Any student of human history will have to agree that religion has, from the very beginning, played a vital role in the lives of mankind. For some reason humans had to believe in some powerful deity that controls their lives, provide protection and favours and that can punish poor behaviour. To this day religious orders and churches wield great power all over the world, using their Holy books as their justification. This is why I am not a Bible student.
Many people hold the opinion that the scriptures have not been written by God, as theologians would like everyone to believe. Instead, it consists of a collection of letters, stories and books written by humans. Some of these books and writings are even inspirational or entertaining, but they are nevertheless the subjective products of fallible humans that cannot be taken as holy.
The way in which the content of the scriptures were decided is also still a major issue. It was a group of eminent church officials that decided what would be included in the official version of the Word of God. This was done arbitrarily, say critics and thousands of other religious Christian writings were excluded because they did not fit into doctrines that the then church leaders wanted to promote.
Some people ignore the scriptures because they simply do not know who to believe. There are those that say that the scriptures is an accurate historical record that contains not one single factual error. Then there are others that hold the opinion that the scriptures are allegorical and that it must not be interpreted literally at all. Both views have highly qualified and experienced advocates.
Another oft repeated criticism is the fact that the scriptures have been translated many times and into many different languages. No translation can ever reflect or convey the original meaning of the text that were penned mostly in Hebrew and Greek. These translations therefore inevitable contain many errors and they furthermore reflect the culture represented by a specific language.
Another major point of contention is the fact that the scriptures are so contradictory in nature. On the one hand it is clearly stated that man has, and always had a choice. The scriptures nevertheless do not tolerate the possibility that other deities may exist, that other religions may have some significance or that there are paths to salvation other than the single route prescribed by the Holy Scriptures.
Many people refuse to believe in or read the scriptures because they feel betrayed. They say that the scriptures make false promises, such as the loving care and nurturing of the God Almighty. Yet millions upon millions of Christians are suffering from severe poverty, hunger and persecution. The message of love, as proclaimed in the scriptures, is a cruel joke, critics maintain.
Of course there are many devout students of the holy scriptures. However, the iron grip that organized religion had on the everyday lives of all humans is increasingly being rejected. At the same time, the Bible, as the official handbook of the Christian religion is also being rejected.
Many people hold the opinion that the scriptures have not been written by God, as theologians would like everyone to believe. Instead, it consists of a collection of letters, stories and books written by humans. Some of these books and writings are even inspirational or entertaining, but they are nevertheless the subjective products of fallible humans that cannot be taken as holy.
The way in which the content of the scriptures were decided is also still a major issue. It was a group of eminent church officials that decided what would be included in the official version of the Word of God. This was done arbitrarily, say critics and thousands of other religious Christian writings were excluded because they did not fit into doctrines that the then church leaders wanted to promote.
Some people ignore the scriptures because they simply do not know who to believe. There are those that say that the scriptures is an accurate historical record that contains not one single factual error. Then there are others that hold the opinion that the scriptures are allegorical and that it must not be interpreted literally at all. Both views have highly qualified and experienced advocates.
Another oft repeated criticism is the fact that the scriptures have been translated many times and into many different languages. No translation can ever reflect or convey the original meaning of the text that were penned mostly in Hebrew and Greek. These translations therefore inevitable contain many errors and they furthermore reflect the culture represented by a specific language.
Another major point of contention is the fact that the scriptures are so contradictory in nature. On the one hand it is clearly stated that man has, and always had a choice. The scriptures nevertheless do not tolerate the possibility that other deities may exist, that other religions may have some significance or that there are paths to salvation other than the single route prescribed by the Holy Scriptures.
Many people refuse to believe in or read the scriptures because they feel betrayed. They say that the scriptures make false promises, such as the loving care and nurturing of the God Almighty. Yet millions upon millions of Christians are suffering from severe poverty, hunger and persecution. The message of love, as proclaimed in the scriptures, is a cruel joke, critics maintain.
Of course there are many devout students of the holy scriptures. However, the iron grip that organized religion had on the everyday lives of all humans is increasingly being rejected. At the same time, the Bible, as the official handbook of the Christian religion is also being rejected.
About the Author:
Find out more about why I am not a Bible student by visiting nowthink.com today. To learn all about our current projects and get detailed information on alternative religions, click the links at http://www.nowthink.com/bible-student .
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