7 Ways Reading The Bible Made Me An Atheist

These are some verses that first made me question my belief that the Bible was a good source to derive morality from.

1. It doesn't condemn slavery.

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. 21 Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his property."

1 Peter 2:18

"Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. "

2. Women are not seen as equals.

1 Timothy 2:12

"And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence."

3. It promotes genocide and war on multiple occasions.

1 Samuel 15:3

"Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey."

4. Sacrificing members of one's family for the greater good is a prominent theme.

Genesis 22:1-2

"Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' 2 And He said, 'Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

Judges 19:22-25

"But the man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, “No, my brethren! I beg you, do not act so wickedly! Seeing this man has come into my house, do not commit this outrage. 24 Look, here is my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine; let me bring them out now. Humble them, and do with them as you please; but to this man do not do such a vile thing!” 25 But the men would not heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go."

5. There are some very odd laws that Christians tend to gloss over.

Deuteronomy 23:1

"If a man's testicles are crushed or his penis is cut off, he may not be admitted to the assembly of the LORD."

Leviticus 19:19

"You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you."

Leviticus 20:18

"If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has exposed her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from their people."

6. It promotes killing people of different religions.

Deuteronomy 17:2-7

“If there is found among you... a man or a woman who has been wicked in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing His covenant, 3 who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded... 5 then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has committed that wicked thing, and shall stone to death that man or woman with stones. 6 Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you."

7. Finally, how about an alternative courtesy of the brilliant Sam Harris?