| SMART Reading/Viewing
Books Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" is taking the literary world by storm! This book covers many more topics than are mentioned in the SMART site... Essential reading for all free thinking people who care about improving our world. ____________________________________ In her book, “Visions of Glory”, Barbara Grizzuti Harrison writes about cults who predict a date for the end of the world. When that date passes and nothing happens what happens to the cult? Logic would suggest that it would disintegrate or at least lose many of its followers. But, amazingly, the reverse is true. The cult’s membership increases! “Their investment in their religion was total; to leave it would have meant spiritual and emotional bankruptcy. They were not equipped to function in a world without certainty. It was their life. To leave it would be a death." This book is a fascinating insight into the delusional thinking of cult followers __________________________________________ The forward of "Foolish Faith" by Judah Etinger contains an endorsement by author Grant Jeffrey: "I strongly encourage anyone who is searching for the truth to read this book." S.M.A.R.T. society agrees absolutely! This book is a wonderful example of how apparently intelligent people turn logic and reason upside down in order to create legitimacy for their religious beliefs. The author's logic goes like this: Through carbon dating methods scientists say the Earth is billions of years old and the dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. But if that is true then the bible is false. The bible cannot be false therefore the scientists have got their method of dating wrong. End of debate! IIn this allegedly serious piece of literature the author speculates on the demise of the dinosaurs. Perhaps when they came out of Noah's Ark there wasn't enough food to keep them alive and they all died out (no I am not making this up!). Once you've stopped laughing here, a couple of thoughts come to mind: Let's assume that the author is right and the Earth and the dinosaurs really are just a few thousand years old. Then we have to assume that dinosaurs really were on the Ark along with all the other animals. What would be God's logic in ensuring their survival on the Ark but then allowing them to starve to death as soon as they came out on to dry land?! And what about the carnivorous dinosaurs? When they came out of the Ark there was plenty of food around for them. How come they died out too? This book is very aptly titled although not in the way the author intended!
............................................................................................. Movies Monty Python's Life of Brian You'll find this movie in the comedy section of your video store, and on one level, it is a very funny movie. But it is also a viciously satirical attack on all organised religions. The Irish government was well aware of the movie's real message when it banned its distribution when it was released in 1979 A must-see for all SMART people!
Kingdom of Heaven (2005) This movie illustrates the utter stupidity of the belief that says, "God is on my side". The movie chronicles the period between the first Crusade when the Christians slaughtered the Muslim population of Jerusalem, up to the Muslim attack to regain the city. |
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