As someone raised atheist, I never really understood what the big fuss was about the bible. Sure, I could recite the Lord's Prayer (thanks to a few summers at camp), and I knew a few bible stories from friends with such inclinations, but it never figured big in my consciousness. A few years ago, though, I got a job playing the piano at a church. I was amazed how many of the sermons and bible readings had passages that sounded familiar, often ideas or images that I'd run across in literature. I realized what an important touchstone the bible is in Western culture, whether or not we like to admit it. And so I decided to read the bible, actually read it from cover to cover and see these ideas at their source.
A couple of days ago I was visiting my friend Steven, who admitted to having the same thoughts. We decided to start an atheist bible study, looking at the bible through the lenses of literature, philosophy, history, and science... pretty much any perspective except that of blind faith.
The last time I made a resolution to read the bible, I was 17 and had just had my wisdom teeth out. I was lying on the couch all woozy, with my face swollen to three times normal size, and I thought, "I'll read the bible! Yes! Cover to cover!" Such are the effects of whatever they used to knock me out... That time, I only got as far as all the "begats" in Genesis, and gave up on it. This time, I'm up to Leviticus, finding out about all the abominations and still going strong.
I am amazed how many things in the bible just don't make any sense, and how many things get quoted out of context. Hopefully with Steven as co-explorer, along with any other atheist bible studiers out there who want to join in with comments, we can start trying to understand it, or at least get an idea of where some of the weirdness comes from. So, welcome to all the atheist bible studiers out there!
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