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.

No, I had a fabulous illustrated children's bible as a child but I haven't looked at one since then.

No, I prefer other works of fiction 🤣

I'm not Christian and I do own a bible.

No

Yes, one in my native language and one in English. I need them when editing. A surprising amount of people use bible verses in their writing.

Also, I agree with this.

Those who are saying it's worth having as an essential work of literature are probably right, so which version would you recommend?

I find Christianity unduly rigid but yes I do possess one Bible and occasionally read some of the proverbs.

No, I HAD to attend Sunday school as a child, along with most of ours family friends kids, but none of us thought it was anything more than a chore. String memories of being forced to clean the brass ornaments with Brasso which stank for days!

I have no interest or belief in it now.

Yes, a King James Bible.
Not because I’m a believer but because it’s one of the great works of English literature.
If I want to find a quote I just look it up on Google. Our language is peppered with them and it’s fun to go to the source.

I have several.

I have the “family bible” that’s about 150 years old.

My mother’s bible that was a Sunday school prize in 1950.

My own Sunday school prize from 1974. I’m 59, Sunday school was much more normal when was a child).

One I received as a gift from my grandmother one Easter when I was about 10

One I received as a gift from my godmother when I was confirmed.

My late daughter’s Bible that was a school prize in 2011.

They are a mix of the King James, the Standard Revised and The Good News.

I used to read the Bible regularly. In my teenage years I twice did the programme of readings that meant you read all the Bible over a 2 year period.

I seldom read it now. I last did so when planning my daughter’s funeral in October. And before that when planning my mother’s in 2021. I like the passage from 1 Corinthians 13 about love. Particularly as described in the Good News version.

1. Your AIBU question doesn’t match the voting.
2. We are a Christian country constitutionally and historically. Nothing ‘right wing’ about it.
3. Yes I own several and read them.

YABU for 1. and 2.

3 or 4.

I keep one in each corner of the home downstairs to ward off evil.

I don’t actively read them but I am not going to throw a bible out so they just kind of accumulate and then I put them on top of the wardrobes/ cupboards.

I’ve got a children’s bible on the bookshelf that my DD had for school. I can’t say I’ve ever opened it and DD is past the age of needing it for school but it would feel “wrong” somehow to give it away / dispose of it.

No. Not had a copy for years. I was an avid reader as a child, and was given a bible at some point, but I couldn’t make a dent in it.

Antique family French bible and old bible. Ever read them? No.

I have this one.

No, I'm an atheist.

Several as well as a copy of the Koran.

Yes

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) and Novum Testamentum Graece (Nestle-Aland).
In English I would go with King James.

Being an atheist wouldn't necessarily exclude bible ownership

Several bibles here

No, I prefer biographies to fiction.

I got some gifted to me as a child (my ex kept them to be spiteful but apparently he’s left them to our children in his will 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️) Since then I’ve collected any that I’ve “found”. I got one given to me in Jamaica when I got married, signed by the pastor. My mum has given me one by a great,great aunt, that’s very very old. I like having them. And most of the ones o have have a story behind them being in my house as well.