Should I read the bible and quran

[MaxWeiss]

I went home to Seattle for the holidays. (Yes, for Happy Festive Non-Religious Secular Humanist Holiday Fun Time!!!) I drove, and I have another 20 hour drive back to Vegas after New Years. I have felt like I ought to just read the whole damned bible and the quran (not capitalized on purpose) so I can fight fire with fire. But as the good Reverend DS pointed out, this is not likely to change much, just give me a few quotes to fight back with. Is there really any good reason to read/listen (book on tape) to them, or is my time better spent with good music and possibly a good novel on my drive back (again, book on tape [mp3])???

Also, I know I won't finish either if I do start, but pretend I will for the purposes of the question.

[arahant]

It depends how familiar you are with it already. If you don't know a lot of the stories, you should read the bible in order to better appreciate the allusions that are made to it so often. Just stick with NIV or something, or try and find cliff notes.

I wouldn't bother with the Koran, and I wouldn't read either for the purpose of 'knowing what you're bashing'.

[StaffMaster4000]

I don't really understand why you want to read the Bible if you don't plan on reading it with an open mind.

You say you want to read the Bible only so you can argue with believers. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you view the people you're arguing with as close minded and refusing to look at both sides?

Read the Bible, but do it with an open mind. No one knows for with absolute certainty whether or not their is a God, so don't shut yourself out to the possibilty yet.

[Aramail]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't really understand why you want to read the Bible if you don't plan on reading it with an open mind.

You say you want to read the Bible only so you can argue with believers. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you view the people you're arguing with as close minded and refusing to look at both sides?

Read the Bible, but do it with an open mind. No one knows for with absolute certainty whether or not their is a God, so don't shut yourself out to the possibilty yet.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm, maybe because logic, the laws of physics, and commonsense all disprove any sort of religion based on the bible. Sorry I don't have an open mind to a book telling me a man is born from a virgin, goes on to perform numerous miracles throughout his life, and then is ressurected.

[madnak]

It's worth reading as an important component of our culture and work of literature. Also, do try to have an open mind. Even if only to know your enemy. You can't reject Christianity with authority unless you know how Christians think and feel. Also it's a good way to get through a tough read - if you know a lot of people like it, then read it and try to see what it is about the book that they like. Obviously the Bible has a major impact on a lot of people, so try to "simulate" that impact on yourself.

Personally I think the appeal of Christianity is its most dangerous component, and dismissing it out of hand is unwise.

[MidGe]

[ QUOTE ]
Read the Bible, but do it with an open mind.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement, as I have repeatedly. With an open mind, you can only be horrified about the contents.

I would suggest to read it with the help of SAB. You will notice that, under most pages, there is a link to some christian responses to SAB own comments.

[MaxWeiss]

[ QUOTE ]
Now correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you view the people you're arguing with as close minded and refusing to look at both sides?

[/ QUOTE ]

No, I view them as irrational in this compartmentalized part of their mind. There aren't two sides to the "argument". There is, in fact, no argument. There are, however, many people with flawed thinking and devastatingly powerful weapons.

I do appreciate your response though. And I will read it with the idea of what it represents and its context in mind as much as I can. Nothing in it is going to convince me it's divinely inspired. No words on page are going to do that. For me to move god up from infinitesimally improbable to "somewhat remotely possible" would require me to personally witness a genuine miracle which, after much research and study of it, has no natural explanation and which in principle cannot have a natural explanation, even with more understanding and knowledge. Furthermore, some kind of relation to the supernatural and god must be made in conjunction with the event.

I will have an open mind while reading it, but I cannot have an "open mind" in the sense that I think you mean, as that would be intellectual degradation and is the very foundation of what I am against. After all, what is "faith"? Faith by definition is believing something without evidence. And I don't mean higher purpose and all that---believing you are helping a higher cause or working towards something which will only happen long after you are gone is fine--since you have a reason to believe that the higher purpose and cause may one day be fulfilled in part by your efforts. An afterlife and a god do not fall in that category. That is "faith" in the most egregious and dangerous sense of the word.

Again, I really appreciate your taking the time to respond. And hey, Merry Christmas to you!

[MaxWeiss]

[ QUOTE ]
You can't reject Christianity with authority unless you know how Christians think and feel.

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree, but I don't want to dribble on, since I just did that a few spaces down. Good advice though, and it certainly does have powerful literary context in our world. Thanks!

Merry Christmas!

[RJT]

Ck,

Whether you are atheist or believer, the names of the books are capitalized. It is a matter of grammar not logic, probability or philosophy. Not doing so is an affectation. (But, you are quite young I think - early 20’s? - so I can understand you not doing so.)

Regarding your question - I don’t know - have you read Huck Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, or Moby Dick yet? These books are must reads, too. (For the record, I haven’t read Melville, yet - but one doesn’t lose the desire to sound hip when one gets older. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img])

RJT

[MelchyBeau]

The Bible has some interesting stories, you might enjoy it for it's literary value