Have you actually read the Bible?

[Joe Republic]

I'm talking cover-to-cover, every book within it.  I realize that Jewish people who have read the Torah have technically read part of the Bible, but I'm just talking about the Christian Bible, e.g. KJV.

I haven't, and I don't really intend to.  Not out of principle or anything stupid - it just seems like incredibly tedious bedtime reading.

[ilikeverin]

#4... boooooriiiiing

I tried reading it cover-to-cover once, and I got stuck in the Bob begat Bob begat Bob begat Bob begat Bob part of Genesis

[A18]

Yes

[Bono]

no, I read it straight up to psalms, and bits and pieces after that.

[bejkuy]

Cover to cover 3 times in addition to bits and pieces on a daily basis.

[John Dibble]

Just about half of it, mainly old testament.

[Everett]

I read it straight through once. Ever since then, I've mostly kept to certain sections, mostly the New Testament and Psalms/Proverbs that have actual information that might prove relevant or useful. Stuff like "so-and-so begat so-and-so" just doesn't seem very useful.

[© tweed]

About 30 pages, non-christian.  It's extremely boring.

[Frodo]

About less than half -and most of what I had read was when I was as young as or younger than ILV.  My bible was the 'Children's Bible' with all those pretty pictures to illustrate and enliven the story...

[Blerpiez]

For class, I read Genesis, Exodus, the bit about Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon, the book of Daniel, and one of the gospels.

[Jake]

The Gospels, Revelations, some of the later books, and the first few books of the Old Testament.

[ilikeverin]

About less than half -and most of what I had read was when I was as young as or younger than ILV.  My bible was the 'Children's Bible' with all those pretty pictures to illustrate and enliven the story...

So unfair.  I never had a childrens' bible

[Giant Saguaro]

Christian - not all at one time, but over the years I probably have. I've read a good 3/4 of it anyway, I'll say.

[Speed of Sound]

less than Half (Christian)

[The Dowager Mod]

10:1
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

10:2
The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

10:3
And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

10:4
And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

Absolutly riveting.

[angus]

I'm talking cover-to-cover, every book within it.  I realize that Jewish people who have read the Torah have technically read part of the Bible, but I'm just talking about the Christian Bible, e.g. KJV.

I haven't, and I don't really intend to.  Not out of principle or anything stupid - it just seems like incredibly tedious bedtime reading.

a couple of points.  Torah is hebrew for "The Law" and does not specifically refer to the entirety of the Old Testament.  I only mention that as you seem not to be aware of it.  Christianity and Judaism are unique only in the sense that the entirety of the holy texts of one religion is a proper subset of another.  They are not unique in the sense of a "kinder, genler" renewal of an existing religion.  (Prince Gautama Siddhartha, the Buddha, was Hindu, for example.  And Buddhism is to Hinduism much as Christianity is to Judaism.)  Finally, ignore pretty much every thing I say regarding Christianity, Judaism, or Islam, as I have not read the Bible.  Not the Jewish bible, which is a subset of the Protestant Bible, and not the Protestant Bible, which is a subset of the Catholic Bible.  I have read parts of it, however.  And, even though I am agnostic, I was raised in the catholic church, and am therefore technically christian, and have probably read most of a modern american standard english translation of the greek/hebrew catholic bible, so I'll vote option one.

My favorite part:  The part that talks about 'Which is the path to God?’  And of course the answer is that there are many true paths.  You serious biblical scholars know which part that is, I'm sure.

i.e., Life is not like a box of chocolates.  It’s more like a Nathan’s hot dog.

[angus]

hey, I like to look sh**t up, what's it to ya?  I look up religious, historical, philosophical, scientific, musical, and geographic references all the time.  I'd imagine that just about every one of us, except possibly Miss Catholic, does.  That, hopefully, goes without saying.  For an educated populace, that is.  I've also looked up stuff in the Qur'an, by the way.  (though it takes me a very long time, as my arabic is rusty.) 

the bible's not a book you read, cover to cover.  Asking whether you've read the bible cover to cover is like asking whether you've read the Feynman Modern Physics Lecture Series cover to cover.  know what I mean?  Sure, I'd like to claim that I sat down, smoked a big joint, and read the Feynman lectures, all three volumes, cover to cover in one sitting.  But it just doesn't work like that.

[Ebowed]

Option 1, though these days I tend to skip most of the Old Testament.

[Citizen James]

(semi-non-Christian) Does it still count as all if you skimed the begats?

I sometimes go back to some of the more inpirational parts, such as the sermon on the mount, and some of the more thought provoking parts, such as Job or Eclesiasties; but I'm not really interested in rereading the whole thing again.  I think the concepts count more than being able to quote specific passages of specific translations line and verse.

Some understanding or the cultural norms of the time helps too.  Revelations makes a little more sense if you know what wormwood is and how it was used, along with the context of the literature of the heavily persecuted early Christian church.

[Hitchabrut]

10:1
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

10:2
The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

10:3
And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

10:4
And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

Absolutly riveting.

It deals with YOUR ancestors.

Non-Christian, more than half, approximately.

[angus]

her ancestors?  she's texan.  therefore probably of czech or german descent.  maybe english.  in any case, on the other side of the alps from any one who might have been mentioned in any book of the judeochristoIslam holy text. 

I think she was being sarcastic, by the way.  I agree, it's not exactly riveting.  but then neither are the Feynman lecture series.  Like I said, you can sit down, pour a big glass of red, smoke a big hooter, and have every intention of reading a reference book.  but they just don't work that way.  Not to mention the fact that after the first couple of puffs, you start to notice that loose screw in the hinge on the door.  Or the fly in the panel covering the fluorescent lighting.  Then all bets are off.  know what I mean?

[AkSaber]

Less than half of it (Christian)

In my homeschooling course, there was Bible class. That's about the only time I really read the Bible.

[The Vorlon]

all of the bible
all of the Kuran
all of the torah

[AkSaber]

all of the bible
all of the Kuran
all of the torah

O_O Wow! That's quite a menu.

[12th Doctor]

Not cover-to-cover, no, but I would say that I am resonably familiar with all most of it.  I think I have read every book, at some point and most of them several times.  James and John are my favorites.