god is not great how religion poisons everything

chapter seven: revelation:  the nightmare of the old testament

This chapter, and to a certain extent, the entire book, is written for an audience with an understanding of religions, particularly Christianity.  This book discusses and argues a number of events cited in the holy books. If the reader does not have a current, basic understanding of the event through past readings or bible study, it is like reading gibberish, let alone the ability to enable any critical thinking.  If one chooses to read this book, I would suggest an understanding of the main religions, holy books and events of the world as a mandatory requirement to make the best of what the book offers.  On that note, how did I expect to analyze and critique a book that claims "religion poisons everything" without an understanding of religions other than Islam.  I expected a practical comparison of a life of faith versus a moral life that is not necessarily rooted in faith. I was searching for something and thought I found it in this book.  I think my main lesson from this book is my limited knowledge of religion. So, I embarked on a brief internet search for information on the Old Testament, as this was the subject matter of this chapter, and realized that it will be worthwhile to read the content of these books, eventually.  Most probably by way of a condensed version, for the sake of knowledge but more so for the understanding of where believers are coming from and the motivation for their faith.  In what does their faith lie?  Where is it rooted?  How are the events and teachings of the bible so convincing that they live their one life on earth according to it - and credit their self made productions, and successes in life to God and define them as blessings?

Having said that, this chapter is about the Old Testament and attempts to expose various event and verses as evil. Such as the treatment of women and slaves.

In order to grasp a deeper understanding, I had to conduct my own study on the Old Testament itself.  Here is what I learned:

The Bible as used by Christians is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament has 39 books in total, which consist of:
Pentateuch - 5 books
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Historical Books - 12 books
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, First Samuel, Second Samuel, First Kings, Second Kings,
First Chronicles, Second Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.

Poetic books- 5 books
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

Prophetic books- 17 books
Major Prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Minor Prophets - Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

Below is a list of the books with a brief description of their contents.

Pentateuch

1. Genesis - Creation, the Fall, the Flood, spread of the nations, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Enslavement in Egypt.
2. Exodus - Enslavement, Moses, 10 plagues, Passover, Leave Egypt, Red Sea Crossing, Mt. Sinai and the 10 Commandments
3. Leviticus - Instructions on sacrificial system and the priesthood. Instructions on moral purity.
4. Numbers - Still at Mt. Sinai, people make false idol, punishment, 40 years wandering begins.
5. Deuteronomy - Moses' discourses on God's Acts for Israel the Decalogue, the ceremonial, civil, and social Laws, and covenant ratification.

Historical Books

1. Joshua - First half of Joshua describes the 7-year conquest of the Land of Promise. The last half deals with partitioning the lands to the people.
2. Judges - Time of Judges.  This was a bad time period.  The Israelites did not drive out all the inhabitants of Canaan and began to take part in their idolatry.  7 cycles of foreign oppression, repentance, and deliverance.  In the end, the people failed to learn their lesson.
3. Ruth - Kinsman redeemer in Boaz, redeeming Ruth, a Moabitess.  Speaks of righteousness, love, and faithfulness to the Lord.

The next 6 books trace the time from Samuel to the Captivity

1. First Samuel - Samuel carries Israel from judges to King Saul
2. Second Samuel - David as King, adultery, and murder.
3. First Kings - Solomon, Israel is powerful. Solomon dies, then division of tribes: 10 to the north and 2 to the south.
4. Second Kings - The Divided Kingdom.  All 19 kings of Israel were bad; therefore, captivity in Assyria (722 B.C.). In Judah, 8 of 20 rulers were good but went into exile too.
5. First Chronicles - A recounting of the history of Israel to the time of Solomon.
6. Second Chronicles - continued recounting of the life of Solomon, building of temple, to the captivity.  History of Judah only.

The Next 3 books deal with Israel's Restoration.

1. Ezra - Cyrus let most of the Jews return to their land of Israel.  Zerubbabel led the people (539 B.C.).  Ezra returned later with more Jews (458 B.C.) Built the temple.
2. Nehemiah - Building the walls of Jerusalem.  Nehemiah got permission from the king of Persia to rebuild the walls (444 B.C.).  Revival in the land.
3. Esther - Took place during chapters 6 and 7 of Ezra. Mordecai.  Plot to kill the Jewish people.

Poetical 

1. Job - a righteous man tested by God.  Deals with God's sovereignty.
2. Psalms - Consists of 5 divisions.  Worship in song.  Large variety of subjects
3. Proverbs - Practical wisdom in everyday affairs.
4. Ecclesiastes - All is vanity.  The wisdom of man is futility.
5. Song of Solomon - A song between Solomon and his Shulammite bride, displaying the love between a man and a woman.

