Customer Reviews:
amazing... .......2007-05-07
This book was sooo interesting, I couldn't put it down. Despite being Christian or not, (I being in the latter category), it really shines new light on how you see the Christian faith, or any faith in general.
bastardized, trite, dogmatic, vulgar thinking relieved ocassionaly by a flash of wit.......2006-10-22
So much for the most "lucid" of German prose writers, doesn't anyone think it peculiar his style resembles that of a conspiracy theorist warning us of the perils of the illumati and the freemasons. It is dogmatic to the point of shrill, and surprisingly lacking in real self-confidence. (perhaps he using his rhetoric as a way to convince himself of things not even he can believe.) It is full of vulgar unnatural and irational opinions meant mainly to shock lacking true conviction in the end. There is a constant confusion of thought and feeling, a endless muddying of the waters of interesting thought by a kind of upside down stoicism that could only be the product of a thorougly dacadent romanticism. There is also a kind of disturbing right wing athuritarianism,that is obviously the product of (M. Andre Gide's words )Nietschze's insane jealousy of Christ. He distorts history into a recreation of his own amusing and rather twisted pysche. His rants against christianity, while amusing, are often a attack on liberal christianity, which Nietschze being the ultra right winger he is patently despises. They confirm always a midn that worships strength as a confession of weakness.
Nietzsche is NOT the antichrist!.......2006-08-21
Nietzsche is not fed up with christianity, he is fed up with christians, and the people who distort christianity. Nietzsche is not the antichrist, he is simply the Messenger in a greek tragedy. We are the antichrist.
"In reality there has been ofnly one christian, and he died on the cross. The Evangel died on the cross. what was called 'Evangel' from that moment on was already the oposite of what he had lived"
antichrist 39
Five stars for Nietzsche, three for the lack of notes. Also, there are many times when Nietzsche writes in french or latin and there is no note or translation.
ps I'm older than twelve.
Assault Upon All That Is Conventional.......2006-06-20
To read, and to review, Fredrich Nietzsche who is one of the pre-eminent philosophers of the modern era is not a task to be taken lightly. A critique of his work is probably beyond the purview of one sitting or one writer.
Here, Penguin Classics combines two of his better-known works, Twilight Of The Idols and The Anti-Christ, into one tome. Both works were, perhaps ironically, written at the twilight of the German philosophers life. He would descend into personal chaos a year after finishing the latter title and end up insane. The coming of the conflict would not have been a surprise given the polemic, frustrated and bitter nature of his work here. Bearing that, Nietzsche also musters enough humour amidst his onslaught of logic to cast a bitter smile upon his subjects.
While The Twilight Of The Idol (his unkind take on Wagner's Twilight Of The Gods) is a panoramic and wide-reaching synopsis of his misanthropy and clash with conventional history, The Anti-Christ turns his pen into a more focused attack against Christianity. Taking accepted thinking and the mainstream as his prey, the German philosopher spares no fire when bearing down on Greek philosophy, Englishmen, Germans and the Jews, among others. Christianity might be his main source of contempt, and certainly his keen interpretation of that dogma is torrid and furious, but Nietzsche's mildly tolerant views on Buddhism, the Romans and Islamic Moors, in contrast, must have juxtaposed his condemnation even further and driven his contemporaries and eventual enemies just as much into furor.
Despite several notable contradictions and conflicting arguments the books and Nietzsche are both a fascinating revelation of the world mythos and an unrelenting denigration of individual thought patterns.
On the Brink.......2006-01-01
The two works contained in this volume were the last two works that Friedrich Nietzsche was to complete in his lifetime. Shorly after finishing them, he went insane, and in reading The Anti-Christ, in particular, one senses that he is very much at the end of his rope.
There are two ways of reading this book. I fear that many read it primarily as an attack on Christianity (which it certainly is), but it is also far more than that. If one takes Nietzsche's tirades against Christianity (in both its Protestant and Roman Catholic variants) seriously, one is left with a sort of bad version of Feuerbach: highly reactionary, occasionally humorous, and without the potential for changing minds. In short, Nietzsche's attacks are really quite banal and devoid of creativity - not to mention that he did them better in his younger days before his madness began to set in.
