloveable, covet, steal? All of these things teaches us good so why the big argument about something that teaches good? I guess we should allow our children to do whatever they want, whenever they want and not teach them right from wrong - if you teach them anything about love, you are teaching the Bible - you are teaching the ten commandments - now atheist what say you about this?

Answer 1

i think for some of them, they're HOPING the bible is untrue...they wouldn't want to have to change their ways...for some, the can't understand how someone can believe something that they cannot physically see, hear, touch, measure, or do experiments on...and some of them have nothing much going on in their lives, so they get their enjoyment from pestering people of faith...of, course, you have to wonder why it is that they only seem to focus on Christians, not Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, or anyone else...

Answer 2

I do not "consider" something -- notion is nugatory. Anybody can consider any wacky factor they desire to, notion calls for no foundation truly. The proof indicates that the bible is a number of previously oral myths of ignorant wandering goat herders, written down haphazardly over a couple of hundred years and edited closely (however no longer very effectively) to provide an look of concord. There could also be a few tiny kernels of specific parties that had been widely decorated for a few experiences, others had been totally made up. If you are so inspired through certain experiences of "the time interval," move learn the Iliad and the Odyssey -- older than any bible ebook, extra certain, fewer contradictions, and despite the fact that we realize it's fiction, extra plausible than the bible. Or the construction/god myths of the Egytians, Sumerians, Akkadians, and different cultures of the area, once more extra certain and older than the bible. Maybe then you'll be able to become aware of that one of the myths of the ancients may also be particularly certain with out being real... Peace.

Answer 3

As an atheist I am not intrigued by the bible, but by the phenomenon of religion itself. It has so much influence over individuals and societies. I will say that the bible has had an impact on literature in western civilization. Some of the poetry, (Song of Solomon in particular) is lovely. Many of the stories are intriguing, and like all mythical writings, hold insight into the nature of human beings.

I do not want to "de-convert" anyone from their religion. If they find comfort and peace there, who am I to take that away? What I do want to do is make people think, question and accept that others have the right to do that, also.

Answer 4

I think the bible is a primative, savage load of crap which has no place in the more informed, cultured and civilized society we live in today. Especially considering the greater threat insanity is today (look at 9/11), it does annoy me that religion still exists at all. That said, as long as a christian genuinely seems like a decent, rational, ethical human, which you seem to be, it doesnt bother me one bit if they are christian. I consider it simply a form of tradition, or habit. I'd expect that if your pastor told you to go kill all the heathen, for example, you wouldnt listen to him. So thats all that matters to me. Insane belifs are harmless as long as they never translate into insane actions, or make a person more vulnerable to brainwashing, or propaganda. But still, im sure many athiests cant help but feel a little nervous about a person whose method of determining what is true or false is based on what is written in some arbitrary text. This should be perfectly understandable.

The thing that makes scientists so great is exactly the fact that everything they propose is simply a theory by definition, and new evidence will always allow them to change their mind. They dont restrict their opinions to tradition, they always try to learn more. And do.

Scientists dont really like getting controversial, so they wont ever point out the blatant fact that the bible is absolutely full of impossible nonsense. Anyway its not a scientists job to prove any religion wrong.

There was ethics before the bible existed, there will be ethics after is is forgotton.

Answer 5

SOME atheists seem to be convinced that it is Christians attacking their desire not to believe rather than accept the fact that they are indeed the ones trying to push their non belief on the nation. Their so called scientific evidence is flawed...but it is science so we should drop everything and put our faith in that instead. We should use tax dollars to try and stop religions from having the freedom to express their religion because it might offend the nonbelievers. We should use tax money to fund programs to educate non-beliefs that ARE NOT proven beyond doubt. We should use tax money to fund medical treatments that offend religious beliefs. Stem cell research on adult stem cells have had some success, embryonic stem cell research has not, and some find the concept of creating human embryos to kill them for research to be against religious beliefs. Bear in mind I said SOME, because in ANY given group of people you will find zealots.
The Bible is a great piece of literature, so beyond the acceptance of religious conviction, most people will read the Bible for that literary style. But, then again, coming back to ridicule it and religions just shows little or no class.

