The Ethereal Enigma said, Brian, "No disrespect toward your search but have you considered this? Simply - the Holy Bible is the world's best selling book: a love story that only a God can author."
It's pretty shallow to think that a one-sided story is all anyone should ever read. There is no relationship between book sales and the quality, accuracy or astuteness of any published book - or inspired holy book. Most Christians think that the "Ten Commandments" were given to Moses on Mount Sanai. In fact, these principles were known by individuals long before Moses, within the Papyrus of Ani better known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The Ten Commandments originated in ancient Egypt in "The Book of the Dead". Recall Moses came down from the mountain and "went Postal" ordering the killing of thousands of people and broke up the tablets. What a crock! The Ten Commandments with the very same wording and phrases as in The Egyptian Book of the Dead - long before Moses went up to that mountain - and talked to that burning bush. If you call unreasoning zeal, not telling the truth and people who do not behave decently toward others "a love story" - Oaf. The bible never has and never will produce an ethical society because it is built on a pack of lies. OT Law: Deuteronomy 4:2 "You shall not add to the word that I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it: keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." The Ten Commandments origin is the Egyptian Book of The Dead - we know that what is being passed off as the original authentic bible or word of god is expropriations of other civilizations gods, stories and forgeries.
It is actually safer to aim for the lowest common numskull audience to sell a lot of book; or tv shows "American Idol" or "Spiderman" for example. As long as it does not provoke the individual to think and is a consuming distraction it is promoted as praiseworthy. The broadcast sales pitch claims that intellectual programming is not profitable; also it might wake up the masses or be in conflict with their sponsor's interests.
In reality, the bible is just another divisive great distraction from what we really need to be paying attention to - what is really going on right now. It teaches people to hate themselves and fear anyone who is different, and it is treasonous to suggest that this barbaric ignorant book should take the place of The Constitution (the law that our land is founded on). However, it does distract the masses while they are passing Unconstitutional legislation like "faith based initiative" that is a violation of the Establishment Clause.
The Ethereal Enigma said, "Christianity is the world's biggest, most lively, and most complex "conspiracy" known to mankind, and Jesus is an issue that people just can't seem to get past. Think about it. Partiality toward any Anti-Christian material is much deserved on this planet!"
Crucifying people for dissenting views, or minor crimes was very common in the bloodthirsty, sadistic Rome Empire. Their myth of the sins of the world being forgiven by torturing and killing doesn't make it true or less ugly. The Romans at war with the Jews over slavery hoped it would. They wanted to blame the killing of Jesus on the Jews who were in rebellion. One advantage of the "new religion" was the spreading of anti-Semitism. They were turning their lemons into lemonade. "Being crafty, I caught you with guile ... for if the truth of God hath more abounded through my LIE unto his glory; why yet am I also adjudged a sinner?" St. Paul "What profit has not that fable of Christ brought us!" Pope Leo X. There may be a lot of gullible uninformed people who believe this very profitable lie, but the rest of us pay no attention to it what so ever. Skeptics are much more acceptable in astute, affluent educated progressive countries. Only Third World Countries and America are still clinging to myths to appease their gauche citizenry.
There isn't a single word contained in the Sermon on the Mount that isn't contained in what is called the Sacred Book of the Jews, long before the figure "Jesus" was supposed to have lived (the name Jesus was agreed upon in 325 AD at the council of Nacea). Most people who claim to be full of Christ's love are viciously intolerant of criticism. It is clear that the message credited to "Jesus" (choose a name) did not originate with that figure. There is nothing in the Dead Sea Scrolls to indicate that a figure like "Jesus" existed, was crucified, or started a new religion. He would at most have been one of several known as "Teachers of Righteousness" that were part of Jewish movement based in Qumran going back at least a hundred years before the birth of "Jesus." Many of the practices said to have originated with the Christians, like the Lords Prayer, can be traced to Qumran, going back to a century before there could have been a birth of a "Jesus." The modern Christianity is really a creation of St Paul, and the Roman Empire. The issue is not one of a personal conviction, faith, Christianity, or any other religion - it is that none of this is based on fact - it is based on myth. When someone puts anything out as a fact they should not be upset if people get all the facts, write books or tell the truth. I think it is very telling that it does upset them. In light of these facts, unless people want to be preached to, they should probably keep their beliefs to themselves.
The Gospel of Thomas (a Gnostic document) is an example of a book that originated from a group that was labeled heretical. It was discovered at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. It is distinctly Gnostic and places salvation purely in the possession of knowledge of the mysteries of the universe, a knowledge that constituted them a superior class of beings from those who did not know. This book was considered heretical not because it didn't have as much credibility as any other book but because it does not support the Jesus myth.
Paul was a privileged Roman citizen who enjoyed the friendship and patronage of Roman authorities at the highest levels of the Empire. This fact raises some intriguing questions about the role actually played by Paul: it suggests that he was much more of a politician than a religious figure.
People who just can't get over the "Jesus myth" are not very well informed. What are the moral teachings of the Bible? What's unique about their god - vengeful, intolerant, angry, jealous and punishing - common people are like that.
Evangelists usually skip what the punishments for breaking the law were in bible since stoning people to death for minor transgressions was common - the punishments didn't fit the crime. Revenge was far more important than justice was.
Bestsellers (or mass appeal books) tend NOT to be books considered superior in academic value or literary quality, and just because a book is purchased doesn't mean it will be read. Bestseller means only that the book is being sold, and that could have more to do with marketing than the quality of the book, because it is more about quantity than quality. Many books of inferior literary quality have mass appeal.
One of the first atheist writer - philosopher - Epicurus put forward the theory of "materialism": The only things that exist are bodies and the space between them. Humankind has no need to fear the supernatural.
