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50 great myths about religions / John Morreall and Tamara Sonn.

by Morreall, John, 1947-

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Hoboken : Wiley/Blackwell, 2014.

9780470673508 (pbk.)

0470673508 (pbk.)

vii, 248 pages ; 24 cm

Introduction : myths and misbelieving -- Myths about religions in general: Introduction ; All societies have religions ; Religion is about the spiritual ; Religion is about the supernatural ; Religion is about faith or belief ; Worship is an essential part of religion ; Religion is a personal matter ; Science will eventually replace religion ; Religion causes violence -- Myths about Judaism, Jews, and Jewish scripture: Introduction ; The ancient Israelites believed in one god ; Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible ; The Book of Genesis is incompatible with the theory of evolution ; Jews believe they were chosen by God to receive special privileges ; The Jews killed Jesus ; Blood libel : Jews use Christian blood in their Rituals ; Benjamin Franklin advised the US Government to expel Jews ; The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion : Jewish leaders plot global takeover ; Hanukkah is for Jews what Christmas is for Christians -- Myths about Christianity, Christians, and Christian scripture: Introduction ; The Four Gospels are eyewitnesses' accounts of the life of Jesus ; The Bible says that when we die, our souls go to Heaven or Hell ; Jesus was born on December 25 in a stable in Bethlehem ; Jesus was a Christian ; Jesus preached family values ; The image of the crucified Jesus Has always been sacred to Christians ; The Church suppressed science in the Middle Ages ; Catholics are not Christians ; The United States was founded as a Christian country -- Myths about Islam, Muslims, and the Qurʹan: Introduction ; Most Muslims are Arabs and all Arabs are Muslim ; Muslims worship a different God ; The Qurʹan condemns Judaism and Christianity ; "Jihad" Means holy war ; The Qurʹan encourages violence ; The Qurʹan condones mistreatment of women ; The Qurʹan promises suicide bombers 72 Heavenly virgins ; Muslims reject democracy ; Muslims fail to speak out against terrorism ; American Muslims want to impose Islamic law on the United States -- Myths about other Western traditions: Introduction ; Zoroastrians worship fire ; Voodoo is black magic ; Witches worship Satan ; Rastafarians are marijuana abusers ; Unitarian Universalists may believe whatever they want.

Myths about Eastern traditions: Introduction ; Hinduism is a single religious tradition ; Hinduism promotes the caste system ; Hindus worship idols ; Buddha is a god for Buddhists ; The Laughing Buddha (Budai, Ho-Ti) is Buddha -- Myths about nonbelievers: Introduction ; Nonbelievers are ignorant about religion ; Nonbelievers have no basis for morality ; Without religious belief, life has no purpose ; Atheism is just as much a matter of faith as religion is -- Bonus myths: The Bible says: "Cleanliness is next to Godliness", "The Lord works in mysterious ways", "Hate the sin, love the sinner", "God helps those who help themselves", "Money is the root of all evil", "Spare the rod and spoil the child", "To thine own self be true", "This too shall pass", "To err is human, to forgive divine", and "Idle hands are the Devil's workshop" ; The Bible forbids eating pork because it causes illness ; The Apocalypse is the end of the world foretold in scripture ; Satan and his devils torture humans in Hell ; Cherubs are cute, childlike angels ; Christians were systematically persecuted by the Romans ; There was a female Pope named Joan ; Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland.

50 Great Myths about Religions is an intriguing, informative, and often humorous introduction to some of the long standing myths that surround religious belief. This engaging book will get its readers thinking about how and why certain myths have arisen, and their continuing influence on our personal and collective view of religion. Offers a lively, informative, and thought-provoking introduction to some of the common misbeliefs surrounding religions. Discusses myths about religious belief in general, as well as specific ideas that surround Judaism, Christianity, Islam, atheism, and agnosticism. Covers a wide range of myths, from ancient legends such as the Bible forbidding pork being eaten because it causes illness, to modern urban fables, such as Barack Obama being a Muslim. Unpacks each myth in turn, explaining why it arose, how it spread, and why the beliefs that stem from it are questionable. Includes a fascinating discussion about human nature, and the main characteristics that predispose us to create and circulate myths to begin with. Underpinned by a wide knowledge of academic research, it is written by two respected religion scholars and experienced authors.

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