The Seduction of Religion offers an illuminating and provocative guide to the religions of the world, focussing on the irrationality of religious beliefs. The point of this book is not to preach atheism so much as it is to encourage its readers to reflect more carefully on why they believe what they believe. Every religion, thinks it is the true religion. But clearly they cannot all be right. The Seduction of Religion places each of the religions in its historical context and examines some of their most important doctrines in the light of reason and common sense. At the same time, it treats its reader to a host of amusing facts and anecdotes about the various religions that make the book enjoyable to read. At the heart of the book is a paradox: All religions claim to be the one true religion, but if any one of them is right then all the others are wrong. The Sedcution of Religion introduces its readers to the fascinating history of religions – a history that is the outworkings of this thought-provoking paradox.
Paul Singh is an American scientist, philosopher and a physician. He is a scholar of western and eastern intellectual traditions. He is the author of Discovering Our World: Humanity’s Epic Journey from Myth to Knowledge and The Great Illusion: The Myth of Free Will, Consciousness and the Self.
Tabella dei contenuti
CONTENTS
Preface
1. Christianity
The Origins of Christianity
The Fable of the Christ
New Testament and Lost Christianities
The Book of Revelation
2. Catholics
The Catholic Faith
The Pope and the Roman Catholic Church
A Religion in Crisis
3. Eastern Orthodox Church
4. Protestantism
Lutherans
Baptists
Presbyterians
Methodists
Episcopalians and Other Liberal Churches
Pentecostals
Seventh Day Adventists
5.Christian Science
6. Jehovah’s Witnesses
7. The Mormons
8. Evangelicals
Tele-evangelism
9. Jews
10. Zoroastrians
11. Muslims
The Islamic Faith
A Religion of Fatwas and Murders
Plight of Women
A Religion of Intolerance
Is Islam Dangerous?
12. Hindus
Seductive Myths of Hindu Philosophy
Hindu “Technology of Spirituality”
13. Buddhists
14. Jains
15. Sikhs
16. Scientologists
17. Cults
Religions are Cults
How Cult Leaders Botch Up Promise of Religion
Concluding Remarks
18. A Thousand Questions
19. Organized Religions
Totalitarian Gods
Religions are Intolerant
Religions Mistreat Women
Religions Preach Violence, Fear and Guilt
A Form of Child Abuse
Stop Donating
20. Why Billions Still Believe in Organized Faiths
21. Separation of Church and State
22. Does God Exist?
God or No God?
Natural or Supernatural?
On Religious Experience
Nature or God?
Living with Uncertainty
Living with Mortality
Understanding Religion
Science or Reason?
We are all Superstitious
23. It is Time to Abandon Organized Religions
Index
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