I read scripture to build me up...If it translates into me being a more loving forgiving human being and people notice I am a Christian then I hope it draws people to Christ...Cuz that dude is the real thing... I just know it... that ain't dogma baby... that is some core knowing...but all withstanding....many use scripture to beat up non-believers in scripture...and this is by far the most poor use the greatest book ever written.
By the way, Lapis...God is in the Old Testament... Look up Yah in a King James concordance...That is the real Deal...
There are so many errors in the Bible though that some people just ignore...so I will do my own ignoring...I ignore any scripture that could lead someone to believe that that God is not Love and I choose to believe that the murderer of the Old Testament is the old snake in the Grass Belzebub(The Father of Maggots). So when I read about a heinous evil (G_d) that is slaughtering millions, hundreds, dozens of human beings I re-interpret that god as Belzebub. That may be my own Dogma...but it opened my eyes to scripture as a wonderful book about love.