Laughing at the Devil: A Cult Survivor's Religious Discoveries

Laughing at the Devil: A Cult Survivor's Religious Discoveries PDF Author: David O'Neil
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781430301103
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 444

Get Book Here

Book Description
Imagine that when you were six your mother ran away to join a religious cult, taking you with her. She did not tell your father where she went, but he eventually found you and fought to reunite the family. He failed, and their marriage collapsed when he rejected the cult and she refused to change her beliefs. "Laughing At The Devil" tells the true story of one such childhood. It also contains the answers David O'Neil found during his thirty-year quest to understand how religion obtained the power to destroy families. That journey helped him blend his intuitions and intellect, and heal his childhood wounds. His search revealed that Western religion is based upon the ancient science of astronomy, and, amazingly, that the biblical story of Samson is created from celestial observations made over four thousand years ago. These discoveries have the potential to help all of us integrate religion and science in a profound new way, and heal the wounds caused by their previous alienation.

Laughing at the Devil: A Cult Survivor's Religious Discoveries

Laughing at the Devil: A Cult Survivor's Religious Discoveries PDF Author: David O'Neil
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781430301103
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 444

Get Book Here

Book Description
Imagine that when you were six your mother ran away to join a religious cult, taking you with her. She did not tell your father where she went, but he eventually found you and fought to reunite the family. He failed, and their marriage collapsed when he rejected the cult and she refused to change her beliefs. "Laughing At The Devil" tells the true story of one such childhood. It also contains the answers David O'Neil found during his thirty-year quest to understand how religion obtained the power to destroy families. That journey helped him blend his intuitions and intellect, and heal his childhood wounds. His search revealed that Western religion is based upon the ancient science of astronomy, and, amazingly, that the biblical story of Samson is created from celestial observations made over four thousand years ago. These discoveries have the potential to help all of us integrate religion and science in a profound new way, and heal the wounds caused by their previous alienation.

Laughing at the Devil

Laughing at the Devil PDF Author: David O'Neil
Publisher: Createspace Independent Pub
ISBN: 9781440459610
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 300

Get Book Here

Book Description
Religion and science worked hand-in-hand thousands of years ago. Laughing at the Devil: One Man's Religious Discoveries reveals some of the forgotten thoughts of those times. David O'Neil was a child when his mother ran away to a fundamentalist Catholic cult with him and his sisters. The adventure profoundly affected his life, and subconsciously pushed him to study the roots of Western religion. Within Laughing at the Devil some of our long-lost knowledge is rediscovered. The basis of our historic pagan beliefs is illuminated, and their continuing influence is touched upon. Whether you've wondered how the seven days of our week came into existence or why the biblical Samson tale is riddled with mythical elements, you are certain to find new insights inside its pages. Other topics include when the 'Golden Age' prevailed, and what Nibiru-a Babylonian entity many now think is a planet set to destroy Earth-really was. A deeper comprehension of the Jesus story is also included. With this knowledge we can bridge the current gap between religion and science and build a better world, just as the searchers in the past did with their scientifically-religious thoughts.

Laughing at the Devil

Laughing at the Devil PDF Author: Amy Laura Hall
Publisher: Duke University Press
ISBN: 1478002107
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 103

Get Book Here

Book Description
Laughing at the Devil is an invitation to see the world with a medieval visionary now known as Julian of Norwich, believed to be the first woman to have written a book in English. (We do not know her given name, because she became known by the name of a church that became her home.) Julian “saw our Lord scorn [the Devil's] wickedness” and noted that “he wants us to do the same.” In this impassioned, analytic, and irreverent book, Amy Laura Hall emphasizes Julian's call to scorn the Devil. Julian of Norwich envisioned courage during a time of fear. Laughing at the Devil describes how a courageous woman transformed a setting of dread into hope, solidarity, and resistance.

Laughing Gods, Weeping Virgins

Laughing Gods, Weeping Virgins PDF Author: Ingvild Saelid Gilhus
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134717679
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 199

Get Book Here

Book Description
Laughing Gods, Weeping Virgins analyses how laughter has been used as a symbol in myths, rituals and festivals of Western religions, and has thus been inscribed in religious discourse. The Mesopotamian Anu, the Israelite Jahweh, the Greek Dionysos, the Gnostic Christ and the late modern Jesus were all laughing gods. Through their laughter, gods prove both their superiority and their proximity to humans. In this comprehensive study, Professor Gilhus examines the relationship between corporeal human laughter and spiritual divine laughter from c`ussical antiquity, to the Christian West and the modern era. She combines the study of the history of religion with social-scientific approaches, to provide an original and pertinent exploration of a universal human phenomenon, and its significance for the development of religions.

