Download or read book Religion the Greatest Confidence Trick in History written by Dennis Morris and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2007-07-01 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Read the book, and see for yourself how we have been indoctrinated, how the Old Testament and its offshoots of Christianity and Islam have been constructed from Babylonian and Egyptian religions and mythologies.

Download or read book The Biggiest Scam in Human History written by Joyce Seagraves and published by Xlibris Us. This book was released on 2021-03 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: My intention for writing this book is that it will enhance people's lives so they spend more time doing good instead of praying and wishing something will come to be. To question all the stories, we have been taught through are church leaders and our government's. Think of all the time mankind has spent in churches, temples, mosque's and what they could have accomplished if they had put their energy into something that has been proven scientifically for the good of mankind. The money people have spent in the church to hear a bunch of nonsense. This time and money could have been spent on knowledge of science and helping out other people without the church. To learn the real truth about mankind instead of worshipping people like Jesus, Mohammad or a God that is make up with fictitious facts. How many people have been killed for the sake of religion and how many wars have we fought over religious dogma? Our civilization would be so advanced and maybe even civilized if we embraced science instead of religion. We might have even wiped out famine, war, diseases by now and be living on another planet. Our ancestors were ignorant of the world by no fault of their own, after all we haven't evolved that long compared to the universe and we couldn't evolve until the conditions were right. A world where we were one people instead of people divided my countries and religions that don't get along, where women, children and the oppressed are treated with respect and dignity. I like to acknowledge all the scientists, philosophers and all those who sought knowledge instead of fables. I could never have written this book without the knowledge that has come before me and the research and dedication to finding out the real truth is beyond measurement. The church wants you to give them your money so they can buy their gold chalices, crosses, feed them, clothe them, and build the most expensive churches. Wouldn't it be easier to cut out the middleman and go directly to the people? Volunteers, community services, and prisoners can do the same work as the church and it would save a lot of money and time.

Download or read book An Atheist s History of Belief written by Matthew Kneale and published by Catapult. This book was released on 2014-01-14 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What first prompted prehistoric man, sheltering in the shadows of deep caves, to call upon the realm of the spirits? And why has belief thrived since, shaping thousands of generations of shamans, pharaohs, Aztec priests and Mayan rulers, Jews, Buddhists, Christians, Nazis, and Scientologists? As our dreams and nightmares have changed over the millennia, so have our beliefs. The gods we created have evolved and mutated with us through a narrative fraught with human sacrifice, political upheaval and bloody wars. Belief was man's most epic labor of invention. It has been our closest companion, and has followed mankind across the continents and through history.

Download or read book Religion Supernaturalism the Paranormal and Pseudoscience written by Homayun Sidky and published by Anthem Press. This book was released on 2019-11-30 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Religion, Supernaturalism, the Paranormal, and Pseudoscience" provides a comprehensive rejoinder to the challenges posed to science, scientific anthropology, evolutionary theory and rationality by the advocates of supernatural, paranormal, and pseudoscientific perspectives and modes of thought associated with the current rise of irrationalism, antiintellectualism, and emboldened religious fundamentalism and violence. Drawing upon H. Sidky’s scientific anthropological background and ethnographic field research of supernatural and paranormal beliefs and practices in several cultures over three decades, the book answers several important questions: Why do humans have a proclivity for the supernatural and paranormal thinking? Why has humanity remained shackled to sets of ideas inherited from a violent past that have no basis in reality and which bestow an illusionary solace, promote bloodshed, endless cruelties and fervent hatreds, and have come at a high cost? Why have ancient superstitions been held as sacred, inviolate truths while other aspects of the archaic belief systems of which they were a part have long been discarded? Why have not humans outgrown religion and paranormal beliefs?

