what's the premise of the book? I would do a google search before I bought anything with such a title,,for God IS GREAT....When someone say He is not then yes my mind closes.
Much of what God gets blamed for is not great. Religion is usually man's model of God, and that many times is not great.
My sister once told me; I don't think I believe in God anymore. Which God do you not believe in, I asked her. I'm a straight athiest myself in many models of God.
The cover of the book did look a little scary at first
But I guess that’s what made me pick it up
It’s not what I thought it was going to be
It’s not a God bashing book at all rather
An exposing of the dark side of religion
And how people hide behind it to justify there life
In the dark ages people are best guided by religion,
as in the pitch-dark night a blind man is the best guide;
he knows the roads and paths beter than a man who can see.
When daylight comes, however, it is foolish to use blind
old men as guides.
Hank I recently purchased that book (End of Religion) but haven't read it since I got it, but we studied it in Bible Study awhile back and I was impressed with it.
**And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.**
Based on this article I would not be interested in this book.
The author is an atheist.
But hey to each his own..
------------------------
Chapter Seven: The Nightmare Of The Old Testament
Here Hitchens lists anachronisms and point-of-view inconsistencies in the Old Testament, and writes that many of the "gruesome, disordered events [...] never took place."(p.102) He writes that the Pentateuch was an "ill-carpentered fiction, bolted into place well after the nonevents that it fails to describe convincingly or even plausibly."(p.104) He points out, for instance, that when Moses orders parents to have their children stoned to death for indiscipline (citing Deuteronomy but no chapter in particular[10]) it is probably a violation of at least one of the very commandments Moses brought down from God, and that Moses "continually makes demented pronouncements."(p.106)
Chapter Eight: The "New" Testament Exceeds The Evil Of The "Old" One
Hitchens first connects the story of Abraham in the Old Testament with its prediction that "a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son," pointing out where the stories converge, Old Testament to New. Comparing the Testaments, he considers the New Testament "also a work of crude carpentry, hammered together long after its purported events, and full of attempts to make things come out right." He points out that, while H. L. Mencken considered some of the New Testament events to be historically verifiable, Mencken maintained that "most of them [...] show unmistakable signs of having been tampered with."(p.109-110)
Hitchens also outlines the inaccuracy in Luke's attempt to triangulate three world events of the time with Jesus' birth (viz, the census ordered by Caesar of the entire Roman world, the reign of King Herod in Judea and that of Quirinius as governor of Syria). He further states that there is no record of any Augustan census by any Roman historian (only by Josephus, which was six years after Jesus' birth was supposed to have taken place). In addition Hitchens states that Herod died in 4 B.C., and that Quirinius was not governor of Syria during his tenure.
Hitchens refers to the Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ as a "soap-opera film," saying that Gibson "adheres to a crackpot and schismatic Catholic sect" (Traditionalist Catholicism) and that his film tirelessly attempted to blame the death of Jesus on the Jews. Hitchens claims that Gibson did not realize that the four Gospels were not at all historical records, and that they had multiple authors, all being written many decades after the Crucifixion - and moreover, that they do not agree on anything "of importance" (e.g., on the Virgin birth, the genealogy of Jesus). He claims many contradictions in this area.(pp.110-112)
The author contends that the many "contradictions and illiteracies" of the New Testament, while written about at great lengths in other books, have never been explained except to excuse them as "metaphor" and "a Christ of faith." He brings history and the millennia that have passed to his argument, stating that the "feebleness" of the Bible is a result of the fact that until recently, Christians faced with arguments against the logic or factualness of the Bible could simply burn or silence those posing such "inconvenient questions."(p.115)
Hitchens points out the problematic implications of the scriptural proclamation "he that is without sin among you, let him cast a first stone" with regard to the practical legislation of retributive justice: "if only the non-sinners have the right to punish, then how could an imperfect society ever determine how to prosecute offenders?" Of the woman whom Jesus saved from the stoning (she having been charged with adultery), the author posits that Jesus thus forgives her of sheer sexual promiscuity, and if this be the case, the lesson has ever since been completely misunderstood.(p.121) Closing the chapter(p.122) he suggests that advocates of religion have faith alone to rely on - nothing else - and calls on them to "be brave enough" to admit they have nothing more to support their case.
Yeah Paris, if what you quote is accurate, I wouldn't bother with the book either. It amazes me how hard people will work to try and tear down Jesus Christ and the Scriptures when, in reality, it is far easier to work at living a life that is worthy of the sacrifice of Christ.
Paris, you might be better off getting a copy of the Mirror of Truth by John Holdeman. I hear it's pretty good fiction.
