In this history of the development of human consciousness, Steiner makes the startling announcement that the world actually ended in the fourth century A.D. Since then we have been living in an increasingly spiritual world on a disintegrating, dying earth. We have simply been asleep to this spiritual reality around us.

An Atheist's Handbook describes the "Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How" of the author's transition from religious believer to religious nonbeliever in a logical, philosophical, and easy-to-read fashion. It should be required reading for everyone who does or does not believe in God.

Man is spirit. But what is spirit? Spirit is the self. But what is the self? The self is a relation which relates itself to its own self, or it is that in the relation [which accounts for it] that the relation relates itself to its own self; the self is not the relation but [consists in the fact] that the relation relates itself to its own self. Man is a synthesis of the infinite and the finite, of the temporal and the eternal, of freedom and necessity, in short it is a synthesis.

"I spent the most of the first half of my life believing in Christianity and regarding belief in God as an essential component of human existence," George Ricker says. "I've spent the last 30 years trying to understand why I ever thought that way. This book is about how and why that process occurred. It's also about the danger posed to our democratic society by fundamentalist religion."

Godless in America is a testimonial about the advantages of life without gods and religions. It's also a no-holds-barred look at some of the problems with both concepts. Written in a style that is conversational, yet provocative, it is a candid assessment of the real culture war being fought in America today: the attack being waged by the Religious Right on the values of personal freedom, democratic government, and the necessity for all Americans to be treated as equals before the law and by their government.

At times humorous, at times outrageous, Godless in America treats religion and religious concepts as ideas that should be evaluated with the same standards used to evaluate all other ideas and concepts, not from the privileged position claimed by so many of a religious persuasion.

This was the first biography of Jesus to present him as a gifted and spiritual man, but as a man only, who was entirely human. He had wisdom, taught using parables, but being human, the Jesus of Renan was clever and opportunistic in his approach to achieving his aims. As time goes on, Jesus is shown to become increasingly enthusiastic and fanatical in the eyes of the author, to the point of deliberately allowing himself to be killed. Although one cannot prove this book to be more accurate than the traditional story (it is a matter of interpretation and opinion), it does offer a different view of Jesus that has been both criticized and praised. Renan had studied to be a priest by attending Catholic seminaries, had taken the minor orders of the Roman Church, but in 1845 abandoned the faith. This work sparked fierce controversy because of his priesthood connection and it caused him to be dismissed from the Chair of Hebrew at the College de France. This was the first in a series of four books meant to outline the complete history and formation of the Christian faith. Considered a classic work to this day, it is still widely referenced.

George Ricker's latest book, "mere atheism, no gods.no problem ," describes what he sees as the essence of atheism. In the title essay he writes, "Nothing about atheism prevents me from thinking about any idea. It is the very epitome of freethought. Atheism imposes no dogma and seeks no power over others."

Written with the same candor and conversational style that characterized his earlier work, this selection of material from the "Godless in America" web site ranges from rebuttals of criticisms of atheism, "Answering atheism's critics," to essays on science, "Genes don't care," and some hot-button issues, "A death in the life of a controversy," to reflections on the joy of sailing and the impact of the world outside on the world within in "Mockingbird."

The twenty-four essays cover a wide variety of subjects, and the collection concludes with the one-act play, "A last rite and some wrongs.with apologetics."

"Many people still cling to the notion of the village atheist, obsessed by gods and religions, bitter and lonely, living on the edge of town with no friends and no family willing to acknowledge the kinship," Ricker says. "I hope this book will help change that perception."

Authors Also Include Sidney Edward Mezes.

"Atheism: A Beginner's Handbook" is a basic introduction to why atheists think and act the way they do. In particular, what factors drive their unbelief, and why is the phrase "atheist morality" not an oxymoron.

Recent surveys have shown atheists to be the least trusted group in the nation, despite the fact that atheists espouse the use of reason in determining acceptance of claims. So why is reason so distrusted, and how did the atheist come to be seen in a negative light?

Until these questions are addressed, the U.S. will remain a highly polarized nation along both cultural and political lines. This we cannot afford, nor can we afford closing the popular mind to what atheism is about. This book makes a major effort toward casting much needed light on atheist thinking, and how the position of unbelief in a God or gods is arrived at on the basis of diligently applying scientific principles and reason.

The book is not about "converting" anyone toward an atheist mindset. Instead, it is more about shining a light onto the basis for atheist thought and logic. For the novice, a blueprint is provided for living authentically in a religious culture.

In 1804 Thomas Jefferson decided to study the gospels to see if he could distill the essence of Jesus' teachings into a concise book that could be quickly read and easily understood. This volume is the result, offering valuable insights into the teachings of Jesus Christ and into the mind and beliefs of Thomas Jefferson.

Authors Also Include Sidney Edward Mezes.

