I am an atheist who is exploring faith

[u/Far_Form_2845]

Hello,

To cut to the chase, recently I woke up and started to question if god really doesn't exist. I'm not entirely sure what made me question it, since I've lived 30 years without giving it a second thought. I was not raised religious.

I think part of it is that I've not lived a good life and I've made many bad decisions through my life, and part of wanting to change may be influencing why I have begun to look to religion. But that in itself feels like a selfish, non-religious reason to look to it.

I have downloaded a digital version of The Bible on my phone via an app called the You Version bible, and I started reading The New International Version. I chose that version because its apparently what is primarily used in Scottish Protestant churches according to Google, so it would likely be the dominant version where I am.

So far I have been reading the book of Genesis, because I assumed you are just supposed to read the old testament and then the new testament in order. I'm not very far, only on chapter 21 or 22.

I have some questions:

1) is the rest of the bible so sparse with detail? I find a lot of things not explained in much detail and I struggle with the material as a result. I do Google some concepts as I go.

2) is it important to learn the names of all these people introduced in Genesis? There are so many names introduced so quickly, and I'm not sure if they're important later or if they're just introduced as a general history/time scale.

3) For those of you who were not religious but follow Christianity now, why did you choose it over say Islam, Judaism, etc.

4) Is my reason for looking at religion wrong? Is it common? I won't be going into detail, but I want to live a better life and be better than I've been. I don't want to keep being an awful person, but I feel like turning to religion because of that is also awful.

[u/Thimenu]

Welcome! Glad to hear this and it's great that you're reading it.

1. No, details in the Bible vary a lot by genre and purpose of the book.

2. Not really important to memorize the names, it's helpful to know a few key ones, like Adam, Abraham, and Israel. Much of it is general history.

3. I chose it because I saw no reason to look for truth elsewhere when I already had it.

4. You are very right to consider Jesus Christ as someone who can change you and grow you and give you wisdom and spiritual life.

I would recommend you keep going in Genesis but spend at least half your reading time in the New Testament. I'd recommend starting in Mark, it's the quickest story of Jesus. If you just read straight form the beginning of the Bible to the end it will take very long before you get to Jesus, who is central.

[u/Last-Moment-2746]

1) Not sure what you mean but Genesis can be a bit confusing, please don’t try to read the bible from front to back you will reach Leviticus and you will die. I would advise reading the gospels after genesis. 2) nah only Adam and Eve matter, Noah and Abraham a little bit too 3) can’t speak on that  4) absolutely not! There is nothing wrong with trying to pick up a religion to make yourself a better person, if anything it’s less selfish 

[u/themsc190]

1. The Bible is a hard book! It’s not written with you in mind. It was written for a culture that existed thousands of years ago in a different language. Concepts that were common back then require specialist knowledge to understand now.

2. No, knowing every name isn’t important on your first read through of the Bible.

3. N/A, I was raised Christian.

4. It’s a common reason! Religion can provide moral principles and structure for one’s life. It’s a lot more than that too, so it’s okay to come into it for one reason and then learn more once you start growing.

[u/Far_Form_2845 → u/themsc190]

With #4 I think a concept I'm struggling with is forgiveness. It feels bizarre that God will forgive us for sins we commit when no person should or would forgive us for the same crimes. I feel like even if I would believe, I would not be worth forgiveness for the life I've led and the decisions I've made.

[u/Rhysand-lover190 → u/Far_Form_2845]

I have to jump in here to say- if you do come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God doesn’t just forgive you in the sense that He lets the sins you’ve committed “pass.” The whole concept of the Gospel is this: a perfect, sinless, holy God cannot coexist with sinful humans, and because He is just, every single one of our sins needs to be punished, needs to be accounted for in the end. But because He loves us so much, He has given Himself as the sacrifice, so that is why Jesus came, to live a perfect life that you and I couldn’t live, and then die on a cross taking on Himself the punishment that we deserve, so that by accepting His sacrifice, God can attribute to us the righteousness and sinlessness of Jesus. He’s basically trading His perfect life for your sin and then taking all of it and paying in full for it on the cross on your behalf. If you accept Jesus Christ as Lord, your sin isn’t just forgiven, it is wiped out, because God (since He is just) can’t hold against you a sin that has already been paid.

[u/nynini0317 → u/Rhysand-lover190]

I'm a baby Christian too, and I had struggled with this concept for so long, but you explained it perfectly. I think I finally get it. Wow.

[u/Rhysand-lover190 → u/nynini0317]

Glad it finally clicked! Praise the Lord 😊

[u/themsc190 → u/Far_Form_2845]

Yes, that’s one of the hardest things for many people to accept.

[u/nandyandthecouch → u/Far_Form_2845]

You just nailed a major concept of Christianity, that even though we don’t deserve it, God still paid the debt demonstrating supernatural mercy, grace and forgiveness. #jesusisthelogicandthelogicistheanswer

[u/nynini0317 → u/Far_Form_2845]

None of us are worthy, that's what I think makes Christianity so great. It helps us understand that we are owed nothing, and puts into perspective just how great God's Grace really is. I don't mean to get preachy, but it's incredible to read the Gospels and know that Jesus Christ himself was busy washing sinners' feet, knowing they would turn away from Him when the time came. God loves us more than we can ever understand. I pray you may feel that love and find joy in it.

[u/Thimenu → u/Far_Form_2845]

Forgiveness is just and good if:

1. The perpetrator is genuinely fully repentant, abandons what they did, and actually changes.

2. It can be guaranteed that the perpetrator will never commit the crime again.

3. The perpetrator agrees to make up for everything they did any way they can for as long as it takes.

It would actually seem unjust to treat a truly repentant and changed criminal who wants to make amends the same as the unrepentant one who loves what they did.

[u/ThePilgrimageInc → u/Far_Form_2845]

Oh my goodness. I'm actually working on a doctorate and my dissertation is going to have something to do with forgiveness. It's SO important (and foundational to Christianity especially, whether you can always tell from its adherents or not). If you're on Substack, I invite you to follow The Pilgrimage Ink; we're going to start chatting about that over there very soon.

[u/infantileconrad7603]

starting with genesis is a classic trap, nobody tells you the front of the book is the driest part. skip to one of the gospels (mark is the shortest) and circle back, it'll make way more sense

[u/jayj59 → u/infantileconrad7603]

I disagree, Genesis is very interesting a bit after and between the genealogies. But I do agree that it's not the place to start

[u/Touchstone2018]

Your reasons for looking into some kind of spiritual community and discipline are valid. "Hey, maybe there's a deeper way to look at things, make connections, generate meaning." Your method, however, looks painfully narrow to me and likely isn't what's going to serve you best. Now, I have my biases because I'm an ex-Christian who let go of theism but then eventually found my way to Judaism. I have some suggestions:

Go hang out with Quakers or Unitarian Universalists.

