How much of The Bible have you read?

[bugo]

i've basically read genesis and half of exodus in a new living translation of The Bible, I was converted last november when I met a guy in a supermarket were i worked who was studying divinity and I tried to catch him out but he had all the answers! I havent read any since a couple of months ago due to exams which i get real stressed out about! anyway hows your Bible reading going and hows your relationship with God if you have one?

 

[nbcrusader]

I've read through the Bible at least three or four times (using a one-year bible).

Starting from Genesis and reading all the way through can be difficult. Large amounts of law, history, poetry, wisdom and prophecy in a sitting can be hard to digest.

I would suggest starting with the Gospel of John. It is a much easier way to get a grasp on the basic truths of the faith.

 

[U2Kitten]

I have some questions but I'll post in Goal is soul sometime.

 

[Liesje]

Most or all of it, only KJV and NIV. I've ever read through it start to finish, but I've gone to a Christian school since I was 3 and took Sunday School for 6 years and Catechism for 8 years so I'm sure we've pretty much covered all that's worth covering.

I have some questions but I'll post in Goal is soul sometime.

The mods are cracking down and general religion topics are no longer allowed in TGIS. They have to be related to Bono/U2. It's my understanding that we're suppose to keep religious topics not related to U2 here in FYM.

 

[U2Kitten]

The mods are cracking down and general religion topics are no longer allowed in TGIS. They have to be related to Bono/U2. It's my understanding that we're suppose to keep religious topics not related to U2 here in FYM.

But I thought that's what it was for? Oh well, I didn't know. Thanks for telling me.

 

[Bonochick]

The mods are cracking down and general religion topics are no longer allowed in TGIS. They have to be related to Bono/U2. It's my understanding that we're suppose to keep religious topics not related to U2 here in FYM.

Correct.

As for me...I've basically only read some of Psalms.

 

[thrillme]

Probably less than Bono has . Genesis to half of the Psalms, Proverbs, the books that are like 1-3 chapters long, all of the New Testament sans Revelation, which I haven't read all the way through.

 

[anitram]

I think I probably read most if not all of it, but never in one sitting.

 

[DaveC]

I've read all the important stories. I've tried a couple times to read it start to finish but only got as far as Proverbs. As well I've read all of the New Testament with the possible exception of the very minor books such as Jude and Titus.

 

[Liesje]

But I thought that's what it was for? Oh well, I didn't know. Thanks for telling me.

I think some people came off as too preachy or some toes were stepped on b/c the discussions there were pretty much limited to Christianity and no other religions so the mods would like to keep it a U2-related forum and all other religious discussion of any kind should stay in FYM. Personally, I think it would be nice to have a "religion" forum where we could ask more specific questions about specific religions, religious practices, religious texts, etc since things move in and out of FYM very quickly and a lot of the discussion doesn't develop the way it did in TGIS, but it's true there are already a LOT of forums and sub-forums.

Anyway, that was rather off-topic

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

I've read a considerable amount here and there. I would suggest reading through Romans to get an idea of the Bible.

 

[~*Buffalo*~]

It's hard for me to say because I follow study guides and daily readings which use different sections of text each time. So I haven't rwad much in a logical progression. I've read most of the gospels, as well as Joel (a very short prophecy!), Ruth and Esther off the top of my head. I tried to sit down once and read Revelation, but I got a bit mired in all the detail. I guess I'm used to having an explanation through my study guides.

 

[Angela Harlem]

I read 'In the beginning...' and got bored.

 

[Salome]

I got some kind of youth bible from my godmother (who is a nun) for my first communion
I did read that one

I heard the most common passages in mass etc

I don't really think I'll ever read the bible
I don't doubt there would be some virtue in me thinking about certain things that can be found in it, but I sort of reckon that you will face the most important questions at some point in life anyway

 

[DrTeeth]

I guess I read some of it when I still went to church (about 10 years ago). Then I turned my back on religion and never touched a bible again.

I did see Life of Brian though!

 

[beli]

I have read whatever bits the Quaker missionaries forced me to read as a child. And no more.

 

[meegannie]

I've read the KJV three times and another translation (can't remember what it's called...not the NIV... ) once, as well as the Apocrypha.

 

[Klaus]

I read 80% of the bible several times, a 2 months ago i decided to read the bible from the begining to the end in 2 different ranslations, incl. the parts i'm not interested in.

My relationship with God?
I think 80sU2isBest said it best, so i'll quote him here:
"Folks, I LOVE THE LORD!"

