Books are one of our greatest resources, but many times in history books have been written which are misleading or untrue. In some cases this has lead to widescale death and destruction and evil governmental regimes.
This is a list of ten of the worst books of this type – books that have done more harm than good. The common thread in all of these books is deception – invariably not intentional, but the consequences are the same regardless.
I have intentionally left off some of the more obvious choices – as they will almost certainly come up in the comments. This list is in no particular order.
On the list because: It inflamed witch hunts across Europe
Malleus Maleficarum (The Hammer of Witchraft) was a manual for witch hunters and judges to catch witches and stamp them out. It came out just prior to the protestant reformation and it was one of the most popular books amongst the reformers who were wanting to smash “evil” out of their countries. Between 1487 and 1520, twenty editions of the Malleus were published, and another sixteen editions were published between 1574 to 1669. This book single-handedly launched centuries of witch hunts.
On the list because: it turned out to be a creation of her own sexual confusions and aspirations
Margaret Mead was an American cultural anthropologist who traveled to Samoa to answer the questions on sexuality posed in America in the 1920s (particularly with reference to women). Unfortunately for Mead, the youths she interviewed in Samoa told her wild tales of sexual promiscuity and Mead reported it all as fact. One of the girls later said: “She must have taken it seriously, but I was only joking. As you know, Samoan girls are terrific liars when it comes to joking. But Margaret accepted our trumped up stories as though they were true.” If challenged by Mead, the girls would not have hesitated to tell the truth, but Mead never questioned their stories. According to Wikipedia: “The use of cross-cultural comparison to highlight issues within Western society was highly influential, and contributed greatly to the heightened awareness of Anthropology and Ethnographic study in the USA.” Interestingly, Mead was a highly regarded academic and had a large part in the formulation of the 1979 American Book of Common Prayer (Church of England).
On the list because: it was the inspiration for a long list of tyrannies (Stalin had it on his nightstand)
The Prince is a treatise meant for rulers who had shed all scruples – to a point that they might see evil as potentially more beneficial to society than good. Machiavelli hoped to start a revolution in the hearts of his readers, and he certainly achieved that. He proudly stated things that others before him had only dared to whisper, and he whispered things that had not even been considered. According to Machiavelli “it is not necessary for a prince to have all the above-mentioned qualities [merciful, faithful, humane, honest, and religious], but it is indeed necessary to appear to have them. Nay, I dare say this, that by having them and always observing them, they are harmful; and by appearing to have them they are useful.” Some of the people inspired by this book are Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and Napoleon I of France.
On the list because: it helped spread Hitler’s genocidal anti-Semitism
In Mein Kampf, Hitler outlined his racist plan for a new Germany which included mass murder of Jews, and a war against France and Russia to make living space for Germans. At the time of publication the book was largely ignored, but once Hitler rose to power that changed. It is believed that over 10 million copies were in circulation in 1945. The book is largely influenced by The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind by Gustave Le Bon (1895) which suggested propaganda as a means to controlling the irrational behavior of crowds. In addition, Hitler drew on the fabricated Protocols of the Elders of Zion to give support for the need for his anti-semitic plans. Hitler speaks of “The Jewish Peril” which he believed was a conspiracy by Jews to take over the world. The book outlines the racial worldview in which people are classified by race as superior or inferior. In 2003 the sequel to Mein Kampf, Zweites Buch, was published in English for the first time. Zweites Buch (Second Book) expands on the original ideas of Mein Kampf and outlines further plans for a war with the United States and the British Empire for entire world domination by Germany.
On the list because: it preaches eugenics
Margaret Sanger is the mother of modern contraception and the founder of Planned Parenthood. In her 1922 book, The Pivot of Civilization, she outlined her theories of eugenics (control of the human race by selective breeding) and racial purity (3 years before Hitler did the same in Mein Kampf). The basis of her support of contraception was entirely due to her belief that inferior humans should be killed to enable a superior race to appear over time. Sanger did not just entertain popular ideas of her time – she was the champion of the cause. In her book she says: “the most urgent problem of to-day is how to limit and discourage the over-fertility of the mentally and physically defective.” She goes on to say: “possibly drastic and Spartan methods may be forced upon American society if it continues complacently to encourage the chance and chaotic breeding that has resulted from our stupid, cruel sentimentalism.” Birth control was, in her mind, “the greatest and most truly eugenic method.” Needless to say, Planned Parenthood today have tried very hard to distance themselves from their founder.
On the list because: it convinced the world that education is not about facts
In Democracy and Education, Dewey disparages schooling that focuses on traditional character development and endowing children with hard knowledge, and encourages the teaching of thinking “skills” instead. His views have had great influence on the direction of American education–particularly in public schools. This book could be considered to be the anti-classical education manifesto. And the consequence? A generation of youths with an inferior education which lacks a founding in solid facts and knowledge. Dewey was one of the three founders of the philosophical school of Pragmatism – a school of thought which proposes that “truth” is made and can change. The current curriculum in New Zealand is one which would please Dewey immensely as it is largely founded on his principles.
