With only the deepest respect to you Romantic, I'll tell you why in my own personal life.

In my early twenties I happened to come across a book that explained the history of Christianity, and I found that the Bible had been revised many times to satisfy the political and personal whims of those in power at the time. This started a ten year (more or less) quest to actually find anything that would prove the validity of the man called Jesus, as He was the one and only constant that I could rely on throughout my life, but I felt if the Bible is suspect, I better make sure.....

Before the days of the internet, I had to spend a great deal of time and money on books and time in the library. Lots of circular arguments on the pro side, which would, for the most part, present the Bible as its' own source. Suspect at best.

But Joe See Fuss aside, it was a lot of plain history, as well as my own personal experiences where I saw the words were used mostly as a means of control, rather than a means of personal growth that finally made me avoid anything written in the Bible like the plague. And I would make sure that if anyone tried to impose their code of conduct upon me because of teachings in the Bible, they got a mouthful of hateful words back. And I was real good too.

Now, I'm a little more laid back, and just cherry pick that which I find inspirational, which is just the words of Jesus. Nothing else is needed, as His words cover it all. I still have grave grave doubts of His actual existence, but it really doesn't matter anymore; the Word speaks for itself.

But in answer to my original quote up there. I believe many of the detractors are folks like me: brought up and governed by the Bible. But when they see the hypocrasy, they delve a little further, and find all is not as cracked up as it should be, and feel betrayed and angry. ( societal values on the rights of women for example) And it is irksome that much of our societal, political and spiritual decisions made by those in power are based on a book that is questionable at best. And just as an aside, as an Indian, I have personal reasons, as you know, why the church and Bible are an abomination in my eyes, and give me all the right in the world to complain.


It's not the emotional need of the other person that concerns me. It's how collectively a bunch of people's emotional needs effect society in general. When emotional needs are prioritized over logic, science and common sense, I have a problem. Not that I give a rat's patoot what another person believes, but how those beliefs manifest themselves in the daily secular world.

History is a good teacher. Literal belief in the Bible has left a rotten legacy. I ,for one, don't care to see a return to the Dark Ages.
bold is mine

And Taurus puts this well, in my opinion. To deny that the daily secular world is not affected by those who have been indoctrinated in the literal interpretation of the Bible is to view the world with blinders on. When a Christian president of the most powerful country of the world declares atheists as worthless, there is a problem.

Why? Because you are totally unqualified to make the judgement. But you make it anyway because it suits you to do so.

Again, with only the deepest respect, most detractors own a more than passing knowledge of the Bible, and I daresay, like me, searched in vain for years to somehow, desperately, make it work for them. But in the end, it doesn't pass muster.

But I have always loved your Master, make no mistake.

Don't get me wrong, I applaud those who work hard to keep a marriage functional in the face of various adversities. I'm sorry when I hear that a marriage has become untenable. But eventually I think we will see a social climate that is completely neutral about whether a person is married or single. When a man and woman committ to each other it will be a pure choice,uninfluenced by economic issues or social labeling.
Like the old hymn says, "What a day, glorious day, that will be..."