[Clicker]

I don't consider myself religious as in the stereotypical sense of going to church on Sundays and making the yearly pilgrimage for religious events off the calender as a matter of fact, the last time i was in a church was to do my cousin's wedding

I am though a history buff of sorts and The Bible is just that too me, a book of historical events which may or may not have occurred; that's the funny thing about history, you don't truly know unless you've experienced it yourself in the making otherwise all knowledge is third party hand offs.
So far i've gotten one, King Jame's version and would like to know what else should i read?

Thanks.

[Gooshin]

i had to flip through a student bible that combined all of the different bibles together with hefty annotations during a 8 month span.

it was an interesting study, mainly of how passages were changed to reflect the current political/social high points of the time.

the bible is nothing more than a to do list for people who need to be told how to be a decent human being, some interesting stories though..

[VaughnA]

the bible is nothing more than a to do list for people who need to be told how to be a decent human being, some interesting stories though..

+1

Kernighan and Ritchie..

[Rupert]

King James is fine and generally thought of as "The Bible" in many fundamentalist Churches. Some of the newer translations are much easier to read, which is good for those that may struggle with the King James.
I won't go much farther here, pointless.....but this is certainly true, excepting the "nothing more than" part.
"the bible is nothing more than a to do list for people who need to be told how to be a decent human being, some interesting stories though."

Looking around, I see where the need may be much greater than the use, and I don't exclude myself in that anaylsis.
Regards!

I don't consider myself religious as in the stereotypical sense of going to church on Sundays and making the yearly pilgrimage for religious events off the calender as a matter of fact, the last time i was in a church was to do my cousin's wedding

I am though a history buff of sorts and The Bible is just that too me, a book of historical events which may or may not have occurred; that's the funny thing about history, you don't truly know unless you've experienced it yourself in the making otherwise all knowledge is third party hand offs.
So far i've gotten one, King Jame's version and would like to know what else should i read?

Thanks.

Well, the knuckleheads aside, after much research I've settled on the King James Bible. I have it in different study versions plus just the Bible itself. I also use a Strong's Concordance. The King James is what I settled on as God's inerrant Word for many reasons.
I have 3-4 NIV's, an amplified and a few versions. And as for computer bibles I have many version. Then there's also the Catholic bible (Douay) and the new world translation of the Jehova's Witness.

[Parallax]

............it was an interesting study, mainly of how passages were changed to reflect the current political/social high points of the time.

That is my biggest (of several) issues with the church. I have even in recent years found hymns and Christmas carols that have had words changed because they weren't "politically correct". I am a believer and I have even been known to read the Bible on occasion but I rarely attend church. I find it depressing and, depending on the particular service, anywhere from disappointing and/or frustrating to infuriating.

[shawnxji]

I don't consider myself religious as in the stereotypical sense of going to church on Sundays and making the yearly pilgrimage for religious events off the calender as a matter of fact, the last time i was in a church was to do my cousin's wedding

I am though a history buff of sorts and The Bible is just that too me, a book of historical events which may or may not have occurred; that's the funny thing about history, you don't truly know unless you've experienced it yourself in the making otherwise all knowledge is third party hand offs.
So far i've gotten one, King Jame's version and would like to know what else should i read?

Thanks.

I have KJV also, and it's my favorite Bible to take with me. For general studying and being a history buff like yourself, I highly recommend the archaeological Bible from Zondervan, the translation is NIV. It's pretty big and chunky, and it's listed at $69.99 I think for the leather edition and $49.99 for the hard cover edition, but you can get it on sale for below $50 easily, try Family Christian Bookstore. Putting things in historical perspectives always help the readers to understand the Bible better in my opinion.

Shawn

[Clicker]

Thanks guys for all your opinions and information so far, it looks like i'll be adding a few more Bibles to my reading list, excluding any e versions. Thanks shawnji for the suggestion for the Christian bookstore there's one i actually pass a lot but never thought of going in till now, i'll most likely get a leather bound copy as books bound in leather age well.

That is my biggest (of several) issues with the church. I have even in recent years found hymns and Christmas carols that have had words changed because they weren't "politically correct". I am a believer and I have even been known to read the Bible on occasion but I rarely attend church. I find it depressing and, depending on the particular service, anywhere from disappointing and/or frustrating to infuriating.

Then you need to find a church that preaches God's Word. I have been privileged to have had 3 Pastors that preach the bible. The first founded our church then felt a need to help missionaries and founded H.E.L.P. Ministries. The second who took over died at 40 of lung cancer. No not a smoker. Never around second hand smoke. He was the kind of person that if you meet him you couldn't help but like him. The third is growing on me. He's a good pastor but change takes getting use to.

[Rupert]

Thanks guys for all your opinions and information so far, it looks like i'll be adding a few more Bibles to my reading list, excluding any e versions. Thanks shawnji for the suggestion for the Christian bookstore there's one i actually pass a lot but never thought of going in till now, i'll most likely get a leather bound copy as books bound in leather age well.

As Gooshin pointed out, some of the stories are interesting......the more you read the more fascinating some of the wisdom becomes when applied to life today...both relevant and not so relevant. I don't push religious ideology, but am always glad to see people explore the ideas and beliefs of others, no matter whose or what those beliefs are. Many of the examples in the Bible are repeated daily in what we see in our personal lives, and when you are familiar with the Bible, it is surprising how many times you relate to what you have read.
Regards!

[RoxnDox]

The King James Version is written more poetically than the "modernized" editions you see around today. For that reason alone, it's worth having and reading.

As to whether it's all Truth or not, well that is an entirely different conversation and one I'll stay out of. But the KJV is indeed worth reading, whether one chooses to follow it or not.

Jim

[Steinback]

The Brick Testament

[Pentaxor]

honestly, I haven't read the bible for a very long time. but I do remember some of it. coming from a strict catholic background, nurtured by catechism, studied in a catholic highschool and university, so my religious belief is pretty much dug in deep. I do have an open mind with regards to other faiths. have attended gatherings of various charismatic movements.

I had read the Bible, both old and new testament, King James, Torah, and Talmud. basically learning the history of Christian religion.

the difference of what I saw between Judaism and some of the Christian sects, is the argument of the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth. some of the accept his divinity, and some of them don't.

[Ash]

Good thoughts here.

Yep, whether one considers the Bible historically accurate or not, it's certainly an interesting read. What we know about the book is that it contains accounts some of which can be checked and some impossible to prove.

On the other hand, the Scriptures contain numerous references that arise out of the background of human history. These may be tested for accuracy. If it is the case that the Bible is demonstrated to be precise in thousands of historical details, it is not unreasonable to conclude that its information in other matters is equally correct.

Is the Bible Historically Accurate?

I digress, and don't want to start a debate on whether the Bible is the truth or not. Back to the original question, I use a few different versions to get a richer understanding of the scriptures - mostly the NLT and NIV, but sometimes the Message paraphrase puts the scriptures in a unique twist.

[lithos]

I think I read a bit o' the Torah once.

Same diff.