carnevalemanfredonia.it » History » God and His Demons

eBook God and His Demons download

by Michael Parenti

ISBN: 1616141778
Author: Michael Parenti
Publisher: Prometheus Books; 1st Edition edition (March 23, 2010)
Language: English
Pages: 281
ePub: 1722 kb
Fb2: 1281 kb
Rating: 4.6
Other formats: doc lrf mobi docx
Category: History
Subcategory: World

Download ePub Download Fb2

More..

Michael Parenti's God and His Demons is wonderfully irreverent, institutionally challenging, and humanizingly .

Michael Parenti's God and His Demons is wonderfully irreverent, institutionally challenging, and humanizingly relevant - a recommended read for believers, agnostics and atheists. God and His Demons picks apart the teachings and practices of organized religions with characteristic wit, humor, and incision: vintage Parenti. -Jacques R. Pauwels, author of The Myth of the Good War and Beneath the Dust of Time. Pharisees and charlatans beware.

God and His Demons book. Parenti first takes a romp through the old testament, listing the abominations perpetrated by Yahweh and his worshippers. Given the god-sanctioned murders, rapes, slavery and other atrocities, you have to wonder if the religious fundamentalists who believe the bible is the inerrant word of god (as opposed to a primitive text written by a backwards people who didn’t kn ‘God and His Demons’ is like a come-to-jesus (so to speak) revival for those with a secular, liberal. and anti-authoritarian bent.

Prometheus Books published Parenti's 2010 book God and His Demons. Writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, Don Lattin said: "God and his Demons is a depressing, mean-spirited book.

Prometheus Books, 2010. Michael Parenti brings his critical acumen and gifted writing skills to bear on the dark side of religion, the many evils committed in the name of godly virtue throughout history. This is not a blanket condemnation of all believers

Prometheus Books, 2010. God and His Demons is filled with sparkling insights, sly wit, and beautiful writing of a kind we have come to expect from Michael Parenti. He strips away the virtuous pretenses of self-proclaimed religionists throughout the world, and he does it with evidence and arguments that are historically and biblically informed. This is not a blanket condemnation of all believers. The focus is on the threat posed by fundamentalists and theocratic reactionaries.

Michael Parenti - Is Bush A Failure? .

Michael Parenti - Is Bush A Failure? - Продолжительность: 4:21 FORA. МИХАИЛ КАЗИНИК У ПОЗНЕРА - Продолжительность: 55:43 Михаил Казиник Recommended for you. 55:43. Марк Эпельбаум: Сумасшедший исследователь музыки - Продолжительность: 16:51 TED Recommended for you. 16:51. Безопасный режим: выкл.

30-minute weekly radio program for April 27, 2010. In a telephone interview on April 6, 2010, Left-leaning political scientist Michael Parenti discusses his new book, God and His Demons (Prometheus Books)-a survey of the woes caused in the name of, and by, Organized Religion. In this first of two parts, Parenti talks about rampant child sexual abuse by the Christian (and other) clergy and the coverup thereof-and now, at the Vatican, the coverup of the coverup.

Parenti notes the deleterious effects of past theocracies and the threat to our freedoms posed by present-day fundamentalists and theocratic reactionaries.

A noted author and activist brings his critical acumen and rhetorical skills to bear in this polemic against the dark side of religion. Unlike some popular works by stridently outspoken atheists, this is not a blanket condemnation of all believers. Parenti notes the deleterious effects of past theocracies and the threat to our freedoms posed by present-day fundamentalists and theocratic reactionaries. He discusses how socially conscious and egalitarian minded liberal religionists have often been isolated and marginalized by their more conservative (and better financed) coreligionists.

Parenti notes the deleterious effects of past theocracies and the threat to our freedoms posed by present-day fundamentalists and . Prometheus Books, 2010. 1616143053, 9781616143053.

Books related to God and His Demons.

God and His Demons Parenti Michael Random House (USA) 9781616141776 : A noted author and activist brings his critical acumen and rhetorical skills to bear in this polemic against the dark side. Автор: Parenti Michael Название: God and His Demons Издательство: Random House (USA) Классификация: Религия и верования ISBN: 1616141778 ISBN-13(EAN): 9781616141776 ISBN: 1-61614-177-8 ISBN-13(EAN): 978-1-61614-177-6 Обложка/Формат: Hardback Вес: . 47 кг. Дата издания: 3. 3. 2010 Язык: ENG Размер: 2. 1 x 1. 9 x . 9 cm Читательская аудитория: General (us: trade) Рейтинг

