Bible Dismissive

People like me know the Bible is a purely human creation, designed to shore up religious control over human beings. We think that the Bible is a source of harm in the world and strongly disagree that it’s a useful guide for learning right from wrong – and before you ask, yes, we are familiar with it. We think it's outdated, contradictory and judgemental.

We’re modern, educated, liberal people, so the Bible has no place in our lives today and it's not relevant for wider society; the world has moved on. Religion belongs to an era that's gone, and we believe tolerance and acceptance is the key to making a difference in the world. 

The Bible doesn't really have anything to offer. We know it's significant to religious people and it might be of academic interest, but that's all; we're not interested in finding out more. The Church and its teaching can come across as toxic to us, though we know it can play a positive role in society.

We’re probably struggling a little with personal dissatisfaction and a sense that life doesn't have a meaning – though many of us are quite comfortable with that, because there's no reason why it should have a meaning. It's just important to enjoy the life you have. We do, though, have very clear values – we just don't believe we need religion to be moral. 

While we don't believe in God – we're all atheist or agnostic – some of us are more hostile to religion than others. We're a very diverse group, and there are a lot of us – 31 per cent of the population.