A lot of people say that the Bible, although not to be taken literally, is still a relatively positive book that can teach us a lot. Well, here’s the thing. I don’t know about you, but I’ve read the Bible a few times. Sometimes, when I’m reading a fantasy novel or a sci-fi book, some really disturbing things will happen, but nobody ever tried to convince the world that the Gods of a Song of Ice and Fire were real, or that Voldemort ever truly existed.

In that, the Bible and other religious scriptures stand seperate. We evaluate literature as a society all the time, passing judgment on writing that envokes hatred or encourages violence – but the taboo of applying this same scrutiny to scripture is likely here to stay.

“You care more about the Bible than I do!”

It’s easy for a Christian to state they don’t believe in everything the Bible says, and that their faith is more about a sense of community and belief in God than anything else – but this claim tends to fall apart when you inquire into the reasons why they believe in a God – much less their God – in the first place. If it was not scripture that lead them on this path, then it was not their pastor, preaching from the holy book, or their church, a place of worship derived from the very concept of worshiping the God of the Bible. The only other explanation that you ever get is that God revealed himself to the individual in some form; whether through miracles or speaking to them directly; in which case, it’s hardly the fault of non-believers that we haven’t devoted ourselves to a deity.

That’s why a harsh analysis and critisism of the Bible’s contents is warranted. It remains a cornerstone of their faith, and the reason for their belief, even when they refuse to aknowledge it.

Life’s instruction manual: a NY Times best-seller

Imagine you were born in a time and part of the world where you and the people around you had never heard of the Bible. Do you think the christian God could have found them, too? Could so called “good Christians” a.k.a those who don’t take the Bible’s word as gospel, have come to exist? I think not. The “good Christian” is simply the best possible outcome of a toxifying process of indoctrination. Without the destructive effect of the Bible, a civilisation doesn’t have to base their morality and understanding of the world off of anything but their own observation. Whether or not this leads to a more accurate world view than the Bible provides, it demonstrates that a loose association with the Bible can be almost as limiting as a devout one.

That’s why, in this new series, “Unbiased Bible Study”, we’ll be going through the new and old testament, chapter by chapter, to call out the injustices written in blood – but also to hunt for the value, the life lessons and moral instructions that are truly good – that Christians claim are within these pages. If you’re an atheist, or even a Christian who never really got around to reading the Bible cover to cover, I absolutely reccomend familiarising yourself with it as soon as possible.

After all, if you do believe that God exists, and that the christian faith is the one true religion, which plenty of people do, that means there’s literally a book out there that can tell you exactly how you’re supposed to act. It’s an instruction manual for life as a human, apparently written by a being who can never be wrong. There really couldn’t be a more crucial book to read – and, more importantly, to analyse, to question, and to judge.