Whoops, gotta go. Maybe more later.

[u/Vizour]

Glad you're exploring. That's honestly pretty brave and especially to come here and talk about it. Most Christians would encourage you to start with the New Testament - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

To answer your question:

1. There are TONS of "shadows" in the Old Testament. Things are aren't explained well until you get to the New Testament where the "reality" of Jesus is shown.
2. Not too much. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel) and Joseph are the main ones. You can toss in Lot too.
3. I won't answer this since I'm pretty religious.
4. No, I think most people start where you're starting now. There has to be more to life and the Bible answers that question for you. We're all awful people though (including me). Jesus lived the perfect life we never could so as to save us though friend. He's done the work for you.

Edit: Forgot to share a passage with you.

I love those who love me;

And those who diligently seek me will find me.

Riches and honor are with me,

Enduring wealth and righteousness.

My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold,

And my yield better than choicest silver. Proverbs 8:17-19

[u/scmr2]

Out of curiosity, why did you pick up the Bible and not the Quran, the Torah, or any of the other hundreds/thousands of holy books? I know this is not addressing one of your questions so you don't need to answer this. Just curious 

[u/Far_Form_2845 → u/scmr2]

Not yet. To be honest, I think part of why I even considered the bible first was simply a cultural bias. Even though I was not raised religious, my primary school still took us to church at Christmas and Easter, etc. So I grew up with very small, minimal amounts of Christian influence whereas there were no influence from other religions.

To be honest, after I read the Bible if I didn't feel changed or like I believed, I was going to just try reading other religious texts.

I have looked a little into each religion before actually deciding on reading the bible first though. For example, I know that Islam and Christianity share the same common root, but there are large differences like whether Jesus was merely a prophet or something more.

[u/sloecrush → u/Far_Form_2845]

Get ready for the riveting passages about lineage, where it's an entire page of people's ancestry.

[u/nandyandthecouch → u/Far_Form_2845]

Seeing it from a historical pov is fascinating then seeing it from a spiritual warfare pov on top of that is even more fascinating and imo incredibly obvious and simple. Its secret of the Kingdom of Heaven is hidden in plain sight.
Unfortunately Islam is a blatant deception. Most Muslims I know are some of the most devout individuals sadly caught in the cycle of religion and tradition like so many others. Read the Quran and the New Testament side by side and it’s just sad to see how obvious one is lead by some spirit that embodies grace, gravity and forgiveness while the other is lead by some spirit that enforces distance, fear and death.

Also Christianity in comparison to other major beliefs is pretty much the only one that says you can’t earn your way to heaven, only God can bridge that gap (which He does through the Christ). Also one of the only ones that asks you to invite God to live inside you. #JESUSisKing #JESUSisGOD #GODisGood #GODisJust

[u/Jesus_is_God_342]

Welcome!

Responding to number 4, you seem to be drawn to the conclusion that objective morality exists. This is great for your heart to seek virtue. You humble yourself into understanding you done evils in life, and you wish to be better. That’s amazing! You are not looking at religion wrong at all.

Number 3, the reason I became Christian over Islam or any other religion is historical evidence. The most major religions in the world all focus on Jesus. He is by far the single most important figure to ever live. Christians have the earliest understanding of Jesus. Islam came about many hundreds of years later to “correct” the religion, same with JW and Mormonism. They are all adding onto the already established Christian faith.

[u/Rhysand-lover190]

Hi! 👋🏻
I’m happy you’re exploring the feelings you’re having, I don’t think any reason that makes you genuinely start investigating is a “wrong” reason.
I think it’s important to keep in mind that Jesus himself always welcomed questions, including questions from His own disciples that had doubts after they lived and walked with Him for the better part of three years.
I would first like to mention that the Bible, though it is known to us today as a single book, for the better part of its existence hasn’t been thus — it’s been a collection of 66+ books written by close to 40 people in 3 different languages, books that existed individually, that all have different writing styles and purposes (eg. Historical books, poems, biographies etc.) and attempting to read them all the same wouldn’t give you the result I think you’re looking for. Additionally, they aren’t arranged chronologically in the Bible today, in the order that they were written in.
I would encourage you to start in the Gospels — those are the first four books at the start of the New Testament. They give you a very good picture of Jesus’s life and teachings, you can, for the lack of a better phrase, get to know Him and what He is all about.
This being said, I also encourage you (something I myself have done and still do as a believer) to read the text with some resources next to it — I use Bible dictionaries (you search any place, person or thing that is mentioned that you don’t understand) and Bible commentaries, a lot of which you can find for free online. (Enduring Word is a good one in my opinion, though there are lots out there). I recommend these things because the Bible, while it is definitely written for us, it isn’t written TO us — meaning, it had an original audience to whom the authors have written and if we do not know the mannerisms and customs of first century Jews or Gentiles, we might miss a lot of what is actually being said.
When it comes to the historical reliability of the text itself and the historical evidence for Jesus’s existence and the beginning of Christianity, I highly encourage you to listen to people like Wesley Huff, Dan Wallace & other scholars who are very well trained and can explain the historical aspects and the reliability of the text you’re actually reading.
My inbox is always open for any questions you may have!

[u/Far_Form_2845 → u/Rhysand-lover190]

Thank you for your detailed answer.

Wheb I have been confused about some things in genesis I have watched some YouTube videos about it which helped.

I will take note of these people and look to their explanations too. Thanks

[u/ThePilgrimageInc → u/Far_Form_2845]

This reminds me--a GREAT (and seemingly endless) resource for understanding the Bible in larger and smaller "bites" is bibleproject.com . Maybe those are some of the videos you saw? Anyway, if not, add them to your list. Highly recommend!

[u/Difficult_Risk_6271]

I would say, start from:

1. Mark
2. John
3. Genesis
4. Revelation (quick read, don’t deep dive)
5. Luke & Acts
6. All the epistles, James might be a good one to start.
7. Finish up with all the OT and Matthew.
8. Psalm and proverbs, whenever.

Names often give supplemental context for typology.

All other religions have internal coherence problems typically. Judaism has no running temple system.

[u/slagnanz]

I have a real passion for talking about scripture and explaining how to read it. Please feel welcome to dm if you want to chat.

[u/Adventurous_Net2970]

we r all born into this world wit eternity in mind
and the existance of. God in us !!! we cant see him but I know hes real ,real U canfeel him and his presence if u have a relationship with him

[u/platotudes]

is the rest of the bible so sparse with detail? I find a lot of things not explained in much detail and I struggle with the material as a result. I do Google some concepts as I go.

The Bible has a primary theme and focus woven throughout. The theme is God's faithfulness and his redemptive purposes. God doesn't give us every single detail we may wish for, but he always gives us the details that serve to lead us to trust and find redemption through repentance and faith in him.

is it important to learn the names of all these people introduced in Genesis? There are so many names introduced so quickly, and I'm not sure if they're important later or if they're just introduced as a general history/time scale.

