Sam Harris

I'd like to recommed
The Great Lie
by Michael Kalopoulos

It's an extremely logical and very detailed examination of the stories contained in Genesis and Exodus.
Michael's own site is here:

http://www.greatlie.com/en/author.cfm

There are some reviews up on the above amazon link if you wanna check them out.
Although Michael has had The Great Lie translated into English, his other books are at present only available in Greek.  Hopefully that'll change in the future.

Thank you.  That is one that has escaped me up to now.  I heard something about it a few months ago, and had forgotten about it.  Just ordered it, along with the Big Bang, the Origin of the Universe, to get free shipping.

Pete

Now that I’ve read it, I will whole heartedly agree with the review above.  Don’t the folks who beleive in the religions based upon the old testement ever read it?  Abraham, the big daddy of them all pimped out his wife, Sara, not once, but twice!  And this is what’s written there!  I didnt make this up!  His son, after setting the fires in Sodom and Gemwhatever, bedded down his two daughters in a cave.  Not once, but for years! 

Early family values!  The next generation brought Jacop who deceived his blind father to get the family blessing that was supposed to go to his brother.  The lord, his god, honored the blessing anyway.  There’s lots more, these are just a couple.  I guess I knew these things, I just viewed them out of context.  This is sunday school stuff, but they never told it like it is actually written.  Enjoy.

Pete

I bought this book upon CaptPorridge’s recommendation. I’m up to the start of Jacob. He makes a strong case that the creation stories in the OT are made up of older myths from the surrounding region. And the actions of the Prophets themselves would get most people lynched if they acted the same way. I specifically like the way Jacob bargains with his “family” god. I think that I will do the same, “God if you bring a doughnut to my desk in the next 5 minutes, I’ll believe in you.” Five minutes are up and no doughnut. Guess God ain’t real afterall.

[homer]MMMMMMM, Forbidden Doughnut[/homer]