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 14
... truth of the proposition that the Bible is infallible because it is the revealed word of God, that, as Thomas Aquinas maintained, “in the Sacred Scripture . . . the Divine Will is made known to us.”4 This assertion, in turn, rests upon ...
... truth of the proposition that the Bible is infallible because it is the revealed word of God, that, as Thomas Aquinas maintained, “in the Sacred Scripture . . . the Divine Will is made known to us.”4 This assertion, in turn, rests upon ...
Page 15
... truth of it be doubtful, it ceases to have authority, and cannot be admitted as proof of anything.”10 Not only do these priggish fundamentalists cherry-pick their references from a dubious book; but they are also not above distorting ...
... truth of it be doubtful, it ceases to have authority, and cannot be admitted as proof of anything.”10 Not only do these priggish fundamentalists cherry-pick their references from a dubious book; but they are also not above distorting ...
Page 18
... truth into a lie, every integrity into a vileness of the soul. Let anyone dare to speak to me of its “humanitarian ... truth only if God is truth—it stands and falls with faith in God.”33 In other words, Christianity is a justifiable ...
... truth into a lie, every integrity into a vileness of the soul. Let anyone dare to speak to me of its “humanitarian ... truth only if God is truth—it stands and falls with faith in God.”33 In other words, Christianity is a justifiable ...
Page 19
... truth. Truth is not something given to us in a 'divinely inspired' book. Rather, it is the product of rational inquiry; it is always based on a sufficiency of verifiable evidence. Moreover, in the search for truth every attempt should ...
... truth. Truth is not something given to us in a 'divinely inspired' book. Rather, it is the product of rational inquiry; it is always based on a sufficiency of verifiable evidence. Moreover, in the search for truth every attempt should ...
Page 20
... truth can not be derived directly from sense experience. Rather, it can only come indirectly from a book purportedly containing God's extraordinary communications to man. Thus, truth for the fundamentalist possesses a transcendental ...
... truth can not be derived directly from sense experience. Rather, it can only come indirectly from a book purportedly containing God's extraordinary communications to man. Thus, truth for the fundamentalist possesses a transcendental ...
Contents
10 | |
I | 245 |
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 |
God Omnipotent Loses a Wrestling Match | 310 |
4 | 424 |
Salvation through the Passion | 441 |
Theophagy and other Scripturally Based Rituals | 449 |
Creationism and Intelligent Design | 457 |
Beshrew the TwoBacked Monster | 495 |
8 | 496 |
Thou shalt not Think | 503 |
Phinehas Javelin Throw | 520 |
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 |
Thoughts of an Unregenerate Apostate | 533 |
9 | 556 |
An Apologia for Religious Infidelity | 566 |
Postscript | 586 |
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according Acts animals Apparently Aquinas Augustine believe Bible biblical body Book of Mormon brain called cause century Christ Christian Church claimed commanded concept contradicts created David David Strauss dead death Descartes divine doctrine earth Edward Gibbon eternal evil example existence Ezek fact faith Father Furthermore God’s gods Gospel hand hath heaven hell Holy Writ human idea immortality Israel Israelites Jean Meslier Jesus Jews John kill king living Lord maintained man’s matter means mind moral Moses nature Nephi neurons Nietzsche Old Testament omnipotent passage Paul person predestination priest prophets punishment Qur’an reason religion religious resurrection Robert Ingersoll Schopenhauer Scripture sense soul spirit Summa Theologica thee things Thomas Aquinas Thomas Paine Thou shalt told Trinity truth unto verse virgin woman women words wrote