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I don't understand reading the Bible and then becoming an atheist.
It would just say these people do not have it right...notice, I did not say, 'are nutty'.
But that does not mean there is not a Supreme or Superior Being...a 'Something'
A Source of all this....I often picture a Star Trek NG, mind blowing Entity.
I don't understand reading the Bible and then becoming an atheist.
It would just say these people do not have it right...notice, I did not say, 'are nutty'.
But that does not mean there is not a Supreme or Superior Being...a 'Something'
A Source of all this....I often picture a Star Trek NG, mind blowing Entity.
Would you read the Book of Mormon then become a Mormon?
Would you read HELTER SKELTER an become Charles Manson?
Maybe you wold read Black Like Me and become black?
SO why would everyone who reads the bible be a christian?
Satisfying fundamental human emotions and desires is not the same thing as preying on them.
But it can be. Say someone comes into the church grieving and despondent over a loved one' death.
The church , in satisfying that emotion of loss, can also prey on it by selling the grieving person some tale of salvation then saying that by donating money, they will assure god's blessings and care of their loved one in heaven.
Or that god want's the person to give money (lots) to the church (aka pastor) to prove their "belief" in god's promise.
So yes, satisfying another's emotion can and more often than not becomes PREYING on the person.
I could never become an atheist by reading the bible for i have been inspired by much of it. I am atheist towards anything bible fundamentalists have interpreted the bible to be and towards what they used it for .
I don't understand reading the Bible and then becoming an atheist.
It would just say these people do not have it right...notice, I did not say, 'are nutty'.
But that does not mean there is not a Supreme or Superior Being...a 'Something'
A Source of all this....I often picture a Star Trek NG, mind blowing Entity.
It often happens. Take Matt Dillahunty, and Traciharris of Austin Atheiss and Rachel Slick who deconverted reading the Bible at college. AAlso Farrell Timm a prominent ex minister Bible critic whom I followed here, and maybe SA Seker my od theist pal. Now atheist. It happens time an again. Not on one reading but on trying to prove to athests that t makes sense and realizing that it doesn't. It seems that reading it in faith s ok, but trying to make it work s whee the problems start.
Maybe it's like Creationist Ark explanations. They work ok with those who just want an easy explanation. but try to sell it to an atheist and then you either stick the fingers in your ears or realize that the explanations don't work.
Someone asked a question in a thread "Is belief a choice?" If there is a choice - that's it. To follow the evidence or to lead it, or ignore it if it won't go where you want.
I could never become an atheist by reading the bible for i have been inspired by much of it.
As have I. But the parts that have inspired and influenced me are the parts or ideas or thoughts that do not actually require me to subscribe to anything on a lack of substantiation.
I can not think of a useful thought, moral or idea from that book that can not be entirely divested of the supernatural and metaphysical woo and unsubstantiated nonsense that comes with it. Nor can I think of a SINGLE piece of useful moral or other philosophy espoused by the Nazerene that requires me to think he actually was some kind of god or anything more than human.
Biblical inspiration and influence does not preclude, nor is it precluded by, atheism. At all. Even a little.
I read this in the bible. Just one of the reasons I'm atheist. Not only do these scriptures, undeniably, sanction slavery, they also show the blatant favoritism of this fictional God. It is absurd that a loving God would do either. These scriptures clearly reflect the writings of Jewish men justifying their ethnic evils.
Leviticus 25:44-46King James Version (KJV)
44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.
45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.
46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.
And here, NT support:
A Good Slave is a Good Christian
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.” (Peter 2:18: )
I also read this in the bible. This is the only people found moral enough to be saved from the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah. Let's not forget that before this happened, he offered these daughters to be raped by the men in town to protect Angels. Really?
Genesis 19:30-36King James Version (KJV)
30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
31 And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
Something else I read in the bible. This is God telling Israel that far away tribes they can kill all the men and take the women, children and other for themselves. But, for close tribes, kill everything. This is clearly genocide.
Deuteronomy 20:14-17King James Version (KJV)
14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy God hath given thee.
15 Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.
16 But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth:
17 But thou shalt utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee:
Also read this in the bible. This is condoned rape. Want to marry a good looking chick? Well, just have 50 shekels and rape her. Don't worry, women are just property.
Deuteronomy 22:28-29King James Version (KJV)
28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;
29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.
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