A noted author and activist brings his critical acumen and rhetorical skills to bear in this polemic against the dark side of religion. Unlike some popular works by stridently outspoken atheists, this is not a blanket condemnation of all believers. Rather the author's focus is the heartless exploitation of faithful followers by those in power, as well as sectarian intolerance, the violence against heretics and nonbelievers, and the reactionary political and economic collusion that has often prevailed between the upper echelons of church and state. Parenti notes the deleterious effects of past theocracies and the threat to our freedoms posed by present-day fundamentalists and theocratic reactionaries. He discusses how socially conscious and egalitarian minded liberal religionists have often been isolated and marginalized by their more conservative (and better financed) coreligionists. Finally, he documents the growing strength of secular freethinkers who are doing battle against the intolerant theocratic usurpers in public life. Historically anchored yet sharply focused on the contemporary scene, this eloquent indictment of religion’s dangers will be welcomed by committed secular laypersons and progressive religionists alike.

Comments: (7)

virus

Parenti, an objective and scholarly researcher, shows that the faithful are misinterpreting the ideas put forth in Biblical scripture and that it must be read very carefully to understand what it really says. The basic concepts of Christianity as a creed, similar to the "Great Chain of Being," which facilitates a hierarchical social system are evident throughout Parenti's book; however, this is best understood in the section titled “The Lord's Lords” where Parenti explains that in feudal Europe (where there were three social classes or "estates"), the ruling elite of church and state colluded in exploiting the misfortunate peasants and artisans. Religious teaching, with its mystical, otherworldly imagery, promised the common people everything in the next world - heaven for the faithful and obedient, or Hell for the others - while the princes and bishops lived lavishly off the peasants' labor in this world. He explains that this church-state alliance continued into the twentieth century, and is now a church-state-corporate alliance in which the “The Roman Church is a worldwide organization that possesses more wealth in real estate, gold reserves, stocks, bonds, and art treasures than any other single institution or transnational corporation.” In protecting the church's pecuniary, material interests as a member of the pro-business owner-investor class, (both protestant and Catholic) church leaders have assisted in the disempowerment of labor unions and popular political movements, and the workers (today's peasant equivalents) are conditioned, via regular church attendance and cultural conditioning, to comply with secular managerial authority (e.g. Romans 13 1-7). Sin is defined as a failure of the worker's personal responsibility rather than as a consequence of problems in the socioeconomic environment.
Parenti cites Biblical passages showing that the Bible promotes a hierarchical system that demands obedience to both God and worldly authority figures, and acceptance of one's place in the social hierarchy, no matter how lowly. For example, he notes that the Bible sanctions slavery (e.g. Colossians 3:22 and Ephesians 6:5) - including sexual slavery (e.g. Exodus 21:7-11) - which was the custom in ancient societies. He notes that the Bible disguises slavery with euphemisms such as “servant,” “maidservant,” or “bondmaid” and that Jesus said masters (slave owners) have a right to render whippings whenever a “servant's” duties are not performed to the master's satisfaction (e.g. Luke 12:47-48). Using Biblical citations, Parenti exposes Jesus as a tyrant who demanded compliance with his authority, and deadly retribution for all nonbelievers, but today's Christianists assure us that Jesus' love was unconditional.
Parenti explains that famous religious personalities such as Martin Luther and Mother Teresa were aligned with the ruling elite, not with the common people, and, as Parenti describes Mother Teresa, she was a right-winger who used the poor as her pets and as her props, flew first class on her frequent trips, praised the poor for their exemplary acceptance of their circumstances, received only the best healthcare for herself, and concealed the amount of money and property accumulated by her charities. Today's religious right is richly funded by ultra-wealthy right-wing authoritarian ideologues whose Christianist media propagate free-market corporatism, militarism and super-patriotism.
In the section titled “Priestly Procurers,” Parenti reports that as of 2007, in the U.S., the Roman Catholic church had paid out $2 billion in sexual abuse settlements, legal fees and counseling for pedophile priests.
In the section titled “A Secular State,” Parenti explains that the nation's founders did not intend for the Republic to be beholden to any religion. For example, he quotes James Madison, as follows: “Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind, and unfits it for every noble enterprise, every expanded prospect.”
I strongly recommend this book, as well as all of Parenti's other books, some of which, unfortunately, are no longer in print.

Jay

Outstanding author, Michael Parenti provides another clearly written book. Parenti has that rare gift of engaging and empowering readers. God and His Demons is not an attack on religious beliefs but a thoughtful inquiry about the role people of all religions have played. I enjoyed reading this book and I’m confident you will too.

