AIBU to ask whether you own a Bible?

[BeanQuisine]

Just idle curiosity, really.

We often hear right-wingers insisting "This is a Christian country", whether we're in UK, Oz or the US etc.

So I'm wondering how many of us actually own Bibles, and whether we ever read them. I did read assorted bits of it in my youth, but don't currently own a Bible.

YABU: Whether Mumsnetters own Bibles or not is none of your business.

YANBU: It's a vaguely interesting question.

Why do people want to get married in churches?

Well until relatively recently, in certain parts of the UK you didn't actually have any option. Either a church, or you had to have an ordained member of the clergy conduct the ceremony in a publicly registered place in any case.

Compelled religiosity. No thank you.

OK, so we're a culturally Christian country that doesn't believe in the Jesus bit. I don't think many Christians would think that counts.

Yes, but I also own a Quran and various other religious texts.

I have read the Bible, as well as a range of texts from other religious traditions, but in the interests of enhancing my general knowledge rather than any search for spiritual guidance. I'm an atheist, so the texts are culturally interesting but spiritually meaningless to me.

I like some of the poetry in the Bible, particularly the King James Version. But I wouldn't look to it for comfort or guidance etc.

I imagine more people these days are seeking comfort and guidance from ChatGPT than the Bible!😂

Yes, more than one. I like to read it around Easter and Christmas times. I'm also studying a book by Yogananda called The Second Coming of Christ: the Resurrection of Christ Within You. It enables me to get much deeper into the teachings of Jesus, which are incredibly profound

I remember when I was 20 and staunchly atheist, somehow ending up in a group of people touring an art museum while travelling. I was like oh cool some paintings, nice brush strokes I guess. But there was one girl on the tour who was a masters student in Christian religious art. She was able to interpret them for the rest of us at a very deep level and explain the various allusions, metaphors etc which all relied on a familiarity with the Bible, and with later Christian scholarship.

I'm not saying we all need to become art historians but we lose a lot of our cultural heritage if we replace deep, specific Christian religious education with generalities and trivialities about how Muslims give gifts at Eid and Jews wear funny hats etc etc. You can pick all those things up by just going out in the world and meeting people of those faiths, who are normally more than happy to share them with you. It feels empty not having something to share back with them...

Sure, but you can get the same feeling visiting Stonehenge or an old castle.

Historic human ritual is not an exclusively Christian trait.

Jews wear funny hats

Wow. Really??! That's your take?

Yes, I have a bible - probably a couple. I also have a children's version.

I never claimed it was.

I'm just focusing on why churches, and some other aspects of Christian culture, still resonate for those of us who've lost our faith.

... I'm clearly mocking people who have a shallow understanding of other religions. That's clearly not my personal take as I hope is clear from the rest of my posts.

I'm not sure that's a great thing to be writing in our current climate.

Don't know how old you are but civil marriage in registrar's office began in 1837 in England and Wales

It doesn't matter though, whether they think it counts - whether we're a culturally Christian country is a matter of fact, not a matter of opinion.

Our whole calendar, Bank Hols, festivals etc are related to Christianity.

My great aunt (now deceased) was a Deaconess in the Anglican Church, and two of my great uncles were Canons, so I have several.
The Good News Bible, King James Version, Revised Standard Version, and the Catholic Bible (which has 7 extra books)

Fine, but some people use this kind of talk to suggest that there is some residual truth to Christianity that is still resonating with people even when they don't believe.

I would suggest that it is not anything about Christianity that causes these feelings, but something about history.

I don’t like clutter. It would be about as useful as a book on hair care if you’re bald.

That's great for English and Welsh people, but I'm not in England or Wales.

So what if they do?

If you're not religious either way it's no skin off your back.

Yes, but no-one doubts we are, historically, a culturally Christian country, surely?

The statement many people debate is whether we are "a Christian country." You may take that to mean "historically/culturally" but many don't.

Nope, raised Catholic but after reading it as a young adult (as well as the Torah and Koran), I decided all were just harmful fantasy and am now an athiest.

I think that's a bit pompous and impractical.

@MasterBeth

It's entirely a personal choice - there's no compunction, is there?

But I appreciate it when other people recommend something to me which I'd never have considered reading, or doing, myself - something I might not even have known about.

I would highly recommend reading the Bible, or at least Bible stories, to anyone anywhere. It's a great read and opens many doors in terms of cultural understanding. And you'll get so much more out of 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' on the telly at Easter!

What's not to like?

I think it's hilarious that some atheists (I'm one, btw) somehow think that reading a bible...or even going near one...might infect them with religious fanaticism.

I've got my children's bible from when I was a kid which was signed by my priest (sadly passed but was related to a celebrity so he was famous by proxy in my mind)

Wow! That's amazing. Can I ask how you learned Hebrew and Greek well enough to be able to do this? I am keen to understand Koine Greek enough to make sense of some of the New Testament.

In terms of other books we have in the house, I'm pretty sure my husband (cradle Catholic) might have a Quran and several books on Satanism. Speaking of Satan, we also have multiple copies of The Screwtape Letters ;) I have a Book of Mormon, which feels really odd to me to read because it "sounds like" the Christian Bible in its rhythms and style - but all the characters are completely different. It's like a parallel-universe Bible...

I own a few family bibles. I'm not Christian although I was Christened so I am on the books I suppose.

I have just started working my way through the Bible app, the Gumbal one. I skip past his commentary though as I don't like it. The Bible itself though is fascinating and interesting. Some of the passages are beautiful and stay with me. Some parts are tedious, but I'm really enjoying it, it is a massive part of our culture.

I don't really understand the attitude that why would you read the Bible if you are not Christian. It's full of wisdom and meaningful things.