On the list because: it caused deaths through bad advice
Regardless of whether you agree with the methodology of Spock, no one can deny that many children probably died of cot death as a result of his advice to put babies to sleep on their stomachs. This advice was extremely influential on health-care providers, with nearly unanimous support through to the 1990s. Spock believed that babies on their back can choke on their own vomit – leading to death. Scientists eventually found that Spock’s advice actually lead to more deaths by suffocation. Estimates of the number of deaths caused by this bad advice are as many as 50,000. Spock also advocated a method of child raring that moved away from discipline based methods. Previously, experts had told parents that babies needed to learn to sleep on a regular schedule, and that picking them up and holding them whenever they cried would only teach them to cry more and not to sleep through the night. Spock taught the exact opposite.
On the list because: it was a propaganda book designed to incite racial hatred
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a booklet that purports to describe a plot by world Jewry and Masonry to take over the world. Despite the fact that the booklet is a hoax, it was spread wide and far and believed by most Europeans to be true. Many people today still consider it be factual. It was instrumental to Hitler’s anti-Jewish efforts in Germany and it was used after the Russian Revolution to perpetrate hatred and violence against Jews. The booklet continues to be published and disseminated in many Middle Eastern states which are political enemies of Israel.
On the list because: it could win the award for the most malicious book ever written
This book has inspired some of the most brutal regimes in man’s history. Regardless of whether there has been a state which is a true Marxist state, this book has inspired so many evil actions that it can not be left off a list of this nature. Some of the principles found in the manifesto are the abolition of private ownership of land, confiscation of property of emigrants, heavy taxes, and the abolition of inheritance.
On the list because: It fuels fundamentalist attacks on Science
By arguing against aspects of Darwin’s theories, this book has given fuel to the fundamentalists who argue that a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis is the only possible manner in which the earth was created. Despite much refutation from the Scientific community, many fundamentalists still use this as a “source” for proof that evolution is not true. The book itself was not peer reviewed as Behe claimed under oath, and the Science community has overwhelming rejected it. It should be noted that Behe himself is not a fundamentalist and does not believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible.
Nice list. It's a good thing I haven't read any of these books, right?
Also, this list is SO asking for a war in the comments.
Actually the Prince is quite well written, and not so bad, in terms of intent. It's just gotten a really bad reputation. Machiavelli actually argues that a leader who is loved is more effective.
Actually his book is all satire.
actually, he argues that a feared leader is more effective than a loved one..
No, he says a loved leader is more effective. But it is easier to be a feared leader.
I take it you deliberately left off religious texts then
Quite an interesting list. I might have a read of 'Darwin's Black Box', it always amuses me how people can take science, deform it out of all recognition, then spout it as truth.
Much like this whole “global warming” hoax.
Hoax? Are you really that stupid?
believer? are you really that ignorant
Great list.One book that has spawned some deaths is The Turner Diaries,the book that Tomothy Mcviegh had in his car when he was caught after the OK. bombing.And I guess one could argue that The Bible could be on this list as well.
People have different views on religion. You can have yours but don't go dissing others. All these books caused bad things to happen the Bible has done no such thing.
The Bible never caused anything bad to happen? HAH! I guess if you don't count the Crusades, Inquisition, witch hunts that were justified because of the bible verse about witches, and all the people who have been murdered or shamed in the name of Christianity. There is more to the world then Facebook and American Idol and kittens, so please open you eyes and learn some history.
Really Mel? Yes, some bad things have been done in the name of Christianity and the Bible, BUT the Bible didn't teach people to do those things, they were done from bad interpretations of the Bible, and or even done in direct contradiction to the Bible, but in the name of it.
Second, how many people died in the Inquisition? Maybe 1,000 over many, many years (I could be guessing high, maybe it is only hundreds). Crusades were first a defense against the Muslim invaders, and the later offenses were against clear Biblical teaching, and flows from a certain theology that isn't the major view of the Church, nor ever has been.
There has been evil done in the name of Christianity, but I would argue 2 things:
1) The evil done in the name of Christianity was actually done against accepted majority view of what Scripture teaches and thus is not taught directly in the bible and performed by either non-christians, or christians who were not being consistent with Bible teaching.
2) The evil done by secularism way outstrips Christianity any day.
But hey man your free to hate anything you like, just don't think facts are behind you in hating Christianity, which I would suggest to you has done more good in the world than any other "world view / religion", and is the reason why most "Western" countries are so prosperous and free.
If we were being honest here, we would put the Koran in this list before the Bible, it blatantly teaches murder and lying, and if you look at the countries throughout history that use it over the bible, the people are poorer, and more oppressed than those countries that uphold the Bible. What new advances in the world do you see coming out of Muslim countries?
Would you rather meet in a dark alley a Muslim coming out of a Mosque in Iran, or a Christian coming out of a church in America? Open your eyes to reality.
I have quite a few Muslim friends in the Middle East, and would not mind meeting them coming out of a Mosque.
I am a Christian and love God. I love the Bible and believe that it is truth. However, I do agree that people have done terrible things because of their understanding of it…not to say that it commands horrible things, but they were done none the less.
