Talk to me about Bible Study classes!

[bluecatt]

I found out through someone else that a very good friend of mine has been attending Bible study classes for some time and I was quite shocked by this (as a non-believer) and had no idea she was reverting back to God after a strict religous upbringing. I asked her about it and she was unwilling to discuss it with me and just said "I'm into the God thing again".

I'm intrigued by her new interest. Can someone tell me what kind of people attend Bible Study classes? Born Again Christians? What happens at them? I'm genuinely interested but genuinely ignorant and don't want to be.

Cheers

[naomi24]

I believe some people from all denominations choose to attend Bible Study classes of one sort or another. The Alpha Course is currently one of the most popular and the link will give you an insight into what bible classes are about.

http://uk.alpha.org/

[naomi24]

Cor, that has to beat being drummed out of the Brownies, Wiz!

Must admit, when I first heard about this, thinking it was some sort of open discussion group, I was tempted ..... but then I found out what it really involved - so I didn't bother.

[Tom Braider]

Can we widen (narrow?) this thread and talk about Alpha? Has anyone else attended? What was it like? Anyone else been thrown out?

[Gormless]

Religion, ever a hoary subject.

All you have to do is ask yourself a few questions. Read Luke's Gospel.

Is it all made up? (if so why)

Is it partly made up? (again, if so why, and which bits)

Why, if you want to preach a resurrected Christ, do you make some really basic mistakes? (e.g. having women discover the empty tomb)

Why does it have generally less popular credence than Caesar's Gallic Wars while being founded on far greater documentary evidence?

Do people die for a lie?

[keyplus90]

Gormless � That is good thinking and a better way of understanding any religion or belief. Asking yourself, why?

I would like to invite you to use the same approach about Islam and Quran. But one thing is very necessary, with our whys you must have an open mind.

[terambulan]

Religious studies can be just that and not necessarily an indoctrination. For like-minded people to bounce 'the written word' off each other for a clearer interpretation.

[naomi24]

terambulan, the operative words in your post are 'like-minded people'. If you aren't 'like-minded', and perhaps offer an interpretaton of the text that isn't within the boundaries of that which the course aims to teach, then, like Wiz, you aren't welcome. As his experience demonstrates, courses such as this are confined to teaching the gospel in a specific way, and they are not open to alternative ideas. Therefore I would say they do aim to indoctrinate. Seems Wiz was a hopeless case. :o)