Prophetical

Major Prophets

1. Isaiah - Looks at the sin of Judah and proclaims God's judgment.  Hezekiah.  Coming restoration and blessing.
2. Jeremiah - Called by God to proclaim the news of judgment to Judah, which came.  God establishes a New Covenant.
3. Lamentations - 5 lament poems.  Description of defeat and fall of Jerusalem.
4. Ezekiel - He ministered to the Jews in Captivity in Babylon.  Description of the end of times.
5. Daniel - Many visions of the future for the Gentiles and the Jews.

Minor Prophets

1. Hosea - Story of Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer.  Represents God's love and faithfulness and Israel's spiritual adultery.  Israel will be judged and restored.
2. Joel - Proclaims a terrifying future using the imagery of locusts.  Judgment will come but blessing will follow.
3. Amos - He warned Israel of its coming judgment. Israel rejects God's warning.
4. Obadiah - A proclamation against Edom, a neighboring nation of Israel that gloated over Jerusalem's judgments.  Prophecy of its utter destruction.
5. Jonah - Jonah proclaims a coming judgment upon Nineveh's people.  But they repented and judgment was spared.
6. Micah - Description of the complete moral decay in all levels of Israel.  God will judge but will forgive and restore.
7. Nahum - Nineveh has gone into apostasy (approx. 125 years after Jonah) and will be destroyed.
8. Habakkuk - Near the end of the kingdom of Judah, Habakkuk asks God why He is not dealing with Judah's sins.  God says He will use the Babylonians.  Habakkuk asks how God can use a nation that is even worse than Judah.
9. Zephaniah - The theme is developed of the Day of the Lord and His judgment with a coming blessing.  Judah will not repent, except for a remnant, which will be restored.
10. Haggai - The people failed to put God first, by building their houses before they finished God's temple.  Therefore, they had no prosperity.
11. Zechariah - Zechariah encourages the Jews to complete the temple.  Many messianic prophecies.
12. Malachi. - God's people are lax in their duty to God. Growing distant from God.  Moral compromise.  Proclamation of coming judgment.

Retrieved from:  http://www.carm.org/christianity/bible/old-testament-books

god is not great how religion poisons everything

chapter 6: Arguments from Design
This chapter is about evolution & natural selection versus creationism.  Facts from history are provided to support evolution, survival of the fittest rather than instant creation of a species.  The point is made that religion may have come first, but now science and knowledge has caught up and provide reasons and evidence for the way things are.

the count of monte cristo

This book is pretty amazing.  The writing is incredible - I get lifted away as I read and I feel like I am this invisible observer watching the story unfold.  I am at a section of the book right now that is a little difficult to digest because I don't quite understand it.  Here's what's happening - Dantes, who was my hero of the book, (this seems to be slipping away), seems to have slipped from reality and has built an underground, wonderous orient excape on the Island of Monte Cristo. He has hired a dumb servant who had his tongue cut off for going beyond his "rights"; Dantes saved him (in a way) and he now lives in the underground with Dante.  Dante calls himself Sinbad the Sailor.  It seems as though he has travelled through the middle east and has collected all of the keepsakes from various countries and has decorated his underground home with them, concealled from everyone except for those he invites in.  He has invited people in (blindfolded) and has spent evenings with them talking and smoking hashish and when his visitors leave, they are left with such curiosity about this man and his home.  They try to find the entrance to the cave but can't - they search for it, for the opening to this underground world, but are continually unsuccessful.  Sinbad the Sailor has become almost like a living legend.

Did his years in captivity catch up to him?  There is much left to read...stay tuned

god is not great how religion poisons everything

chapter 4
Here's the opening quote for thought:

In dark ages people are best guided by religion, as in a pitch-black night a blind man is the best guide; he knows the roads and paths better than a man who can see.  When daylight comes, however, it is foolish to use blind old men as guides.
 ~Heinrich Heine, Gedanken und Einfalle

god is not great how religion poisons everything

chapters 2 & 3
well this is a struggle.  a tough read - am I absorbing any of this?  I don't feel like he is tying his points together at all or am I just distracted tonight?  Somewhere in each chapter, usually towards the end, he'll say and that's how "religion poisons everything".  How does it?? I thought the book would be written more from a philosophical stance, but seeing that he is a journalist, perhaps this was the wrong assumption.  Okay, it was the wrong assumption, I am realizing this as I am typing this.  He provides examples from the places that he has been, factual experiences he has had and information about religions and religious leaders to illuminate how religion complicates things and instigates violence and hatred but as I said he needs to draw it together at the end...so what I am saying is....WHAT?? I find myself trying to draw my own conclusions; piece it all together in my mind.  And yes, that is what a journalist does - presents the facts and we are left to our own devices to judge. He mentions places, religions, people I have never heard of which leads to further difficulty in understanding.  Just a little description would help!  And the vocab -  apostate, gallantry, suppurating??? come again...

Must work on my vocab!