Answer 6

I, for one am not intrigued with the bible. I am intrigued that grown people who say they believe in the bible, have never read it or still believe in the content. I don't care if a person believes in the bible's content, as it's a personal choice.

what amazes me, is that obviously the bible does contain many stories that could have never been true; a talking snake, a woman created out of the rib of a man, resurrection, and a host of other common stories that have been circulated for years.

what amazes me, are religious people who wash their hands after gardening because they obviously have dirt on them (which obviously you use principles that require logical thinking, but will defend an illoigical, overedited book to the end). that's what I don't understand.

Answer 7

i am atheist (secular humanist). and i'm not ashamed of that.

i have studied Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc. because the stories contained in their religious documents are a wonderful documentation of the past, and a glimpse into the fears, hopes and dreams of human beings. They are accounts of struggles that humans have had with good and bad through all of history, and are one culture's way of justifying both. It's not for me to say whether or not the stories are true or untrue, as each doctrine is holy to the group of people holding that doctrine as truth, and for me to dismiss the reality of such documents to a group of religious people would be foolish... i would definitely have a problem if anyone challenged my set of principles and my ethics as a secular humanist. i see my principles and ethics as being universal, but do not justify them by saying they are mandated by a god. there are no stories for me to refer to as lessons, there is no book that i refer to to answer my questions about life and the universe. i am simply accepting of the fact that we are here, and that we live until we die, and that we can live good lives without having to believe that we are supposed to because of a god that created us and gave us rules. i find the idea of the Bible to be fascinating because of its documentation of the struggles of humans, and the agony and bliss in our trials and tribulations... i find it fascinating how humans have such a powerful need to justify everything they do, and how the struggle is consistent throughout our existence. i don't believe the Bible needs to be taken literally by anyone.

i have also seen a trend in the stories throughout many religious documents. some ancient cultures had creation myths dating long before the Bible that were very similiar to Christianity's creation myth. ( i will use myth here, because of my OWN beliefs, not to insult anyone else) http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/creationmyths/Myth_Creation.htm
this is a good start in finding the common theme among cultures in creation. the Bible's story is not unique, nor was it the first version of creation. it is amazing to me, how this common theme, the struggle to find how and why we exist, has been a powerful one throughout history, and that the answer to this question has been the cause of many violent arguments, even wars. but, if i were out to prove the Bible was untrue, or any other religious doctrine, for that matter... it would be a long, stupid journey for me, as those holy documents justify an entire culture's existence, and the answers that are given are clearly a culture's means of survival in the world. our struggle as humans stems from those large questions of right and wrong, and our neverending quest for purpose is overwhelmingly strong, and those doctrines bring a peace to many people. i, myself, have never felt the need to believe in anything other than our commonality in being, and our common struggles to just survive. i choose not to believe there is a purpose for our existence, and i have found peace in that for myself. everyone is different, though.

Answer 8

There has yet to be any proof that the bible is true.
The only evidence is that the bible says it is.
I wouldn't say that I am intrigued by the bible but I am intrigued as to why normally intelligent people can believe the myths and legends to be factual

Answer 9

the bible is a book ful of stories that reflect human society from the time of aprox 2000bc-150ad. Society has changed and it is interesting to see how our ancestors viewed, explained and interpereted the world and their societies.

i beleive a majority of the stories in the bible are true. albeit with a sauce of dvinity thrown through. one person breaks his leg, and 10 times after this story has been retold hes broken every bone in his body. its human nature to exaggerate, and i beleive this is where miracles came from.

and yes indeed, there has yet to be proof that the bible is untrue. there has yet to be proof that it is true aswell. and in the enlightend part of society we tend to assume something is not true until it is proven to be true

Answer 10

i dont think atheist dont believe in God, the fact that they are interested in the bible shows that they are intrigued and there's a little part of them that knows that there is a higher being/ power than all of us... for me atheists are those people who are scared or dont want to be responsible for the things that their doing... and it is much easier to be believe that there is no God, hence there is no one that they have to answer to... But who can blame them right?... it is easier to not to believe than to believe.