Also, prosperity is not Christianity and God-forbid we equate wealth and western "progress" with the Bible or Christ, that is going down a road very similar to the crusades.
All in all, it is God himself who transforms lives through his Spirit. Many times he does this through the Bible. But the Bible has no power in itself apart from Him, and can be twisted to support whatever someone wants (such as crusades) if they are not in a relationship with God and if they do not understand his heart.
I am deeply hurt by what has been called "Christian".
One, you have clearly never read or even read an interpretation of the Koran, as displayed by your clear lack of knowledge when you say that "it [the Koran] blatantly teaches murder and lying". It does no such thing. The old testament, however, does teach murder and hate, as well as racism.
As for advances in the world by Muslims, I suggest that you look up the basis of the alphabet you're writing in, not to mention algebra.
Finally, throughout history some muslim countries have done very well for themselves, like the Caliphate, and the Mughal, Safavid, and Ottoman empires. It was only after they were divided arbitrarily by Christian Europe that this happened.
As for which I would rather meet, I would be pleased to meet either of them. I have no stereotypes of these people.
Not trying to add to the flame war but one word.. Leviticus.. Only know a little about it, but some violent stuff came from it and continues to this day.
I’d be curious about why these churches and mosques exit into dark alleys.
If we want to be honest, a lot of good and bad has been done by those influenced by the Bible and the Koran. The same could be said for at least a couple of the books on this list.
ohhh save us the crap plz if a child meets some pedo-christian coming from a church in a dark valley u can imagine what will happen… all of the same blood…and western countries are not that “prosperous” raping pedophily…. and i pass maybe now muslims governements are oppressing their people but as you hate it, people became more consious just see the case of libia and egypt…many more in the future….in every thing there is evil and good i know that what i’ve written wouldn’t change anything but just to say no one is perfect neither muslims or christians or jewish only god whatever his name is perfect.
winding defense of a good book. but before making accusations against a book (Qur’an) you obviously don’t know anything about, please read and understand it instead of using what the media tells you as your source. thank you.
First the crusades were not a defense it was an invasion. Second, how does the *Quran teach murder and lying, as far as im aware the only violence mentioned in Jihad which is defending yourself against foreign attacks and the only “lying” there is is if you are faced with death and have to say you are not muslim to avoid being killed. And there are no muslim advances? first of all Christians didnt invent everything in the world so relax the muslims brought europe out of the dark ages and progressed medicine math and science. The reason why Arab countries are how they are is becasue of Americans. Also where would the US be if it werent for our dependence on ARAB oil.
Really? This just shows how ignorant you really are. The Old Testament taught that racism, slavery, and the killing of homo*****uals is right. Before you actually start all this crap, actually read the texts first. And the Qu’ran belongs to Islam, a religion much more peaceful than Christianity. Mosques don’t open up to a dark alley. I would prefer to meet a Muslim over a Christian because Muslims don’t go around saying they’re right all the time and spouting religious crap.
“Would you rather meet in a dark alley a Muslim coming out of a Mosque in Iran, or a Christian coming out of a church in America?”
I’m blown away that someone can be this dense. I don’t think you intended for it to be, but that’s an incredibly racist sounding remark. It would not be any great danger to pass a Muslim in a dark alley… to think that it would be would be to confuse them with a terrorist group just because they look the same. To be Muslim does not automatically make you an evil or dangerous person. Muslims are just as peaceful as Christians claim to be. And the non-peaceful ones are an extremist sect of the Islamic religion not endorsed by the peaceful Muslims. In fact, it could be argued that American Christians are the evil ones seeing as how their non-peaceful Christians (soldiers killing innocent civilians in their home countries) ARE endorsed and supported by “peaceful” Christians in America.
And to think that the Bible has not screwed up the world is to be either in denial or insanely oblivious, and I truly don’t mean that to be an insult. Whether it has caused violence through misinterpretation or has blatantly called for violence (which it does in passages), either way, it is the root of the violence. I think a logical person would have to put the Bible as number one on this list. And by a very large margin. I don’t think the authors of the Bible (whether it was God or man) intended for it to be so destructive, but that’s how it turned out. No other book has caused as much damage as that one.
You can say the exact same thing about the Communist Manifesto – it didn’t teach anyone to do bad things, it was just a bad interpretation of the text that lead them to do bad things. The Bible is full of material that is far too open to “bad interpretations” for it to be left out of the top 10 books that screwed up the world. The Malleus Maleficarum could not have wrought the evil that it did if the Bible did not tell Christians “though shalt not allow a witch to live”.
What are you talking about you dolt! There are many, MANY, passages in the bible that promote murder! For example: If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. – leviticus
That blatantly states that if a man fornicates with another man or a woman fornicates with another woman, then they shall be killed in the the name of god. You need to know your religion before you try and preach it.
Also, I find your comments on the middle east to be quite ignorant and the work of an intollerant bigot. Do you honestly believe that the koran states to kill and lie? You mustn’t of read it and it seems you only believe what you wish to believe. In fact, the bible and the koran are the same in many ways. For instence, christ is stated to be a prophet of god in the koran and is one of the holiest figures in the muslim faith.
