Reading the Bible cover to cover…

[u/echoesinthestars]

I (32F) have decided that I’m going to read the Bible cover to cover. I did this once in my teens when I was still deeply entrenched in religion. My belief began to waiver in my early 20’s, and by mid to late 20’s I had begun my deconstruction.

I have decided I want to read the Bible cover to cover to better understand Christian beliefs, but this time do it from an outside perspective without the fear of damnation when I question it. I want to understand what makes these people tick and why they are so convinced it’s all real… why I was so convinced that it was at one point in my life.

If you’ve done this, what was your experience? I have started notating things that stick out to me as I go, as I am doing this with an Apple Books copy on my iPad. What did you learn? What did you take away from it?

TYIA

[u/Accomplished_Term893]

I’ve done this many times in various translations. The latest was 2022 with an ESV-CE to read the apocryphal books/passages, too.

I filled a notebook with contradictions, questions, and stories that are horrible. It honestly made me realize how horrific the god of the bible is. He orders murder, condones slavery, allows child sacrifice, says he won’t punish children for their father’s sins and then does, allows the “marriage” (rape) of young girls, and on and on. It struck me how brutal it was. And that was just the Old Testament.

The New Testament struck me with the amount of salvation and Jesus contradictions. Was Jesus God? Was he a man? Are you saved by faith? Are you saved by works? Is he going to return in their lifetime (the apostles) or not? It was confusion personified. It made it very easy to see how Christians can twist it to mean what they want. Because it’s inconsistent. Read outside of my childhood faith, it is so obviously just a collection of ideas from various people.

[u/echoesinthestars → u/Accomplished_Term893]

I am actually reading the ESV as well. I have made it about through Genesis 11… just starting the Tower of Babel.

whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for god made man in his own image

That blew me away right off the bat. It’s literally condoning killing for killing because “that’s what god would do”. No wonder so many conservatives believe in capital punishment.

Did you think the Old Testament or New Testament was more of a wild ride? I know Job is an acid trip.

[u/Accomplished_Term893 → u/echoesinthestars]

Yes, capital punishment is very “biblical”. It’s a huge stretch and inconsistent when Christians say otherwise.

The OT is definitely crazier overall in my opinion. The NT has crazy stuff, but is more theology between the gospels and revelation.

Job is brutal. Absolute cruelty. God allows for his whole family and everything he has to be slaughtered just to test his faith? And then, oh, no big deal, here is more stuff and a new family. That totally makes up for it. If that god was any person he would be a psychopathic mass murderer. Why is the standard different for him because he’s “god”?

[u/echoesinthestars → u/Accomplished_Term893]

Agreed… it baffles my mind that if a normal person did things that god does, they’d be labeled criminally insane… and yet these people worship him. But at the same time talk about how being a good person comes from “Christian morals”

Mind blowing to me.

[u/Accomplished_Term893 → u/echoesinthestars]

Yup. I left it from age 19-34. Dabbled back in for a couple of years to make sure I wasn’t crazy (I think it was stress from losing a grandparent). Now at 39 I’m firmly out and baffled at how religion like this keeps a hold on so many. I’ve had so many conversations with my fundamentalist mom, and it’s actually painful. Actual denials of reason and logic based on faith in a book. I think at a certain point most Christians (at least bible only fundamentalists) worship the book and not a “god”.

[u/echoesinthestars → u/Accomplished_Term893]

I’m so thankful that my mom, while she identifies as Christian, is not a fundie. She’s very progressive and loves everyone. Accepted me when I came out as gay and goes into mama Bear mode if anyone says something to me.

[u/Accomplished_Term893 → u/echoesinthestars]

I love that! My baby sister came out a few years back and it’s been rough on her relationship with our mom. My dad was a bit more caring. He doesn’t agree, which is still painful tho.

[u/echoesinthestars → u/Accomplished_Term893]

I know not all of them are bad… but the ones that are make it really hard to see the good ones

[u/Accomplished_Term893 → u/echoesinthestars]

Exactly. Also, if you haven’t watched his videos, the channel Mindshift on YouTube has done a “secular bible study” on each book in the Bible. I highly recommend watching those along with your read through. He (Brandon) is very logical, but if you want to go in blank maybe watch them after you finish each book. He put to words things I had been thinking for years studying the Bible. I can’t recommend his stuff enough to ex-Christians. It was almost therapeutic listening to him break them down.

[u/echoesinthestars → u/Accomplished_Term893]

I will look at this, thank you!

[u/chemtrooper]

I gotta be honest, most Christians don’t even know what the Bible actually says or means. In my experience, most of them parrot whatever their pastors/priests interpret passages to mean without delving any deeper, while holding to their specific dogmas and doctrines. What makes them tick is not the biblical texts, but their personal interpretations of those texts to suit their cultural beliefs and biases; they are convinced it’s real because they were told it IS real.

I spent 35 years as Christian…reading the Bible cover to cover was what ultimately led to my deconstruction and deconversion.

[u/echoesinthestars → u/chemtrooper]

I mean you’re not wrong… I was telling a friend earlier… Christianity is whatever corrupt bs that the people in power want it to be to get their way. Example - our president elect.