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by Remæus on Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:24 am
It's a long read, but well worth it — especially the "Old Testament" (pre-Christ), as it contains quite a few unique stories (and some that more modern literature have built on). They're scattered throughout, but the juiciest bits (IMO) are in Numbers, Judges, 1st Samuel, and 2nd Kings.
The New Testament (and in particular, the first four books) is probably the best starting place if you're seeking to understand Christianity overall, as they're far more "down to Earth" (heh) in that they deal with Christ's contemporaries and their lived experience throughout. Those first four books (the "Gospels") are each independent accounts of the same events, and the rest are full of parables and stories (including Revelations, which documents John's hallucinations as he lost his sanity while imprisoned in solitude).
Note: Christians, at large, regard the Old Testament as a historical account, as the New Testament (Christ's redemption) supersedes it and all of its dated laws (which were the laws of the Jewish people at the time). Using Old Testament verses in an argument with a Christian isn't fair to the very basis of their religion!
King Solomon's "Proverbs" is another one of my favorites, as it's one of the few times in history that a powerful leader has written out their experiences and wisdom, and much of it applies even today. There's so many gems there that one could likely spend a lifetime on this book alone.
As for the Bible in general, well, a purist Christian might denigrate it as a human construct (created hundreds of years after Christ, and translated no less!) as "Christianity" means (to them) simply living your life like Christ ("love everyone"). The Orthodox sects are most closely aligned with this idea (and I am too), but the Bible has at least preserved some of the cultural and intellectual capital that the Jews accumulated. There's very few other texts that reveal so much about our ancestors, and those that do are locked away (like the Chinese historical accounts kept in the Forbidden City).
It's likely inappropriate (if not counterproductive) to use any of the Bible in a structured argument, as most [Christian] readers will only be familiar with the translated verses, which vary widely in meaning and (presumably) intent. Your best bet would be to debate a Rabbi (at least on the Pentateuch), who would be familiar with the original Hebrew, as well as the encoded meaning that the words conceal.
Beyond the Pentateuch, it's also well worth your while to gain an understanding of divergence between various denominations (Orthodox vs. Catholic vs. Protestant (x100)) as it belies the difference in interpretation that each group split over. It's difficult to get a feeler for this, at least without speaking to well-informed Biblical scholars, but it would probably lay bare the entirety of arguments one might encounter over the meaning of "Bible verses" — the devil, as it were, is in the details.
I do wonder if the prevalence of Christanity in the West has made it a target of atheist vitriol, as opposed to some of the more violent religions, as I rarely see anyone criticizing any other religions. Maybe it's just what people are most familiar with, or the one that impacted them negatively in their youth. It's odd, because I don't really find many atheists elsewhere (outside of the West), so maybe it's just the lasting damage that the Catholic institution inflicted on us all with its original perversion of Christianity in general.
Eager to hear from others about their favorite books in the Bible! Even those who read the Apocrypha should chime in, even though it isn't part of "the Bible" — just because King James excluded it, doesn't mean it's any less valid. ;)
Alvin Toffler wrote:The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
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