Have you read the entire bible?

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TfHurst911's picture
Have you read the entire bible?

Who here has read the entire bible? I haven't, but for some odd reason decided to start yesterday. My husband actually laughed when I asked him if we owned a bible, and asked if I was converting on him! We didn't actually own a copy, so I managed to get my hands on a free one from the local thrift store. (I refuse to spend my hard earned money on one!) Anyway, I'm only 13 chapters into Genesis, and though I tried to go into this with an open mind, I'm already having a very hard time seeing how anyone can take this book seriously! I am also blogging about my thoughts as I go through it, but don't want to post a link to the blog in case that isn't allowed here. I guess what I'm looking for is for fellow atheists that have actually read the entire bible, so that I can get your thoughts on it as well. If someone can confirm that it is okay, I will post the link to my blog so that you can see what I've got going on there.

So, who's read it?

Teresa

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Pitar's picture
Courtesy response only.

Courtesy response only.

No. I have sampled it over the years validating my affirmations. Good luck to you and I do sincerely hope you find a worthy purpose in such a project.

TfHurst911's picture
If nothing else, I am honing

If nothing else, I am honing my writing skills while amusing myself with the absurdity!

Brometheus's picture
I've read it.

I've read it.

ThePragmatic's picture
I have made a couple of

I have made a couple of attempts, but it was just too absurd and repetitive.

Michee's picture
When I was religious I read

When I was religious I read the bible but I didn't complete it.

Johnny Moronic's picture
Three times front to back and

Three times front to back and thousands more in bits and pieces. Twice thru and thousands of bits because of my upbringing, and once more as an adult just because I wanted to make sure that I understood it all at a grown up level. I have also read most of the apocrypha (stuff that was considered cannon at one point in history but is no longer part of KJV), and lots of apologetics and "biblical scholarship" (<- world record holder for the biggest oxymoron). Also the texts of many other organized religions. I would be happy to talk to you about any of it. I am an atheist, as in: "I do not (currently) believe in god or gods, but would consider changing my position if I were ever presented with convincing evidence." I am not one of those "I AM CERTAIN THERE IS NO TYPE OF GOD!!" anti-theists, but in regards to the Christian God, I know enough about how that one is defined to assert a firm disbelief. THAT God definitely does not, and could not exist. (Too self-contradictory, amongst other things.) I'm not so much a fervent anti-believer, indeed I have spent a lot of my own life thinking about such things myself and have many friends and family of faith. "Searching" is fine. I focus more of my attention on organized religion, and basically I believe that there is an inherent danger in that many people getting together and asserting that they know unknowable things. I basically think of it as a tool developed by smart humans to control more ignorant humans (usually) based on fear, and a tool not always or even often used with the best of intent. Happy to talk about it always. Be well.

Johnny Moronic's picture
Three times front to back and

Three times front to back and thousands more in bits and pieces. Twice thru and thousands of bits because of my upbringing, and once more as an adult just because I wanted to make sure that I understood it all at a grown up level. I have also read most of the apocrypha (stuff that was considered cannon at one point in history but is no longer part of KJV), and lots of apologetics and "biblical scholarship" (<- world record holder for the biggest oxymoron). Also the texts of many other organized religions. I would be happy to talk to you about any of it. I am an atheist, as in: "I do not (currently) believe in god or gods, but would consider changing my position if I were ever presented with convincing evidence." I am not one of those "I AM CERTAIN THERE IS NO TYPE OF GOD!!" anti-theists, but in regards to the Christian God, I know enough about how that one is defined to assert a firm disbelief. THAT God definitely does not, and could not exist. (Too self-contradictory, amongst other things.) I'm not so much a fervent anti-believer, indeed I have spent a lot of my own life thinking about such things myself and have many friends and family of faith. "Searching" is fine. I focus more of my attention on organized religion, and basically I believe that there is an inherent danger in that many people getting together and asserting that they know unknowable things. I basically think of it as a tool developed by smart humans to control more ignorant humans (usually) based on fear, and a tool not always or even often used with the best of intent. Happy to talk about it always. Be well.

Johnny Moronic's picture
(No subject)

<- world record holder for the biggest oxymoron). Also the texts of many other organized religions. I would be happy to talk to you about any of it. I am an atheist, as in: "I do not (currently) believe in god or gods, but would consider changing my position if I were ever presented with convincing evidence." I am not one of those "I AM CERTAIN THERE IS NO TYPE OF GOD!!" anti-theists, but in regards to the Christian God, I know enough about how that one is defined to assert a firm disbelief. THAT God definitely does not, and could not exist. (Too self-contradictory, amongst other things.) I'm not so much a fervent anti-believer, indeed I have spent a lot of my own life thinking about such things myself and have many friends and family of faith. "Searching" is fine. I focus more of my attention on organized religion, and basically I believe that there is an inherent danger in that many people getting together and asserting that they know unknowable things. I basically think of it as a tool developed by smart humans to control more ignorant humans (usually) based on fear, and a tool not always or even often used with the best of intent. Happy to talk about it always. Be well.