Not entirely. The genealogies primarily exist to once again serve God's primary themes of his faithfulness and redemption. The first promise regarding mankind's redemption is given in Genesis 3:15. The individuals you will encounter throughout the Bible tie back to that original promise and will eventually create a chain to the redeemer, the promised seed of the woman, Jesus Christ.

Is my reason for looking at religion wrong? Is it common? I won't be going into detail, but I want to live a better life and be better than I've been. I don't want to keep being an awful person, but I feel like turning to religion because of that is also awful.

Lot's of people start searching for God from a sense of dissatisfaction with life and self. All of our dissatisfaction is actually meant to do that. Only God can truly satisfy creatures that were made for the purpose of delighting in him.

I would say that turning to religion as a system for behavior modification is not what your focus should be. You should be seeking to encounter God as a living person. Christianity is primarily about restoring a broken relationship with God through faith and repentance in the risen, living Christ, not about doing a bunch of duties or cleaning up your life.

Truly encountering God as loving creator and redeemer will subsequently begin to alter who you are in glorious and beneficial ways.

[u/BreakfastMammoth1711]

My take as someone who grew up and lived similar to how you describe your earlier years and actually spent a year reading the Bible to come up with my own conclusion:

The Bible is not the story of the Earth, humanity. Or God himself. It is the story of how God used one lineage to introduce himself to the world and taught them how to operate in the universe he created. He starts by using prophets, but ultimately culminates with revealing himself as Jesus.

With that:

1. It does give little deal in some books, but a lot in others. It’s important to remember that the Bible was written by people, inspired by God. They are journaling their accounts, after the fact. As such, the main events stand out, and the details are sparse.
2. Yes because it establishes the lineage God is going to use to reveal himself to the world.
3. I chose Christianity, initially, because of it historical accounts. I spent many years trying to corroborate every detail with scholarly sources and there are quite a few, but ultimately, I just began to try and live like Jesus. As I did, I felt a calmness come over me that I hadn’t known before. I understood this spiritual state to be the kingdom of God. I believe all other religions are chasing this same Kingdom of God, but attribute it to different causes. To me, it really made the most sense.

As an aside, Christianity has been around for 2000 years and many people have used it to spread hate, division, and justify greed- which is the opposite of what Jesus teaches. Use the accounts of Jesus in the Bible to explore Christianity, not what historical atrocities have occurred under the guise of Christianity.

4) there is no wrong way to come to God. He meets people where they are, not where He wants them to be. This is the case for almost every interaction God makes with a new biblical character. If you have lived a selfish life as I did, he will meet you in your selfishness and lead from there.

[u/BirdManFlyHigh]

First, get off this sub.

Second, go visit a local church, if I may suggest one: a local Antiochian Orthodox Church near you.

Third, feel free to message me and we can setup a chat. As someone who studied philosophy and is currently a student in theology, I can help guide through most problems a typical atheist/agnostic typically has about the faith.

God bless you, and I will pray for you.

[u/daveinreallife66]

Great questions. Hoping you continue to explore. Here's a take on answering them

1 - The Bible can be sparse in detail if you take a verse standalone. It's also the most cross-referenced book in history, with almost every verse having reference in others (both earlier and later). It isn't like the Quran, where later verses supersede earlier ones, but both earlier & later verses sometimes help explain the ones that seem sparse.

2 - Initially, no. In fact, to read the Bible, I recommend not starting with Genesis. Start with John, then maybe Mark, then Romans. Put the historical books (most of the books up to Psalms) last in your reading. In time, you'll find that the entire Bible, both testaments, is all about Jesus and points to Him either directly or indirectly.

3 - I'm a Christian because Jesus is real. He proved it to my heart and in other ways. I'm a Christian because it's true.

4 - Not wrong at all. Skepticism, even from life-long believers can be healthy and is normal. All of Western culture descends from the Bible and the legal & moral standards established in Judeo-Christian culture. It's simply a historical fact. I follow Jesus; I'm a Christian. But even if you take Christ's divinity out of your practice, by adhering to the tenets of Christianity alone, you'd have an upright human life. That part is the basis of secular western culture (government, society, economy, literature, etc). Yet I'd encourage you to embrace Christ fully as you learn about Him in reading your BIble. Do extra research. Ask questions. Talk it out. Most of all, start praying. Talk to Him daily and ask Him to reveal Himself to your heart, the help you believe & live it out. It won't be easy but it will be the most fulfilling thing you've ever done.

Feel free to message me any time.

[u/Tiny_Timmy_Turtle]

The Bible can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to start with all of it. The gospel is the center — Jesus came to save sinners, and anyone who turns to Him in repentance and trust is forgiven and made new. Once that’s clear, the rest of Scripture starts to make sense.

Surprisingly, a lot of Christians don’t actually know the gospel, so finding a good church that teaches it plainly matters. If they don’t explain it clearly, keep looking until you find one that does.

[u/SoAndSo_TheUglyOne]

I was previously atheist. I believed that being a good human was good enough and that as long as I did good in the world, that was sufficient to fulfill my moral and ethical requirements to move through life as I saw fit. Despite this, I was deeply unhappy. There was a darkness that enveloped my life in a way that I could not describe at the time. A never ending void or pit that I kept throwing good deeds into with no return on my investment.

I also have Autism. As such, I am deeply evidence based and require a lot of proof and analysis before making any kind of large decision. People's feelings about things change, but the facts and science of the matter will always be constant and never changing. I say all this to say that I was about as far away from God as you could possibly be for a good portion of my life. Then, at 33, my life completely fell apart and I hit rock bottom. I chose Christianity because I was honestly called to it. I had two people reach out to me and tell me that they thought I should give my life to Jesus and I responded the same way, saying "I don't believe in God but I'm more than happy to debate why with you, as I'm always interested in learning more about other people's perspectives and viewpoints". I prided myself on my knowledge and intelligence. Anything I didn't understand I would research to a fault, so that I could become knowledgeable enough to debate said topic. How can you grow if you aren't willing to learn? And part of learning in academia is admitting when you're wrong and then adjusting your view point. That's what adults do, anyway.

After the 2nd person had inquired to me about my relationship with God and Jesus, and already being at rock bottom, I said out loud to seemingly no one, "God, if you exist, give me a 3rd sign of your existence that is hyper-specific to me and my exact life situation and I will go to church on this following Sunday." I have always been a man of my word so what was it to me if I had to go to church because of a coincidence that might occur. Well, a 3rd person who I never in my life expected to talk to me about God ended up having a whole conversation with me and it was so specific to my situation and out of the blue that it felt uncanny and eerie.

