Why is it that most Christians haven't read the Bible?

[DeistPaladin]

Why do Christians not read the Bible? Why are atheists so much more versed in Christian scripture?

If I were convinced that the Creator of the universe wrote a book, even forgetting the whole salvation and afterlife scheme, I'd drop everything to read it cover to cover. Just the source of potential information and insight alone would be enough to command my undivided attention until I'd finished.

A video I'd done on this topic:

 

[borrofburi]

I've met a number who have read most of it, it's not the reading it that they seem to fail at, but at the history of religion and the history of their religion, etc. People have such a poor understanding of what is really meant by the term "god", I can forgive the atheists for this, but the theists who use the term should actually understand it and its history.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

Have you ever been through a church service? The preachers seem to use a "cut and paste" method of taking bits out of context to say the things they want the Bible to say. If you look at the "read the Bible in a year" study plans, they skip all over the place too. There's a very distinct impression that the church leaders go out of their way to make sure Christians don't actually read the Bible in a way that would actually bring understanding of the book.

 

[Aught3]

Why? Because it's so boring! Also, it's the best way to turn a Christian into an atheist - so Christians start reading the bible but atheists finish it.

 

[Warhawk57]

It is because they don't have a strong enough faith... You are talking about moderate Christians who go to church regularly but don't have the desire to seek god out in their lives... They will argue that he exist with you as much as you can stand to talk to them, just because they have a beleif in something that makes them feel good about themselves, but some fundamentalist Christians will question their salvation...

 

[xchillx42]

It is because they don't have a strong enough faith...

I lot of Christians I have met on the internet have the strongest faith, they just sit there with their fingers in their ears and go 'LALALALALALALALALALA'. Strong faith sucks.

 

[anarkus03]

Honestly?

It's long! It's boring! It has some seriously long dry spells of not much happening, and a lot of weirdness.
As a christian of the bible belt, you aren't really expected to read the whole thing.
That's what preachers are for: to pull out the important parts to learn on Sunday.

As a christian, that would have been my honest excuse.

 

[TheFearmonger]

A lot of the bible in southern churches is presented in the same way as in sunday school. As a result, most people think they know the bible, so they don't read it, but listen to the pastor. :ugeek:

 

[Nogre]

As people have said, it's a rather terribly written book, regardless of the content. If I wanted to read something exceedingly long and dense, I'd read something like Lord of the Rings where I can still enjoy it.

 

[nemesiss]

A lot of the bible in southern churches is presented in the same way as in sunday school. As a result, most people think they know the bible, so they don't read it, but listen to the pastor. :ugeek:

you know, what could be an interesting activity, stand at door of church and when people leave.
Stand there (perhaps with a booth with the text "do you read your bible?"), give them small pieces of papers with small bible verses and the number thingie that people can find back. I think it is the most non-violent way to show them these verses.


you can even hold the position of a concern theist, that you had an argument with an atheist that he claims christians are stupid because they don't read their bible and you wanted to prove that christians do...


sortof that story of some guy who kept being plagued by god just because god wanted to prove the devil that the human in question would have faith in god no matter what...

if they still want an atheist to blame, you can allways blame us as your scape-goat. i will gladly take that fall for you and if they REALLY want to have a strong word in person they are always welcome in my house... if they are willing to show up.

 

[Durakken]

A lot of the bible in southern churches is presented in the same way as in sunday school. As a result, most people think they know the bible, so they don't read it, but listen to the pastor. :ugeek:

you know, what could be an interesting activity, stand at door of church and when people leave.
Stand there (perhaps with a booth with the text "do you read your bible?"), give them small pieces of papers with small bible verses and the number thingie that people can find back. I think it is the most non-violent way to show them these verses.


you can even hold the position of a concern theist, that you had an argument with an atheist that he claims christians are stupid because they don't read their bible and you wanted to prove that christians do...


sortof that story of some guy who kept being plagued by god just because god wanted to prove the devil that the human in question would have faith in god no matter what...

if they still want an atheist to blame, you can allways blame us as your scape-goat. i will gladly take that fall for you and if they REALLY want to have a strong word in person they are always welcome in my house... if they are willing to show up.

You have to be more precise than just Do you read the bible...because lots of christians read like a sentence from their favorite story every day, but tmost haven't read the entire thing.

 

[borrofburi]

You have to be more precise than just Do you read the bible...because lots of christians read like a sentence from their favorite story every day, but tmost haven't read the entire thing.

Give them multiple choice questionnaires like "which of the following isn't a real bible verse?" or "which of the following is the real bible verse?", etc.

 

[DeistPaladin]

Landover Baptist has done many a "Bible Quiz" on this very topic.

 

[TheFearmonger]

Landover Baptist has done many a "Bible Quiz" on this very topic.

Hmm. What were the results?
BTW, love the skull nose.

 

[DeistPaladin]

BTW, love the skull nose.

It's actually used as a education device. The "skin" is represented on one side of the skull in wax while the skull itself is exposed on the other side (visable from the camera angle).

There aren't any "results" from the LBC quiz. It's more for education on the Bible. LBC is a parody-church.

 

[TheFearmonger]

BTW, love the skull nose.

It's actually used as a education device. The "skin" is represented on one side of the skull in wax while the skull itself is exposed on the other side (visable from the camera angle).

There aren't any "results" from the LBC quiz. It's more for education on the Bible. LBC is a parody-church.

Ah, cool. kinda like penn and teller's now infamous dihydrogen monoxide thing. That skull's still pretty cool, tho.

 

[GuppyPal]

I was a Christian until I started reading the Bible.

I'm completely dumbfounded how anyone can read the Bible and still be a Christian and worship Yahweh. I really like to try and understand the thinking of others, but this is one of the few times I just can't.

 

[boonw]

Why do Christians not read the Bible? Why are atheists so much more versed in Christian scripture?

Because if they did, then they wouldnt be christians anymorel. (or they did, but it only looks like the bible disagrees with the bible because satan made it look that way)

 

[WolfAU]

I am one of those "ex-Christians" who started to deconvert by asking alot of questions and trying to not just read, but understand the bible... BIG MISTAKE. But I can understand why the priests went to such lengths to try to prevent it being translated into the common tongue.

 

[Warhawk57]

I think most of you guys are far off base... Atleast with the christians at my school.(some hardcore people granted)
when Christians read the bible they take it as total trueth and when you go about looking at a book like that every freaking verse can be explained away... I challenged my teacher once with a list of verses all contridicting eachother he said give me a day and I will refute everyone of your contradictions

some examples I used would be the two genesis accounts (man and woman being created together but in chapter 2 women coming from Adams rib) the bible does not say they were created both at once aparently so I got beat

there is two verses about when a king was named king both verses were two years apart... Apparently both scribes were right because one scribe said that even though the king was taking care of his dying father for two years he was still annointed king... and the other scribe said that he wasn't in a active role so he exculed the two years... I lost again

but the point is I haven't been able to find a contradiction that cannot be explained.

My arguement is trying to say that yes the bible is totally unworthy of anykind of worship; But, people dont look at it as if is suppose to be a rational book, they look at it as a source for gods intervention into mankinds history.