The second way of reading this book is the way that both shows Nietzsche's insight and the frightening ways in which his insight would be picked up by the Nazis, in particular: "When one gives up Christian belief one thereby deprives oneself of the *right* to Christian morality" (Twilight, 80). Nietzsche sought to replace Christian morality with Dionysian morality, which celebrated destruction as much as it celebrated creation, which looked toward what he termed, in an earlier work, "the overman" who was humanity risen above itself.
If one wants to understand Nietzsche, one must not read him as the anti-prophet (indeed, the anti-Christ) of God's death, but of the anti-prophet of life after the death of God, which is also the death of all that this God anchored. It is an irony that the self-styled anti-Christ who "philosophized with a hammer" so as to "sound out idols" would spend the last 10 years of his life clinically insane while the world outside would just begin to discover him. The question that must be asked is whether or not the location of the concentration camp Buchenwald directly across the valley from the Nietsche archive in Weimar is a continuance of this irony or its natural consummation.
Book Description
The death of Jesus is one of the most hotly debated questions in Christianity today. In his massive and highly publicized The Death of the Messiah, Raymond Brown -- while clearly rejecting anti-Semitism -- never questions the essential historicity of the passion stories. Yet it is these stories, in which the Jews decide Jesus' execution, that have fueled centuries of Christian anti-Semitism.
Now, in his most controversial book, John Dominic Crossan shows that this traditional understanding of the Gospels as historical fact is not only wrong but dangerous. Drawing on the best of biblical, anthropological, sociological and historical research, he demonstrates definitively that it was the Roman government that tried and executed Jesus as a social agitator. Crossan also candidly addresses such key theological questions as "Did Jesus die for our sins?" and "Is our faith in vain if there was no bodily resurrection?"
Ultimately, however, Crossan's radical reexamination shows that the belief that the Jews killed Jesus is an early Christian myth (directed against rival Jewish groups) that must be eradicated from authentic Christian faith.
Customer Reviews:
Crossan Calls Us to a Mature Faith.......2007-03-29
Crossan compares and contrasts the Passion Narratives (written to explain the crime, arrest, trial and abuse, execution, burial, and resurrection of Jesus) in the four Gospels and includes a fifth, the Gospel of Peter. With uncompromising scholarship, Crossan contrasts the stories with the history of first century Palestine, and discuses the origins of the Passion of Jesus in the Old Testament. While readers must be prepared to let go of myth and miracle, we are left with the sense that something even more powerful existed in the person of Jesus. He was a rebel in the truest sense, fighting against the 'normalcy of civilization,' i.e., empire/domination as usual. God's Kingdom--available here and now, not somewhere hereafter--directly opposed the rule of Rome. As was typical in those times, any troublemaker was quickly dealt with via execution.
I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Crossan at a seminar this past February. He calls us to a mature Christian faith, a faith which strives to restore justice (equality) through service to an unjust world. This is not 'new' Christianity, but original Christianity.
An extended book review.......2006-10-03
John Dominic Crosson's 1995 book is written in response to Raymond Brown's 1994 book The Death of the Messiah. Crosson systematically takes Brown's positions apart, one by one, closely examining the gospels with a special focus on the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Peter (which appears in an appendix). Crosson demonstrates what is most likely historical and what is literary, and his analyses are very impressive. His focus on the death of Jesus provides ample opportunity to accumulate some formidible information about this facet of the life of Jesus.
Despite the obvious scholarship and Crosson's easy to read writing style, the book never gets beyond the "Brown said, I say..." level of exposition. Moreover, Crosson has an annoying habit of opening up a topic and then telling the reader to "stay tuned" because he is really going to discuss it later.
There is value in this book, but not as much if Crosson had simply written his own book instead of trying to critique Brown's book. To get the full value from this book, one has to read Brown's original book.
I feel sorry for him........2006-04-17
JD Crossan is an ex-priest and product of the 1960s who left his vocation. Time and time we see this associated with a pathological sense of guilt as is sadly shown by this book. Though clearly talanted, Crossan's personal sense of shame/guilt cloud his reason. His drivel continues in his other works. Look to other writers on Jesus to get healthier analysis of Jesus.
