How reading the Bible correlates to deconversion

Where agnostics and atheists can freely discuss

Moderator: Moderators

Did reading the Bible have any effect on your deconversion?

I read the Bible while I was a believer, and it was a factor in my deconversion.
10
71%
I read the Bible while I was a believer, and it was NOT a factor in my deconversion.
3
21%
I didn't ever read the Bible the whole time I was a believer.
1
7%
 
Total votes: 14

rookiebatman
Sage
Posts: 550
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2015 9:02 am

How reading the Bible correlates to deconversion

Post #1

Post by rookiebatman »

It seems like atheists love to say that the quickest way to make someone an atheist is for them to read the Bible. But I used to be a Christian, and I did the Bible-in-a-year thing six times, and yet all the gross, disgusting, immoral parts of it never phased me even a little. So I was curious to see what the breakdown is of people for whom reading the Bible did help their deconversion, as opposed to people like me who read it and it didn't make a difference.

For anyone who may be ex-theist, but not ex-Christian, you can feel free to answer by replacing "Bible" with whatever the holy scriptures of your faith was in the poll questions.

User avatar
Aardvark
Student
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:34 am
Location: Black Country, Midlands, England

Re: How reading the Bible correlates to deconversion

Post #11

Post by Aardvark »

[Replying to post 1 by rookiebatman]

Reading the Bible (or any holy/unholy book) of itself was never a problem for me; rather it was discovering that Plato had been refuted which shifted me from theist/deist to atheist.

All my notions about the 'Form' of Goodness - the 'Moral' argument - simply became MY notions, with no further need for the Mystic element I'd previously thought essential.

It was like my previous 'born again' experience in reverse; the scales fell from my eyes.

I admit, I was re-reading Dawkin's 'God Delusion' at the same time, but I found a certain narrative element lacking in Dawkins. Rather it's the Aristotelians' fault I'm an atheist (Ibn-Sina, Ibn-Rushd, Aquinas, Chesterton, Tolkien, Rand)

If only someone had told me about Ayn Rand sooner :-) :tongue: :study:

Post Reply