why should i read something that i don't believe in? what good does that do for me?

A bit like reading Mein Kampf.

I totally agree with Shadow. Why should I give a shit about the bible? What makes it better than the Koran or any other religious book? I'm not going to waste my time with such garbage. I've gotten to the point where I consider all religious people to be on the same level as any sasquatch believer: they're all crackpots. I'm not going to read any book about that kind of bullshit. Not now, not ever.

I read some of it when my grandparents made me go to church with them a few times and I was like "You having to be kidding me. This is what people are worshiping?" I had no interest in it at all. I don't believe in it so why bothering my time with reading it?

I went to a private Christian school from 6-12th grade. Bible reading was mandatory for our religion class, and for extra fun, once a week we had an hour and a half 'chapel' ontop of the daily religion class.

It would be a waste of time.

We don't live in a culture where we get all exited when the U.S. president includes people who don't worship the Sasquatch at all. As the Bible is often invoked by leaders, it is important to understand.

^Very smartly written. You don't have to agree with it or believe in it, but you should educate yourself before making a decision.

I haven't read the bible in its entirity, because I'm not a masochist. But as pointed out by Dragonclaws, there are plenty of reasons why it is important to be familiar with the contents of the bible.

Considering that almost every religion has some sort of "holy" book, why is it that the bible should be the one that I need to read? Just because the president of the U.S. likes the way it was written, it doesn't mean that I should read it too. I'll stick to Kurt Vonnegut.

Yes when I was forced to go to sunday school as a child, although I don't remember much of it now.

@Lewkowitz I've actually read parts of The Quran, even though I'm in NO WAY Muslim. I think its a good way to understand why people do the things they do when they live only by the teachings of an ancient book. When reading it I never once started believing in the words written, but I did get a better understanding of the faith that so many follow. This goes for the Bible as well.

I have a paper due and it talks about a story from the bible, how malen and woman somehow just apeared, so probably. Might be a good laugh. Plus its good to understand other faiths

No. And I am really glad that my mum is an atheist too, because many parents push theit kids to believe and that's so sad, because I think every people deserves to chose what for believe.

I've read parts of it.

I believe that you have to know something before you completely reject it. The amusing thing is that it made me believe in god even less than I did. Even though I actually found it quite informative when it comes to how people used to think and how society worked during the times the Bible was written, it also made me realize that we humans made god according to our image- not the opposite.

&& that's why i'm an atheist now.

Only some parts (The Book of Job for one), most of which I read for Polish classes because of numerous cultural references to them.
Frankly speaking, I would be much more enthusiastic about reading Norse or Celtic myths, but it's always the religious conservatives who create the curriculum and assigned reading lists.

I tried to read the entire thing strait through when I was twelve. I got up to Noah's Ark before I shoved it under my bed and then went to play Nintendo. Life well spent.

how can you not belive in somthing you have not read. i think that you should read it and if at the end you think in the same way then your rightfully doing so.

^DRAC - I take it you read all mythologies? ;)

I'm not going to read it... that'd be stupid. I don't even know where the fluff I'd find a Bible in my house ._.

My dad has a few dusty bibles and I had a children's bible when I was a kid... I think I spilled my drink on it. I don't want to read it for the sheer fact of I don't care and it's really long. I love fantasy novels but an actual religious rant would be too boring.

When I lived with my uncle I read bits and pieces, the family went to a hotel and I found the Bible in the drawer.
It mostly pissed me off, to be frank.