Hello From San Diego

[chempel96]

Hello! My name is Chris, I am 23 years old, and am currently a student. I was raised to be a Christian; so at around age 16 i decided to read the entire Bible for myself. By the time i was 18 i was beginning to have serious doubts about my beliefs. I started realizing that the Bible was written by man, NOT by God; so i started treating it like that. Over these 5 or so years of trying to find some sense of belief or spirituality, I have researched many different cultures and beliefs; although, i still feel like i have barely scratched the surface. So, i am turning HAF and its community to help me get a better grasp on the world. At first glance, i feel like i may have found a group of people i can relate to and confide in. And so it begins. . .  

[Tank]

Hi Chris

Good to see a new freethinker find their way here.

Welcome to HAF

Regards
Chris

[Cecilie]

In my time here at HAF I've read countless similar introductions to this, it's very interesting.

Welcome!

[The Magic Pudding]

Hello, so how is San Diego?
I live at a similar latitude, different hemisphere same ocean though.

[Ulver]

Welcome!

[Gasturbine]

Yup...thats my tag-line "God did not create Man, rather, Man created God".

http://www.n8wct.com/evolve/

[chempel96]

I love your Atheist Manifesto. Good reading! i am taking an astronomy class right now where i am learning much of the things you spoke on.

[Cosmo]

Welcome!

[xSilverPhinx]

Welcome!

[Twentythree]

What's up 619. I'm out of Kensington, ssribblin these lines form my office in Mission Valley...how cool to have another rep from so cal.

[Maria]

Hello Chris.

Welcome to HAF. I'm sure you'll enjoy it here.

[Maria]

In my time here at HAF I've read countless similar introductions to this, it's very interesting.

Welcome!

Yes, I've noticed it too, and it's not only here at HAF. Lots of people who actually read the bible (all of it, not just the 'nice' parts) have the same reaction that Chris had. I had it too in school, as did quite a few of my classmates. That reaction is "What the hell is this crap?"
If I was American I might be tempted to support bible study in schools as we do in the UK. There would be a lot more atheists.
Like Chris, it dawned on me that the bible was written by a bunch of highly ignorant, highly gullible and highly superstitious goat herders and desert nomads who lived and died milennia ago. People who were backwards and barbaric even by the standards of the times they lived in. It never ceases to amaze me that other people can read the same rubbish and see only divine wisdom and love. I find that quite staggering, and quite frankly, hard to stomach.
Apart from the odd snatch of beautiful writing (like 1 Corinthians 13) there is nothing laudible about this huge book (783,137 words in the KJV). I think many Christians are sick of having to defend it, especially the Old Testament. Even the Taliban could write something more uplifting and civilised than the OT. I'm sure Christian apologists secretly wish the bible was better, much better.
They'll never admit it, of course.