So I’m a Theist, and I’ve been discussing the question of why Christians think they can know the Bible is true, with a Christian friend of mine. My position is that there is no way to know the Bible is true. And by “the Bible,” I mean the New Testament. It is unquestionably clear to me that the Old Testament is mythology. I’m also aware that much of the New Testament is embellishment and outright fabrication, thanks to the fine work of Father Raymond E. Brown SS and Bart Ehrman.
My friend tells me, “You just know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true when you hear it.” He then goes on to inform me that, “You have to make use of the knowledge you have when you have it. When you hear the Gospel and you know it’s true, that’s when you’ve got to choose to invest your time in reading the New Testament.” Apparently if I read the New Testament regularly, he says the truth of its contents will be made clear to me “spiritually.”
I assure my friend that I’ve read the entire Bible cover to cover, and I’ve spent more time than I would have liked examining the New Testament. He tells me I need to keep at it, and be sure to read with an open and seeking heart. I tell him what the hell did he think I was doing when I read it?
It’s this “keep at it” idea that concerns me though; I’m afraid my friend is brainwashing himself. Consistent reading of any book is bound to have an impact on the reader’s mind, and consistently reading a book that tells you you’ll burn in fire forever if you don’t obey what it commands, well…, that sounds psychologically dangerous to me.
If Jesus is making himself know to people when they read the New Testament, I’m not seeing it. There is no spiritual experience, no moment, feeling, or sensation that I can point to and call “the revelation!” So I’m doing the best I can to tell the truth; Theism is obviously the truth. Science shows that we are Intelligently Designed. But about this Jesus fellow, I’ve no idea what’s become of him.
Atheistic Artist 