Another thing I wish to touch on is the crusades. The crusades were not started by muslim ‘invaders’ but because hatred between christians and muslims had been brewing for centuries. The holy lands were technically under islamic controll but the muslims let christian missionaries in to make prayer and such. Regardles of what the concequences were, the pope wanted to seize controll of the land at any cost. When a small group of muslims, let me say that again SMALL group of muslims, attacked constantinople (which was a part of the byzantine empire which was under christian influence) the pope saw the attack as an excuse to invade and claim the holy lands. Thats what started the crusades. Oh and christianity isn’t why the western cultures are free it’s because of the political and ecconomic policies that are set for the said contries. America for instance wasn’t brought up on any form of religion but freedom of all beliefs. Truely, the bible should be on this list as well as any religous text due to the fact that religion often leads to ignorance, ignorance to hate, and hate to violence.
The reason why most western countries are so prosperous (I wouldn’t dare to say “free”) is because they ransacked their colonies, not because of a book.
Well Said Mel, they are just refuting you because they are scared about learning the truth about their religion.
I see it as a tool to manipulate the masses and gain incredible wealth from it, and they always killed the protesters/atheists/people who don’t believe. After all, they have been doing that since day 1 when religion started.
But now a days, they can’t kill us anymore, that’s why there are so many religious sheeps than us. Oh well, The world is rapidly growing into an atheistic world, except for some 3rd world country like Africa, because of freaking missionaries.
Learning your own religion sheeps, see throught the crap, You only believe, not know, so your religion is regarded as fairytales. Deal with it.
Let’s just get one thing straight, there was no Islamic faith before about 610 AD. The beginnings of modern alphabet was introduced into Greece by the Phoenicians well over a thousand years before that happened, and it had no vowels. The Greeks had to invent them themselves.
lol! atheist. Africa is not a country, puppet.
I definitely took note of this demonic list. Note to all readers! I don’t mean to offend any person for your religion, faith, belief, ignorance, or whatever it is that you rest and have invested your life and eternity in. Nor am I trying to ignite my own torch in the fire that’s been burning in us forever. I am simply working, sounding off the alarm and calling all people to wake up in the name of Jesus Christ and become wise and be free from the wicked one. Stop being a slave! Believe it or not we are, in a spiritual and psychological way.
For you Laxion and everyone reading, let me tell you that I feel you and your belief that the Word “Bible” is merely a myth or like you said “fairy tale”, for I once wore the same brand as your ignorant shoes. You as well as most people posting comments in this page along with every other brother in the world are speaking out of ignorance and maybe high or low levels of knowledge, but you are missing wisdom, which only the Word gives you. First of all, the Word “Bible” cannot, in any wise mind, be labeled or refered to as a “fairy tale”. Look up the meaning of “fairy tale” word. It is falsehood, a story/s made up to mislead. It is exactly what all these books in this list, disney, and the rest of the media is. They are falsehood to mislead you from the Truth which is God. These top 10 along with most of what is out there are the weapons that are used to bombard us in the battlefield which is our mind by the prophesied army of Media (Isaiah 21:2 I have seen a vision of cruel events, a vision of betrayal and destruction. Army of Elam, attack! Army of Media, lay siege to the cities! God will put an end to the suffering which Babylon has caused.) Since I’ve listed one true event of our reality that was propehsied thousands of years ago so I think we can start by taking that harry fairy word and throw it aside. But we need another witness and its testimony to shine in higher voltage in our obscure mind and to rid from the label of “myth”. In the book of Genesis the Word tells us that our Father made us from the soil of mother earth so we have physical form; and God made us in His image thus we are beings of unimaginable knowlege and wisdom. Darwin crap say we come from monkeys and many others say many more deceit. But just like a baby feeds from its mother’s breast we too as children of God eat from mother earth and she was given, by the Father’s works, all that His children need to live and survive; overall the food from agriculture. All for us to grow, function, and be complete in our natural life stage. We need a dietary supplement being mother earth’s elements (calcium, sodium, carbs, protein niacin,etc.) Likewise we need the Father and His word to prepare, grow, and be complete when we shall meet face to face in our heavenly “spiritual” life. So now we can rid of both ignorant labels of what is known as religion, Bible, tradition, or whatever because God is that and all of the above. I personally will never again in my life will minimize my Father “All Mighty” into a sect, ritual, or brand as I once did because of the ignorance and darkness transmitted to me since day one, but now… (1 Corinthians 13:11-13When I was a child, my speech, feelings, and thinking were all those of a child; now that I am an adult, I have no more use for childish ways. 12 What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face-to-face. What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete – as complete as God’s knowledge of me. 13 Meanwhile these three remain: faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.)
