As an atheist, there are many parts of the Bible that turn me off. The concept that atheists and other non-Christians have no understanding of the Bible is incorrect at best. Most atheists and non-Christians have a better knowledge and understanding of the Bible than many people who identify as Christian.
Here are just a few verses that turn off many other atheists as well:
1. Genesis 19:8
“See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
The person is offering up his daughters to get raped. Seriously? This is a book that people use to justify this type of abominable behavior?
2. Exodus 21:20-21
“And if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished. Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his property.”
It is perfectly okay to beat your slave to death according to this. Just the fact that the “Good Book” condones slavery is a turn off for many people.
3. Leviticus 25:44-45
“And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have — from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves. Moreover you may buy the children of the strangers who dwell among you, and their families who are with you, which they beget in your land; and they shall become your property.”
This is another one about slaves. This is about buying and selling children. Granted, this is Old Testament… but still. To talk of the buying and selling of PEOPLE as property, and especially children, goes against our current societal norms and is appalling.
4. Deuteronomy 22:20-21
“But if the thing is true, and evidences of virginity are not found for the young woman, then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel, to play the harlot in her father’s house. So you shall put away the evil from among you.”
This one calls for women who have premarital sex to be stoned. This includes those women, as in the first example above, freely given to be raped by their own father. So they not only suffer the indignity of being raped – they get stoned to death afterward. At least they wouldn’t have had to worry about PTSD.
5. Psalm 137:9
“Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock!”
This could also be translated as “Blessed.” So, it is saying that it is perfectly okay to smash children against rocks.
Featured image by Robert Brook via Flickr, available via Public Domain.
H/T to Jeremy Myers who inspired this article with his post on Patheos.
