How has reading the bible changed your views on religion?

Question

I have a harder time believing there is a god now because i read the bible.

Answer 1

Reading the Bible with an open mind is the easiest path OUT of Christianity.

EDIT: I will not advise you on your religious choices, but will advise you to keep reading it. Also, use your own mind to see what it says, rather than letting others tell you what they've been taught it's saying. The choice is yours, it's your life, and only you can decide what is best for you. While you're reading it, you may want to take a good look at other religions. This will give you more options, and a broader perspective. After studying you may want to stay in Christianity, switch to another religion that suits you better, or you may realize that you cannot believe any of them. Whichever way you go, I wish you the best.

Answer 2

Reading the bible (several times) changed me from being skeptical to being nearly certain that there is no god. Religious faith necessarily precludes critical thinking. The first religious tyrants learned to control people by threat of retribution, and all religious leaders since then have learned that lesson well. While being forced to study the bible as a youth, I was amazed by how two different religions interpreted a particular passage in the bible so differently. Also, religious folk cherry pick passages and ignore contradictory ones. Religion just doesn't pass the acid test.

Answer 3

The bible was written by man. Of course the men who wrote the books of the bible were, supposeably, prophets of god. Over the years the Catholic church has edited and censored books of the bible, so very few words of the bible are god's.

My views toward Christianity have changed dramatically from reading the Bible and Koran. Before reading the Koran, I gave into the media's opinion of Christianity being the most intollerant of all the religions. After reading the first couple pages of the Koran my mind was changed.

Answer 4

It sure made me see religion in a different light. I learned so much that I didn't know before.
I took a class called "Intro to the Prophets," which was about the Jewish prophets of the Tanakh, or Hebrew Scriptures... part of what the Christians call the Old Testament. We learned a lot about the history of the time, what certain phrases meant that were somewhat difficult to understand now, what "proof texts" were, and so on. I was surprised to find out that during the early history of the Jewish people, they were henotheists, not monotheists. That means they worshipped one particular God out of the many they believed existed. This belief in other Gods shows up in various locations in the scriptures.

Answer 5

Jesus himself CONDEMNS religion, did you know that? Consider these verses:
Matthew 6:7: But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Matthew 15:9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Mark 7:9: And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition (Jesus hated religious ceremonies, rituals, etc.).

Matthew 5:20: For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (In other words, Jesus was telling people that they should NOT be like the self-righteous religious leaders.)

You see, salvation of mankind is not found in any religion, church, or organization. It is found in a person - Jesus. You only need a child-like faith in Him to go to heaven, nothing more nothing less.
Religion is what the devil is using to keep you from going to heaven. Think about it. Almost everyone here is turned off by the mere mention of religion, and thus would not even care to discuss such things as heaven and hell. They don't know that they've fallen into the devil's trap, and only the TRUTH will set them free.

John 8:32: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

GOD HATES RELIGION!

May I know why you have a harder time believing there is a God because of the bible? Feel free to email me. Thanks.

Answer 6

I was always a doubter in my Muslim family and more or less atheist but it was more like I was indifferent and even lazy (I was in my pre-teens). But I then enrolled in a catholic high school and obviously had to read the bible a lot...and I knew then that I had to further educate myself on my atheistic views, that I had to question more etc and learn why anyone would be a believer when the book was pieces of fragment, ridiculous stories, questionable history, non-affirmative of a deity etc.
Thank you Catholic school for intensifying my atheism :)

Answer 7

Here is my transition:

Christian -- no Bible reading
Bible reading -- atheist
atheist -- Bible interpreting
Bible interpreting -- Christian.

Not everyone follows that path but it worked for me.

Answer 8

i think it can either lead you closer to God or have the opposite affect. obviously it did for the other ppl who answered. it is kinda that way for me too, i guess. when i read it, it seems harder to believe. i mean, i still do believe, but it seems like everything is kinda fake. but i know it isnt. i guess i just need to really work on that. i guess, in a way, the bible kinda shows us how it can be really hard for us to comprehend what god can do. how we need to have faith in him and how to learn from ppl's mistakes in the bible...so it can pull you closer or force you away. it is easier to just let yourself slip away from belief, but we need to hold on to it and pull closer. but the bible can also definately help you.

Answer 9

it hasn't. until i feel like i'm at a comfortable relationship, i'm not goign to read the rest of the bible, because without God, i probably won't interpret it right.

Answer 10

It is what started me on the road to atheism