Johnny Moronic's picture
Sorry, I seem to be having a

Sorry, I seem to be having a little computer trouble at the moment...

Johnny Moronic's picture
I can't even figure out how

I can't even figure out how to delete these half-post mistakes, sorry. I don't see anything in the site rules against you referencing your blog though. I also post on Atheist Republic as John Richmond where I can manage to finish that thought without having my computer burp all over your thread. Eewwww... Thanks, be well.

CyberLN's picture
I've read it and for the most

I've read it and for the most part, found it tedious. It might be handy for you to get ahold of an annotated version which can help. I like Asimov's for that.

cmallen's picture
All of the NT and the

All of the NT and the apocrypha; all of genesis through Leviticus; started pulling my hair out halfway through numbers and again halfway through deuteronomy; skipped ahead to Esther, Job, Psalms and Proverbs; then sent my Thompson Chain Reference cartwheeling across the room and only crack it open to verify something someone says or if I need a handy passage. Also, all of Saddharma Pundarika, and any collections of sutras I could get my hands on. Oh, and about 3/4 of the Bhagavad Gita, what can I say, it was a phase.

cmallen's picture
I wonder if "Thus Spoke

I wonder if "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" counts?

TfHurst911's picture
This is the blog I have

This is the blog I have started. https://theultimatebookreport.wordpress.com/

I knew that I was going to have to take notes as I went through it, so I figured I might as well turn it into a blog. I don't remember reading much of it as a child. I know that we memorized the standard stuff in church, but I didn't ever read outside of church. I guess I just wanted to have a better grasp of the book. I knew the basic idea was ridiculous, and now, only 19 chapters into Genesis, I am absolutely dumbfounded as to how anyone could take it seriously.

Travis Hedglin's picture
Yes, I have read it, numerous

Yes, I have read it, numerous time, including the Catholic version which is different. I have also read a number of books that were officially rejected from the cannon. I honestly don't know why I read them all, other than that I found in them the most childish and inanely entertaining ideas about reality and morality, If there is a WORSE collection of disparate works such things could be based off of, I hadn't read it, and I have forgotten more fantasy novels than many people have ever read.I would recommend a good pair of waders and a very wide snowshovel, because the bullshit gets exponentially deeper the further you get in.

MarioinBrussels's picture
Not only I read it, I also

Not only I read it, I also had to study it for years, born in a little town in Mexico where every one was religious, I grow up as a hardcore catholic, so bible study was a must several times a week. Was only when I came to Europe to finish my studies that everything went wrong. I became atheist overnight. Is interesting that religious people claim the the bible is sacred and everything in it is true, little they know that the Bible was centuries ago, very different. Many gospels were added, other were excluded. We dont have originals of anything, only copy of copy of copy, Besides Popes and Conciliums changed the Bible big time trough the years. The Bible was written as a historic book, specially the old testament, and it was written with all the good intention of making laws for people back then in a society where everything was a mess. Anarchy at its best. The whole idea of hell and heaven was introduced to force people to follow the new rules by fear. You sin=you go to hell. The ignorant man is the one who fear the most, thats why the Bible made up an explanation of where we come from, what are we, and where we will go when we die...because the ignorant and basic human being need this info to feel he is not alone in the universe. Knowledge make men strong and able to live a life without god.

Travis Hedglin's picture
"Knowledge make men strong

"Knowledge make men strong and able to live a life without god."

I couldn't possibly agree any more.

jbailey84's picture
I have never read the Holy

I have never read the Holy Bible all the way through, but I have wanted to so that I could use the words against Christians that think they know what they are talking about. I can't understand the syntax of the KJV and modern bibles are going to have a lot of incorrect translations. I started watching a channel on YouTube (The Bible Reloaded) that reads the NIV bible and the hosts break down what the chapters are saying in a hilarious but mostly factual way. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgGgkVyadk0TdxmVzYcAM-Q

Alan D. Griffin's picture
I have read it several times.

I have read it several times. I have also taken several historical approaches to the bible classes. The bible has a real thread of history and truth and you can really see how and why it came about once you know the historical setting of each of the 66 books way way different from what you would hear in Sunday school or church.

D_Trimijopulos's picture
What everybody seems to

What everybody seems to forget is that the Bible (I am referring only to the Hebrew part) is an ancient text and it is only natural for those who have read no texts older than the Bible to be unable to understand anything out of it.

Those who know the Bible know very well that the God is described there as a criminal person but nobody asks “why?”. Why is the Bible so anti-theological?
Then, as you suggested, people should first read about the “Documentary Hypothesis” in order to stop believing the theological tale about Moses’ authorship.
Moreover, there are passages which betray that some of the writers were advocates of polytheism and some others plain atheists (those describing the God as a criminal person).
Not to forget, of course, that the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) was followed by the Oral Torah, which means that the writers explained orally, to those who were to memorize the Oral Torah, the meaning of the stories found in the written version.

He who wants to understand the Hebrew Bible has to study the Talmud (which is the Oral Torah written eventually down) and that is only for specialists in the Hebrew texts!