Important Book.......2005-09-12
This is a thought provoking look at the first century c.e. It is important to separate myth from reality when reading Religous documents as history.
Wonderful book.......2005-01-28
Some of the other reviews need to be ignored by people unfamiliar with the topic. To say, as one of the reviewers did, that Christianity has never claimed that the Jews killed Christ is either ignorant or naive. As I don't know the person, I cannot comment either way. The Gospels are an infamous source of anti-semetism and anyone who has studied theology in an academic setting knows this to be fact.
As for the book being "another angle on Mel Gibson's film," well of course the Gibson film is flawed in many resepcts, particularily historicity. And Crossan's book is an "angle" on the Bible, not a film.
The book is exceptional and I would recommend it without hesitation.
Book Description
With an introduction by Henry Louis Mencken.
Download Description
Nietzsche's final assault on institutional Christianity, written during the last sane year of his life.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting Read.......2007-07-26
this is the last book that Nietzsche had written before he went mad. which necessarily makes it an important book. the tone he writes the book in, i would say, is a harsh and unforgiving one.
this book is a very enjoyable book to read, unlike any other. you might feel that he is slightly being unfair towards christians, but he makes it clear why he does so in his small introduction at the beginning of the book.
there is something that is extremely important to note, wich is that this book is NOT a critique of God in any way. it is merely a critique of the christian concept of God. he states this twice in the book, but very briefly and without really making it absolutely clear.
A Ruin.......2007-01-10
Nietzsche's chief weaknesses--weaknesses for which he is famous--are immodesty; bad manners; a proneness to exaggeration (often absurd exaggeration); bad scholarship (often abominably bad scholarship); and disregard for evidence. At times he was able to check these faults. The works he produced at his best, like Beyond Good And Evil, which gives perhaps the best explanation of his opinions, are much less affected by these habitual faults than the work he produced at his worst.
To my mind N.'s weaknesses make The Antichrist a wreck of what it might have been. It might have been a trenchant argument in favour of atheism, or at least a trenchant argument in favour of N.'s most important ideas. And it is neither. His characteristic weaknesses lie everywhere. First, in the book, he is often absurdly conceited.
'We have discovered happiness, we know the way, we have found the exit out of the labyrinth of thousands of years.' [TA, 1]
This evidently refers to N.'s own philosophy. He might have applied some of his criticisms of the arrogance of other philosophers to himself, and written with a stitch more modesty.
Second, in the book he is often unnecessarily rude.
'The good god and the devil--both abortions of decadence.' [TA, 17]
Broadly speaking, there are two explanations of the universe that are made possible by the evidence we have--that something produced the universe; and that someone produced the universe. Either conclusion is a generalisation. So neither can be proven in such a way that the other is shown to be categorically false. Moreover, the universe is evidently in many ways a highly organised universe; it evidently appears, in many ways, as you would expect it to appear, if it had been made by someone not something. N. might have written more respectfully of a hypothesis he could only ever disprove (if it can be disproved) using probable arguments.
Three, at times in the book N.'s scholarship is unspeakably bad.
'The imperium Romanum which we know, which the history of the Roman provinces teaches us to know better and better, this most admirable work of art in the grand style was a beginning: its construction was designed to prove itself through thousands of years: until today nobody has built again like this, nobody has even dreamed of building in such proportions sub specie aeterni. This organisation was firm enough to withstand bad emporors: the accident of persons may not have anything to do with such matters--first principle of grand architecture. But it was not firm enough against the most corrupt kind of corruption, against the Christians.' [TA, 58]
The idea that the Roman Empire fell chiefly because of Christianity is ridiculous. What about the weakness of the Senate? the ambition of those who were near the Emperor, and strong enough to challenge him? the power of the army? the disillusion with civic religion? the barbaric purges? the difficulties of adminstering an empire so large? the rebellions within and attacks from without?
Perhaps the fault that is most damaging to The Antichrist, though, is N.'s disregard for evidence. You cannot criticise his argument, because he provides no argument, other than, perhaps, the nonsensical one that if you find a plausible explanation for a phenomena, then it is the correct explanation of that phenomena. N. offers the view that Christianity is adequately explained if it is taken as the product of selfish barbarism. Needless to say, this assertion he takes as sufficient reason to conclude that Christianity is only the product of selfish barbarism.
