From the very beginning of human history religion, in one form or another, has played a vital role in human societies. Even the most primitive peoples had, and still have some form of worship. Religion ruled human lives and there have always been powerful individuals that claimed to be the only ones with true knowledge about the deity being worshipped and that acted as the earthly representative of that deity. They use the scriptures to wield their power, but these are just a few of the reasons why I am not a Bible student.
Religious leaders tell their congregations that the scriptures is the Word of God and therefore holy. This is most certainly not the truth, says critics. The scriptures are nothing but a collection of writings of many different human beings. To portray these writings as the Holy Word of God is mischievous in the extreme, they state. And because these works have been written by humans, they are subject to common human failure.
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.
Many critics point out that even highly respected theological scholars do not agree on the exact nature of the scriptures. There are those that firmly believe that it is the holy Word of God, divinely inspired and without fault. They call this the doctrine of inerrancy. Another camp says that the scriptures cannot be taken literally, but rather as an allegory, a riddle even, that needs expert interpretation.
The fact that the scriptures have been translated into so many languages is also a bone of contention. Critics say that translations are often done by individuals that simply do not have the skills necessary to correctly interpret and translate the original meaning as contained in the original Greek and Hebrew texts. This means that many versions of the scriptures are nothing but interpretations by amateurs.
A great many sceptics point out that the scriptures are exclusive in nature. It has no tolerance for any other view or religion. It soundly condemns those that do not firmly believe in the scriptures to hell and damnation. It clearly states that man always has a free choice, but, says the critics, how can this be if the scriptures will not allow any view other than the one it portrays.
Some of the more outspoken critics say that the scriptures are hypocritical. They point out that the vast majority of people are suffering from debilitating poverty and even persecution. This cannot possibly be related to the message that Christianity will set people free, will empower them and will ensure that God Himself will look after them. These people have no reason to believe in these empty promises.
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.
Religious leaders tell their congregations that the scriptures is the Word of God and therefore holy. This is most certainly not the truth, says critics. The scriptures are nothing but a collection of writings of many different human beings. To portray these writings as the Holy Word of God is mischievous in the extreme, they state. And because these works have been written by humans, they are subject to common human failure.
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.
Many critics point out that even highly respected theological scholars do not agree on the exact nature of the scriptures. There are those that firmly believe that it is the holy Word of God, divinely inspired and without fault. They call this the doctrine of inerrancy. Another camp says that the scriptures cannot be taken literally, but rather as an allegory, a riddle even, that needs expert interpretation.
The fact that the scriptures have been translated into so many languages is also a bone of contention. Critics say that translations are often done by individuals that simply do not have the skills necessary to correctly interpret and translate the original meaning as contained in the original Greek and Hebrew texts. This means that many versions of the scriptures are nothing but interpretations by amateurs.
A great many sceptics point out that the scriptures are exclusive in nature. It has no tolerance for any other view or religion. It soundly condemns those that do not firmly believe in the scriptures to hell and damnation. It clearly states that man always has a free choice, but, says the critics, how can this be if the scriptures will not allow any view other than the one it portrays.
Some of the more outspoken critics say that the scriptures are hypocritical. They point out that the vast majority of people are suffering from debilitating poverty and even persecution. This cannot possibly be related to the message that Christianity will set people free, will empower them and will ensure that God Himself will look after them. These people have no reason to believe in these empty promises.
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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