(March 8, 2015 at 3:38 am)warrior02 Wrote: All I ask of you guys here, is to read a bible. For me, the bible personally enlightened me and reinforces my religion. Instead of retaining your knowledge by what you hear from Christians, actually read the scriptures that the religion is based off of.

We had a lengthy deconversion thread ("Why are you no longer a Christian?") over at freeratio.org. By far, the most common reason for Christians leaving the faith is that they finally sat down and read the bible.

Read it and still read parts of it for a laugh.

Honestly I got more out of the Iliad and the Oddysey than the bible. At least they were entertaining. But the bible is mostly dull dull dull. It's just not very good.

So OP, turns out many here have read the bible. Now what?

Got any evidence your god is any more real than aphrodite? And aphrodite was beautiful with a nice set of knockers, so your god already had two strikes against him.

And now, OP, the real question: how many books from other religions have you read? Or is it only enlightening for everyone else to read books that you already agree with?

If Christians were sincere about wanting to make others feel better they would spend less time pushing the Bible and more time sucking dick and eating pussy.

Heard enough from the book of Jewish mythology when I was at school. The Giddeons went to recycling years ago. I suspect some of my class mates had the better idea involving tobacco (and possibly other herbs...)
Greek Mythology is much more entertaining along with the previously mentioned Illiad and Oddysey. I've read the Bhagavid Gita, watched the Mahabharat (I hope to read the full text at some point) and the Prose Edda is on my wish-list at Amazon.

This was a hit and run then, I take it? No interest in discussion?

Maybe he'll come back later and tell us what we are supposed to learn from the big book of torture porn.

(March 8, 2015 at 3:38 am)warrior02 Wrote: All I ask of you guys here, is to read a bible. For me, the bible personally enlightened me and reinforces my religion. Instead of retaining your knowledge by what you hear from Christians, actually read the scriptures that the religion is based off of.

I see we're at about 42%. How high do you suppose the percentage would be if we polled Christians?

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(March 8, 2015 at 3:59 am)warrior02 Wrote:

(March 8, 2015 at 3:46 am)Esquilax Wrote: I have. So have numerous other atheists here- I'm not going to say all, but I suspect a sizeable portion. Some of us literally came from religious backgrounds.

Why are you assuming we hadn't?

I'm not, I'm just saying that some of the scriptures have personally helped me throughout my life. I'm just trying to help some of the people here, that may have not read the Bible, and I hope to affect someone's life positively.

I'm glad to see you're not a 'one-post wonder'. I'm hoping you don't turn out to be a 'two-post wonder'.

(March 8, 2015 at 3:38 am)warrior02 Wrote: All I ask of you guys here, is to read a bible. For me, the bible personally enlightened me and reinforces my religion. Instead of retaining your knowledge by what you hear from Christians, actually read the scriptures that the religion is based off of.

Why do christers like you always assume we haven't read that tripe? Many, if not most, atheists came from religious homes and religious upbringing. Many were believers themselves before reason found its way through the cracks in faith.

I've read that worthless bit of iron age fantasy from cover to cover twice. There is nothing compelling there to convince me that it is anything other than iron age story telling. Even viewing it as a work of fiction it fails due to logical inconsistencies, internal contradictions and plot holes you can drive a truck through. The only way I've ever been able to find "enlightenment" from the buy-bull is by setting one on fire on a dark night.

(March 8, 2015 at 3:59 am)warrior02 Wrote:

(March 8, 2015 at 3:46 am)Esquilax Wrote: Why are you assuming we hadn't?

I'm not, I'm just saying that some of the scriptures have personally helped me throughout my life. I'm just trying to help some of the people here, that may have not read the Bible, and I hope to affect someone's life positively.

Your initial post very much indicates you believe we haven't read it.

I'm curious though, why do you believe anyone here needs your brand of help?!?

He gone.

As has been stated many times before, a historically critical look at the Bible was the capstone with which my atheism was finalized.

(March 8, 2015 at 6:22 am)Lucanus Wrote: Read it - it's a ridiculous pile of ancient myths and fairy tales. It truly is a miracle that there are people who believe in it... Or it's just a testament to the ridiculous extent of human stupidity.

Here's the thing. Even the minority of christers who actually have read the buy-bull haven't actually read it, not the way books are supposed to be read. First, mum & dad convinced them there's this guy in the sky called gawd. Then they get a childrens buy-bull with most of the truly horrific bits left out. Then, when they finally graduate to a full, grown-up buy-bull they get a priest/pastor/minister/shaman/medicine man giving them a study guide and having them read it out of order and out of context, giving them the context required by their particular brand of faith.