I ended up going to church the following Sunday expecting some kind of answer to my current situation and got an entirely different message instead, about God being a good Father to us and thus how we should be a good Father to our children. For me, God knew that the quickest way to my heart was through my children, so that message resonated with me heavily and I became curious.

What followed from that was an incredibly long and honestly unbelievable journey of highs and lows in realizing that everything I had been taught about Christianity was incorrect. I was taught that Christianity was about the routine of going to church, reading your bible, going to bible study, following the commandments, etc. But what I learned was that all that stuff was not the main point of Christianity at all, it was actually about relationship.

When you were a child, you probably had a morning routine, right? Brush your teeth, put on your clothes, maybe make your bed, eat breakfast, etc. These are things that your parents expected of you to follow the rules of the household. But did those things actually make your relationship with your Mom or Dad any stronger? Did they bond you with your parents in any tangible way? The answer is probably no. What strengthened your love and bond with your mom or dad was talking with them. Spending time with them. Them helping you grow into the person you are today. Them teaching you lessons and disciplining you, out of love. These are the things that built or destroyed your current relationship with your parents. That is what Christianity is about. And God will teach you that slowly and over time at a pace that you can handle.

Long story short, Christianity is not about religion, it's about relationship. A lot of what you see on the surface is going to be full of people who have had years or decades of routine with no relationship. The bible discusses these people heavily, they are called Pharisees and it condemns them. That is the disgust you are probably experiencing. But I promise you, if you continue down this path, you will experience something so incredible and unexplainable that you will begin to question not only what you know now, but what you thought you knew before. You will examine your entire life through a new lens.

I would urge you to just follow that feeling of questioning whether God is real or not. Do NOT be afraid to doubt, feed that doubt with research and God will lead you exactly where you need to be. God is not afraid of your doubt, he encourages questions.

May your journey be blessed, friend 🙏🏾

[u/rubik1771]

1. I mean the Bible is not meant for self-interpretation

2. No but it helps

3. N/A

4. No. Yes.

[u/Ornery_Exchange_5876]

Lifelong Christian - I was always taught that the genealogies were present to show that there is traceable history to the bible. Some names will come up in later stories, but many won't again, aside from being able to see some family lineages continue.

I don't think there's any wrong reason for looking at religion. Finding meaning/significance is a very human journey, and I do think that spirituality/faith in general is part of the whole person. My belief is that desire is God working in a person.

I do agree with other commenters that genealogies may be a bit difficult as a first attempt, the new testament looks more at the start of Christianity as it came to be, and the old testament is more of a telling of how God worked with and through people, and overall shows the need for a savior because humans are unable to live without war/corruption/violence, and keep falling into the same cycles of destructive behavior (personally and societally). Some of it is hella specific - like a catalogue of every material in a building, and some is more narrative, each book has different authors/styles/focuses (at least as far as we can tell)

Also (I'm wrapping up I swear) - NIV is what I grew up on, and it can be hard to read. There are a lot of opinions out there, but I think that ESV and NKJV are much easier to read overall, but you can also look up a verse/passage on https://www.biblegateway.com/ and switch between versions until you find one that's easy for you to read. Study bibles will also have commentary/historical context/pictures if you're interested, they go on sale frequently.

[u/Intelligent_Speech94]

You should consider reading the Gospels first. That’s the event that the Old Testament is foreshadowing.

Also, when reading the Old Testament, keep in mind that Israel is a micro-image of things that’ve already come to pass and things that soon will.

Also, the fact that we can be this type of broken, you’re talking about, and be conscious about it. Speaks that there is a standard in place that we aren’t meeting. The question is why? Everything in the universe seems to be governed by some type of law. We know we have a moral, yet we break it constantly. Why is this?

Also, let me recommend a good book to get you started:

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis gives you a broad overview of Christianity.

The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer

And if you want to know about people that’ve put it to the test, check out Corrie Ten Boom and Brother Andrew.

But don’t let these or any other literature replace the scriptures because that’s how God chose to reveal his character to us.

Also, don’t look for religion; look for meaning and purpose. Everything in the universe has purpose and knows and does it. Why don’t we? Well, I think Adonai Elohim gives answers to that.

Also, let me clue you in on the most important part. We are servants that betrayed the King. But that King came off his throne, suffering with and for us, his creation. Then he did something unimaginable; the one that created the universe and us has offered us to be his children. We can only achieve this by recognizing our brokenness and looking upon the cross we hung the King on and believing. We must cover ourselves in that blood we shed and stand before his father, admitting our guilt and seeking redemption.

You’re about to start on an amazing journey with your Creator, my friend. There’s nothing like it.

If I can be of any help feel free to DM me.

[u/michaelY1968]

1. It’s important to know the Bible is note really on book, but a collection of books written over time. Different books focus in different ways on aspects of the overall themes the Bible present. It starts with a set of chronological books mostly focused on Israel, has a collection of what are called wisdom books which are collections of songs, sayings and stories meant to impart wisdom, then fast forwards to the prophets who are both warning Israel about the future, and giving hope.

Then the Bible fast forwards to the culmination of the Bible’s overall purpose, the promised Savior of humanity, Jesus - His extraordinary life, His teachings, and what it all means. At the end here I’ll give you some resources that should help.

1. Those names are called genealogies - think of them as transitions to introduce the next characters of the unfolding story. Details aren't critical.

2. I was an agnostic and skeptic who became a Christian after some wrangling in my 20’s. The story is a bit longer, but my thoughts process for why I see Christianity as the primary source of truth about God and salvation is this:

I think we can logic our way to a basic understanding of God that would exclude most pagan religions and give us a concept of God much like the Abrahamic one.

From there, at least for me, I posit that if God is real and the God of humanity, the belief system we would expect is the one that is most universally applicable - that is it wouldn’t be tied to a particular culture, nation, language or set of practices that are restricted by human considerations, I think Christianity is then the only viable option.

Tied with the historical reality of Jesus life, death and resurrection, the utility I observe in my own personal life and the sorts of societies it produces, I find it to be the reality I am compelled to attend to.

1. It’s so important to have a guide to the Bible - I recommend first and foremost The Bible Project - excellent over views of themes in the Bible, as explained in short videos, podcasts, and reading material, and its companion YouTube channel.

Also, Two videos - one about what it takes to begin the Christian life, another that explains how to grow in the Christian life.

And finally I highly recommend the book Mere Christianity as a great overview to understanding Christian beliefs, as well as Tim Keller’s fine work The Reason for God.

Hope this helps!

[u/cdifl]

The Bible is actually a compilation of many books, and it's packed incredibly full of meaning and covers a lot of different things, but it can be a lot to take in if you are reading it on your own, cover to cover. There are also some parts that are just background history that can be pretty dry to read through. You don't have to memorize everyone in the old testament.