'The Christian church has left nothing untouched by its corruption; it has turned every value into an un-value, every truth into a lie, every integrity into a vileness of the soul. Let anyone dare to speak to me of its `humanitarian' blessings! To abolish any distress ran counter to its deepest advantages: it lived on distress, it created distress to eternalize itself.' [TA, 62]
The Christianity N. attacks is, depending on the need of the moment, a Christianity that he has made up himself; or monastic Christianity; or the worst form of Christianity that exists. He does not do justice either to orthodox Christian doctrine, or to any good the Church has done.
When you have to use this kind of reasoning, you show fairly clearly how little talent you have for marshalling evidence well, and weighing it impartially. It is worth contemplating N.'s open acknowledgement that his atheism was not adopted because of reasoning.
'I have absolutely no knowledge of atheism as an outcome of reasoning, still less as an event: with me it is obvious by instinct.' [EH, `Why I Am So Clever', 1]
Evidently, not even N. himself fancied that his religious opinions had anything to do with reasoning carefully about worthwhile evidence.
An important piece.......2006-12-27
It's great to see Mencken's translation back in print. All considerations about "The Anti-Christ" aside, this translation is a relic of sorts seeing as how it was the first american translation. Though perhaps not the best (i.e., most scholarly) translation, the only great flaw I see in it, taking the book for what it is - a translation by an aficionado-, is the publisher's handling of it.
Mr. Bufe encumbered himself with dumbing down Mencken's introduction and parts of the translation. As he himslef admits in the publisher's note, he translates all french words to english. And for what reason? Apparently they made the text incomprehensible. Poor Mr. Bufe seems to underestimate the readers: it's quite obvious that anyone that has the brains to read this book can easily overcome the language barrier posed by a few words (not to mention the fact that they might know how to speak another language).
"I translated them because they were impediments to comprehension, and because there is no real point to having untranslated French terms in an English text; its only purpose is to make those who can read French feel like members of an elite club." This seems like a rather biased statement. If Mencken and Nietzsche used French words (or any other non-English words), it wasn't to be snobish; it was their style, just like so many other authors. For someone who says he admires Mencken's work (inspite of his "clear signs of anti-semitism"), it's a rather blatant sign of disrespect of the translators work to edit his style in such a way. Were he around, I'm sure that H.L. Mencken would not stand for such a thing.
So again, it's not that he makes the text any less inteligible with the edits, but rather that he takes away from the richness of it, diminishing somewhat the experience of reading such a work.
Fascinating read - even for a Christian.......2006-11-11
Although untrained in philosophy (as you will undoubtedly infer), I have read quite a bit on my own. Of course, while reading philosophy I often (usually) encounter writings which denigrate Christianity, often times with very solid argument. However, I have never been as captivated by a book which stands in such complete opposition to my own beliefs as I was by "The Antichrist."
Nietzsche's passion, rage, scorn and conviction are utterly compelling. Compared to such bland offerings like "Why I Am Not A Christian" by Bertrand Russell, this book really sparks (two different animals, I know). I sensed that, while writing this book, Nietzsche was simultaneously sinking into the depths of his madness AND thinking as clearly as he'd ever dared. He comes across as both complete loon and literary genius. Truly captivating reading!
I will say that I disagree with almost all that Nietzsche writes in this book. As a Christian, I have the luxury of being able to call some things right and some things wrong without being tripped up by relativism. Nonetheless, it is a singularly powerful and captivating read, regardless of stance. I would recommend this book to anyone searching for passionate, vigorous and captivating philosophy.
Not the Culmination I Was Hoping For.......2006-10-31
In Nietzsche's earlier works, he made several allusions to "The Anti-Christ," a man Nietzsche hoped would eventually be born. Unlike the traditional religious connotation, however, Nietzsche's anti-christ is a man who has such a deep insight into the universe, so pure a skepticism, that he is able to see truth like none before him. Spun throughout Nietzsche's works are allusions to the characteristics which this individual would possess to deliver this great insight into the world.
