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.

A Christian friend gave me one. I have never read it, and never will!

That's OK if you have no cultural interests - but if you have kids, surely you need to consider them?

I mean - how do you get on in art galleries? Or reading literature from the past?

If you don't do either of these things, fine. But many people do, and I've experienced situations where highly intelligent students have to do a lot of extra work and reading because they have no clue about references to Christianity or the Bible or images in about 80% of Western art.

No, but only because i got rid of family books when i moved house.
Think there were 3 on the bookshelves, a kids one from when i was young, a king james and a.n. other.

I own two and have read one cover to cover.

Not remotely religious though.

Yes several and read them regularly

I don't think it is irrelevant.

This is such a weird, anti-intellectual stance. I'm not a communist, but I've read Marx and I've even read (in translation) part of Mein Kampf...because these writings have had huge impact on history and culture and I want to understand how other people think and what made them act in certain ways. You don't have to agree with these texts.

And you can say many things about the Bible with justification, but 'boring' is not one of them. In parts it's highly sensational and like watching a Hollywood epic!

I am an atheist but I own two bibles. I was brought up C of E, so one was a gift when we left Sunday school in our old village and one was a christening gift. I think the Gideon's Bible I was given at school got left at my parents' house.

I haven't really read the bible, other than brief passages but I kept it as a reference really if needed.

Interestingly, last night my two teen DSs picked it from the shelf and started reading passages (younger DS has just done short course GCSE RE mock exam, it's compulsory at their non-religious school). We all decided that we are not fans of the old testament God and it seems like he's constantly setting people up to fail.

We do like Jesus's message though and pretty much live by his teachings despite having no belief in God as a higher power.

Exactly.

I think the glib pps saying they won't ever read the Bible because they don't like fairy stories are totally missing the point. But each to their (culturally impoverished) own.

No because i am an atheist and don’t want one in the house. I am interested in history though and religion in a historical context but prefer to get my information from history books rather then the Bible itself.

i own one, physical and have the app, I go to church every Sunday too. However I’m an immigrant, so go figure.

I have a bible. It was a gift when I left primary school from Wednesday Club (bit like Sunday school but held on Wednesday after school).

Not religious, never been religious, but own a beautiful old Victorian bible.

I am an atheist and regard myself as culturally Christian. I have a old bibles and can enjoy the prose.

I don’t get your mindset. Plenty of people have no interest in certain books. I think it’s partially Christian people getting pissed at this.

I cannot imagine people being this upset at people who have no interest in reading the Qu’ran, the Torah, the Guru Granth Sahib etc.

@CoffeeCantata

That's OK if you have no cultural interests - but if you have kids, surely you need to consider them?

If kids want to read bibles that's up to them. It's a personal thing, I wouldn't encourage it but I wouldn't prohibit it either.

I mean - how do you get on in art galleries?

Perfectly fine. There are plenty enough sources of information and understanding other than bibles if you desperately need to have a deeper understanding of the meaning inherent in art. There's also nothing wrong with simply having no interest in that aspect and deriving pleasure from just taking things on face value.

Or reading literature from the past?

Again, completely fine. I don't read anything like as much as I once did, but when I did devour books it was almost entirely history and biography because I have no interest in fiction. Again, I don't need to read bibles to recognise and understand how faith and religion play a role in other people's lives or in past events. For example, the bible doesn't help me any when I'm reading about Mayans, but I can still grasp the basics of why their civilisation functioned the way it did and understand the allegory in their depictions of their own culture. There is no contemporary Mayan Bible, yet I manage just fine.

@Justbreathagain Really can't imagine all these people sitting reading their multiple bibles !

Why not?

I have a few (3 or 4). They were gifts to my mum and aunt and I found them when clearing my aunts house after she passed. They have handwritten messages from my great aunt, who gifted them. Can't bring myself to get rid of them.

not read them. No intention to either as I'm not religious. Basically have them for sentimental reasons

The only one I have now is my mums old bible from her Sunday school days, in Dutch. I have barely looked inside. I had a bible from (CofE) secondary school which I binned years ago. If I very occasionally need to look up a Biblical reference, I do so online.

Sounds like 80% of posters actually have a Bible I think if you’re more over 50 you certainly would have one but whether you look at it there’s another matter

In times of uncertainty, when systems are insecure and failing, there is often an uptick in people seeking answers in other areas, such as eclectic belief systems. Hence the explosion of Witchtok, which is also populated by people swinging back to "Christianity" and monotheistic (patriarchal) sources of comfort. The masses are seeking opium - any escape from chaos. It reminds me of the saying "there are no atheists in foxholes".

Belief systems fascinate me. It doesn't surprise me one bit that people might be turning back to "the Bible" in the abscence of secular coherence. But that is fraught with its own issues and as ever is being leveraged for earthly power play and there are very strong psychological dangers in that. See the number of serial killers driven by "Gods voice" after being brought up in extreme Christian households. It holds true for other religions too, obviously.

All in all a fascinating topic.

No. But I have read the bible and the Quran and am very familiar with the former. The Old Testament is full of terrible stories about bad deeds that God endorsed. The New Testament is much nicer. I don’t own a copy because I don’t believe in it and it’s not a nice book. My DC have a kids version somewhere but not sure they have ever read anything from it.

Yes. Several. Plus a daily Bible reading app on my phone

Declan Donnelly?

I was given one at school, but that’s long since been donated so no bible here.

Yes from my christening and a book of bible stories. Not religious.

I am an atheist but we still have a bible. It is an important reference book.