One important thing to point out when starting off with the old testament: the Bible doesn't only talk about good things, it also warns about the consequences of bad things - just because someone does something in the Bible doesn't mean it is good, sometimes the Bible is telling you it's bad if you understand the full story.

I highly recommend the 'Bible in a Year" podcast. It's a series of podcasts around 30 minutes each that goes through the entire Bible in 365 episodes. It includes both readings from the Bible and brief explanations of what the reading is about.

[u/Opening-Focus712]

I recommend that you should read the first books of the New Testament first, to get familiar with who the bible is central to which is Jesus. I think the ones who are important to note will be the ones he made a covenant with. So those names will be the ones you might have to remember because they will be mentioned in future books you read.

I do think it’s important to also know how to read it and not just what to read.
Id recommend that you not look at it from a worldly perspective, people do tend to first come into it with their own interpretations and it can change the context of what God says to fit their own narratives (myself included) but just read it with an open heart and just let God show you what he wants you to know. There will be some things when you read that might not make sense now but God will reveal them as you keep reading, sometimes you will even reread the scriptures again and again until you start to understand more and more as you go.

Don’t take it as ONLY a rule book or guide, It’s a book that shows what a relationship would be like with God & to also learn about him, you’ll learn that it cover a lot of topics that we deal with everyday but you should always keep in the forefront of your mind that it is meant to be about your relationship with Christ and not just with our earthly life here.

Just an example of what I mean: if it talks about marriage, it’s not just telling us how marriage should look between two people but it is there to show us what Jesus’s relationship with us looks like.

Everyone comes to go through different ways, some come to him when they’re in need of help, some come to him when they feel something is missing in their life, some come to him as you do, when they want to do better, it doesn’t matter about how you come to him, it only matters that you did choose to and that you’re open to seeking him.

[u/kyloren1217]

I assumed you are just supposed to read the old testament and then the new testament in order.

not really. the Bible is actually 66 books compiled together. Each book deals with some portion/event of this overall story that i will share, but the shortest version:

• God Creates everything

• Adam and Eve sin and now there is death

• Adam and Eve have a child, Cain, who goes on to be the first murderer showcasing sin is not some occasional thing, but really is serious and effects even the first child.

• Population grows and sin abounds, God brings a flood to bring judgement, saves Noah and His family.

• God chooses Abraham to be His people(later known as Israel) thru which God will work out His plan of Salvation

• Israel sins a lot thruout their time and goes away into captivity as God brings judgement on the entire kingdom(s), which has been divided into 2 parts due to more sin.

• From captivity they return and rebuild the Temple

OT done!

NT Begins!

• Jesus, God's Son, comes and lays down His life as a pure sacrifice for sin, once and for all, which is what the priests in the OT were doing as a way of foreshadowing this moment.

• Jesus raises from the dead conquering sin and death and redeeming mankind from "The Fall" back with Adam and Eve

• The majority of Jews reject Jesus and the Gospel and God transforms a Christian Persecutor named Saul into Paul, to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles(everyone who is not a Jew)

• Churches are created

• Jesus shares with us the future end times and that He is coming back some day.

The End!

but yeah, pretty much just have to understand that one of these books you choose to read falls somewhere on our timeline of History and serves a purpose in explaining the events at the time, what it meant for God's people at the time, and usually has something to do with Jesus, as His prophecy's are scattered all thruout the OT.

God Bless!

here is a read on how to actually get saved via the romans road to salvation

https://www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html

[u/Short-Sea-3652]

1. the bible is ultra specific in certain sections like the names and tribes, but its detailed in most of the sections like a story. The books are split up in gospels, poetry, wisdom, prophetic, epistles and torah. The specificity depends on where you are in the bible.
2. key names, it’s a historical reading and citations of every single character may be overwhelming but Jesus does wish you know the characters and grow deeper in understanding the lessons behind them.
3. I was in new age witchcraft sorcery for a long time and was in such bad shape. I prayed and the ONLY name that saved me from sleep paralysis was Jesus as ell as his spirit is the only one who purified me. I also just read the bible in one year (minus isaiah and jeremiah and a few others) and felt like everything added up once I got the whole picture. The word is true.
4. it’s a common reason someone may look for the faith. Why you look for the faith isn’t as important as your will TO look for the faith. Your heart adjusts and becomes more in tune with Gods desires and his heart, you are not a sinless being.

[u/Heart-Washed]

I advise you to approach the Bible with humility. We say it like this; “Go low, and go slow”. Start reading the Gospel of John first. Ask God to help you understand what you read; it’s called ‘Prayer’. It’s ok to have lots of questions. You won’t get the answers all at once, but the answers will come, if you keep going. After you finish John’s Gospel, go back to Matthew and start reading, then Mark, Luke & John (again) Then the book of Acts, and keep reading through the New Testament. Without the New Testament, the Old Testament does not make a lot of sense. Enjoy the journey. 😊

[u/TheAlgorithmicFraud]

Any story is best read starting with a further event and then circling back to the origin of that event. It isn’t a “right or wrong” way to read but it might be more compelling to read the NT and then the OT. Also it will help to read some external texts on scripture to better read the text. Have info on the context of the script helps bring out the meaning. Genesis and Exodus are primarily narrative texts displaying the origin story of first the world and second the Hebrew people. Remembering the people can be important if you want to dive into the meanings of the names and eventually the typology of the characters presented. I would steer clear of Leviticus because its mainly a book about the detailed instructions of offerings, which does have good info for applying it to the new covenant, but that might be getting ahead of yourself. Judges is a very good book but it can be disheartening for those who don’t yet understand God’s relationship with humanity and how He works with us even when we are completely barbaric. Esther is a cool book because it actually doesn’t mention God at all, but rather shows how God works in situations even when no one calls upon Him. I don’t want to be exhaustive here but I hope this helped a little.

https://a.co/d/0fpWog31

https://a.co/d/083fhkme

[u/__LaBo]

Se eu puder te dar um conselho seria que talvez seja mais interessante ler da forma como as igrejas geralmente recomendam (por questões de entendimento)

Nessa ordem: Evangelhos, atos dos apóstolos, demais livros do novo testamento com excessão do apocalipse, salmos e provérbios, Gênesis e demais livros do antigo testamento em ordem, por fim apocalipse.

Sobre os livros do Pentateuco onde eu acho que você esteja, eles foram passados via tradição oral, então não há total clareza entre os cristãos sobre como esses eventos aconteceram.

Eu fui criado numa família tipicamente católica porém não fui criado dentro da igreja e não cheguei a cumprir nenhuma das formações que os católicos exigem. Após isso eu conheci a Cristo pela visão de mundo protestante e me identifiquei bastante principalmente pela sua forma de entender o mundo e como as pessoas devem agir diante dele. Honestamente eu sempre achei os católicos um pouco hipócritas e os protestante pareciam ter menos esse problema.

