Review: A History of God, by Karen Armstrong's (see link)

I've been reading and commenting all over in here, and I see a lot of angry non-believers around. Anger is a secondary emotion usually base on fears or a lack of knowledge. I used to be such an atheist.

I feel I became a much better, less bitter atheist when I stopped choosing to loathe and ignore religion, and instead decided to learn about it's roots (specifically the roots of the Judaic/Christian/Muslim God, Yahweh). It took the actions of 19 guys riding in 4 airplanes to bring me to the point that my lack of understanding about the topic of religion was a detriment to myself, and I sought out to find out how what was purported to be something grand and wonderful had gotten twisted into what it has become today, at least for an alarming large segment of people who profess to believe in God.

I faced my fears--not even realizing at the time that they actually WERE fears--and I found when I did a level of peace and acceptance that I had been lacking. Knowledge is indeed power, and the book that I've linked to is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to gain an understanding of where and when and how Western society came to have these beliefs in a higher power, and what it means today.

The book is written as a historical tour, using resources that most of us will never have access to, and will give you insights that will reshape your views on religion all together. It takes us from the dawn of Judaism through to about the 16th century, detailing what was happening in the societies in which each part of the 3 books (the Torah, the Bible, and the Qur'an) were written, providing context and understanding of the past that most of us share, and of which we are decendent from.

The follow-up book from the same author, "Battle for God", is a must-have to understand our current religious and, yes, political environment, for the two are intertwined throughout history, and serves as a fine basis to not only grasp, but also challenge the beliefs of current religious believers.

I cannot recommend highly enough that you consider and follow through reading both of these books, and it is my hope that in doing so you may let go of some hate and/or fear, for in doing so we have the best chance of becoming our best selves, which in turn may help others find their ways out of the harsh and hateful religious views that pervades our society today.

Happy reading!