Cap’n Refsmmat’s Blog of Doom

I recently announced that I was attempting to read the Bible. Progress has been slow; however, I have purchased an NIV Study Bible which should make things easier by virtue of being a more modern (and more readable) translation with handy footnotes.

The amount of violence and gore has frankly shocked me. People are dying left and right here, and the worst part is that half the time it’s all okay. Their deaths are religiously sanctioned. On the other hand, it all seems to serve the same central point: follow God. Really, really faithfully. Or he’ll have a lion eat you.

It’s all part of the tactics, I suppose. I’m looking forward to reading the New Testament and the preachings of Jesus. Unfortunately I’m only halfway through the Old Testament (ouch).

This summer I thought it would be an interesting project to sit down and read the Bible cover to cover. (Perhaps later I can tackle the Qur’an.) At the time of writing I’m on Numbers 20 (page 170 out of 1217) and generally learning a lot. (The Old Testament God is scary.)

But reading the Bible probably isn’t going to help me understand Christians any more than I do already. A few days ago I posted a thread on TheologyOnline asking them which chapters of the Bible they believe would be the best for an atheist (like me) to read.

Then I get this response from “OMEGA”:

You can buy a 2 CD set in the USA for about $15.00

that will have the bible read to you so, you can Listen to it at your convenience.

and a short while later:

I hope that my suggestion helps because I am not sure that you atheists have evolved far enough to be able to READ.

Okay, so I might not have gotten into the New Testament preachings about kindness and love yet. But isn’t this hatred a little, well, un-Christian?
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