Khrisna of India. Thammuz of Syria. Esus of the Celtic Druids. Mithra of Persia. Quexalcoati of Mexico. All were crucified gods, and all met their fates hundreds of years before Jesus appeared on the scene. In this foundational work of modern atheism, American spiritualist KERSEY GRAVES (1813-1883) breaks the Christ myth down into its component parts and ably demonstrates how the story of Jesus has its roots in the depths of antiquity. Here you'll read about the surprising prevalence throughout global folklore of: . the miraculous and immaculate conception of the gods . stars that point out the time and place of a savior's birth . angels, shepherds, and magi visiting an infant savior . the 25th of December as the universal birth date of gods . saviors who descend into Hell . and much more. This is essential reading for students of comparative mythology and modern freethinkers. Also available from Cosimo: Graves's The Biography of Satan and The Bible of Bibles

Contents Nature of Agnosticism Erroneous Views of Agnosticism History of Agnosticism Agnosticism of Hume and Kant Complete or Absolute Agnosticism Mitigated and Partial Agnosticism and Their Forms Partial or Limited Agnosticism as to Ultimate Objects of Knowledge Agnosticism as to God Agnosticism as to Religious Belief Agnosticism as to Knowledge of God

This Book Is Comprised Of Three Philosophical Addresses Made Before The Students Of Cornell University At The End Of The 19th Century. Huxley And Scientific Agnosticism; Philosophical Agnosticism; Spiritual Religion: Its Evolution And Essence.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This enlightening work by renowned psychic Sylvia Browne contains the Gnostic tenets of her church, the Society of Novus Spiritus, and is a map of our charts regardless of what spiritual path we follow. It has taken many years of research to put together what at first seems simple tenets to follow, but in going deeper, this book carries within it the very heart of humankind's search for our own spirituality. Sylvia has also included many details from her own personal journey, which she feels is comparable to the quest that each of us follows to find our own God-center. As we travel this road, we can realize that long-forgotten, yet simple and truthful goal of viewing our life on Earth as our path to God.

The prevailing attitude in today's society is that all living things, our world and the universe was created and is under control of an omnipotent God. Civilizations from simple tribal groups to mighty nation, ancient to modern have worshipped supernatural deities, gods or a God. Do people living in today's sophisticated, industrial societies really believe in a God that was born in ancient times out of ignorance of nature and its workings?

Since there is no proof that God exists, doubts about his existence are always present. Doubts are disclosed in subtle ways to avoid being labeled a non-believer or even worse, an atheist.

For 2000 years, the Christian religion has been a way of life for most of the western world. It has shaped our lives by moral teachings supposedly handed down by God, for which we must be eternally grateful by paying homage to Him for our very lives. Where would the world be today if Christianity had not taken over the European world when the Roman Empire fell? "WHY GOD?" takes on these daunting subjects by examining these beliefs and attitudes.

The Latino population is a pastorally challenging polyculture. This diversity requires spiritual caregivers to approach every Hispanic individual with humbleness. "Cada persona es un mundo," "every person is a world," says Montilla. To equip professionals in ministry for their ministry with and for Latino/as, Montilla centers his presentation on families and rituals at the heart and soul of the Hispanic community as the key to caregiving. In that context he unfolds a variegated picture of the particular cultural guideposts for Latinas and Latinos in the U.S. today, especially their symbols and rituals, attitudes toward health and healing, abiding faith, and contemporary quest for creative agency and dignity. He closes by exploring pastoral strategies with issues of discrimination and racism, and contemporary issues in providing pastoral counseling with Latinas and Latinos.

Jean Meslier, a Roman Catholic Priest, who, after pastoral service of thirty years wholly abjured religious dogmas left as his last will and testament to be published after his death this book originally entitled Common Sense. The book includes a biography of Meslier by Voltaire.

"Sunday School Lessons for Agnostics and Others Who Wonder" is a straightforward and unconventional approach to explaining God, His love, and the teachings of the Bible as they relate to certain Christian doctrines that bother unbelievers.

Author Richard B. Backus puts these issues in a useful context and helpful perspective for those who are troubled about the idea of 'blind obedience," which is encouraged by many religions. He aims to promote the development of individual faith and delves into a number of questions, such as: Is faith important? Is it real? Does it do any good to pray? Who is Jesus, really? Is Holy Communion divine cannibalism? Heaven or Hell: Are there such places? What does God require of me? You will encounter many doubts in your journey of faith, but how you resolve these doubts will define your relationship with God. If you don't know God, your behavior will demonstrate the absence of God in your life. Your faith is there to guide you, but it changes daily-and it must be relevant daily. Only God can save you-and He will, because God loves you unconditionally-and there's nothing you can do about it!

Contents Nature of Agnosticism Erroneous Views of Agnosticism History of Agnosticism Agnosticism of Hume and Kant Complete or Absolute Agnosticism Mitigated and Partial Agnosticism and Their Forms Partial or Limited Agnosticism as to Ultimate Objects of Knowledge Agnosticism as to God Agnosticism as to Religious Belief Agnosticism as to Knowledge of God