Who's arfaid of the bible?

Okay so I started this wacky bible project with Beth.  The idea being that we read the bible, well, the new testament anyway, and give a modern everyday girl’s opinion on what’s going on.   Based on David Plotz book Good Book. So far we are going through the bible with a fine tooth comb figuring out what’s happening.   Then we’ll edit that down.  If you want to read our notes on it it’s over here.

But this project has managed to alarm almost everyone I know.  They don’t come out and say it, but you can almost see it in their eyes.  Religion, and here in America Christianity should not be messed around with.  I have the nonbelievers who sincerely fear me being corrupted into believing in the bible.  And I have the believers, who are sincerely afraid that I’m going to hell.   Everyone wonders why we are doing this.   Is this about your uncle dying?

No it’s not, it’s just a pet project that we sat on for years.  I have had a rocky relationship with the religion I grew up with.  I grew up Catholic, I had free thinking liberal parents that encourage me to think for myself.  My mom is a strong feminist, this was all a source of great conflict for me.  Somewhere along the way, as teen I decided that I didn’t really believe in any of it.  And I really haven’t changed that opinion. 

But as much I try to wash away the religion I grew up with, it clings to me.  I never made a clean break.  I fall in the firm camp of swearing there is no heaven and praying there no hell.  I’m still afraid of god, the devil, churches…  

So why am I doing this?

I’ve never read the whole New Testament.  I thought that this was a go way of going through and actually forming an opinion on the matter.   I don’t know what I’ll find. 

But I’ll tell you what I don’t think I’ll find, the answer to the biggest question I had when I was a practicing Catholic, you know as a kid.  How does Jesus dying a gruesome death save us from our sins?  Priests and nuns alike would tell me that was the “mystery of faith” or that it was my leap of faith.  I maintain that it never made any sense.    And that I wasn’t so sure I wanted to worship a god that thought that was the answer.

    

So far, it’s been a lot of fun really looking at what is says and how it was written, but it can be torture too.  It’s old, it’s poorly written, it’s repetitive, the pronouns are a confusing jumble and thats just one gospel.    It’s a big jumble of stuff, so it makes it interesting, and boring.  I’ve had chapters I really enjoyed, (Matthew Chapter 14) and others I barely made it through (I’m looking at you parables).  We’ll see where it leads me in the end.