As one of his later works, I hoped this book would be that story. I had hoped that Nietzsche would bring together the threads of this new world view into a single poignant moment. Unfortunately, Nietzsche is never so forward and organized and an expectation otherwise was perhaps doomed to disappointment.
Instead of this culmination of work, I found this book a trifle repetitive. Over the course of 90 pages, Nietzsche repeats many of the anti-religious themes embedded in his earlier works. For those interested in this aspect of his scholarship (or unfamiliar with his previous works), I imagine this would be an excellent collection of his thoughts. He uses numerous examples to clearly indicate his attitude towards the rise of Christ, in life, as an ideal to equal his favorite Hinduism. For most of the book, however, he tells the story of the fall of Christ, in death, to the selfish motives of his flock. He weaves a story of an ideal which was so beyond his followers to understand that it became a twisted message used to grasp power.
Perhaps more important then the collection of thoughts is the success Nietzsche has in expressing his respect for Christ the man. Never before in Nietzsche's readings had I understood where he casts blame for the fall of Christianity. This makes the book especially accessible and well worth the read for people interested in his anti-organized religion attitudes.
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- Wow!
- My privilege
- Why I put this little book together...
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Praying in the Presence of Our Lord with Fulton J. Sheen
Fulton Sheen ,
Michael Dubruiel , and
Benedict Groeschel
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Peace of Soul
ASIN: 0879737158 |
Customer Reviews:
Wow!.......2007-10-01
We are fortunate to have a Chapel of Perpetual Adoration in a nearby town (Shinnston, WV) and I was looking for something to read during my weekly hour visit. I ordered the book because I had always heard about Bishop Sheen but had never read any of his works. He was from the `before my time' era. Would it apply to my life? Well, so far I've only read the first 3 chapters, and WOW it hits me right where I am in my prayer journey. Our God is so remarkable, transcending time and space to meet me through the pages of this book. If you are looking for something to bring you to the Lord, this book is it. It has just the right amount of information to spend an hour in quiet prayer time (maybe less). Each chapter has part of one of Bishop Sheen's sermons (or excerpt from a book) and a reflection and then some thought provoking questions. This is one book I am keeping!!
My privilege.......2006-02-04
I had the great privilege of seeing Fulton Sheen's television show the first time around. I was just a child, but the man with the twinkling eyes and beetle brows spoke to me as well as to my parents. His warmth, kindness, holiness and humor absolutely radiated. We are fortunate that the author and editor of this book took the time to save these wonderful and holy thoughts of a wonderful and holy man.
Why I put this little book together..........2005-05-14
I have been a big fan of Archbishop Sheen for many years and now pray daily for his sainthood. In the history of the Catholic Church in the United States there has been no greater promoter of Eucharistic Devotion than Archbishop Sheen. I have gathered snipets of this writing and arranged it for prayerful use or just to familiarize those who may not be familiar with the Archbishop of his writings.
Search through the book and get a feel for why this great man should be one of the first native born American saints! If you would like a holy card visit my homepage, just do a search on Google of my name.
Book Description
Nietzsche's late works are brilliant and uncompromising, and stand as monuments to his lucidity, rigor, and style. This volume combines, for the first time in English, five of these works: The Antichrist, Ecce Homo, Twilight of the Idols, Nietzsche contra Wagner, and The Case of Wagner. Nietzsche takes on some of his greatest adversaries in these works: traditional religion, contemporary culture, and above all, his one-time hero, Richard Wagner. His writing is simultaneously critical and creative, revealing his alternative philosophical vision, which, after more than a hundred years, still retains its audacious originality.
Customer Reviews:
Nietzsche: The Anti-Christ, Ecce Homo, Twilight of the Idols.......2006-06-05
The Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy yet again struck gold, enshrining history's greatest thinkers in pre-eminently handsome texts, robust and readable translations, and scholarly and timely commentary and introductory exegesis.
Despite Nietzsche's admonition greeting us in the very first prefatory page, this book belongs not to the few, but to all seeking meaning beyond society's regurgitated paradigms and ossified constrictions.
A philosopher-bibliophile's "must have"!
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- Give Everyone Something to Talk About
- PC is dead!!!!!!
- God, are you there? If so, are you laughing as hard as me?
