Why can't I understand the Bible?

Contact the local Jehovah's Witnesses for a free bible study , they will logically help you make sense of the bible.
Pray to God to help you understand.

Then it's not the right religion... not that there has to be one.

Think about it. If a god wanted you to do cmmunicate well with him, he would make a holy book accessible. He would make a book easy to read, for people of any age.

Instead, you have this bible crap, and people 16 years of age can't even get closer to their gods! There's something wrong here.

Your situation is like that of a man who lived in the first century. He was traveling in a chariot, going from Jerusalem to his native country, Ethiopia. This Ethiopian official was reading aloud from the prophetic Bible book of Isaiah, written more than seven hundred years earlier.
Suddenly, he was addressed by a man running alongside the chariot. The man was Philip, a disciple of Jesus, and he asked the Ethiopian: "Do you actually know what you are reading?" The Ethiopian replied: "Really, how could I ever do so, unless someone guided me?" He then invited Philip into the chariot. Philip explained the meaning of the passage the man had been reading and went on to declare to him "the good news about Jesus."—Acts 8:30-35.

Just as Philip helped that Ethiopian to understand God's Word long ago, Jehovah's Witnesses help people to understand the Bible today. They would be happy to help you too. Usually, it is best to study the Bible systematically, beginning with basic Scriptural teachings. (Hebrews 6:1) As you progress, you will be able to take in what the apostle Paul called "solid food"—that is, deeper truths. (Hebrews 5:14) Although it is the Bible that you are studying, other publications—Bible study aids—can help you to locate and understand Bible passages on a variety of subjects.

A study can usually be arranged at a time and place that is convenient for you. Some even study over the telephone. The study is not held in a classroom setting; it is a private arrangement tailored to your personal circumstances, including your background and education. You do not have to pay for such a Bible study. (Matthew 10:8) There are no exams, and you will not be made to feel embarrassed. Your questions will be answered, and you will learn how to draw close to God. Why, though, should you study the Bible? Consider some reasons why a study of the Bible can add joy to your life.

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20010701/article_02.htm

Try reading Matthew, Mark Luke and John, that is a good starting point.
Just try to read a chapter at a time. There must Bible study groups in your area, try to find a youth bible study

i'll in basic terms quote some scriptures . 2 Cor 4:4 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so as that they can't see the mild of the gospel of the attention of Christ, who's a lifeless ringer for God. one million Cor one million:26-31 26 Brothers, think of of what you have been once you have been referred to as. no longer lots of you have been smart by applying human standards; no longer many have been influential; no longer many have been of noble beginning. 27 yet God chosen the silly problems with the international to disgrace the smart; God chosen the vulnerable problems with the international to disgrace the stable. 28 He chosen the lowly problems with this international and the despised issues—and the flaws that are no longer—to nullify the flaws that are, 29 so as that no person would boast previously him. 30 it is with the aid of him which you're in Christ Jesus, who has substitute into for us information from God—that's, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 consequently, because it is written: "enable him who boasts boast in the Lord." John 6:40 4 no you are able to quite come to me till the daddy who sent me attracts him, and that i'll develop him up on the final day. Matthew 5:5 5 Blessed are the meek, for they'll inherit the earth. No point out of preparation, way of life, station in life, or ethnic team no longer with the flexibility to come lower back to precise wisdom .

you need the Holy Spirit to help you understand the Bible.

pray the Holy Spirit prayer before you read the Bible.

also you need to be in a good disposition which means you must not be in
(mortal) sin and be leading a good life (following the Ten Commandments).

below is the Holy Spirit prayer and some good spiritual books that will help
you come closer to God. May God bless you in your holy intention.
take care and always stay close to God especially now; the world is
getting more corrupt every day.

The Holy Spirit Prayer:

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire
of your love.

V. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created.
R. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray.
O God, who, by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the
faithful, grant that, by the same Holy Spirit, to have a right judgement
in all things and to rejoice in His consolations. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen,


spiritual books recommended:

* The Imitation of Christ - by Thomas A. Kempis
* Every Day is a Gift - by The Catholic Publishing Company
* Introduction to the Devout Life - by St. Francis de Sales
* Divine Mercy in My Soul The Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska - by
St. M. Faustina

Dustin, I pray that God honor your longing to be close to Him and that the Holy Spirit will help you understand His word. And I bless you with a lot of godly, pure friends who can grow with you at church (See 2 Timothy 2:22). In addition to all the great comments made by other friends here, I recommend reading the English Standard Version, New Living Translation, or The Message (see http://biblegateway.com).

James 4:8 "Come close to God, and God will come close to you." Our God is a faithful God and will for sure lead you Himself.

Proverbs 9:10a "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." May God continue continue to grant you wisdom to gain insight for him.


In Jesus' glorious name, amen.

Here is a whole summary of the bible:

The bible is a book written by authors. When you read the bible your only getting about half the story. But, thats not a problem because these stories have morals. These morals tell us about God and about how much he loves us. Think of it like this, God is not a person. He is an entity. The Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are the exact same entity but in different forms. Jesus came down as a man to preach the word of God to the people. He died for us, and for our sins. Heaven and Hell arent places where I can give you an address and yuo can go there. They are places where we have no thought about where they are. But , yes , they are real . When you are in the presence of God, you are in Heaven . People imagine Jesus as long hair, tan skin, etc . But this in't true .We believe this because what he looks like is passed down from our parents and stories brought down to us. This is like the bible and how the stories in the bible are passed down within thousands of years. You dont have to understand the bible to be closer to God. To be closer to God you have to love- for God is love. And you have to have faith.


Sorry for this being so long, i apologize. I really hope this helps :)

This is 'by design'. Churches like to control the message, and they do that by acting as the interpreter of the Bible. If the Bible were accessible to everyone, you wouldn't need the Church to tell you what it says. In the end, they pull out stories and quotes that support their view, and ignore portions that are a little 'iffy' (and the Bible contains many, many 'iffy' parts). This was easier in the past when less people were literate and the Bible was in Latin (owning a translated version of the Bible was a death sentence), but the same idea still continues today.

I suggest you watch Julia Swinney's "Letting Go of God" movie, she talks about being a faithful and believing Christian until she took a Bible study class. She realized as she actually read the Bible that is really didn't make sense, and certainly didn't match the teachings of the Church. And many other former Christians make the same statement, when they actually read the Bible you realize the "prince of peace" and "god's love" are concepts added and promoted by the Church, and not really supported by the Bible.

If you really do want to read the Bible, by all means read it. But, if you take a class or read a book, choose one that treats it as a book, not as divine. If it really is divine, you will find that yourself as you study it. If you don't find is inspiring, then that should tell you something as well.

Scriptures are usually pretty straight forward when kept in context. Not really meant to be a big secret code that needs a lot of explaining. Just read it plainly as you would a book or newspaper. Know the style of the writing you are in. some parts are historic narratives, some parts are poetry, some visions or prophecy, etc. Many illustrative stories or parables, that Jesus taught with are later explained soon after in more detail.
Also consider what point of history and what people are involved also helps your determine some of the cultural things going on. It may be helpful to pray and to study with some other Christians.

The Holy Spirit does help connect and draw out points we need to personally hear. Often it is good to hear what different people are getting from scripture as God works in their life. They don't conflict and it shows the depth and richness of truth the repeated study of scriptures can bring. In one study, one member was not a believer, so week after week, he kept getting the need for salvation message while others in the group would get more on the other topics. He was surprised at the difference. But I'm not. The Holy Spirit does communicate with those who are not yet saved as well, and he usually is drawing them to trust Jesus, which is their greatest need at the time.

If you are new to the Bible, here's some online resources:
Bible Study for Beginners - http://bible.org/series/how-study-bible-beginners
History of Bible - http://www.biblehistory.com/links.htm
Basic Questions - http://www.biblestudy.org/beginner/main.html

Hope this helps.
God Bless you as you get to know him more & more.

The Bible is very vague for a reason.
Just skip to the NT, maybe read some Jesus stories. They're actually pretty good, except the whole resurrection-ascention thingie