 

[stammer476]

I've read all of it, but I guess that's kind of required when you get a degree in it.

Sorry to hear that some of you have been forced into reading. That's no way to raise someone in faith. But before I get off topic . . .

Let me highly recommend The Message by Eugene Peterson. Whether you're a brand new Christian, an old faithful, or are just spiritually seeking, this translation is an excellent way to read through the Bible (and highly recommended by Bono). I've had to read certain passages of Scripture so many times, but the straightforward and up-to-date language that Peterson uses made me see the Bible in a whole new way. Just a thought.

 

[BostonAnne]

During the fall of 2002, I joined a Biblestraightthru class. The group is reading the Bible straight through and we meet every month to talk about it. I bought "The Message" for the occassion. 18 months later, I still attend the monthly meetings - but haven't been reading. I haven't been able to squeeze in regular reading.

 

[Ft. Worth Frog]

Gosh, I guess I have read most of it except for maybe a couple of the minor prophets. Jeremiah is pretty hard for me to get through also. I also recommend The Message. Check out the back of the hardback edition b/c it has a quote by Bono about it. It is a great read and is extremely helpful. I ususally read the NKJV because it retains the beauty of the KJV and dispenses with the thees, thous, thys, eths, and -ests.

 

[I'mstillrunning]

if you want to read the bible...

pick up The Message by Eugene Peterson, which is the bible in contemporary language...which means you can read it and actually follow the stories

I found it through a U2 fan who pointed out that Bono's "What can I give back to GOD, for the blessings he's poured out on me?" in the intro to 'Streets' from the Boston Elevation DVD is actually from Psalm 116 from Peterson's translation...

 

[thrillme]

I read 'In the beginning...' and got bored.

Hmm, so you missed the talking donkey, Noah's wild night, Daniel's pet lions? okay last one, not exactly.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

Hmm, so you missed the talking donkey

So that's where the inspiration for Shrek is from!

 

[bugo]

i've basically read genesis and half of exodus in a new living translation of The Bible, I was converted last november when I met a guy in a supermarket were i worked who was studying divinity and I tried to catch him out but he had all the answers! I havent read any since a couple of months ago due to exams which i get real stressed out about! anyway hows your Bible reading going and hows your relationship with God if you have one?

thanks for the second opinion on reading john, the "supermarket guy" told me to read that to, i'll get right on it after exodus which i'll read again after the exams!

I think most people are forced into christianity to some degree in their youth, my parents tell me its my own choice although that still didnt stop them sending me to sunday school when i was wee.. i rebelled against that, and had a disagreement with god and how he "sends" people to hell if they dont believe in him even if they are rightous - seemed unfair to me, but i guess im not certain i believe that anymore and i have asked christ into my life again. At the end of the day its up to you whether or not you endorse christianity and to what extent when you are older.

 

[isabelle_guns]

none there are too many contradictions.

 

[iacrobat]

none there are too many contradictions.

C'mon, don't you live with any contradictions?

That's what makes life so interesting.

 

[melon]

I just ordered Eugene Peterson's "The Message: Remix." Apparently, it's the same as the original "The Message," except now it has chapter/verse numbers for easier quotation. I'd been curious to check it out for a while now, but I didn't know the title of it!

On an academic front, I also ordered a book on the Dead Sea Scrolls, written by an academic, rather than someone with Judeo-Christian biases, and a copy of the "Nag Hammadi" translations, which is a translation of Egyptian Gnostic texts discovered in 1945. I'm aware that the latter is of dubious morality, but it should be interesting to see how others believed, in the days before Christianity was monopolized.

Melon

 

[nbcrusader]

none there are too many contradictions.

So it must only be based on what others have told you

 

[melon]

Well, there are contradictions, to a point, but it's understandable, considering the number of different authors and competing philosophies that wrote it over a span of 1000 years or so, not to mention the oral tradition and source texts that likely preceded the texts we have today and the amount of butchering translations that have existed over the past 1900 years since (!).

But, for me, that doesn't mean that there isn't any value in the Bible. It really depends on how you were raised or exposed to Christianity. For those who grew up on a literal, fundamentalist view, then yes, the contradictions might be a bit difficult to bear (except that I've seen plenty of writings that try to dismiss the contradictions, and I agree to a point). For those who grew up on a more liberal view, then it isn't.

I'm really only bothered by the fact that the Bible has been abused over the centuries by many different and competing philosophical movements over the past two millennia. The vagueness of the Bible is a mixed blessing, at times.

Melon