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You may be under the impression that science and history have long since proven the Bible to be an obsolete relic from a time when people were scientifically uninformed and incurably superstitious. Perhaps you see the Bible as merely a collection of old stories and myths that have nothing to do with modern-day life.

I used to believe exactly that; but I have to admit that when I made that judgment, I didn't really know the God of the Bible. Mind you, I did grow up hearing portions of the Bible in church, and I had studied it at one time, and I even sort of knew its message. However, the real reason I rejected the truth of the Bible is that I had no interest in being a Christian, and I figured my life was going just fine without the Bible or any religion.

I am now fully convinced that when any skeptic is "proving" that the Bible is inaccurate or obsolete, he or she is doing it out of a hatred for what the Bible says, and not out of objective, unbiased reasoning. I have heard and read many of these people, and in order to refute the validity of the Bible, they will inevitably misrepresent what the Bible says in order to make their case. This may seem like a broad-brush accusation (and I suppose it is), but I challenge you to prove me wrong.

The Bible actually has something very specific to say about such people. It calls them "men who suppress the truth," because "what may be known about God is plain to them;" that is, they have fully studied "what has been made." They know deep down that there is a Creator, and for that reason they are "without excuse." They absolutely refuse to give God any credit or thanks. And since these people have rejected God, who is the source of truth, all the rest of their intellectual pursuits are ultimately foolish: "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:18-22).

Obviously I don't have the space here to address every possible issue of the Bible's truthfulness. If you really want to study this for yourself, there are plenty of resources available here.

Not only should you care what the Bible says because it tells the truth, but more importantly ...

2. Because it addresses the most important issues of life.

One important thing to remember about the Bible is that was never intended to be a technical manual for every aspect of creation. In the Bible you won't find out exactly how old the earth is, exactly how the different races developed, or an explanation of molecular structure. But what you will find is infinitely more important.

Among other "big" issues, the Bible explains why there is so much pain and suffering in the world, and who Jesus is and why that's important to you.

Besides these kinds of issues, the Bible gives clear direction to areas the world is constantly debating about, like marriage and family relationships, economic issues, business relationships and practices, child rearing, treatment of animals, abortion, homosexuality, environmental issues, citizenship, diet and exercise, church procedure, psychological issues, etc. See for yourself!

Again, I obviously don't have time to get into each of these issues, but they are all adequately addressed in the Bible. Anyone, Christian or not, would benefit greatly by applying Biblical principles in their own lives. Unfortunately, because many people have rejected the God of the Bible, they will also usually reject Biblical instruction, and will therefore continue to stumble through life: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7)

Basically, the Bible is God's word to you. If you ignore or reject it, you are rejecting the God who gave it, and you are also rejecting Jesus Christ, who is called "the Word of God" (John 1:1,14; Revelation 19:13). Don't do that. Find out what God has to say; find out about sin, judgment, and salvation; learn about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus; and most importantly, trust that God will forgive you and restore your life, if you will put your full trust in His promises (which, of course, are found in the Bible!).