Just to strike any dark-filled mind out and shine ignorance out of unbelievers along with it’s mythical labels in regards to our God Most High, lets bring out the 3rd witness and his testimony. In the book of Daniel the Word tells us about all the empires that will come to pass before the first and second coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ. He’s been accurate on this area and every other one that you might wanna look into.There’s just too much to learn from God that will take an eternity to do so. Daniel interpretes a dream that the king of Babylon had. (Daniel 2:31-49) Grab your Bibles and read about it. But it mentions Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. Yet there is one more to come before the Big Mountain of Rock which is Christ will shatter all and it is setting it’s stage as I type. The NWO and it’s movements are in secret “darkness” and they will control all the world because God’s Word says so. It is exactly the reason why they murdered. the late Mr President John F. Kennedy’s and by far, in my limited vision, the most powerful man in our times and one of God’s prophets, Dr. Martin L. King Jr. No way just a nobody is gonna murder the president of the most powerful nation in the 1960′s and a man whos words of peace and love resounded all around the world. Both martyrs speaking against the war/s and standing for the people with truth and the pressing of peace. Listen to JFK’s speech against the secret societies that are moving now and killed him. Listen to MLK’s speech that is self-described and goes “beyond Vietnam” which is part of it’s title.
Wake up people. We are in the end of times. Make sure you have the Jesus Christ life Vest for your spiritual safety. I haven’t had the time or enthusiasm to cover the Muslim Koran. But I’ll tell you that it is just like Christianity, a sect, gang, cult, or whatever you wish to name any church meaning body of people. I see a lot of talk about peace, law, worship, and conduct in Islam network, but in the little area covered I don’t see a command for Love. Islam besieges land killing, torturing, and forcing it’s belief onto the masses. Though Islam believes in the Father Most High, but only by their given name; and also believes in the Old and New Testaments of the the Word “Bible”, but only the selected few books and prophets that might not contradict their standing. Point is, it is simply demonic.
If God allows me to cover the Koran in a deeper view I can guarantee you that either Muhammad was a beast himself and deceiver of the world, or he truly was a prophet of God and simply the ignorance and prideful arrogance of his followers are to point for all the discordance and conflict in the world, and why we can’t come together as one church body of Christ, which is exactly what my own Christian followers have been doing. Which by the way, hold up here! With the past sentence just asserted, I just realized that Muhammad and his followers do recognize Jesus Christ as one of their religion’s prophets but totally do not believe in that prophet Jesus Christ and his whole message of Love and being the Son of God, yet they do concider Jesus Christ as one of their prophets that make up their belief. In my head, that does not make any logical, spiritual, or even stupid sense. That there just plainly tells me that Islam is part of deceit or then again Muhammad did recognize the Crucified Christ as King of kings and Messiah but the ignorance of his followers twisted his testimony. Anyway, I’ll get to the nitty-gritty of that at God’s due time. Now I speak about the Vatican. Someone here commented on how Christians have only killed hundreds, hmm, or maybe 1 thousand during “The Inquisition”. How about out of shame, lies, pride, fear, or for Christ’s sake etc. we just bring the number of deaths by the killing of torture, rape, experimentation, etc down to a two digit death toll; or blame it on a certain pope or maybe it wasn’t even Christians who did the killings in the inquisition.
Hello people wake up. Muslims kill violently, but history and facts show that Christians are the worst animals in the planet, killing by the millinions and most likely billions; straight up blood baths and cries of pain that still resound in space. Christians esp. the Catholic army has almost wiped out cultures off the face of the earth such as: the Native Americans and the annihilation of about 70% of the indigenous people of the Americas, the Aboriginal and African cultures. It has been demonic and shameful and worst of all done in my Savior, the King of kings’ name, Jesus Christ; proclaimer of Love whom in his many meals and interaction with the people he loved dearly, most likely also ate pork chops and drank a 40oz of wine or two in the old hoods of his days. He was a G from the streets raggedy and humble. Nothing like the pope who claims to be in place of Christ for the moment and sits in the filthiest wealth and golden palace of the world. Come on Christ himself told us to beware of that and images of gold or whatever and so on. Catholics please recite your commandments. In our faces just like that, we have been fooled to break the first and most important commands of the law by our own religious leaders and so called “saints” who’s calling for some is not even that where they’re at or where they wanna be. It is simply tradition and celebrations of traditional lies. One quick example, which to my logic, will not be admitted. It is the fact that they canonized (officially made/considered a saint by the Catholic “Christian” church) yet if it is the same Christ whom we worship as Christians, regardless of our click/denomination, rituals of worship, tradition, pride, etc. why hasn’t the Catholic church even taken into concideration in canonizing Dr. Martin L. King Jr. who underwent through the ultimate testing of his love for the church and his love for Christ of martyrdom to name one of the many, and not to mention Dr. King’s Love in actions through all that he did. (Exodus .1 God spoke, and these were his words: 2 “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves. 3 “Worship no god but me. 4 “Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth. 5 Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation. 6 But I show my love to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my laws. 7 “Do not use my name for evil purposes, for I, the Lord your God, will punish anyone who misuses my name. 8 “Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. 9 You have six days in which to do your work, 10 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work – neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. 11 In six days I, the Lord, made the earth, the sky, the seas, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the Lord, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.) Most important because God specifically puts Himself in the first 4 and if we can’t go through the first by loving and obeying Him we are doomed already, yet what makes us think we will make up on the 6 that remain. Let’s not even try and be more stupid and deceive ourselves some more. We say we love and put God first yet we brake the second and first command already simply because we are not putting God first by praying to a stupid insignificant image of God Himself that is made of gold and it shaped like the sun which in reality that is exactly the same Egyptian sun-worship just in a form of a “laugh in your face for being ignorant”; or “The Queen of Heaven” who for the past 2000 years has taken the name of Mary but has been around since Babylon in the first ages of our existence. Read Jeremiah 7 and 44. Or simply praying to “saints” We brake the 3rd command again simply by praying to Mary, saints, images, or who knows who your favorite character is, and then asking to the Father in the name of Jesus. wow. Should I go onto the 4th command? I apologize and forgive me if I offend you but you must be ignorant if you think that the seventh day of the week is Sunday. Look it up anywhere, even in the calendar that’s on your walls. Start living people and stop being slaves, followers, monkeys, you see and you do, slaves to the system, to your own body and mind. Be free and live to the standards of the Eternal Being in whom we were made in.
