Being Scared of the Bible When I Was Younger

 

Being Scared of the Bible When I Was Younger
Written by: Jill Sheets

 

 

When I was younger, my sister and I were sent to Arkansas for summer breaks. I remember having my sister’s bible.  I have no idea how I got a hold of it or even why I really had it. I like to think that she gave it to me.

 

I would sit in the living room by myself and read it after I did my soap opera homework. By watching them and mimicking what I saw.

 

I open the book to the first page, which was the beginning with the Old Testament.  Probably not the best place to start, but I had no idea about that at the time. Reading in the Old Testament, I slowly started to get scared. I seem to have put myself in their shoes.

 

Here are a few things that got me scared.  Remember, I was a child, somewhere between 1st and 3rd grade.

 

Let’s start in Numbers 15:32-36/ Leviticus (in many places throughout that section) you found people getting stoning to death.  I found myself feeling horrible for the people that had been stoned or could be stoned.  I know there are still people out there who are still getting this kind of punishment. Can you imagine people throwing stones at you? I never understood why they did not protect themselves, but I found out that you cannot move, and you cannot defend yourself. I am glad that I did not grow up in those places that do or even back then.

 

 

Now in Genesis 4:1–18, we have Cain and Abel two brothers. Abel was murdered by his brother Cain. So I was wigged out by the idea of siblings killing each other, well at least back then. There are probably many siblings who feel that way, but they don’t actually do it. At least I hope.

 

 

 

Also there were sacrifices to God. Mostly animals, but Genesis 22 tells about Abraham and his son. Abraham took his son up to a mountain to kill him because God asked him too.  Good news, he did not kill him, God stopped him.

 

 

In Genesis 19, while fleeing Sodom, Lot’s wife disobeyed God and looked back at the place they lived in and the people they cared about, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.  Even though she was warned, I feel bad for her and her family.  I am not even sure if I would have the strength not to look back.

 

Some of you may or may not know this, but Rainbows are God’s gift to remind us that he would never flood that whole Earth again, which brings me to Genesis Chapters 6-9.  Noah building an Ark for the flood that God was going to bring down, cleansing the Earth of the evilness that was going on. He had two of each animal on the Ark along with his family.

 

My first memories were my night terrors about Satan and Demons (More Demons than Satan).  So it scared me anytime I hear or read about them.  Jesus was casting them out into pigs.  The whole idea of someone or animals getting possessed by either Satan or a Demon puts me on edge, even today. I have heard that they have even possessed a nun or more than one. A nun, how can that be possible? Aren’t they supposed to be married to Jesus in the Catholic religion?

 

Now that I understand the stories, I am not afraid of them like I was.  What children’s minds come up with, especially when you do not understand the whole story.

 

I still prefer the New Testament.