Download or read book The King of Confidence written by Miles Harvey and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2020-07-14 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The "unputdownable" (Dave Eggers, National Book award finalist) story of the most infamous American con man you've never heard of: James Strang, self-proclaimed divine king of earth, heaven, and an island in Lake Michigan, "perfect for fans of The Devil in the White City" (Kirkus) A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice Longlisted for the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist for the Midland Authors Annual Literary Award A Michigan Notable Book A CrimeReads Best True Crime Book of the Year "A masterpiece." —Nathaniel Philbrick In the summer of 1843, James Strang, a charismatic young lawyer and avowed atheist, vanished from a rural town in New York. Months later he reappeared on the Midwestern frontier and converted to a burgeoning religious movement known as Mormonism. In the wake of the murder of the sect's leader, Joseph Smith, Strang unveiled a letter purportedly from the prophet naming him successor, and persuaded hundreds of fellow converts to follow him to an island in Lake Michigan, where he declared himself a divine king. From this stronghold he controlled a fourth of the state of Michigan, establishing a pirate colony where he practiced plural marriage and perpetrated thefts, corruption, and frauds of all kinds. Eventually, having run afoul of powerful enemies, including the American president, Strang was assassinated, an event that was frontpage news across the country. The King of Confidence tells this fascinating but largely forgotten story. Centering his narrative on this charlatan's turbulent twelve years in power, Miles Harvey gets to the root of a timeless American original: the Confidence Man. Full of adventure, bad behavior, and insight into a crucial period of antebellum history, The King of Confidence brings us a compulsively readable account of one of the country's boldest con men and the boisterous era that allowed him to thrive.

Download or read book A History of Guerilla Warfare written by David Rooney and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2024-06-30 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A must-read book for those intrigued by the ever-shifting landscape of unconventional warfare and its profound impact on contemporary global dynamics. Throughout history, conflicts have given rise to unconventional forms of warfare, often propelled by personal, religious, tribal, or national ambitions. Historian David Rooney highlights pivotal figures such as the Maccabees, Napoleon, the Boer Wars, Michael Collins, Mao Tse Tung, T. E. Lawrence, Castro, Guevara, the Guerrillas of World War II, and Al Qaeda's Osama Bin Laden, illustrating the evolution of guerrilla theories. In today's era of swiftly forsaking convention and tradition for immediate results, the adoption of unconventional strategies by twenty-first-century warriors appears more prevalent than ever. Public discourse surrounding this topic is vibrant, and understanding its evolution is vital for increased awareness. Dive into the riveting exploration of unconventional warfare throughout the ages with historian David Rooney's insightful narrative. This compelling account not only unveils the trailblazing leaders who reshaped military strategies but also delves into the timely relevance of non-conventional approaches in today's fast-paced world. A must-read for those intrigued by the ever-shifting landscape of unconventional warfare and its profound impact on contemporary global dynamics

Download or read book History s Greatest Deceptions and Confidence Scams written by Steven Lazaroff and published by Rodger & Laz publishing S.E.N.C.. This book was released on 2018-04-02 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout history, there have always been fraudsters and tricksters ready and willing to part people and their money with smooth talking and tall tales, but the first formally recorded “confidence trick” was uniquely American in its origins and set the bar for both simplicity and sheer guts, both hallmarks of the most successful frauds ever perpetrated. From the ancient Egyptians to the modern era, join the authors as they take you on a romp throughout 4000 years of human history to reveal the tricks and schemes that were perfected by colorful characters throughout the ages. Using humor, and wit, the authors paint a tapestry of deception and subterfuge perpetrated by the brilliant minds of each era.

Download or read book Bad Religion written by Ross Douthat and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-04-16 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traces the decline of Christianity in America since the 1950s, posing controversial arguments about the role of heresy in the nation's downfall while calling for a revival of traditional Christian practices.

Download or read book The Confidence Game written by Maria Konnikova and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-01-10 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "It’s a startling and disconcerting read that should make you think twice every time a friend of a friend offers you the opportunity of a lifetime.” —Erik Larson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake and bestselling author of Devil in the White City Think you can’t get conned? Think again. The New York Times bestselling author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes explains how to spot the con before they spot you. “[An] excellent study of Con Artists, stories & the human need to believe” –Neil Gaiman, via Twitter A compelling investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artists—and the people who fall for their cons over and over again. While cheats and swindlers may be a dime a dozen, true conmen—the Bernie Madoffs, the Jim Bakkers, the Lance Armstrongs—are elegant, outsized personalities, artists of persuasion and exploiters of trust. How do they do it? Why are they successful? And what keeps us falling for it, over and over again? These are the questions that journalist and psychologist Maria Konnikova tackles in her mesmerizing new book. From multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemes to small-time frauds, Konnikova pulls together a selection of fascinating stories to demonstrate what all cons share in common, drawing on scientific, dramatic, and psychological perspectives. Insightful and gripping, the book brings readers into the world of the con, examining the relationship between artist and victim. The Confidence Game asks not only why we believe con artists, but also examines the very act of believing and how our sense of truth can be manipulated by those around us.