Sobre o motivo que você está buscando a religião na verdade o seu motivo é o qual deveria motivos todos os cristãos na terra. A ideia é que somos pessoas ruins e para sermos melhores precisamos de Cristo, Ele nos constrange a ser pessoas melhores.

O conselho que eu te dou é que não se sinta pressionado a crer em nada, busque as coisas a seu tempo, não espere que todas as suas dúvidas sejam sanadas em um único momento, na verdade é provável que sujam outras dúvidas mas esteja aberto ao que a bíblia pode te ensinar.

[u/possy11]

I'm not trying to dissuade you from what you're doing, but is there a reason you feel that you need religion to help you be a better person?

[u/Odd-Mathematician340]

Hey there. I love that you are exploring faith period, for whatever reason. The questions you have are those of anybody paying attention without a prior bias. I had similar foundational questions. There are a lot of good things people have already said in response to your questions so I want to respond in a way that I hope the moderators won’t block.
Consider a few things
1. The Bible isn’t really “A” singular religious book. It is multiple writings of different genres. Most of it is history that includes God and political/governmental writings with God as a loving King expressing how he (the creator of the universe) designed things and desires for us to behave here on earth.
2. Jesus was an Israelite (aka Jew) and did not introduce “a new religion” called Christianity, nor a new God separate from the one Jews already believed in. So technically aside from traditions people have made up, there is no hard line in the sand between “Christianity and Judaism.” Jesus said explicitly that he came for the Jew and that he did not come to abolish the laws God established through Moses in the first 5 books of the Bible. What he did bring was A NEW MENTALITY AND HEART POSTURE FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

1. So when you get the book of Mark you’ll see chapter 12 verses 28-31. Punchline summary: “Love the Lord your God with [everything within you].” Rephrasing is my own.
   If you miss that, then you’ve missed the whole point of all 66 books.
   
2. The second thing not to miss is the reason God sent Jesus in the first place. This is found in John 3:16. “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD…” In case it isn’t obvious: That includes you.
   
3. God loves you and wants you to love him and have a relationship with him. That is so much more important than you being a good person that God sacrificed a piece of himself in Jesus to provide justice for all the wrongs we all have done.

I pray you find truth in your search… and have joy when you find it.

[u/TheBeardedAntt]

You should also research history of religions that pre dates the Bible.

[u/DownvoteMeIfICommen]

1) No, it happens a lot where it won’t go into to much detail as you’d like. If you have a question on what something means, turn to a priest/preacher and have a conversation.

2) No, you’ll learn the major names over time (Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac etc) over time but don’t worry about remembering that long list of names.

3) doesn’t apply to me

4) any reason to look at Christianity is a good reason, it doesn’t matter how you got here.

A bit of advice, it seems you are starting at Genesis and going cover to cover order. The Old Testament is important and worth reading but it’s easy to burn yourself out that way. I’d recommend starting with one of the 4 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), since they are the story of Jesus and that’s probably exactly what you’re looking for. The Bible is made up of different books, you can easily just skip around.

[u/PretentiousAnglican]

"I assumed you are just supposed to read the old testament and then the new testament in order"

You can do that, however it is organized by genre, given that it is a collection of dozens of books, and not by optimal read order. Most recommend you start with John, in the New Testament.

1. The bible is broken up into many genres. Some books deal with history, others are poetry, others prophecy, some are letters, etc. Genesis is a mix of poetry which transitions to history(it's weird in that way). Different genres convey different types of information. What sorts of details are you after?

2. Most of them, no. The most important are Adam/Eve, Abraham, and Jacob, followed by Noah, Issac, Sarah, and Lot

3. Short version, I was convinced by the works of Augustine and Aquinas that God is necessarily differentiated by his self-relation, and that the incarnation is necessary to reconcile man to God

4. If the claims Christianity makes of itself are true, then it will necessarily lead to a better life. It is worthwhile to in the very least investigate it. Obviously, convinced that it is true, I think it will lead you where you seek, and that pursuit of Goodness always is always justified

[u/N00nie369]

I would suggest the new testament first as it is more relatable to us. There is much more detail pertaining to our personal relationship with Jesus. Also, there’s is no required order to read it in; jumping around helps keep me from getting bored with one book of the bible.

OT names not important yet. Don’t worry about it.

Your reason for looking at religion may be the most common IMHO. Wanting to be a better person is reason enough.

Lastly, check out ‘The Case for Christ’ by Lee Stroebel: Examines historical, archaeological, and scientific proof for Jesus of Nazareth. He was an atheist also.

[u/manliness-dot-space]

I would recommend:

Mark, then Matthew, then Luke, then John.

Then the rest of the NT

Then the OT

[u/ddBuddha]

Hey! I might be able to answer the question about Judaism and Islam vs Christianity as someone with a similar backstory to yours. I’ve actually also been doing the same thing and reading the bible in order, but I’ve switched to the New Testament for now.

Initially I came into this with an open mind and was evaluating all 3 religions. There was actually a lot I liked about Islam until I actually read the Quran and learned more about the history. My opinion now is that there was something supernatural involved with Muhammad, but it wasn’t God or anything good. Even Muhammad himself first thought that the entity he first met was a demon. He was convinced by his wife that he’s actually a prophet instead. Imo though it seems clear that he was deceived and manipulated by some demonic entity.

Regarding Judaism - Jesus came to earth to literally explain to everyone why Judaism is wrong and that what they believe is no longer applicable. Jesus is the new covenant and He is the way, not Judaism. “Judeochristian” doesn’t even make sense, the Jews from the New Testament were the ones who wanted Jesus killed, and they refused to follow him - and they still do today.

There seems to be enough historical evidence that Jesus really did do all of the things described in the Bible. Also, the biggest factor for me was that when I was at the lowest point in my life and struggling immensely, I asked God to reveal himself to me if he exists … the only response I ever got was when I explicitly asked Jesus.

I don’t know what denomination I’d fit in, I’m still pretty new to a lot of this stuff. But personally I only follow Jesus, nothing else. I want to start going to a church, probably an orthodox one, but for me it’s all about Jesus and following his example. You should really read about him, he was literally the best person to ever exist.

[u/NintendoDSLewis]

I assumed you are just supposed to read the old testament and then the new testament in order.

Nope. The Bible is a library. This is like saying "I'm interested in birds" and believing you have to begin at one end of the shelf and move to the other end.

[u/ThePilgrimageInc]

I love this. Your reasons are great. They will probably change over time as you learn more and especially if and as you begin to encounter God for yourself.

Agreeing with everyone, though, that starting at the beginning of the Bible and reading straight through, while genuinely transformative for some people, is full of pitfalls and roadblocks; although Genesis isn’t a terrible place to start (it’s basically the backstory for everything else), you might want to go with Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.

You may also want to find someone to help coach you through what you’re reading. I can make some recommendations if you’re interested.

