The Book Your Church (Synagogue, Temple, Mosque…) Doesn't Want You to Read

by Edited by Tim C. Leedom and Maria MurdyIntroduction by Bill Jenkins

• ISBN13: 9780978721381
• ISBN10: 0978721381
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2007-03-31
• Publisher: Sterling & Ross Publishers

Summary

The Book Your Church* Doesn't Want You To Read presents a rare and honest look at one of the most controversial issues of all time: religion. Packed with essays from world-renowned theologians, historians, and researchers, this ground-breaking anthology exposes misrepresentations, challenges age-old beliefs, and seeks to reveal the whole truth to anyone who has ever been told what to believe. It discloses the shocking origins and frail histories of the worlds' major religions and answers questions you never even knew you had. But more than anything, The Book urges and inspires readers to think for themselves. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. 15
Introduction	p. 19
Origins of Religion
Religion, Where it Began	p. 25
Mithraism	p. 27
Religious Illiteracy	p. 28
Across a Void of Mystery and Dread	p. 30
Zoroastrianism: Blueprint for Christianity and Judaism	p. 38
Horus: The Way, the Truth, the Life	p. 42
Astro-Theology	p. 47
Reason and Religion	p. 55
Creation Stories	p. 57
Goddess Worship	p. 64
Worldwide Religions
Islam	p. 75
Dome of the Rock	p. 92
A Seed in the Mind	p. 94
Jewish Humanism	p. 96
What is Zionism?	p. 97
History of Palestine From 70 A.D.	p. 99
Jews Against Zionism	p. 102
Genocidal Depopulation: The Deir Yassin Massacre	p. 106
Hinduism	p. 111
The Bible
Bible Illiteracy	p. 117
The Age of Reason	p. 119
A Brief History of the English Bible	p. 125
Nonexistent Prophecies: A Problem for Bible Inerrancy	p. 132
Noah's Flood as Composite Literature	p. 135
Bible Morality	p. 141
Inerrancy	p. 146
A Few Contradictions in the Old Testament	p. 148
The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Gnostic Gospels
Astrology in the Dead Sea Scrolls	p. 153
Horoscopes	p. 157
The Dead Sea Scrolls and Christianity	p. 158
An Introduction to Gnosticism and The Nag Hammadi Library	p. 162
A Brief Summary of Gnosticism	p. 165
Jesus
The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors	p. 175
Jesus: The Aramaic-Speaking Shemite	p. 182
The Last Supper	p. 193
The Jesus Movements	p. 195
The Evemerists	p. 203
Messiahs	p. 204
The Christ	p. 205
Mary/Mary Magdalene	p. 210
The Line of David	p. 213
Christmas Surprise	p. 215
Probing the Mystery of Jesus' Second Coming	p. 219
The Cross	p. 224
Doctrine
The Trinity	p. 229
Paul: First Christian Heretic	p. 231
Hell	p. 233
Original Sin	p. 237
The Resurrection: What Is the Evidence?	p. 243
No Stone Unturned	p. 246
What's in a Name?	p. 250
The High Priest	p. 252
Baptism	p. 257
What is the Last of the Ten Commandments?	p. 258
Rehabilitating Judas Iscariot	p. 259
The Catholic Church
Catholicism: The Stamp for All Christianity	p. 267
Christian History 101	p. 268
Constantine	p. 269
The Council of Nicea	p. 276
The Crusades	p. 277
Inquisition, Persecution	p. 279
The Cathars	p. 282
Europe Decays and the Popes Thrive	p. 283
Missionaries	p. 291
Father Serra and the Skeletons of Genocide	p. 295
The Vatican Bank Scandal	p. 299
Pope John Paul II: A Moral, Abject Failure When It Mattered	p. 301
Opus Dei	p. 305
The Sub-Culture of Fatima	p. 308
Female Victims of Clergy Abuse	p. 309
Sexual Abuse by Clerics: Historical Awareness of the Problem	p. 311
Old Myths, New Myths	p. 315
Is Any Neighborhood Safe?	p. 319
Functional Atheist' Directs Theology at Catholic Boston College?	p. 320
Fundamentalism
The Christian Right and the Rise of American Fascism	p. 325
The Good Book Taught Wrong	p. 336
Founding Presidents Not Christian	p. 338
Religious Coercion and Liberty	p. 340
Televangelists	p. 343
Environmental Armageddon	p. 354
The Ends	p. 358
Killer Jesus	p. 362
The Jesus Landing Pad	p. 364
Archaeology and Science
Some Specific Reasons Why Many Scientists Disbelieve In Creation Science and a Literal Interpretation of Genesis	p. 376
The Seed of Ysiraal	p. 380
Locating Jesus in Time, Space and Archaeology	p. 384
Bone-Box No Proof of Jesus	p. 393
Relics	p. 397
Catholic Church Perpetuating Another Religious Hoax?	p. 398
New Takes, New Consequences
Witches: Exodus 22, 17 or 18	p. 407
Hermes vs. Puritans	p. 409
To Those Who Are Investigating "Mormonism"	p. 418
Polygamy in the U.S.	p. 428
Nation of Islam	p. 434
Wallace Fard Muhammad	p. 436
A Brief History of the Church of Scientology	p. 437
Xenu	p. 442
Dangerous Leaders	p. 444
Revelations
What is it to be the New Mythology?	p. 449
Humanism, the Hope for Mankind	p. 451
Wisdom from Ingersoll Quotes	p. 454
Chief Seattle Speaks	p. 455
A Call for a New Reformation	p. 458
Satyagraha, The Martyrs of Peace	p. 463
What We Must Do	p. 466
Our Challenge	p. 467
Acknowledgments	p. 470
Appendix	p. 483
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.