- Very Gilliam-esque
- Beyond the veil!!!
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Anti-Christ: A Satirical End of Days
Matthew Moses
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ASIN: 1601451105 |
Book Description
What began as a minor dispute between Matthew Ford and Jesus has escalated into a feud that threatens to undermine a Cold War that has existed between Heaven and Hell for two millennia. The question is.what will happen next?
Customer Reviews:
Give Everyone Something to Talk About.......2007-10-11
I could understand how Christians would loathe this novel. It really slams religion. Well, it escoriates 'organized' religion. I think this book works best as a symbolic journey of the individual trying to find their own way in reality, various choices having to be made in the face of trying situations in order to not only determine who they are but what their place is in reality. This is a story of growth for a slacker (young college kid) who is forced to mature leading to the destruction of the world (his original mindset where he has no authority) and its resurrection as a reality he not only has a place in but helped to create (hence, maturity). Sure the book bashes Christ but if your skin is so thin that you are attacking it on that principle then it is obvious you didn't get the novel and really should sit down and go over your philosophical underpinnings. If your beliefs are so tenuous you want something destroyed because they challenge them then maybe you don't believe as much as you thought you did.
PC is dead!!!!!!.......2007-08-03
God, this is humor I have missed since the 1980s. You know, the type which isn't worried about being politically incorrect. Humor is simply that: humor. It's not meant to be taken seriously. It's supposed to make you laugh. This book is quite offensive but the way it handles the subject matter is hilarious. Come on, it makes the Vatican out to be a quasi-terrorist/organized criminal group. Do you think you'd ever see something like that in print? And the punches this writer delivers to government are brutal, but sadly honest with a simple-minded, easily manipulated president and less than honest political aides. Even funnier is the diet plan proscribed by the "Anti-Christ" for the obese. You'll laugh at the simplicity of it. This book is all about corruption, imperfection, and the power of the individual. Great satire. You should give it a read.
God, are you there? If so, are you laughing as hard as me?.......2007-06-28
The author is clearly angry at society. He rips on the Church, politics, self-help groups, corporations, and even God! Judging by how screwed up the planet is can you blame him? This is a fun read following a guy's journey through Heaven and back.
But come on, Mexicans sneaking into Heaven! That alone makes this story funny beyond belief. It's like South Park on steroids. If you are extremely Christian, sorry. But for everyone else this book puts a funny spin on everything from fat people to politics. Only this book could claim the Catholic Church to be the equivalent of a terrorist organization!
Very Gilliam-esque.......2007-06-03
For anyone who has seen Terry Gilliam's work, Anti-Christ: A Satirical End of Days is squarely in that vein: dark satire mocking the establishment and man's place in it. What begins as light-hearted comedy gradually darkens throughout the tale. I think the best part of this entire book is someone finally having the originality to take the Greek mythologic way of thinking and transplanting it onto Christian theology. These angels, cherubs, Jesus, Satan, and God himself are portrayed as flawed, mortal, and with their own agendas surrounding an Existence which for better or worse they really want no part of save in how it can profit them. The book is clearly a rebuke of the Christian Right in this country as well as American politics/policies and the problems of man's ever increasing individuality which can only lead to isolation. It's a fun book, trust me. I might make it sound dry but the writing is top notch. You should give it a go.
Beyond the veil!!!.......2007-02-12
God in a wheelchair. Angels that belong to a fight club. Hell, the book even has zombies!!! How can you go wrong with zombies!?!?! Ok, so to make a long story short, Matthew Ford gets into a feud with Jesus. Things go crazy leading to the end of the world. This book is wild. If you're Christian I wouldn't suggest buying it unless you have a REAL open mind. It is not very kind to Jesus. But it IS funny. Funnier than most books that deal with religion.
Book Description
Criticisms of the LDS Church are frequently based on intentional misinterpretations of Mormon doctrine. This book provides useful clarifications and rebuttals of many of those misrepresented doctrinal and historical areas. It gives simple but authoritative answers to more than sixty often-asked questions posed by anti-Mormon detractors. The answers are direct and nonconfrontational, providing readers with a friendly, teaching way of responding to those who question them.
