A prescription for theists:

Take thee of: one holy book and one black marking pen.
Instructions: line-out whatever does not suit your true beliefs.

Thomas Jefferson took an honest approach to his attachment to the Bible and he did exactly what I've suggested above.  In fact, he selected out those passages he agreed with and cut and pasted them into his own personal book of Bible beliefs - the Jefferson Bible.  As far as I know, his example hasn't been repeated by anyone, yet it should have become a common practice.

There is little doubt in my mind that people today, Christians for example, have severe doubt about what their Holy scripture says on many, many counts.  It's obvious that Christians almost universally disagree with the Bible's attitude supporting slavery.  Yet, they boast of believing their Bible.  A great many people will also find the attitudes found in scripture toward homosexuality are reproachful, and so will there be those who would take intellectual issue with their Bible's ideas of crime and punishment, witchery, creation and miracles, etc..

Jefferson recognized that his own disagreement with certain notions of the Bible warranted taking liberty to edit-out what he could not find agreeable.  In my opinion, it was a very wise step for him to take and it rewarded him by yielding a more useful book, his own personal Bible.

It just seems right that for anyone claiming to follow the Bible or the Koran or Torah to be able to make his claim as honestly as he can, his holy book ought to reflect not only what he believes but also NOT reflect what he does not or cannot believe.

Theists... today is a good day to begin.  Grab your marking pens and read through (or line through) the scriptures.  Be like Jefferson.  Be honest with yourself.

.A prescription for theists: