Have you read your religious scripture in its entirety?

Question

[This question was asked before by myself but due to the small number of replies, I was motivated to ask it again]
To be part of any religion is like being a specialist in a field; to achieve that we must study, question and think about that specific field.
My humble opinion is that many people who adhere to different sets of belief have not made this effort and hence their belief is simply handed down from generations. If you do not study, ponder and question what you believe and if the very "text book" of your religious identity is something you have never read, are you 'qualified' to call yourself a foolower of that faith?
Please note that this question is not meant to be derogatory to any specific religious group and addresses all. Secondly, the purpose of this question is not to insult religion (for I am the follower of one) but to seek your opinions.
Intelligent answers will be welcome.

Answer 1

Yes, I have read it in it's entirety. And what I believe is what I believe, and is not open for discussion. I choose not to discuss it with others because I get tired of the ridicule from others. They can believe what they want, and I'll believe what I want. I do not discuss it with my wife either. So I hold true to this with everyone. But I will give direct answers to direct questions from time to time depending on what they are asking about.

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Answer 2

I think a person can call himself what he likes. I would think that if a child stated an opinion that might be an opporchancity to "come let us reason together." To be reasonable is to be able to be reasoned with. That means you too., to listen to there reasoning and take them from where they are step by step. That means that they don't have to know a thing. You do. The more you know about someone, the better you can help them. The first rule in education is to go where the student is and grow together, even if your talking to a scholar. If you don't know your subject or your student, this can be difficult. If you can't spark an interest, you have failed as a teacher. In the real world a teacher who fails too often will lose their job. The responsibility is the teachers. That's why I say that we're all part of the problem. They always showcase really good teachers as able to reach almost anyone, unless your job is as a critic, unless you are tactful. Christ said, "I came not to judge the world, but to save it." Not being funny, although it is funny, if they are trying to save you from your religion and you are judging them, who is the "Christian"? Misguided, but in the spirit of Christ, never the less. We have much to learn from each other as many preples' attitude seems to be more defensive and judgmental than anything else. The blame game. It's all your fault. The virus that infects us all. It's a killer.

Answer 3

^_^
I am a Pagan, and I have no book that I can study to find doctrine. And while that makes me happy, it also means that i must study all the time to understand my religion more.

Most Pagans are very studious people. We search through libraries of information to find what we need, and we have little to no fear in experimentation. Our religion is fluid, hard to pin down, and always changing. Hell, if you ask ten Pagans a question, you're likely to get 20 different answers to it, because the religion is always evolving, and each individual experience is different. This constant change is easily illustrated by the trends in neo-paganism since its start, around 50 years ago. If you look at Paganism, Witchcraft, or Wicca at its start, nearly 50 years ago, You will find a radically different form of Paganism than what most people practice today. Our religion evolves costantly, and easily, unlike the many "religions of the books" that you see today.

So with Paganism's constant evolution, we see intense amounts of study, work and experimentation. We are a religion of scholars. We don't have any set doctrine for which to study from, and I hope that it stays that way.

Answer 4

I have read the Quran several times and not only do I read it, but I look into the meanings behind it.

I also agree that if you are a follower of a certain religion you must be knowledgeable about it. Did you know that the Quran is the only religious book that has been unchanged since it's revelation? Also there are many Muslims who memorize the entire Quran by heart! Have you ever heard of a person that was able to memorize an entire holy scripture by heart?

Answer 5

i don't take any kind offense at your remark, and i agree, as a christian, i should make more of an effort to read the bible in it's entirety. i do read the bible every night before i go to sleep. however, the temptation to hunt different topics and read solely about those topics is too great, not to mention the fact that i can read the same passages fifty times and find new meaning, or simply renew my mind each time and meditate for days on the same passages. i get so many personal revelations this way. then again, i'm fairly new to this christianity bit. it'll get done eventually. i don't think you need to read the entire bible to be christian, but you should. paul wrote that we should have a good understanding of it, so we may present ourselves to God unashamedly, and he also wrote about moving ''from faith to faith,'' meaning that there are different levels of faith. we DO need to read the bible in it's entirety to fully achieve this, but as i said, i don't think we need to read the entire bible to be considered a christian. the bible states that the Holy Spirit teaches all things, and it's surprising to find out what the term ''all things'' encompasses. besides, early jews and christians had no complete Scripture that they could take home and study on a daily basis.

Answer 6

Most of the books are manipulated
Changed in some or other way to prove something is false which is real and something is real which is actually false; for some ones` personal advantage

Without a perfect teacher reading them is useless or may be dangerous.

The implementation of some easy moral based values in real life is having too much importance than the deep research of religious scriptures.

The mere knowledge failed always while it tried to confront the poor ignorant illiterate saints

Answer 7

I think I may have answered you last time also. I do read the "religious scriptures" of my faith. I have read through them several times. I also read books about the scriptures and from differing perspectives. I find it incongruous to say I believe and not know what it is I believe. Oh Atheist faerie wouldn't,in a way the Humamist manifesto be the atheist version of scripture?

Answer 8

I agree with you to a certain point. Yahweh is pleased by faith, and not by understanding alone. In fact his book says that the fear of him is the "Beginning" of wisdom and the "Beginning" of Knowledge. We are to study to show ourselves approved, but you must believe in what you are studying first. That is where faith comes in.

But...

There are some that are not able to read. Are they to shun religion all together for lack of literacy? NO. At the same time people that "truly" have the love of God in their hearts should be the ones teaching them.

Answer 9

That is what the whole premises of Methodism is about. Certain
Protestant sects hold that a "reasoned faith," is the only sound one. While reasoned faith is an oxymoron it does make sense to an extent. Much of what you see on this board and in society in general is blind faith, quite a distinction. If you don't know what you are supposed to believe how then do you believe it.

Answer 10

I read my Bible everyday. I also read commentaries and studies of the writers of the Bible. I do also study the other "faiths" out there so that I know what others believe so that I might reach out to them more effectively.