The author points out pertinent biblical parallels to many situations. His answers are supported by appropriate scriptures, statements of modern prophets, writings of ancient Christian leaders, and corroborating findings by modern non-LDS scholars.
Brother Gibson encountered his first anti-Mormon book while serving in the Scottish-Irish Mission in the early 1960s. Disturbed by what he read, he and a fellow missionary analyzed the inconsistencies in the book. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in communications. He and his wife, Bette, were married in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of four children. His hobbies include mentoring several small businesses, reading, teaching, and speaking. He has served in numerous Church callings, including two bishoprics. From Clergy to Convert is his first book.
Customer Reviews:
Some good responses...but a little harsh with the title..........2007-04-19
This book was good in that it provided some quick, logical and rational answers to the questions posed by critics of Joseph Smith and the LDS church. It provided some brief and precise rebuttals with scripture and similar defenses from the bible. For example, the question as to why the Book of Commandments had changes in the texts when it became the modern D&C is answered with the example of Jeremiah changing a revelation - and by changing I mean adding to and expounding, which is what Joseph and other church leaders did - for King Jehoiakim. Don't believe me, check out Jeremiah 36 and 2 Timothy 3:16. Anyways, that is just one example that shows some sound and reasonable rebuttals against even some of the most vicious attacks against Joseph Smith. And it does it in a quick and snappy way. It does not stretch on, though that may prove to be the more appropriate thing to do in some cases. But the reason I give this book four stars is because the title was a bit to harsh, I think. There may be some folks who honestly want to know about these things who have no desire to purposely attack the Gospel or Joseph Smith. A better title may have been "One Minute Answers to Tough Questions" or "One Answer Minutes to Critical Questions". But this book still was good and I would recommend it to someone who wants to either see a simple defense to even the most vicious critiques or discover how these "hard hitting" and "faith shaking" questions - which have been stewing around ever since Joseph's First Vision in 1820 - hold little weight under reason and logic.
A Beginning Aid to Mormons and Others.......2005-08-28
This book is a very basic intorduction into some of the issues surrounding the Mormon faith (hence the name "One-Minute Answers to Anti-Mormon Questions"). It's especially helpful if you are just starting out and not quite ready to jump into Hugh Nibley.
One-Minute clears through some of the basic accusations against Mormonism (ex. The BOM and DC contradict each other on polygamy, the BOM was stolen from View of the Hebrews, you can't trust answers through prayer, Jesus is not the Mormon savior, etc.). For the most part, Gibson uses logic and common sense against many of the accusations. Even if you are a Mormon critc, you should find this helpful as it strenghtens your position to abandon any illogical arguments or any that have time-and-again been successfully refuted by the Mormon community.
That is not to say that none of the quetions about the Mormon church, about its doctrine and history, are not valid questions (ex. why did Young believe Adam was God? why is Native American DNA more closely related to Asians than Jews?). I believe that the Mormon-critics are hurt by over zealous Anti-Mormons (many usually ex-Mormons, feeling hurt that they were "lied" to, who will write online reviews having little to do with the book and much to do with how Mormonism is a controlling cult where everyone lies to everyone while they worship Satan). Anti-Mormons tend to believe and support any argument, no matter how irrational or flawed, that makes Mormonism look bad.
I was disappointed that DNA and The Book of Mormon wasn't mentioned, and that Gibson brought up Dee Jay Nelson first on the issue of the Joseph Smith Papyri. We all know Nelson was a fraud, but that doesn't resolve the issue (Gibson did move on to why the Papyri don't disprove the Book of Abraham, but I didn't think that he needed to start with a full page on Nelson).
Again, this is a basic introduction into the the controversy of Mormonism.