Dagdarad

Isn't it time we engage in a dialog about an afterlife and a universe that makes sense? I teach a college level Philosophy course and every year discussions are made cumbersome by a student who is determined to answer every challenging question with a God or faith based reference. This reference usually replaces any knowledge they were supposed to have gleaned from reading the textbook or understanding what a Socratic argument is meant to do.

Parenti asks legitimate questions not only about articles of theological faith but also about the hype surrounding those who would have us believe they are so "holy" as to be beyond reproach. He slaughters more than a few sacred cows in the process, asking tough questions about people like Mother Theresa, who treated herself to the best in medical care while allowing donations of medical equipment to rust and offering the poor little more than prayer. He even questions the "perfection" of the "God created" human form which is anything but perfect and certainly not the work of a master planner. Not only does he question but he does so with remarkable wit. Like Parenti I would also like to know why an all powerful God ran the urethra through the prostate and made our spines unlikely to support us without significant pain for much of our lives. These are the kind of practical realistic questions he poses. They are exactly the kind most religions want us to overlook.

He takes aim at the damage done by cults as well as more mainline organizations that claim you should abandone reason to please God. Many have criticized him for being a proponent of Atheism. I didn't get that at all. He doesn't deny that some cosmic force might exist. He does makes us look long and hard at the "God" we have created in our image and likeness. If you aren't willing to examine what you believe, don't read this.

Ynap

*I loved Mr. Parenti's book. I've read a number of books on the subject. Always learn something new from each. What is the general populace afraid of? The truth? We need to rewrite history. Our children's textbooks need to be rewritten. To suppress facts is to dumb down everyone. It's been done over and over throughout our history. I'm for the truth wherever it may lead. Good read Michael, altho you do go too far to the Left for me.

I'm a Russian Occupant

This is an excellent book that I can honestly say, I am very glad I took the time to read!

It let's me know I am not crazy and validates many of the topics and perspectives I have been contemplating for years! I am 45 years old, went to parochial Catholic schools and then on to Born Again Christianity , and Bhuddism for a time looking for the one true faith or answer in the Divine.......Never really satisfying my quest and still unable to agree with what has been passed down generation to generation, I basically just gave up. This book was written for people that contemplate the same age old questions by giving a common sense and cognative look into so many of the NON-sensicle (not a word) issues of the MODERN day. We know what thunder in the dark is, that the earth is round, that we orbit the sun, that a sneeze is an irritation or virus and not a demon inhabiting our body.......that it is wrong to rape and women are not used as cattle like the ancient patriarchal establishments held to be their truth!!!!!!!

It is the year 2010 and NO ONE should be living like an Ignorant Billy-Goat all in the name of some ridiculous need for power and glory!!!!!!!!

Related to God and His Demons:

eBook Religion in Secular Archives: Soviet Atheism and Historical Knowledge (Oxford Series on History and Archives) download

The Destructive Power of Religion: Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam [4 Volumes]: The Destructive Power of Religion [4 volumes]: Violence ... Psychology (Praeger Publishers).) epub

Religious

eBook Socially responsible believers: Puritans Pietists, and Unionists in the history of the United Church of Christ download

Socially responsible believers: Puritans Pietists, and Unionists in the history of the United Church of Christ epub

Other

eBook Bridging the Great Divide: Musings of a Post-Liberal, Post-Conservative Evangelical Catholic download

Bridging the Great Divide: Musings of a Post-Liberal, Post-Conservative Evangelical Catholic epub

Christian Books

eBook God and His Demons download

by Michael Parenti

Religion in Secular Archives: Soviet Atheism and Historical Knowledge (Oxford Series on History and Archives) epub

Religion and Politics in the Nineteenth-Century: The Party Faithful in Ireland and Germany epub

Religion for Atheists epub

Discipline of power: The Conservative interlude and the Liberal restoration epub

A Liberal Actor in a Realist World: The European Union Regulatory State and the Global Political Economy of Energy epub

Economic Reforms and Social Exclusion: Impact of Liberalization on Marginalized Groups in India epub

Beyond intolerance: Calling the church to love acceptance epub

The Destructive Power of Religion: Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam [4 Volumes]: The Destructive Power of Religion [4 volumes]: Violence ... Psychology (Praeger Publishers).) epub

Socially responsible believers: Puritans Pietists, and Unionists in the history of the United Church of Christ epub

Bridging the Great Divide: Musings of a Post-Liberal, Post-Conservative Evangelical Catholic epub

Categories

Discussed e-Books