An often cutting work that calls down a plague on the houses of all domineering belief systems.
An extended diatribe against organized religions as well as atheism.
In its attempt to highlight the arrogance and entitlement of the three Abrahamic religions, Musa’s nonfiction debut takes as its argumentative starting point the rather idiosyncratic assertion that the Old Testament prophet Abraham was “the first atheist in mankind’s recorded history”—a rather strange claim for a figure said to have had numerous one-on-one conversations with God. Musa’s book follows this muddled beginning with a passionate assault mainly on those whom the author sees as the corrupt, power-hungry, hypocritical men who control the three major organized religions. Musa seems to conceive a kind of essential faithfulness that has nothing to do with formalized creeds: “The end of faith is not a priority,” he insists, “the real priority is to destroy the ego of the broods of vipers from all categories, including arrogant biological atheists, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, etc.” Under the heading of “biological atheists,” he includes such figures as physicist Stephen Weinberg, ethologist and biologist Richard Dawkins, and the late writer Christopher Hitchens (who’s described, in one of the book’s occasional language slip-ups, as a “renounced,” rather than “renowned,” atheist). Musa appears to find these atheists to be every bit as insulting and doctrinaire as their religious counterparts. His contention that if one sets compassion aside, no holy book will make one moral is undoubtedly correct. However, some of the book’s more unusual ideas will leave both religious and atheist readers wondering whose side he’s on. Overall, he seems to advocate a purely personal faith system—a direct and relatively duty-free connection with God: “Be confident in the knowledge that just as you feel proud of El—the new/old name by which you will call the Creator—El is also proud of you,” Musa writes. “What you need to do is be strong and face Satan’s temptations courageously.”
An often cutting work that calls down a plague on the houses of all domineering belief systems.Pub Date: July 30, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-49-904367-9
Page Count: 346
Publisher: Xlibris
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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