Opinion: “I Want to Stop Going to Church” — What I Found in the Bible

The Bible remains one of the most widely read and influential books in the world. For Christians, it is considered a sacred text containing teachings, history, poetry, prophecy and accounts of faith.

Many believers regard the Bible as divinely inspired, although its books were written by different human authors over many centuries. As a result, some passages can be difficult to understand, particularly when they are read without their historical and cultural context.

This raises an important question: How should Christians understand difficult or disturbing passages in the Bible?

One passage that is sometimes misunderstood is Deuteronomy 25:11–12, which describes a situation in which a woman intervenes during a fight between her husband and another man by grabbing the other man’s genitals. The passage prescribes a severe punishment for her actions. Rather than simply reading the verse in isolation, it is important to consider the laws, customs and social context of ancient Israel when interpreting it.

Another difficult passage appears in 2 Chronicles 21:14–15. The text describes a judgment against King Jehoram and his kingdom, including illness and suffering. The passage can be troubling to modern readers because of its description of divine punishment.

These passages naturally raise difficult questions about justice, punishment, violence and the nature of God.

For anyone struggling to understand such verses, it can be helpful to examine the surrounding chapters, historical context, different biblical translations and scholarly interpretations rather than relying on a single isolated quotation.

Difficult passages do not necessarily mean that the Bible cannot be understood. However, they do show why careful reading, context and informed interpretation are important when studying religious texts.

Ultimately, questions about challenging biblical passages can be an opportunity for deeper study and reflection rather than a reason to stop asking questions about faith.

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