What keeps people from reading the Bible as much as they should? Each of us has their own answer to that question, but it’s possible to identify a few common attitudes that get in the way of Bible engagement. That’s what we’ve been asking throughout our Bible Gateway 20th anniversary interview series, and that’s the question we pose to Jefferson Bethke (the mind and voice behind “Why I Hate Religion”in the video below:

Jefferson identifies two things that get in the way of Bible reading. First, there’s pride—the belief that we’ve got our lives sufficiently figured out that we don’t need the Bible’s guidance. And secondly, ignorance—we simply lack an understanding of what the Bible is really about, and why it’s valuable.

In the second half of his answer, Jefferson imagines what it would be like to be feverishly eager to read God’s Word. That image is very different from the common stereotypes about Bible reading—I suspect that for many people, the words “Bible reading” make them think of Bible reading involves a droning preacher making his way through a parade of “thee’s” and “thou’s,” or invoke a memories of getting bogged down in long Middle Eastern genealogies.

What needs to happen to make Bible reading something you can’t wait to do, instead of a task you grudgingly perform?