The Bible made me an Atheist.

[Dotard]

Well, it wasn't as simplistic as that. But that's basicly what happened.

I was raised a good christian boy. Went to church, prayed and all that. Then I joined the Army.

I was always a loner growing up. I could count all those I called my Friend on 1/2 a hand. After basic training, advanced training and all that I got my permanent station. I found myself quite bored during my off duty hours and during one of my many calls to home my father suggested bible reading to fill the lonely hours.

So I did. I began reading it from Genesis 1:1 and dredged my way thru it. It was pure hell getting thru all the this one begat that one. But I persevered.

I prayed before each reading session for God to enlighten me and help me to understand. But the stories kept getting more and more ludicrous. Talking snakes and donkeys, men magicly parting seas, God showing folks his 'hind-parts'.....

The things this God did were down right criminal. Downright insane.

Thus began my skepticism. Took many a year after that of questioning and reasoning to come to conclusions about the nature of God. The first conclusion was there is no God(s). No Ghosts, no goblins, no warlocks, no witches, no talking unicorns and no invisible dragons.

During my 'quest' I found many good books on the whole question. The Skeptics guide to the Bible and Why I am not a Christian being two and my favorites. In these books and others I read and saw that there were many many before me that had the same thoughts, questions and conclusions about the whole matter and they were saying and questioning all this WAY before I was born. Suddenly I was no longer alone.

I met others who thought as I was thinking. I realized the world was full of like minded people as myself. Suddenly I was no longer alone.

20 some odd years later I find myself on the internets and out in the world explaining to folks why I don't believe what I don't believe and trying to help them see what I have seen.

[Tiberius]

Thanks for that story. I think the majority of atheists here who used to be Christians would agree that the Bible is a big reason why we deconverted.

[Edwardo Piet]

Great post. Great thread.

[Mandi]

Yeah definitely. The Bible was a primary reason for me being converted. That among other things...

Thanks for sharing your story

[Dotard]

You're welcome.

[chatpilot]

Dotard that sounds like my story exactly.I too read the bible in its entirety because my pastor had suggested that every christian should read it at least once in their life time.I took him up on it and ended up reading it a total of 4 times from cover to cover one of those times I was reading it in Spanish.The more I read the more I began to be skeptical about its so called divine inspiration.I thought that the god of the bible was a monster and schizophrenic since he seems like a totally different being in the N.T. then he was in the O.T.I thought to myself even if he did exist I would never bow down to serve a tyrant.Thanks for your story.

[Pippy]

I can see how being around the bible a lot as a younger person could be detrimental to your ability to believe in god, especially if you have a brain. I lived for a time in the bible belt, and was raised christian. But when I decided that the bible was not for me, I didn't automatically assume that must mean god didn't exist. It only proves, if the bible is not the word of god, that the bible is not the word of god. That is what I meant before when I said we could agree on the fact the we've been lied to. You guys assume we were lied to about the existence of god, I that we were lied to about it's nature. The weakness of the bible, and the annoyance of watching modern Christians is enough to make anyone doubt god. They have presented a version of god, a theory on god, that is unbelievable. But there are other theories on god that are in no way christian. There are other theories that are christian, all the old gnostic texts.

I see a lot of this modern world is misinformation. Lies, manipulation... What, I ask myself is a better piece of misinformation? To make a fake god and wave it around, although it does not exist? Or to make a fake god that is so silly that people rationally doubt whatever real god there is? I guess it depends on whether or not there is a god... heh

I suspect almost all of you will come on here and say "I was christian" or "the bible made me atheist", since it is a very common experience. But I ask, did you guys do a thorough enough search? If you have strong doubts about one faith, about one holy book, why do you automatically assume that those doubts hold against ALL faiths, and ALL holy books? I threw down the bible once, dabbled in agnosticism, but didn't consider the search over, and all questions answered because north Carolinians had a weird view on things.

I am rambling, my point is that I somewhat agree. I found that the bible couldn't represent the word of god to me, especially if the only validation was self imposed. But that didn't make me an Atheist. Just someone who didn't believe in the divinity of the bible. That being said, it is a pretty piece of mythology and theology. Beautiful allegory and parables. What of the god of the gnostics? What of the faiths without a real god, like Taoism and Buddhism? You can't use only the bible to make your claim against god, just as they can't use it solely to present their claim for god.

I hope I have not stepped on any ones toes, these are just my thoughts.
Thank you for listening,
-Pip

[Dotard]

What about this God? What about that God? What about Dr. Manhattan? What about these other Gods?

Where do you get and draw your conclusions on the nature of God? Are you in the Anto/Frodo camp that has a Red Phone to this God?

What do you base your polytheistic worldview upon?

[Pippy]

On the fact that I can't personally disprove it.

That it makes a lot of the eternal philosophical questions seem answered.

I don't really want to get into all of this, just to point out that if you think the bible is flawed, and find Yahweh hard to believe in, why does that make you an atheist? I agree with you guys that growing up around christians, and the bible makes a mockery of belief. But if you say "the bible is false, so I am an atheist" I think you are not presenting a full examination of the rest of faith.

The fact that I agree in the lack of divinity in the bible, and that I disagree that there is no god makes my point.

[chatpilot]

Pippy thanks for your input.I did my research and actually most of us get our concept of God from holy writ be it the bible,koran,etc.The only thing left is the great mysteries of the world we live in and our origins.But alot of those primitive mysteries have been or are in the process of being explained and resolved scientifically.That is the beauty about science it's a work in progress with no absolutes,religion on the other hand claims absolute truth basing themselves on faith alone.Not logical nor reasonable at all.