# I've read the bible...... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430 "2011-03-29T21:14:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/1 "2011-03-29T21:14:03Z")
It’s a pretty straightforward question I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/2 "2011-03-29T21:16:17Z")
??? Maybe not as straightforward as you think? 'cuse I don’t get it - was this supposed to be a poll? ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/3 "2011-03-29T21:19:28Z")
Sorry… I’m not quite familiar with polling… Working now I hope… ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/4 "2011-03-29T21:20:12Z")
Whoo-hoo! First vote! :snoopy dance: ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/5 "2011-03-29T21:22:12Z")
Darn!!! Should read “haven’t read it **AT** all” ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/6 "2011-03-29T21:23:33Z")
That’s better! ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/7 "2011-03-29T21:41:13Z")
I’m one of the “not cover to cover, but pretty knowlegeable” votes mostly because I skipped over the who-begat-whom sections. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/8 "2011-03-29T21:50:58Z")
Not sure exactly where I fit in. I’ve read it up through Isaiah. (I picked “not cover to cover but pretty knowledgeable”.) ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/9 "2011-03-29T21:53:12Z")
I’m not sure how to answer… I’ve been reading it all my life, in Sunday school, church, para-church groups, Bible studies, college classes where I minored in Religious Studies. Multiple translations. I own at least 5 Bibles and various commentaries. There are parts of the Bible I have read innumerable times, over and over again. But it’s not really a book that lends itself to reading cover-to-cover. I don’t recall the last time I read Zephaniah, and I don’t think I could tell you the difference between Amos and Nahum without looking it up as a refresher. On the other hand, I might be able to recite John chapter 1 or a couple of Psalms by memory. So what should I answer? ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/10 "2011-03-29T21:54:39Z")
i think the “pretty knowledgeable” section will encompass a pretty wide swath of knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/11 "2011-03-29T21:58:58Z")
I read it from cover to cover over a period of time. Many times I felt my eyes were glazing over. There were some interesting and quotable portions. Much was repetitive and boring. I continue to be amazed at those who purport to explain the words as if they were present when it was written. Overall, I give it a thumbs up. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/12 "2011-03-29T22:06:46Z")
If only R. Crumb would illustrate the rest, as he has Genesis, I’d read it cover to cover. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/13 "2011-03-29T22:11:38Z")
Err, none of those. I had to read parts of it for a class on Judaism in college. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/14 "2011-03-29T22:12:59Z")
I’ve read the Old Testament six times, and the New Testament nine times. Even the begats. About two years back, our whole church read the whole Bible cover to cover in a year. And we just finished t[he E100 challenge](http://www.e100challenge.com/pages/) for the ELCA. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/15 "2011-03-29T22:15:10Z")
I clicked “Haven’t read it at all”, since the “Tried reading it once to help me fall asleep in a hotel room with a broken TV” option wasn’t available. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/16 "2011-03-29T22:43:38Z")
I’m in the process of reading through it in two years. I wasn’t sure what to click. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/17 "2011-03-29T23:00:16Z")
Does any version count? I’ve read six different ones to date. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/18 "2011-03-29T23:15:31Z")
What version does the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance count as? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/19 "2011-03-29T23:21:10Z")
[This](http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0781430550/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1301440733&sr=8-1) is how I read most of the Bible. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430/20 "2011-03-29T23:37:35Z")
Read it cover to cover a couple of times, but retained almost none of it. The vast majority of it is mind-numbingly boring. As a cohesive narrative it’s the worst POS I’ve ever read. I do enjoy the irritable, vengeful, smite-y Old Testament God though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-read-the-bible/576430.md?page=2)