Unholy Writ:: An Infidel’S Critique of the BibleAuthorHouse, 2011 M11 7 - 824 pages During our brief and perilous journey ex irritum ad irritum, how are we to find, what the German philosopher Martin Heidegger (Sein und Zeit) would call, the true approach to being? How do we answer the question posed by the Apostle Thomas when he asked how can we know the way (Jn. 14:5)? In other words, how should we fill that parenthesis of infinitesimal brevity, which James Joyce (Ulysses) maintained, demarcates each of our lives? The Bible has often been put forth as a supposedly infallible guidebook charting the correct path to an authentic existence (e.g. 2 Tim. 3:16-17). According to its proponents, Scripture is an absolutely dependable life-manual because it is the word of God (Summa Theologica, First Part, Q. 1, Art. 10). However, close inspection of the Bible calls into question its divine authorship; and, thus, its reliability as an accurate roadmap for the soul. In fact, under close examination it proves to be nothing more than a mundane and cobbled together collection of archaic superstitions beginning with the outlandish speculations of Moses concerning the creation of the world and ending with the maniacal ravings of John regarding its destruction. Exposing the true nature of Holy Writ was the main purpose for writing Unholy Writ. The modus operandi for this expos involved a thoroughgoing critical analysis of Scripture. The results from such a careful consideration of its contents clearly demonstrated that any claim that the Bible is some sort of sacrosanct ethical vade mecum is completely invalid. Specifically, the multiple contradictions and absurdities contained in the Bible confer an unreliability upon it that undermines its function as a guide for anything, let alone as some sort of moral map for the journey through life. Furthermore, many of the ideas that are promoted in Holy Writ are actually spiritually harmful. In addition, unless the condoned misogyny, violence, intolerance, injustice, and cruelty can be removed, then it is difficult to view the Scriptures as anything like an unwavering celestial beacon that clearly lights the way through the moral fog that at times engulfs our lives. Moreover, the many errors that it contains, including those about the natural world, undermine the pivotal claim that the Bible is divinely inspired. |
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Page 20
... person's reflection is part of the soul and breaking the mirror will unleash the soul and prevent it from returning . Although one might consider these superstitious beliefs to be inoffensive , they do offend against reason in that they ...
... person's reflection is part of the soul and breaking the mirror will unleash the soul and prevent it from returning . Although one might consider these superstitious beliefs to be inoffensive , they do offend against reason in that they ...
Page 37
... person , and not revealed to any other person , it is revelation to that person only . When he tells it to a second person , a second to a third , a third to a fourth , and so on , it ceases to be a revelation to all those persons . It ...
... person , and not revealed to any other person , it is revelation to that person only . When he tells it to a second person , a second to a third , a third to a fourth , and so on , it ceases to be a revelation to all those persons . It ...
Page 38
... person only to whom it is made . His account of it to another person is not revelation ; and whoever puts faith in that account , puts it in the man from whom the account comes ; and that man may have been deceived , or may have dreamed ...
... person only to whom it is made . His account of it to another person is not revelation ; and whoever puts faith in that account , puts it in the man from whom the account comes ; and that man may have been deceived , or may have dreamed ...
Page 41
... readily accomplished by simply instilling in each person an immediate and unambiguous awareness of his existence . Percy Bysshe Shelley ( 1792-1822 ) dealt with this subject in his pamphlet titled The Necessity of Atheism, the 41.
... readily accomplished by simply instilling in each person an immediate and unambiguous awareness of his existence . Percy Bysshe Shelley ( 1792-1822 ) dealt with this subject in his pamphlet titled The Necessity of Atheism, the 41.
Page 50
... person who lived after the town of Laish had the name of Dan ; and who that person was nobody knows , and consequently the book of Genesis is anonymous and without authority . " Gen. 15:13 : " And he said unto Abram , Know of a surety ...
... person who lived after the town of Laish had the name of Dan ; and who that person was nobody knows , and consequently the book of Genesis is anonymous and without authority . " Gen. 15:13 : " And he said unto Abram , Know of a surety ...
Contents
12 | |
27 | |
45 | |
Melting Snails and Other Absurdities | 121 |
The Ravings of a Maniac | 158 |
False Prophets and False Prophecies | 170 |
Breaking the Commandments with Impunity | 187 |
Cruelty Mayhem Murder | 200 |
God Omnipotent Loses a Wrestling Match | 310 |
Deus Caritas Est a Contradictio in Adjecto | 319 |
God as the Source of Evil | 325 |
the Transmogrifying God | 344 |
Believe or Be Damned | 355 |
Dear Einstein God Plays with Loaded Dice | 362 |
Salvation Damnation and the Immortality of the Soul | 370 |
Salvation through the Passion | 441 |
the Bible as Gods Rap Sheet | 212 |
the Bitter Water Test | 227 |
Sexual Ethics or the House of him that hath his Shoe Loosed | 243 |
the Craving for a Community of Worship | 265 |
As a Drunken Man Staggereth in his Vomit | 274 |
Cloven Footed Cud Chewers and Road Kill | 282 |
Stoning the Ox | 294 |
Such Language Less than Edifying Biblical Imagery | 303 |
Theophagy and other Scripturally Based Rituals | 449 |
Creationism and Intelligent Design | 457 |
Beshrew the TwoBacked Monster | 495 |
Phinehas Javelin Throw | 520 |
Thoughts of an Unregenerate Apostate | 533 |
An Apologia for Religious Infidelity | 566 |
Postscript | 586 |
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according Acts animals appears Arthur Schopenhauer atheist Augustine believe Bible biblical body Book of Mormon brain cause Chicago Christ Christian Church claimed concept contradicts David dead death divine downloaded earth editor-in-chief Edward Gibbon Encyclopedia Britannica eternal evil example existence Ezek fact faith father Friedrich Nietzsche Furthermore God’s gods Gospel hand hath heaven hell Holy human idea immortality Israel Israelites Jean Meslier Jesus Jews John kill king living Lord matter means mind moral Moses nature neurons Nietzsche Old Testament passage Paul person priest prophets punishment Qur'an R. M. Hutchins reason religion religious resurrection Schopenhauer Scripture sense soul spirit Summa Theologica thee things Thomas Aquinas Thomas Paine Thou shalt told translated truth unto verse Walter Kaufmann Western World woman women words wrote www.gutenberg.org