Ignorance, according, to Christ is a sin. It is the reason why there is so much disagrement and conflict in the world. Us people, by nature, are beings possesing a body of sin that are pride, sloth, envy, greed, gluttony, lust, and anger; why not feed ourselves with the commands of God which Jesus Christ summed all 10 in one, LOVE. For if you love you will be touched by its force and will hold you back from doing other stupidities called sin. Along with love feed from Christ which the bread of life. And no don’t think that by the Catholic rite “practice or ritual” of eating a piece of paper or whatever that thing is made of, and by drinking probably some pretty tasty cheap o’ wine. (forgive me Lord for assuming but I cannot hold my imagination of what these religious organizations are probably doing back stage when they do super ugly things in our face. Forgive them Lord, forgive us all,for we act with ignorance. We love you for your love and grace in flesh form by the name of Jesus Christ.) But the way we feed our spirit of the Living Bread Christ is by the relationship we have with the Word that is God, the exact same Word that is God and became flesh in the name of Jesus Christ. You might not like to read but you can start by listening. NOTE your ears read too. And apply it, test it, and triple test it in your daily lives, history, and with every aspect/area of life and the Word don’t go wrong, for it is the light. (John 1. 1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. 4 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out. 6 God sent his messenger, a man named John, 7 who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light. 9 This was the real light – the light that comes into the world and shines on all people. 10 The Word was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him. 12 Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God’s children. 13 They did not become God’s children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father. 14 The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father’s only Son. 15 John spoke about him. He cried out, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, “He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.’ ” 16 Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. 17 God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.) God bless you all and I remind you Saint Paul’s writing’s, wake up and rise from the dead, and the light of Christ will shine on you! Our Lord’s Love and Peace to all! DJ CALI-FUNK (Christian Advocate of Life-giving Information in Fellowship Under Nondenomination for the King)
It matters not how many words you write; there is no god.
Really? Muslims don’t try to “spout” their religios beliefs as true? Then why are there terrorists killing all who oppose “Allah” in the name of “Allah”? And “Anonymous” I’d like to see you try to prove that there is no God, you can’t.
You seem to be confused. They are absolutely right, Muslims don’t spout religious beliefs as true. Terrorists who kill in the name of “Allah” (I’m not really sure why you put his name in quotes… that’s the same as saying “Jesus”) are extremist sects of Islam, who are not supported and are feared by Muslims. Christians get just as defensive and spout when someone calls their religion into question as a Muslim or someone of any other religion would.
Also, people seem to be confused about how you go about proving and disproving a theory (which is what God as well as evolution is). You can’t jump straight to “I’d like to see you try to prove that there is no God, you can’t.” because things don’t have a reason to be disproved if they haven’t been proved first, which the existence of God certainly has not. So first, I’d like to see you prove there is a God. That’s when you can demand that someone prove that there isn’t.
Actually Brody, while you’re right about the “proving a theory” bit, you too are a little confused, because muslims DO spout their beliefs as true. The Qu’ran is supposed to be the definitive true word of God, directly dictated to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel (if I remember correctly) to revise the “misunderstandings” that the old and new testaments were.
Extremist sects of Islam may not be supported by OTHER muslims, but they still are muslims themselves and setting them apart like you do is like saying that protestants are not christians because they’re not supported by catholics.
Anyway, when you read the Qu’ran (it’s obvious you didn’t), you’ll realize that the problem with it is that it’s even more self-contradictory than the Bible is. From one surat to another, it says everything and its contrary: there are words of extreme kindness and tolerance as well as ruthless exhortations to kill infidels (believers of false faiths, including jews and christians). Some surats praise women, saying they must be revered, while other ones consider them not much better than cattle. This is why Islam includes peaceful humanists as well as terrorists. Both of these extremes, as well as every current in between, truly believe for good reasons that they live accordingly to Allah’s commands. The Qu’ran is undoubtedly the most schizophrenic book ever written, so if THAT is the true word of God, he probably was quite a drunken pig when speaking it! – Can this possibly be why alcohol and pork are prohibited?
By the way, Allah is not a name like Jesus, it simply means God in arabic, so an atheist is rightfully entitled to put it in quotes.
id like to see you prove there is a god (dog), oh wait you cant.
