General Discussion

Most Christians never actually crack the book, except to find whatever passage their pastor is spewing about on a given Sunday morning. Then he, it's usually a he, tells them what it means, aligning it with their tribal views, and they're happy.

No deep thought required. No questioning. No "Wait a minute. Didn't it say something totally different a few books back?" Or "Talking snakes? That's just silly." "How the hell did Noah get penguins?" " A mosasaurus wouldn't be perturbed in the least by a global flood. Where'd they all go?" And the pièce de résistance "You told me not to do something, knew I was going to do it anyway (omniscient), made no attempt to stop me or explain why I shouldn't, and now your damning me for eternity? Sounds like a rather pernicious set up to me. Some all loving father. And why come looking for us afterward (omniscient and omnipresent)? You are god, right? You knew where we were."

Actually reading the Bible, combined with thinking, is the catalyst that's started more agnostics and atheists on the road to disbelief than anything else. Me included. To your point, Jesus, or a conglomeration of apocalyptic, itinerant preachers, came up with some pretty cool stuff. Nothing terribly original. Mainly a collection of good and wise ideas from their own culture and those surrounding them. Taken together, they're a good way to live. And a handy club for the maga Christians mentioned above.