One Minute Answers to Anti Morman Questions.......2005-04-13
I encourage all people of the Morman faith, especially those who are young in the faith, to research what has not been revealed to you. You will find that Joseph Smith took many liberties with the text of the KJV Bible. As I found out in the latter part of my Morman journey, this religion is not a christian one. Jesus is not the savior of the Morman faith. Heaven is a planet...God has a wife (Heavanly Mother) who mated w/ God to create celestial beings...the Morman faith has undertook the task of baptising of every living person recorded(within or outside the faith) using stand ins. Joseph Smith, the founder of the religion suffered from alcoholism, was an adulter, and went to jail several times. He named himself the prophet, and appointed 12 disiples,(mirroring Christ)a practice that remains today with Gordan B. Hinckly heading the church. By todays standard, this religion (the world's richest and fastest growing) would no doubt be labled a cult."Do not add or take away from this book, for whosoever shall do so, his name shall be stricken from the book of life." -Revelations Take heed and find out what your church has not revealed to you.
gets your feet wet, but not ideal for in-depth research.......2003-10-14
First of all, I have to say, that if critics wish to label the LDS church a "cult", then I believe that we have every right to label them "anti-mormon" That is just my view, however. I will be civil with someone who is civil with me, but when they start throwing around names, then I only think that it is fair to do likewise.
Having said that, I will review this book.
I believe that this book is a good starting point for someone wishing to examine the accusations of many critics of the church. It answers many of the common arguments which critics have. However, because of the nature of the book (I.E.- one minute answers), it fails to get very detailed.
This book attempts to answer 61 questions in 197 pages. Many of the questions range from the common sense questions ("Did [the book of mormon] give the wrong birth place of Jesus?", "How does baptism relate to 'being born again?") to some more in-depth questions ("Is there more than one God?", "Are there three heavens and no hell?") This shows that not all of the discussion and rebuttal can be placed in a book this small.
In some ways, the short concise answers are good, such as to people who want a quick answer in the midst of a discussion. However, for anyone serious about looking into the arguments against the LDS church you should invest in more detailed books.
Hope this helps,
---
Christoph
Comprehensive Response.......2001-11-12
Stephen Gibson reviewed the anti-Mormon literature and decided that their claims could be summarized in 61 questions. Much of the literature was simply repeating the same claims over and over again.
If Stephen could be faulted in this work, it might be that he has keep the answers short. But this was not intended to be an exhaustive response. His goal was to correct many incorrect perceptions. I believe it has done a very good job.
Book Description
Covering the story of prejudice against Jews from the time of Christ through the rise of Nazi Germany, The History of Anti-Semitism presents in elegant and thoughtful language a balanced, careful assessment of this egregious human failing that is nearly ubiquitous in the history of Europe.
From the Time of Christ to the Court Jews systematically traces the twists and turns of hatred against Jews as it developed from Roman times to the end of the eighteenth century. Chiefly the history of prejudice against the Ashkenazim, this volume demonstrates that organized anti-Semitism was unknown until the First Crusade, an event that marked the beginning of systematic genocide and mass expulsions in Europe. Jews were accused of countless crimes, from causing the Black Death to practicing ritual murder, and the author attempts throughout to reveal the sociological and psychological forces behind these irrational charges.
Customer Reviews:
Most Interesting Work on the Subject.......2003-12-01
It is a shame that Poliakov is not better known in this country. The subject matter is far greater than the title suggests. This is really a kind of panoramic history of Europe in the style of Braudel, only much less densely written and pleasurable to read. The translation only improves matters. With all the poorly written material on this subject, it is a shame that Poliakov is not brought out in bigger editions. This is really something special, and it's bound to fascinate any reader of European or Jewish history. I would say it's an ideal gift to any reader of history. Anyway, great to have it back in print after all these years.
Product Description
"The HIDDEN THINGS of DARKNESS - An Expose of the Enemies of Christ" by Christopher S. Bentley. 296pg. Paperback (8 3/8" x 5 3/8" x 3/4") Sunrise Publishing 2001, Second printing 2006. "For freedom to be saved, [Satan's] hidden works of darkness must be brought to light, and exposed for what they are. If freedom-loving people do not stand together and restore limited Constitutional government, based on God's laws, then the enemies of Christ will yet be the means of bringing down another civilization." "The Hidden things of Darkness is a masterful gathering of material from the Book of Mormon that will fill the pantry of your mind with a rich supply of wisdom." David R. Arroyo. "This book not only substantiates the ground-breaking material my father wrote in The Great and Abominable Church of the Devil, it also carries on the work he did using the scriptures to expose Satan's deceptive and well-hidden plan." Hans V. Andersen,Jr.
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Books Index
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