Christians, how can you expect an atheist to approach the Bible any differently from the Qur'an? Please read the details before answering?

In my studies of world religious texts, the Bible stands out unique among the rest, but just compared to the Qur'an, I'll say this is the main difference I've found:

The Qur'an is an all inclusive instruction book. As far as I've been able to determine, there is not one part that is considered less authoritative than another.

The Bible on the other hand, is a compendium of different kinds of literature orchestrated into a narrative that begins at one point and leads to a far different point, and every point in between varies in it's authority, with the last outweighing the first.

PS: No, I'm not saying what led me to the Bible, I'm saying that the Bible is to be approached altogether differently and to be understood differently. It's not like a cookbook. You can't open it just anywhere and say that part is just as instructive or authoritative as another part, because it's not. The Bible is a narrative.

The Qur'an on the other hand is considered like a cookbook. Every part is just as authoritative as another. It's perceived as a list of do's and don'ts, a rulebook.

Hi there! I don't EXPECT anything. Great start, huh? Expectations, assumptions, how about

99.999% WRONG???

What I expect though is that any ATHEIST who BOTHERS, wonders, is somewhat searching,

maybe to prove atheism true, or something else false? Would that be somewhat accurate?

The very best way for me to answer is to let a far smarter person than I can ever be

tell you. I'll see if I can find this, and I think it might 'speak' to you. I encourage any searching person to view this honest appraisal.

David Woods becomes an expert in Islam, and well worth hearing (and there are

other people as well). The one in the subway train station is chilling, too real,

and amazingly symbolic as you'll see if you watch it as I did.

The other is later.

https://youtu.be/uzLYIXfx9eE

https://youtu.be/DakEcY7Z5GU

Most atheists are coming from a religion of some sort. I have only met ONE who was born into an atheist family.

It is my opinion that any belief system which claims to be transcendental truth should not require a lot of study to understand it.

Gravity is transcendental. It works for everyone whether they believe in it or not. It does require a little reading and study to understand it. But religion requires an entire lifetime. And even that is NEVER finished.

The more full of complicated details a belief is, the more full of crap it is. That is the nature of dogma.

Muslims believe that the first Jews and Christians got God's word wrong. So He sent Gabriel to Muhammad to get it right. My question is, since God can't error, why would He have told the writers of the Torah and Bible wrong info? Muhammad was a cult leader, using fear and threats to get followers.

All religions are based on faith and faith is the belief in something that can't or hasn't been proven as fact. Both the Quran and Bible are just holy books not factual books.

Well for one thing the Bible came first. Not only that it was written by the people who actually walked and talked with Jesus. The ones were actually taught by Jesus with the exception of Paul who was taught by the ones who were taught by Jesus. Is the Quran written by them? I don't think so. It came hundreds of years after and contradicts the bible on many points. Just sayin 👍👍👍

If you take myrrh from Orthodox icons to the lab, it's an unknown substance.

If you take the red stuff from Satanic "miracles" (like bleeding walls) to the lab, it's just blood plasma.

Forgive me.

As a Christian, I say, I agree. Treat them equally. The same scrutiny. The same questioning. The same benefit of the doubt.

The world is filled with many pathways but only one that is narrow.......matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

I wouldn't have my own agenda and my own set of expectations because it is not about me, it is about the person reading.

I believe every person has his own agenda -or God has an agenda for the person- for reading the Bible.

I am a lifelong learner who has read enough books to know that people have many motivations for reading just about any book, and reading the bible is no different.

Unless the atheist is bringing baggage into his Biblical reading, such as a hatred-for-God killing his grandmother in an accident, or only wants to prove that Paul/Saul was actually the author of Christianity, or he has already decided that the New Testament proves Jesus is not God and is looking for verses to prove this theology, I believe that in most cases, serious reading of the Bible is up to the person and up to God's inspiration.

I am also a realist and a teacher who is always available to those who might desire suggestions for tackling this formidable task.

The Quran is a mere four-fifths of the length of the New Testament; now add the Old Testament to complete the entire Bible and reading it can be an odious task for even the most inspired, inquisitive atheist/seeker.

I actually had such an experience with an unbeliever recently. ("atheist" is judgmental and does not allow for the person to be a seeker which is likely why they are reading the Bible in the first place, so I prefer not to use the term). A friend of my kid brother asked me if I had a more understandable Bible he could borrow, after coming up with a traditional King James (thou, thine, wilt and wouldst) from some relative.

I gave him a Quest Study Bible (NIV) to keep (I keep one on hand for such as these situations). It has a question and answer format on almost every page, listing the most common questions (and answers) people ask about the text as they read through the Bible.

Then I asked him how and where in the book he was planning to start reading it. His eyes had already glazed over just looking at his KJV Leviticus and Deuteronomy so I asked him if he wanted a few suggestions. He said OK.

I suggested he get by himself for about an hour with no interruptions. No phone, no music, just him, God, the Bible, and paper/pencil. I suggested he start with the Gospel of John after he said he wanted to know about Jesus. And I told him he might like to write down what he wants to remember about Jesus as well as any questions he has as he reads.

That was it. I prayed for him the following days, asking God to help him carry through with the reading and be as serious about reading it as he was when he spoke to me.

Now I don't know what special directions muslims might suggest about reading the quran.

But one thing I know. It is my job to provide the link to enable people to read the Bible, but it is God's job Alone to speak to the hearts of those who come to Him with sincerity and hope. Just as He guided me to find the Light I did not know I was looking for those many years ago, He guides those He personally chooses to be His Own in spite of us Christians- not because of us,

As far as this same reader reading the quran, my answer comes directly from God in Acts 5:

"...a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put Peter and the other Apostles outside for a little while. And then Gamaliel said to the Council, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.....So in the present case I tell you, keep away from Peter and those men and let them alone, for --> --> if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” <-- <--

I believe the Holy Bible to be the Word of God; the quran is not. But I do not need to defend the Bible from the quran in front of or to seekers. The Word of God speaks the Truth for itself and speaks loudly and clearly above all others to those people who are sincerely seeking the Truth.