Well...honestly if you haven't read a book how can you dismiss it as nothing when you don't know anything about it? Ya have to read the book to decide whether or not you like it.

Like anything in this world the Bible can be used for good or ill. .

It is WHAT you do with it and what you get out of it.

If you read the Bible solely for the purpose of pointing out what is wrong with it, you will get plenty of stuff to back up your ideas. If you read it for historical interest, then you will find plenty of history. If you read it for spiritual benefit then shoot, that's what you'll get out of it. If you use it to beat people's heads in then it makes a pretty good weapon. Depending on if it's hardback or not and if it's like one of those big Church copies {O)

I read it because I know there is wisdom in it. I believe it was written and rewritten by men pondering on the nature of God and in many cases they may have recieved divine inspiration. There's a lot of allegory, parables, history, personal writings, discussions on theology and in short many things I find beneficial in my life. There are many passages in it that make me weep, that make me ponder, some things I frankly can't understand, some things I find delightfully poetic but all of them serve to engage the higher processes of thinking which in my opinion is what every good book should do.

I have also read the Apocrypha, I have read many other books pertaining to religion and higher matters (C.S. Lewis being a favorite) And when I am done reading the Bible cover to cover I think I would like to tackle the Quoran next as well a little book on Buddhist thought I saw in the library recently.

To paraphrase Paul " Whatsoever is lovely, virtous or of good report we seek after these things. " I think that is a good attitude to have. I seek all sorts of knowledge.