I love how people will seize upon any chance to attack religion.
The reason that books like the Bible and Koran are not on this list is because these books (and truly, the Bible is not a "book", it is several books) were not writen with the sole intent to promote evil. Indeed, the Bible ("do unto others…", "turn the other cheek…") the Koran ("the Jews and the Christians will have their places in Heaven") present very good directives to live your life well.
Of course, that matters little to those whose hobby it is to disparage the beliefs of others due to their own egocentrism and belief in self-superiority. If you need evidence of this, just ask yourselves how you would respond when some other ignorant soul suggests that "On the Origin of the Species" be included on this list.
They could claim (falsely) that it has led to genocide, ethnocentrism, and any number of ills, because they do not understand the work. The same is true for the anti-religion crowd. I have met very few people who can argue against religion from a strictly logical standpoint. It always devolves into emotion. Of course, the ultimate irony to the anti-religion crowd is that they claim to dislike religion on the grounds that they do not want someone dictating their lives and actions, and yet they will allow me to do so by baiting them into a conversation that I can pretty accurately predict on a forum board.
Free will indeed.
the bible. blah. spoiler alert….jesus dies.
("do unto others…", "turn the other cheek…") so sweet words:
"…those who didn't liked me to be they king, drag them and KILL THEM WITH A SWORD, IN FRONT OF ME!!! (Jesus to his apostle THE BIBLE, Lukas, chapter iota theta :19)
…NOT SO SWEET !
You should do some thinking on the term "ignorant" my friend CRE
^–Someone doesn’t know how to read in context. I’d be willing to bet that’s the only verse in Luke 19 that you read when you came to that conclusion. Go back and read the ENTIRE chapter, please. Do you know what a parable is? Maybe look that up as well. It helps to get your information from sites other than atheist commentaries. I’ll give you a chance to figure out the context for yourself. If you still can’t grasp it, comment back; I’ll help you.
this is not a list of books written for evil prposes, unless you consider raising a child as an evil deed. this list is about books that incited evil, even without it being the intention of the writter.
and under this category the bible was fuel to the crusades, the inquisition, witch hunts etc…
it's NOT the only religous book to do so, in my opinion EVERY religious book should be in this list
and i dislike religion because contrary to your biased opinion, religion teaches hate, mysoginism, intolerance, ignorance etc.
don't belive me? read the bible cover to cover, slavery is ok in the bible, killing women and mistreating them is ok in the bible and you can always say that's the old testament or that those are old laws, but the same bible in new testament has jesus stating that he "didn't come to undo the old laws, just to enforce them, and no single dot or letter shall be changed for it is the word of god"
try stoning your child to death for being disobedient
Jesus did not say He came to enforcr the lae(s) He came to fulfill the law. Big difference.
even worse when you put it like that. if the law for example says stone your kid to death for disobedience, then what you are saying is Jesus came to ensure that everyone actually stoned his kid to death when they are disobedient
Don't generalize people who don't like religion.
An attack on a belief (whether held by others or not) might not be due to “egocentrism” but because of a sincere belief that ideas matter, and bad ideas have bad consequences. Actually, it sounds more like altruism. People are not ideas, attacking the latter is not necessarily synonymous with attacking the former, and people do not “have” to hold any belief if they have a good reason to change them.
That’s the value of good discourse. It doesn’t require trolling, or your admitted use of baiting to prove a point (apparently, that most people who are anti-religious are emotional, not logical, and are so blind to their own negative emotions that they “allow” you to dictate the terms of the discussion, and the frame of it, to them).
As far as intentions to “promote evil” are concerned, there’s no evidence Hitler didn’t believe he was doing good and merely had ideas of good and evil directly opposite to what most of us think. Thus, the main problem (besides the sheer irrationality of the hate behind it) is that it was driven by very bad ideas indeed.
“The reason that books like the Bible and Koran are not on this list is because these books were not writen with the sole intent to promote evil.”
So was Mein Kampf. Hitler didn’t write it with evil in mind. He truly believed that he was right. The man was crazy, but he never wiewed his theories as evil, so your point is not valid.
you forgot the bible, no joke…I havnt met a single person that has had their life actually made "better" by the bible..but millions of people for hundreds of years have been killed because of stuff written in the bible
Apparently you are unaware of the many, many Christian organizations that work tirelessly around the world to make people's lives better. Of course, the very nature of these people is that their "reward is in heaven" – that is, they don't flaunt themselves the way organizations like Red Cross and the UN do, but they undoubtedly have a far greater impact.
And as for your second comment – "but millions of people for hundreds of years have been killed because of stuff written in the bible " – perhaps you should try reading it before making such a claim. You might then find it less plausible that it is the "stuff written" that caused so many to be killed. Even then, the worst modern genocides in history (e.g. Cambodia) have been committed by overtly atheist powers.
Funny. Because, while there are Christians going all around the world "that work tirelessly… to make people's lives better," they are in actuality forcing their own religion down the throats of the needy. Sounds more to me like they're taking advantage of the situation(s) in lesser developed nations.
inquisition,
witch hunts,
crusades.
