Former Methodist minister turned atheist Leslie Scrace stopped reading the Bible after he lost his faith. 20 years later he read it again and wrote a book-by-book account of how he views it as an atheist called "An Unbelievers Guide to the Bible".
Leslie criticises parts of the Old Testament that he sees as primitive and immoral while praising other parts of scripture that illustrate humanist values.
Chris Sinkinson is a church pastor and teaches Old Testament and Apologetics at Moorlands Bible College. He responds saying that the Bible can't be dissected in the way Leslie attempts and that taking God out of the morality of the Bible robs it of its meaning.
They discuss books such as Job, Joshua, Song of Solomon and the Gospels. Chris also challenges Leslie on whether his humanist morality has any objective foundation.
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For Leslie Scrace's book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unbelievers-Guide-Bible-Including-Apocrypha/dp/1852001461
For Chris Sinkinson http://www.moorlands.ac.uk/home/about-us/staff-profiles.php
For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes
If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy:
Unbelievable? 19 Feb 2011 - Are there many paths to God? Chris Sinkinson & John Hick
Unbelievable? 9 April 2011 - "Is God a Moral Monster?" Paul Copan vs Norman Bacrac
Unbelievable? 8 May 2010 - "The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ" Philip Pullman, Anthony McRoy & Martin Saunders
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