How would you respond to this?
The Bible is a great book and will teach great life lessons. Even if people think it is just a book full of made up stories, so long as it will teach people to be compassionate and loving (which it does) then why is there so much interest by some non-believers to discredit it or speak out against it?
If it is helping people overcome sadness and have hope then why not encourage people to believe the bible rather than speak out against it?
2007-10-29 10:30:17 · 26 answers · asked by badgirlzhvmorfun 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
because of Jesus's death we now have a new covenant ....the old testament does not reflect this. Everyone is bringing up things from the old testament or things that happened before the new testament and Jesus's death.
2007-10-29 11:09:28 · update #1
do any of you ATHEISTS feel genuinly happy? I read your answers and I see a lot of hatred and intolerance....not much compassion....I don't think you people are very happy...this is why I could never understand your views...you immulate everything that I don't want to be and most (not all - but most) Christians immulate what I long for.
Where do atheists get their hope?
2007-10-29 11:12:20 · update #2
My ex-friend, who is Christian, rejected her 14yr old son, because he confessed that he was gay. The constant rejection and being told that he was going to hell by everyone in his church...He killed himself. Where was the Christian love there?
2007-10-29 10:36:31 · answer #1 · answered by ? 7 · 8⤊ 0⤋
I don't really consider myself an atheist, but some people might so I guess that entitles me to answer.
I believe the Bible does contain some great stories, as does the books of many of the world's major religions. I think that people should read them in their seach for truth and take what truths they can from them. However, I also believe that "truth" in the spiritual sense is not the same for every person and so for some people, the Bible may not contain the truths they seek.
That said, just because someone calls themself an athiest, doesn't necessarily mean they speak out against the Bible. It simply means they do not believe in a diety.
My question to you is what is your criteria for a good answer? One that is honest or one that supports your beliefs?
2007-10-29 10:50:23 · answer #2 · answered by ImUURU? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree that it should not be discouraged because it does provide a lot of help and comfort to millions of people, whether they believe that it's total truth or pure fiction.
The reason that many non-believers disagree with the Bible is that it's very hypocritical. For example, the Bible tells a Christian to 'love thy neighbour', and 'do unto others as you would have done unto you', but then later in the Bible it says that no one should be gay, and so the Roman Catholic church in particular dislikes gay people. Non-believers can't understand why it says one thing in the Bible, and yet people interpret it in completely different ways.
2007-10-29 10:38:33 · answer #3 · answered by 659017 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
> people to be compassionate and loving
Whoa! I didn't get that from reading the Old Testament. I must be missing something.
> If it is helping people overcome sadness and have hope
Can't I just recommend the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series of books? or "How to be Your Own Best Friend?"
2007-10-29 11:09:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because experience tells that it doesn't make that many people compassionate, otherwise why would they think it's OK to kill in the name of their god?
The inquisition, the crusades, the conquest of the Americas all being rather well known examples. Also slavery was often justified with slaves being non-christian.
In addition you would have to limit it to the new testament, the old testament is pretty brutal.
2007-10-29 10:36:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It takes a lot of twisting to get a good message out of the Bible. Ministers and priests have spent lives massaging a positive moral code out of a very flawed book.
2007-10-29 10:44:22 · answer #6 · answered by Doc Occam 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think it comes from the way many Christians try to brandish their religion as if they "know" it to be true, and all others false, and that everyone else needs to convert to Christianity, as well as the rejection by some Christians of biology and cosmology in favor of a tortured and ridiculous reading of the Bible.
2007-10-29 10:37:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
While there may be some good lessons to be learned from the Bible, it is also filled with hatred, bigotry, and cruelty. I don't see the positive outweighing the negative.
We can just use Aesop's Fables if you want lessons on morality.
In addition, we should operate by what is real, not what feels good.
Sorry.
2007-10-29 10:36:22 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
I've read it, Genesis > Revelations, twice - that is not the impression I got from it.
In fact the reason I read it a second time was to try to dispel the bad taste that was left in my mouth after reading it the first time.
If the bible god ever existed I'd be soiling my pants on a continuous basis.
He doesn't; I don't.
.
2007-10-29 10:44:11 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you think the Bible will teach you "good life lessons" you haven't read the Bible.
It starts out with the story of how God entraped the first two humans for the high crime of seeking knowledge. From there, all future generations were held accountable for this "crime."
It pretty much goes downhill from there.
2007-10-29 10:36:40 · answer #10 · answered by Brendan G 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe you've read the Bible if that is what you think...stop being a religionbot and spouting stuff you've been programmed to say. Do some research yourself, yes it takes time but it's really worth it and you won't make yourself look like an idiot next time.
2007-10-29 10:41:14 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