We fellows of a certain freethought forum were shown the reviews of the KJV at Amazon. Half of which were either against or typical xtian slobber fests, we were asked to all contribute a review of our own, expressing the opinions of those who are well acquainted with it but now see it's flaws. I began mine with an old favourite saying among freethinkers...

Everyone should read this, we need more atheists...

Previous reviews have demonstrated either the unthinking polemics and ludicrous praise of believers or the righteous indignation of those free of such mental conditioning, such conflicting messages would hardly be of help to those genuinely interested in an open-minded study of this book. However so few in this world are not aware of the KJV's reputation, the nature of which would depend on their world view, that this contribution will focus on what I regard as the most serious difficulty, its overall effect on humanity.

As a mythologist I would find it far easier to appreciate the Bible in the same way I enjoy the Nordic Sagas and the Hindu Gita, if the world were not full of self righteous Theists convinced that every word of it was true. When studying Judaism I can see the charm and emotional appeal of the old Testament (Torah, Tanach, Midrash etc), but that is because Judaism is a culture that can be studied from without, and with no sense of expectation or the threat of conversion. Same as in Sikh and Hindu communities, they do not expect you to be one of them, and make no demands, their beliefs are there's and yours a matter of personal conscience.

But most Christians compelled by this book, and raised within the self enclosed world it inspires expect everybody to be like them, they demonise anybody who isn't, they regard their religion as the only wisdom and the only good, and their god's existence as self-evident. But the really worrying thing is when they look at this clearly flawed, and morally condemnable tome, they see only goodness perfection, this delusion is a dangerous one, as it results in a moral and rational blind-spot among those who do not wish to see the Bible's true nature. It's words and teachings laid before us in black and white, an objective reality so subjectively warped as to be perceived as virtually the opposite of its reality. This results in no Theists ever actually reading the Bible, so a review from them is pointless.

It gets worse when among certain backward and fundamentalist Christians, the true nature of the Bible is acknowledged and embraced. Leading to people who condemn gays, subjugate women, advocate holy wars, the erosion of democratic values, the aggressive conversion of Jews, and the slanderous condemnation of a atheists and other nonbelievers. History shows that such attitudes can become genocidal, and for every horror there is always a Bible passage that can be used to justify it. This book has caused more suffering than any other, and thus he should come with a warning label, such as "do not use the genesis passage concerning the sons of Ham as justification for slavery" or "do not use Paul's low opinion of women as a justification for sexist bigotry". Or maybe even "do not use 1 Sam 15 to legitimise genocide or the deliberate massacre of civilians". Then of course there are more specific difficulties such as the descriptions of demonic possession leading to people attempting to "exorcise" epileptics, or allowing millions in Africa to be threatened by AIDS due to an anti masturbation clause in the old Testament that the Pope uses to condemn condoms. The burning alive of women, gays, heretics, all traced to the commandments of Moses (Exodus 22:18) or a "saying" of Jesus (John 15: 5), no other religion is so intolerant (well, at least it's consistent). You would think for such a proven track record of encouraging catastrophe, Christians Theists would spend less time trying to ban pornography or condemning swearwords in music, and looking to their own doctrine and these inhumane results. But it would take more than the deaths of tens of millions for a Theist to reconsider a dogma.

All in all if you're interested in learning about a specific culture's religious interpretation of it's supposed history and the theological and allegorical basis of a first century Judaean cult, then this is the book for you. If you're looking for the meaning of life, a standard of moral behavior and happiness, I suggest studying Epicureanism or the works of Kant. You will not find anything in the KJV or any other translation of virtue to the rational or the truth seeking person. For to regard this as in any way a "good" book requires far too much blind faith (or illiteracy) for my liking.

Make no mistake, this book is an important part of history, but quite frankly that's where it belongs. It has made the past a bloody montage of horror, it would be best if it did not have the opportunity to do the same thing to our future. Read it by all means, but always with the same degree of knowledge and caution that should accompany anyone who studies Das Kapital or Mein Kampf. It is a warning from history, and only by studying it and its consequences can we learn to avoid any repetition, as the Christian world seems completely oblivious, so the more people who truly read the Bible the better. It is its own self-condemning voice, and any just and moral person will be no better or worse for its influence, but merely educated. The only truth within its pages concerns itself and nothing else, for those who wish to make sense of reality, I recommend you simply study our world, or the works of those who do. There are far better moral standards in many other books, most without the reason defying theology or disproven claims.
Life is for the living, the people who wrote this book are all dead, it would be virtually impossible to implement all their "moral" standards today, even those that are relevant. With only it's claims of divine authority rather than reasoning or experience for justification, it's ethical virtue is no more self-evident than it's claims for a deity. In something so important as the foundation of one's life, faith, i.e. assumption, cannot be reasonably suggested as the basis. Most of us today are more enlightened than those ancient theocrats anyway, so do not be afraid to judge these pages, don't assume you fail to understand, if it appears to enforce immorality, chances are it does. Listen to your conscience, not those paid or enslaved to defend it. Some values we have yet to attain, but there are better ways to do so, and most we long ago surpassed. Don't let theists use it's sliver of good, to fool you into ignoring the majority of evil. Their carefully chosen quotes don't ever reflect the content. Read for yourself, with an open mind, and open eyes. And some healthy skepticism wouldn't hurt.