So, those accusing the Hebrew Bible for contradictions, nonsense etc., are simply persons without the proper knowledge.
Those who are to be blamed are those who used an anti-theistic text (because such the Hebrew Bible is) to support the image of an all benevolent God.

Jeff Vella Leone's picture
"So, those accusing the

"So, those accusing the Hebrew Bible for contradictions, nonsense etc., are simply persons without the proper knowledge."

Mostly true, since those contradictions are in contrast to the particular religious teaching.

However one must note that the Hebrew text themselves have contradictions mainly because after the Babylonian exile the Jewish priests started editing and inventing things in the text, like the coming of a messiah prophecy.

Yahweh had no such desires, he was tyrant with inferiority complex that wanted to be like the other gods that had land.

D_Trimijopulos's picture
“Yahweh had no such desires,

“Yahweh had no such desires, he was tyrant with inferiority complex that wanted to be like the other gods that had land.”

That is a very interesting comment! I am curious, however, why you say that Yahweh had no land while we know from the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) that when the gods were given their land portions Yahweh was given Israel as his portion.

Jeff Vella Leone's picture
Nope he wasn't given land.

Nope he wasn't given land.

There is a passage that says:

"Elion distributed the land among the children of the Elohim."

In the bible was mistranslated on purpose as:

"God distributed the land among the children of Israel."

Elion = the one on top, the highest god, above all of them.
Elohim = gods
El= god
Yahweh, was not given a land and thus he had to go and conquer it himself.

He rallied Moses and some citizens and peasants of Egypt(they weren't slaves) with other people that were wondering in that area without a home.
Made a pact with them and created a new warmonger community for the single purpose to capture their promised land that we call JEWS
Land that Yahweh wanted because he did not have any.

Yahweh had no land, they wondered in the desert for 40 years.
Then they invaded and killed many other people, took their virgins and land to claim it for themselves.
Yahweh participated in some of those wars.
There was an instance where David was loosing and called(not prayed) Yahweh to come and pick him up before he gets killed.
Yahweh came flying and picked him and successfully retreated to a safe location.
There is a book named "The Wars of Yahweh" which is lost to us, but if it is ever discovered we would better understand the wars of those gods and maybe why the other gods had lands and Yahweh had to go and conquer it when those gods weren't looking.

Yahweh was a flesh and blood person, that eats, smells and steps on shit.
Moses never trusted Yahweh, they were at odds many times.
Moses even describes him as capricious, jealous, childish, etc...

Alan D. Griffin's picture
I recommend the new revised

I recommend the new revised standard version( NRSV). It is easier to read and the version used by historical scholars.

Pitar's picture
I just want to know how it

I just want to know how it was originally captured considering none of the cast of characters were educated enough to make individual written records of their respective lives. They were uneducated characters, supposedly. Do you suppose god assigned scribes to each of them to ensure their stories could be accurately recorded, then assigned an editor to gather them up and make them into a collective work?

Or, maybe there was one scribe, who had to be one very busy dude, who captured all their stories to create the flow of a single writing style more palatable.

Or, maybe it was all concocted by some 2nd century christian church pope to give christianity a starting point. With inarguable platitude (no one was going to refute a pope) and evidence that his is the first known writing of the bible, this seems likely the origin of the work. I mean, sending the origin of christianity backwards 200 years does remove any remote chance of anyone disputing the guy's "facts". But, he could have at least perused the regional maps to ensure that a Nazareth actually existed before making it the birth place of his protagonist, don'tcha think?

One thing's for sure; period writings (that haven't been proven to be false, post-dated entries) attesting to the existence of a jesus character have never been found in the hundreds of surviving period journals by the notable period journalists and scribes.

And, that is why I dismiss the bible out of hand. I do suppose it might be something of a worthy read just for the sake of making the claim. But, I do have a sock drawer that needs organizing.

I'm so conflicted - oy!

Jeff Vella Leone's picture
From my research the most

From my research the most probable cause for the creation of Christianity is the 3 Roman Emperors, "The Flavians", to establish their divinity and right to rule. This was done during a period where propaganda was needed to stop the Jewish rebels from making the peasants and slaves revolt against their roman masters.

This video displace this case best:

http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/174117/Caesars_Messiah__The_Roma...

Alan D. Griffin's picture
Old Testament document

Old Testament document hypothesis. J E P D

New Testament: 1/4 written by Paul an educated roman citizen and Jewish Pharisee, Luke was a dr.

Chris's picture
I have started it many times,

I have started it many times, wanting to read it for reference, but have been unable to get far enough in it to count it as "read" in any way. I'm still feeling funny--almost guilty--about being an atheist. However, when I read "The God Delusion", I found myself in that book. It is definitely on my reading list. I mean the Bible.

Pitar's picture
For those who would attempt a

For those who would attempt a reading of the bible it would be best to get a handle on the archeological record of its origins first. That knowledge would take much of the onus of reading such a work away.

May I suggest -

http://www.bidstrup.com/bible.htm

Eversman's picture
I haven't read the whole but

I haven't read the whole but I have just skimmed through. It can be summarized in one word "ridiculous" but I like the part (spoiler alert) where Jesus turns water into wine, pretty cool from a son of god.

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