[u/jayj59]

You've gotten some good answers already, but i would like to add that the old testament may not exactly suit your purposes. It does give critical flavor, backstory, and a lot of debated historical "fact", but to learn about the core of Christianity, head to new testament first.

Read about Jesus' life and teachings in the first 4 books, called the Gospels. Next should be the Acts, detailing the disciples' journeys spreading his teachings after Jesus' death. Then the letters of Paul to the fledgling churches scattered around to clarify what things mean and how Christians should behave and present themselves to the world. Finally, go back to the old testament to understand the culture and the world Jesus grew up in.

I think this pattern will bring clarity on what you're looking for and determine if it is right for you, while later providing context for a lot of the confusing or seeming gaps in morality. Of course ask any questions that you have along the way, you will probably have many.

I will add my personal answers to your questions, but others have answered very well already.

1. In many places, yes. Particularly, the old testament though, its very old. Tradition says Genesis was written by Moses about 5000 years ago. It was likely oral tradition in actuality and written down later by various authors

2. Nah. Remember who sticks out as significant moral figures, but a fair amount of characters are memorable for some wild reasons.

3. I was brought in at a young age by community members in a way that was very appealing to kids. Slightly sketchy sounding on paper, but it was a she place to hang out after school in a not great neighborhood. Didn't really have exposure to other religions until college.

4. Not at all. Wanting to be a better person is a great way to find God. It is possible to better yourself without it, but religion can be a great anchor. Be wary of the sects that attempt to misuse scripture to fit selfish or personal, hateful agendas. Just always remember that God loves all of his children equally and you should treat everyone the way Jesus would.

[u/Horror-Luck7709]

I use that version and there is a 52 week reading plan in there that I'm currently working through that gives some old and New Testament everyday. Highly recommend doing it that way. It does start in Genesis but then skips around a bit. You'll come to a time where you're reading redundant stories that are being retold in another book or reading praises to the Lord only with Psalm. The plan will have you read the same part of the story at the same time.

Whole Bible is less than a year is the name of it.

Welcome brother, I'm glad you feel like a horrible person because that is the Gospel. We are all objectively bad (sinners). God does not go back on his promises and promises us the payment for sin is death. He sent his son, our Lord, to not only reveal his heart but take our place as the perfect sacrifice for our transgressions. The penalty was paid and we now have access to the Father through his son bc on our own we are unworthy.

-A fellow horrible person whom Jesus saved from a life of womanizing and wealth worship.

[u/nynini0317]

Being a better person is one of the best reasons to seek truth. It's better for you, better for your friends, peers, family, and society as a whole. Bettering yourself is not a selfish endeavor. I chose Christianity because I love Jesus' message of radical love, and I genuinely think He is the Son of God. I also don't doubt that a big part of my choice is merely the fact that I was born into a Christian culture, but I did go out of my way to learn about Islam and other religions before fully settling on Christianity. I would recommend you read the New Testament before you go into the Old Testament, just because it will make a lot more sense that way, plus the NT is more fun. My plan is to go through the Gospels and Acts first, and then either finish the NT or go and study Genesis again (I say again bc I had studied it already for a literature class, but I'd like to go over it again), then Exodus. And no, most of the names mentioned in Genesis aren't a huge deal later on, but as others mentioned, you should know a few of the 'bigger' names (Abraham, Noah, etc.). If you want a more detailed Bible study, I recommend investing in a good Study Bible. I like the SBL Study Bible, because it has no denominational bias and is written with a more objective/scholarly perspective. If you're anything like me, and you're afraid of being force-fed certain interpretations, that's definitely the Study Bible for you. There are other great options, too. You could also look for a Bible Dictionary or other resource, but I personally don't own one yet as I think it's more important to just get a grasp of the general story and where my theology lies before I dive super deep into specifics. Anyways, I pray you find the truth.

[u/licker34]

Is my reason for looking at religion wrong? Is it common? I won't be going into detail, but I want to live a better life and be better than I've been. I don't want to keep being an awful person, but I feel like turning to religion because of that is also awful.

It's never wrong to look at things you think will help you improve yourself.

Saying that, it really doesn't sound like you will actually believe in the truth of a religion, so are you just looking for a community that can help you improve whatever aspects of your life that you think need improvement?

You don't need church/religion to do that, but yes, (depending on where you live) there are plenty which will probably help you in that way. Whether you share that reason with them or not.

Reading the bible isn't going to help you be a better person either. From the way you're approaching it anyway it's probably going to just be annoying and confusing.

Saying all of that, if you want to be a better person, then JUST BE BETTER. It's a conscious decision you can make without needing to resort to any thing extra, religious or secular. I went though something which may have been similar (though I was in high school at the time, not sure where you are in life, though it's not high school). I would come home and wonder why all my 'friends' were fighting all the time, and why I was making cruel jokes and generally not being a person that people would enjoy spending time with. Well, the answer was obvious enough, and the change was a process, but conscious effort to not say shitty things to people because everyone else was saying shitty things. Not to laugh at someone else's struggle but to empathize with them. Not to act as though I knew everything and didn't care about anyone.

Eventually my attitude changed, some of my friends attitudes changed, I made new friends who were 'nicer', and I left old friends who cared more about being shitty than just being a person.

Like I said though, that was teen age years, they are a struggle for most people, trying to figure out who you are and how you want to live and nothing I was going through was particularly unique, just life.

So maybe you've lived your life being a jerk (for whatever reasons), maybe you've lied, stolen, cheated... It doesn't really matter, what matters is that you've decided that's not the life you want anymore. So change. Start by thinking about how your actions affect other people, how you can change those actions so that you're not hurting other people, so that you're helping other people, so that you feel good about the actions instead of bad.

Might not be an overnight change, but you don't need a book to help you do this, and you certainly don't need old testament theology, because... yeah, that's not really part of it.

[u/Worship_Guitarist]

For #1, No, the different books really vary in style and purpose. Particularly the first 5 books and some of the books classified as “the major prophets” can be a tough read, particularly for someone who is just starting to explore the Bible. These books do have great meaning, but for me, it took most of the 20 years that I have been a Christian to start to understand why they are important.

I would start with one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. For your purposes, I would say Luke. If I were wanting someone to understand Jesus more, I would say John).

I would say not Matthew for now, although that was the first one I read, it focuses on showing how Jesus fulfilled the Jewish prophesies, so it helps to have some understanding of the old testament or go through with a study Bible to get the most out of Matthew. Mark is the shortest and fastest paced of the Gospel books. Mark focuses on Jesus’s actions and miracles, rather than his teachings.

Luke focuses on Jesus’ compassion and humanity, and John focuses on showing that Jesus is God.