But seriously, how do you talk to an atheist or an agnostic (as in, be prepared to give an answer etc) without finding out where they come from? If you know the truth, it's sometimes a good idea to read outside your bounderies and get a grasp on how other parts of society think.
Don't be afraid to let your faith be challanged. Muscles don't strengthen without a challange.
I have found that often reading controversial books deepens and strengthens my faith.
Paris:
If you want to pick the book apart please read it first.
It’s like so many so call Christian do pick and chose the parts
Of books the Bible, speeches or what ever to make there point.
Sure the title sounds a bit out there and some chapter titles do to.
But if you read the book you will get what the writer is trying to
Get across to people. There is a big difference between God
And religion. The front of the book says;
(How Religion Poisons Everything) Not God.
To learn one must have an open mind to other ideas.
No one book (Bible included), person, religion, or any thing else
Is all and totally right for every one. We all need to find our own
Truth, faith, God, religion, or whatever you want call it. To live
Your life by. Its only blind, ignorant, close mined people who
Just follow and believe what is spoon fed to them by others.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young menshall see visions, and your old menshalldream dreams:
BrentR, wouldn't this passage suggest that their is inspiration (words from God) beyond what we know as canonized Scripture?
Well that's quite interesting Jeff,,first off I believe the Scriptures to be the words of God Himself. So your premise that I can read a book by an atheist and discover some Biblical truths is ignorant.
What the Bible Says About Itself
What does the Bible claim about itself? The Bible claims to be the very Word of God. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” 2 Timothy 3: 16 (KJV) The following verse explains what inspiration is. “Prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21 (NKJV) Because the words these holy men of God wrote were not their own but were given to them by the Holy Spirit, “The scripture cannot be broken.” John 10:35.
And BrentR, I do believe that "all roads eventually lead to God". Someday, "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess" so yes, He will eventually reveal Himself to all of His creation. Don't ask me how or when.
People have to make things so difficult. We go digging around because we are unhappy with what we find in God's Word. We can't just feed from the manna that God provides us thru scripture, we have to dine at a heathen buffet, a dash of Muslim, a bite of Hindu, a serving of that fat guy (Buddha) and lots of humanistic spice for good measure all washed down with a glass of political correctness. It's poison guys, it may taste good, it may satisfy your ego or justify your sin but it will still rot you out from the inside and move you away from the real and only, Truth. Sorry.
>>We can't just feed from the manna that God provides us thru scripture, we have to dine at a heathen buffet, a dash of Muslim, a bite of Hindu, a serving of that fat guy (Buddha) and lots of humanistic spice for good measure all washed down with a glass of political correctness.<<
Paris
You ask who wrote the Bible?
People did just ordinary people like us.
Don’t get me wrong im not saying the Bible is wrong.
But I will admit I do not have one any more.
It got lost in a move about 5or6 years ago.
And haven’t bothered to buy another one.
If I really need to look something up its all on line.
Who’s to say in a million years from now
Some book that is written today will be regarded
As the Bible? There are saints among us today.
I chose to be open to many and pick and chose what
I feel is right and Godly for me.
How wonderfully convienient for you Jeff. With that attitude and approach a person can justify anything they do in their lives no matter how base or disgusting. Congratulations, you've attained the highest degree of self serving.
Just be careful what you read. I think for me it's wise to put the truth in place first by knowing all I can that is contained in Scripture.
a side note**I think that's sad that you don't have a Bible Jeff. I went over to my sisters house a while back because she wanted me to pray with her and she wanted to give her heart to the Lord, when I asked her to get her Bible she said "I have never owned a Bible"..I guess some people don't and it was a shock to me..If I had your address Jeff I would send you one tomorrow..
I'm sure that was a special Bible Jeff. The first Bible I ever bought wasn't even for me it was for my Aunt and it was a white one with a zipper.
You know what's funny and kinda gets this thread back on track is,,, after I talked with my sister about Christ and Him shedding His blood and she should put her faith in Him to save her,, and how He was God's son,,we prayed,, actually
I started the prayer and let her finish it...
We sat there for a minute or so and the first question she asked was,,"so what religion am I" I was kind of stunned and then after I thought about it for a moment I realized that she was asking "What denomination am I" right there was the beginning of her religion..I said "just have faith in Jesus and don't worry about what church to go to God will show you."
Just an update on the book I finally finished reading it.
I really enjoyed it it is not what I expected at all.
Yes the author is an atheist but after reading the book
I think he still believes in a god or some higher power.
It actually strengthened my belief in God,
But less in organized religion and what it does to people.
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