Download or read book Choosing My Religion written by Stephen J. Dubner and published by Harper Perennial. This book was released on 2006-11-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Choosing My Religion is a luminous memoir, crafted with the eye of a journalist and the art of a novelist by New York Times Magazine writer and editor Stephen J. Dubner. By turns comic and heartbreaking, it tells the story of a family torn apart by religion, sustained by faith, and reunited by truth.

Download or read book The Market as God written by Harvey Cox and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2016-09-12 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Market has deified itself, according to Harvey Cox’s brilliant exegesis. And all of the world’s problems—widening inequality, a rapidly warming planet, the injustices of global poverty—are consequently harder to solve. Only by tracing how the Market reached its divine status can we hope to restore it to its proper place as servant of humanity.

Download or read book written by Moshe Ḥayyim Luzzatto and published by Feldheim Publishers. This book was released on 1983 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores Divine regulation of the world. With Rabbi Yosef Begun's marginal notes. Vowelized, facing Hebrew and English texts.

Download or read book The North American Review written by Jared Sparks and published by . This book was released on 1913 with total page 940 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vols. 277-230, no. 2 include Stuff and nonsense, v. 5-6, no. 8, Jan. 1929-Aug. 1930.

Download or read book Daughter of Gloriavale written by Lilia Tarawa and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2017-08-23 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this personal account, Lilia Tarawa exposes the shocking secrets of the cult, with its rigid rules and oppressive control of women. She describes her fear when her family questioned Gloriavale's beliefs and practices. When her parents fled with their children, Lilia was forced to make a desperate choice: to stay or to leave. No matter what she chose, she would lose people she loved. In the outside world, Lilia struggled. Would she be damned to hell for leaving? How would she learn to navigate this strange place called 'the world'? And would she ever find out the truth about the criminal convictions against her grandfather? 'A powerful and revealing book...' Kirsty Wynn, New Zealand Herald 'An affecting parable and testament, in the most commendably secular senses.' David Hill, New Zealand Listener

Download or read book Before Religion written by Brent Nongbri and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2013-01-22 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examining a wide array of ancient writings, Brent Nongbri dispels the commonly held idea that there is such a thing as ancient religion. Nongbri shows how misleading it is to speak as though religion was a concept native to pre-modern cultures.

Download or read book Philosophy of Religion written by Louis P. Pojman and published by Wadsworth Publishing Company. This book was released on 2003 with total page 600 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most comprehensive text in its field, this anthology includes over 70 articles in 10 areas of philosophy of religion: Traditional Arguments for the Existence of God, Religious Experience, The Problem of Evil, The Attributes of God, Miracles and Revelation, Death and Immortality, Faith and Reason, Religious Pluralism, and Ethics and Religion. New to this edition are articles in the new Part VIII, "Science, Religion, and Evolution." The articles are arranged in a coherent framework, with the presentation of each area progressing from the classical to the contemporary and treated in a dialectic (pro and con) fashion.

Download or read book Religion and International Relations Theory written by Jack Snyder and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2011-03-31 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religious concerns stand at the center of international politics, yet key paradigms in international relations, namely realism, liberalism, and constructivism, barely consider religion in their analysis of political subjects. The essays in this collection rectify this. Authored by leading scholars, they introduce models that integrate religion into the study of international politics and connect religion to a rising form of populist politics in the developing world. Contributors identify religion as pervasive and distinctive, forcing a reframing of international relations theory that reinterprets traditional paradigms. One essay draws on both realism and constructivism in the examination of religious discourse and transnational networks. Another positions secularism not as the opposite of religion but as a comparable type of worldview drawing on and competing with religious ideas. With the secular state's perceived failure to address popular needs, religion has become a banner for movements that demand a more responsive government. The contributors to this volume recognize this trend and propose structural and theoretical innovations for future advances in the discipline.