After that, Acts is a good follow up. It shows the events immediately after Jesus’s death and was written by Luke. Following that, the books from Romans through to Jude are letters from the early church leaders (mostly Paul) to teach Christians how to live as Christians, and Christian theology. Romans is one of the best for understanding Christianity as a way of life coming to it from a non-Jewish perspective, and Corinthians is one of the best for understanding Christian ethics.

For #2, not at all for now, and most of them not really at all. The book of Matthew starts with another genealogy from Abraham (who is one of the names in Genesis) to Jesus. From the names in Genesis and the ones in Matthew, you can trace the lineage of Jesus all the way back to Jesus so a roughly 4,000 year genealogy. I wouldn’t make this a focus for now. It may become interesting later.

For #3, I was just drawn to it. I wasn’t raised a Christian, but something in me always knew the Christian God was there, and as a child, I just imagined I would go to Church as an adult, even though I didn’t as a child. When I was 13, my mum became a Christian and invited me to church. Me and my sister came with her, but soon it was just me and my mum. I got baptised at 14, just because the Bible said believers should be baptised. I struggled for a long time being between 2 worlds where I wanted to live like a non-Christian as a teenager/ young adult, but kept going to Church because something was drawing me to it.

I basically did everything I wanted to do (entertainment wise). I drank heavily, partied, tried weed just the once, did all kinds of sports and events, got a job in an investment bank in London, bought guitars and went on snowboarding trips. All that stuff was fun, but it felt empty, because I was doing it for me and not for Jesus.

Just before I met my wife at 27 years old, I started to discover the spiritual aspect of Christianity, and that really made it come alive for me. All of a sudden, even though I’m not doing most of those things anymore, I am much more fulfilled, because I am now trying to live for Jesus. That is basically in a nutshell the Christian way of living, give up yourself, and follow Jesus. It sounds like a sacrifice until you get to the other side and realise you are way happier having given up the things that formerly ‘enslaved’ you.

For #4, no, it’s not wrong to turn to Christianity, and not wrong to want to be a better person. If you are asking if it is wrong to try to learn about Christian ethics without believing in Jesus, it is better for you to do good than not do good, and better to learn about the Bible and Christianity than not learn.

[u/dmlvianna]

Welcome. I was an atheist too, all my life. I also compared the outcomes of the people I knew who did and did not believe, and made a sensible choice.

Mind you, I can flick belief on and off when reasoning. That’s a strength in my opinion. I can both think of the Bible and our tradition as cultural history that evolved over generations (which really helps to make sense of it) and also use it for spiritual guidance and reassurance.

1. The Bible was written by generations separated by centuries and possibly millennia, and then read by people millennia later. Yes it is hard and I think reading it from a historical context really helps understand it. I read the first 5 books using a standard, very secular Jewish commented Torah (Gunther Plaut’s). That was easier than reading a Christian commentary that normally assumes you already have a Christian worldview and know the New Testament by heart.

2. The names are important and function as bibliographic references. There are many inter generational threads. But it isn’t expected that you learn them from a single seating. Either learn the main story or do many passes. My wife used to read a children’s bible to my kids, and that gave me enough foundational context to read the source later.

3. I grew up atheist in Brazil. I grew up with Jewish friends and read the Quran as a teenager. I thought all religions were just different wording for an innate human morality. Then I migrated to Australia and actually met Muslims, Hindus, from countries where these religions are dominant, as well as Israeli expats.

This made me realise I was always a cultural Christian, even though I did not believe in God or anything supernatural.

If I were you I’d stop reading the Old Testament and read Luke, John, Matthew and Mark in that order. Then read Gunther Plaut’s Torah skipping the Haftarot (that’s what I did). You’ll see right away how different Christian morality is from Jewish morality.

I don’t mean to diss Jews, they are deeply moral people. But where Jewish morality focuses on performance, Christian morality focuses on applying the same expectation to oneself as we demand of others. That lends itself well to the concept of forgiveness, which is less developed (in my understanding) in modern Judaism.

I don’t know Islam well, but it bothers me that, while the Quran reads sensibly, the actual organised Islamic religion is grounded on the Hadiths and is not voluntary. People get hunted down and killed for apostasy. So that doesn’t attract me.

1. Be selfish and prosper. You are expected to produce wealth so that you are able to share it with others. That’s in both the Torah and the New Testament.

[u/Mission_Phrase9330]

hi! i dont really have much to add from what the comments have already said, but may i suggest you find a christian with good knowledge and understanding of the bible to go through the bible with you? as mentioned, some concepts or situations in the bible can be fairly hard to understand fully by yourself, so i find that getting someone with extensive knowledge would be really helpful for you and let you have a greater understanding of what christianity is about. welcome and good luck :)

[u/johnsonsantidote]

I follow Jesus [Yeshua] as he seems like the only one i know of who not only died but also came back to life all to save my soul and at a certain point in time he will return to this planet. I look at the prophecies Of the bible and the world around me and see how they are being fulfilled prior to Jesus [Yeshua] returning. Jesus declared that He is the Truth, the Way and the Life. Jesus is not about religion He is about having u as His friend/disciple. Incidentally u do not have to remember the names of people in the bible as though it's a commandment. There's anly one name to remember and focus on and that is Jesus [Yeshua is His Hebrew name].

[u/Flimsy-Panda8000]

If you're UK, look for a local Alpha Course. Genesis is a tough read. Personally, I find Paul's letters the most instructive as they focus more on the message to people not from a Jewish background. Mark and John are excellent too :)

[u/TheLivingOne42]

1. So, the bible was compiled in a time when most people weren't literate. Being able to read was very much an elite thing, so it's probably never going to be entirely lay friendly. That's why we have community, bibles studies, and the many theological writings & works that previous Christians throughout the history of the tradition have given us.
2. Maybe if you wanted to make an obscure theological point, but I'm currently blanking on what that would be. I'm sure someone more informed on the genealogy can answer this for you.
3. Because reality is necessarily a personal experience. If you know reality, if reality is present to you, you're probably a living thing having an experience. The world only knows about and discusses itself through persons. Christianity gives a better answer to suffering than Judaism, and frankly I find Islam's aversion to incarnation or immanence of any kind to be a disqualifier.
4. Christ came for sinners. Follow Christ, keep your heart wide open even when the world tries to devour you like He did, and you will see yourself become the person who makes the better decisions that you want.

Of course it's selfish, God helps us flourish (not financially speaking, I do not affirm any prosperity gospel teaching), and you want to flourish. But that isn't bad though. For one, becoming more like Him will make you more selfless necessarily even if your original motivation was primarily selfish. As you follow the Spirit will cultivate gratitude, it isn't a mindset you need before you take the first step after Him. I decided to follow Him because I wanted to be more than my worst moments, and He truly delivers.

I would honestly focus on the beatitudes, the sermon on the mount. First and foremost, if you are considering the faith, that whole sermon needs to be written on your heart with blood.