Why do I not think the Bible is legitimate? Well first lets look at the authors, focusing mostly on the New Testament since that seems to be what most people focus on these days (though many still quote from the Old, but they always seem to leave out the animal sacrificies and stones, hrm).
Who wrote the Gospels? Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Think again! No one actually knows who wrote the 4 gospels that made it into the Bible. Note that MANY other gospels were written, but only 4 were chosen by Irenaeus of Lyon. Many of these other gospels (and their writers) were burned as heretics.
A close look at the gospels reveals much as well. Although Mark comes after Matthew in the Bible, it has been shown that Mark was written first (sometime after 70 C.E), and that common elements from Mark are present in both Matthew and Luke. Out of Mark's 666, 600 verses appear in Matthew, and 300 in Luke.
That is just barly scratching the surface of why there is plenty of reason to think the Bible as untrustworthy.
Please note that I got much of my referencing from
Nobeliefs , and you can read more arguments agaisnt the Bible (and beliefs in general) there.
As for the Bible being a good book to get morals from, I leave you with a few of my favorite Bible quotes!
Quote:
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"Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished." (Isaiah 13:15-16)
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Kill them, their kids and rape their wives? Sounds like a plan to me!
Quote:
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"He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD. A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 23:1-2)
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Thats to say if you are a man and you get your junk wounded or acidentally cut off, or if you are born a bastard (ie no father), than you are not allowed to step foot into the Church! Great moral code.
Quote:
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"And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, 'Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.'" (John 2:14-16)
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Here is Jesus flipping out and using a scourge to whip people out of a temple. A great rolemodel, if you want your children to grow up violent. Hitler even mentioned this verse in one of his speeches.
These are just a few quotes, and there are MANY more that show that the Bible is not the nice peaceful book that many people proclaim it is. I agree its a good book, but so are Stephen King's books, and for many of the same reasons.