Why You Should Read the Bible, Even If You're Not Religious

Trust me, I am not religious. I grew up as a Å"Jewnitarianï" my mother was Jewish, but I was raised in a Unitarian church. As I entered college and my twenties, I learned many things about myself, one of them being that I am an atheist. This year, however, I made a New Years Resolution to read the Bible. Whats all the fuss about, I wondered? Many, many books and some frustrations later, I understand.

Although some may wish to deny it, the Bible really is the foundation of Western civilization. As such, its enlightening to see just how it has affected us. For instance, on examination of the creation story, one can see how everything is ordered " God creates everything to be in its place, at its correct time. He also creates a perfect world, and its humans that sin. These aspects are the genesis of two facets of Western society: our need to put everything in binaries (white/black, man/woman, good/bad), and our lingering guilt and self-flagellation. Of course, thats open to interpretation, but interpretation is always stronger when one can go to the source.

That source also tells us interesting things about humans have changed and stayed the same. There are laws in Leviticus that detail painstakingly how exactly to sacrifice animals for guilt, for shame, and for sin, and clearly those are no longer applicable to our everyday lives. There are also laws in Leviticus that ban male/male sex, bestiality, sex during menstruation, tattoos and many more things. Are these still applicable? Some say yes, and some say no. Exactly to what extent we have evolved as a society is evidenced by the ongoing discussion of these issues. Fortunately, some things have changed decidedly; for example, its no longer okay to beat your slaves as long as they are not injured, nor is it acceptable to even keep slaves in the first place. In some ways, the Biblical laws address concerns of a tribal society, not of ours. Other parts of the Bible address ongoing human concerns, and these sections can pierce with the clarity of their insight. The very first human couple bickers and shifts blame like any couple might do nowadays, and the first brothers struggle for favor just like " how many brothers throughout history? These very relatable emotions can teach us lessons about the basis of human nature, and the enduring nature of our narratives.

The Bible has also had an extraordinary influence on our literature and even on our speech. When someone is suddenly angry or disappointed, what do we say"His face fellïs so common as to be cliche. But whose was the first face to fall? It was Cain', when God rejects his sacrifice in favor of Abels. Most of the Bible is written in a fairly dry, informative tone, but it does have such moments of searing beauty that make it all worth it. If nothing else, the Song of Solomon and Psalms have enough literary merit to recommend them to anybody. When youve read the Bible, you will understand the Biblical references that pervade so much of Western literature, and that can only enrich your understanding.

The Bible can be read as, literally, the gospel truth, or it can be read with a critical eye. While its not my place to say which has more merit, a critical and thorough reading of the Bible can yield a richness of insight into Western civilization, thought, and literature, and for that I think its worth trying.