How to Understand the Bible

The Bible is probably one of the most violent books ever written, filled with sexual perversion and misrepresentation, bloodshed and confused theology. The only thing worse than reading it  ... is not to read it. 

However, read it understanding these following:

1. 1. God is addressing us through the writings of other, extremely fallible, people. Maybe he was dictating through them, but I seriously doubt it. If he was then the text can only be understood in the exact language in which it was recorded, by people who share the exact social, cultural context and education as those who recorded it. I am by no means certain that such people exist.
      

   2. All that having been said, then it is here to teach us something, and what is that?However you look at it ─ historically, literarily, or in any other way ─ humanity tends towards being cruel and inhuman, it is not God who makes us that way, but rather we ourselves. We do it through acting out of our ignorance. This is, largely, the message and theme of the Bible.
      

   3. What can we do about it:
      

      1. Read it despite,  yet in full awareness and certainty of, our own ignorance.
         

      2. Act as though we have not understood it correctly, and treat others as best we can, even knowing that in some cases we cannot let them loose on others, but must restrain them in some fashion.
         

      3. Live our lives in faith ─ that is trusting that the future will work itself out through God's agency, which we are by no means privy to with full certainty. We can only know His spirit and act accordingly ─ as He would, for we as Christians, in the light of the love that Jesus embodied.
         

      4. We need to understand that we and those we love will be subject to the imperfections of this world, and so will suffer and die as a result. That does not stop God's love for any of us: either those who are hurt, those who hurt them, nor others who suffer as a consequence. Our task is only to try and live according to God's will: lovingly as best we can. If any Bible passage does not lead us to such action then we have misunderstood the passage.