Cult and Ritual Abuse

Cult and Ritual Abuse PDF Author: James Randall Noblitt
Publisher: Praeger Publishers
ISBN: 9780275966652
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 292

Get Book Here

Book Description
A personal but also scholarly journey into the clandestine and confusing world of ritual abuse, this book provides unique insights into the catastrophic experiences of ritual abuse survivors and their efforts to find healing through psychological treatment. This revised edition provides contemporary revelations about cults in existence today and also new therapies developed since the first edition was published in 1995. Co-authored by a clinical psychologist and the executive director of a professional organization dedicated to treating survivors of cult and ritual abuse, this edition will be of interest to both academic and professional markets. The special legal dilemmas, survival problems and day-to-day life experiences of these survivors are examined in a scholarly but sensitive manner. The book presents the idea that ritual abuse is an age-old phenomenon found in many cultures throughout the world. That ritual abuse causes a variety of specific psychiatric symptoms is noted. Special attention is given to the diagnosis dissociative identity disorder that is frequently found among ritual abuse survivors. Suggestions are offered for effectively dealing with the various social and legal problems that result from this severe form of abuse. New diagnoses--cult and ritual trauma disorder--are proposed for this newly identified problem.

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die

I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die PDF Author: Sarah J. Robinson
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 0593193539
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

Get Book Here

Book Description
A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Five Midnights

Five Midnights PDF Author: Ann Dávila Cardinal
Publisher: Tor Teen
ISBN: 1250296080
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Get Book Here

Book Description
Ann Dávila Cardinal's Five Midnights is a “wickedly thrilling” (William Alexander) and “flat-out unputdownable” (Paul Tremblay) novel based on the el Cuco myth set against the backdrop of modern day Puerto Rico. 2019 Digital Book World Award Winner for best Suspense/Horror Book Five friends cursed. Five deadly fates. Five nights of retribución. If Lupe Dávila and Javier Utierre can survive each other’s company, together they can solve a series of grisly murders sweeping though Puerto Rico. But the clues lead them out of the real world and into the realm of myths and legends. And if they want to catch the killer, they'll have to step into the shadows to see what's lurking there—murderer, or monster? “A frightening, fast-paced thriller.” —Julianna Baggott, Alex Award-winning author of Pure At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Why Waco?

Why Waco? PDF Author: James D. Tabor
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520919181
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 457

Get Book Here

Book Description
The 1993 government assault on the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, resulted in the deaths of four federal agents and eighty Branch Davidians, including seventeen children. Whether these tragic deaths could have been avoided is still debatable, but what seems clear is that the events in Texas have broad implications for religious freedom in America. James Tabor and Eugene Gallagher's bold examination of the Waco story offers the first balanced account of the siege. They try to understand what really happened in Waco: What brought the Branch Davidians to Mount Carmel? Why did the government attack? How did the media affect events? The authors address the accusations of illegal weapons possession, strange sexual practices, and child abuse that were made against David Koresh and his followers. Without attempting to excuse such actions, they point out that the public has not heard the complete story and that many media reports were distorted. The authors have carefully studied the Davidian movement, analyzing the theology and biblical interpretation that were so central to the group's functioning. They also consider how two decades of intense activity against so-called cults have influenced public perceptions of unorthodox religions. In exploring our fear of unconventional religious groups and how such fear curtails our ability to tolerate religious differences, Why Waco? is an unsettling wake-up call. Using the events at Mount Carmel as a cautionary tale, the authors challenge all Americans, including government officials and media representatives, to closely examine our national commitment to religious freedom.

Dawkins' GOD

Dawkins' GOD PDF Author: Alister E. McGrath
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118724917
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 172

Get Book Here

Book Description
Alister E. McGrath is one of the world’s leading theologians, with a doctorate in the sciences. Richard Dawkins is one of the bestselling popular science writers, with outspoken and controversial views on religion. This fascinating and provoking work is the first book-length response to Dawkins’ ideas, and offers an ideal introduction to the topical issues of science and religion. Addresses fundamental questions about Dawkins’ approach to science and religion: Is the gene actually selfish? Is the blind watchmaker a suitable analogy? Are there other ways of looking at things? Tackles Dawkins’ hostile and controversial views on religion, and examines the religious implications of his scientific ideas, making for a fascinating and provoking debate Written in a very engaging and accessible style, ideal to those approaching scientific and religious issues for the first time Alister McGrath is uniquely qualified to write this book. He is one of the world’s best known and most respected theologians, with a strong research background in molecular biophysics A superb book by one of the world’s leading theologians, which will attract wide interest in the growing popular science market, similar to Susan Blackmore’s The Meme Machine (1999).

Speak of the Devil

Speak of the Devil PDF Author: Jean Sybil La Fontaine
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521629348
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 242

Get Book Here

Book Description
Allegations of satanic child abuse became widespread in North America in the 1980s. Shortly afterwards, there were similar reports in Britain of sexual abuse, torture and murder, associated with worship of the Devil. Professor Jean La Fontaine, a senior British anthropologist, conducted a two year research project into these allegations, which found that they were without foundation. Her detailed analysis of a number of specific cases, and an extensive review of the literature, revealed no evidence of devil-worship. She concludes that the child witnesses come to believe that they are describing what actually happened to them, but that adults are manipulating the accusations. She draws parallels with classic instances of witchcraft accusations and witch-hunts in sixteenth and seventeenth-century Europe, and shows that beneath the hysteria there is a social movement, which is fostered by a climate of social and economic insecurity. Persuasively argued, this is an authoritative and scholarly account of an emotive issue.