A Former Atheist

[Theoretical Skeptic]

First, in most cases it isn't militant opposition, but the fact that the pieces don't add up which led us to atheism. As you said, this book was compiled some time between the bronze age and the iron age by a tribal society of half nomadic desert dwellers. The content presents itself accordingly. The original thought probably was to provide a set of rules to a lawless society. And to do some gorilla style breast pounding on the side. The fact that people still follow it to the letter is somewhere between amusing and appaling. It gets appaling when the people following it, have some kind of influence on society at large.

That is the way it goes. The majority, the rich have the political control.

Apologies, if I presumed, you to be comfortable withe the trinity and all the woo included. Your post was somehow misleading. But if you don't follow the woo, what is left aside from some ancient set of laws and a collection of campfire tales?

I don't know what "woo" is, but I don't buy into the trinity. The trinity was a teaching of Plato. After the conquest of Alexander the Great Greek philosophy had a powerful influence on Jewish thinking and the result was that the Platonic Trinity and the concept of the immortal soul, from Socrates and Plato, became fused with the religious thinking and so today is confused as a Bible teaching. 
The Bible does not teach or support the following:
1. The Immortal Soul.
2. Hell.
3. The Rapture.
4. Jesus death on the cross.
5. All "Good People" go to heaven.
6. 6 Literal days of creation. 
7. 6,000 year old creation. 
8. The celebration of holidays, most of which are pagan in origin. Easter, Christmas, Birthdays, Halloween, New Years Day, Valentines Day, etc. 
9. Evolution. 
10. An omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient God in the strictest sense. 
The Bible does support the global deluge. 

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Ok, thanks for reminding me that atheism doesn't always imply rational thought as I understand it. To help me better understand you please tell me:

1) You are saying that the bible is pretty much a historical record (after a bit of cherry-picking) which depicts the morality and culture of the people of that time period, right? So why couldn't the people themselves have written these laws and records? Why would they need divine intervention/inspiration to do so? Or to put it another way, why do you think that the bible was divinely inspired?

2) What fact or record in the bible do you believe in that proves the existance of anything supernatural?

3) Do you believe 'Adam' or the 'first human' just popped up on earth? If yes, then when? at what point in time? Also do you believe in the concept of original sin?

4) What convinced you of the authenticity of the biblical flood?

1) No cherry picking. The people themselves could have provided some semblance of an historical account that was no more accurate or honest than any other people that did the same, but that isn't the way it happened. The extent of my response would depend upon how well you might understand the meaning of the Bible and Jehovah God's purpose. What plans did God make after Adam's sin? Why did he produce a nation of Laws and a Messiah? Things like that you would need to grasp the meaning of. Why do I think the Bible was divinely inspired? How am I supposed to answer that? Imagine someone who has studied medicine for years and has to explain why they have a specific diagnosis to someone who not only doesn't have the capacity to understand because they haven't been instructed accordingly, but also flat out rejects the notion from the start. We can discuss it gradually in the future and hopefully you will begin to understand my position. That's about the best I can do. Suffice it to say, after great consideration the Bible has demonstrated it to me and I have no reason to doubt it. 

2) Same answer as above. What is the supernatural? Some race of super intelligent beings which we can't see in our current state? Something we can't test? 

3) Adam was created in the year 4026 B.C.E. likely in the fall. The most ancient calendars started to count time around October 1, the first new moon of the lunar civil year. Bible chronology is very accurate. Just from Genesis 5:1-29; 7:6 you can deduce the following: From Adam's creation to the birth of Seth 130 years. From then to the birth of Enosh 105 years, to the birth of Kenan 90 years, to the birth of Mahalalel 70 yers, to the birth of Jared 65 years, to the birth of Methuselah 65 years, to the birth of Lamech 187 years, to the birth of Noah 182 years, to the flood 600 years with a total of 1,656 years. From there, fixing any point with secular history in agreement and the confirmation of astrological records you can take any event in the past Biblical history until the present moment quite accurately. 

As for original sin, you would have to be more specific, preferably avoiding terminology that may have various interpretations. Yes, I believe that Adam sinned by disobeying God in eating the literal fruit of a specific tree, resulting in inherited sin. 

4) The Bible. Why would I doubt it?