The mass murder of Muslims by Christians in Kosovo.
The genocide of Muslims and Roman Catholics perpetrated by Serbian Orthodox followers in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The extermination of one third of the Roman Catholic inhabitants of East Timor by Muslims
those are a few of the killings made in the name of god
want to know about people that belived they were doing god's work?
Hitler often praised Christian heritage, German Christian culture, and professed a belief in an Aryan Jesus Christ, a Jesus who fought against the Jews
Hitler spoke of his interpretation of Christianity as a central motivation for his antisemitism, stating that "As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice.
religion, in ANY form, has been, and will be used to fuel violence, weather you like it, belive it, or not.
"I havnt met a single person that has had their life actually made "better" by the bible…"
You're not ashamed to publicly admit that you live a rather sheltered, isolated life?!
Interesting.
Mondo, you’re not ashamed to publicly admit that you don’t hesitate to assume things about people you know absolutely nothing about?!
Interesting.
Blaming the Bible, or any book for the actions of someone who mis-reads or mis-interprets it is like accusing David Berkowitz's neighbor's dog of murder.
There’s no misinterpretation when these books explicitly say: kill that homo*****ual (the Bible) or kill that infidel (the Qu’ran)…
It would certainly be more effective to put up The Bible than any auxillary text used by the YECists [Young-Earth Creationists]. Despite some messages of good, most of it is filled with xenophobia.
The Koran presents its own problems: According to my Myth & Folklore professor, Ayatollah Khomeini was "very close" to what the Koran actually said.
If you're going to include The Communist Manifesto, The Bible and Koran are guilty on the same basis.
If you take the capitals in your pseudonym, it reads “MSN hoe”. Is that on purpose?
"My question is what do you burn apart from witches?"
More witches!!!
Ehh: You're an idiot. More people killed in the last century in the name of secularism than killed in the name of Christ in all of history.
Numbers, please…
Oh, and you seem to have trouble understanding the concept of humor, so who’s the idiot again?
And also…please…please people, give up the whole religious text thing. It's not clever or smart, and those books have done as or more good than harm. Much like others on this list, the book itself is not what screwed up the world…it was the falacious interpretations of unscrupulous people that screwed up the world.
I agree: religious books aren’t clever or smart.
here's one that may get some folk's panties in a bunch.
THE KORAN. that rag has inspired centuries of bloodshed by the most evil cult in all of history.
thats bollocks for a start. I'm not religous but you're choosing to ignore what the Qu'ran actually says. Read the book and then tell me its preeching hatred and causing blood shed and is 'an evil cult'. I'm sorry but your views are unacceptable, its people like you who cause these problems in the world, and its people like you that make me think I should start believing in eugenics. I hold no grudge against any religon, I personally feel if I was to follow one it would be Islam because its preeches peace and acceptance of other religons and cultures, it is the peoples fault if they interpret the Qu'ran wrongly, not the religon, as I say, read the book and make an informed judgement on it, then talk to me.
Verses that show intolerance of and incite violence against non-Muslims and other religions in the Koran:
SURA or verse:
3.28 Let believers not make friends with infidels in preference to the faithful. He that does this has nothing to hope for from God.
3.85 He that chooses a religion other than Islam… in the world to come he will be one of the lost. 3.118 Believers, do not make friends with anyone but your own people.
4.101 The unbelievers (people who don't believe mohammad is the last prophet of Allah) are your inveterate enemies.
5.51 O you who believe! Take not the Jews and Christians for friends, they are friends one to another. He among you who takes them for friends is one of them.
5.72 Unbelievers are those who say “God is the Messiah, the son of Mary”..Unbelievers are those who say: “God is one of three.”
8.14 The scourge of the Fire awaits the unbelievers.
8.39 Make war on them until idolatry shall cease and God’s religion shall reign supreme.
8.67 It is not for any Prophet to have captives until he has made slaughter in the land.
9.5 Slay the idolaters wherever you find them…lie in ambush everywhere for them.
22.9 Garments of fire have been prepared for the unbelievers. Scalding water shall be poured upon their heads, melting their skins and that which is in their bellies. They shall be lashed with rods of iron.
47.4 When you meet the unbelievers in battle strike off their heads.
98.6 The unbelievers among the People of the Book, Christian and Jews, and the pagans shall burn forever in the fire of Hell. They are the vilest of creatures.
it's dumb***** RETARDED liberal morons like you with this stupid notion that multiculturalism is gospel on pain of death that are the cancer killing Western society. All cultures are NOT created equally, Western culture is superior to that festering and decadent one promulgated by Islam.
Hah! In yo face, Adam!
oh yeah…(how did i forget to address this one?)
mark: (#29) do you realize that you just said that anyone with religous beliefs is mentally handicapped? please provide some sort of reference to this over the top accusation.
Umm… lessee… religions teach you to take another person’s beliefs and assumptions for granted instead of thinking for yourself and making your own judgements. Is that reference enough for you?
I just knew it wouldn’t take long for folks to bring up the bible. I’m sure jfrater knew the same thing which makes this site so entertaining!
When I hear people talk about the evils of the bible and how dangerous the bible is I sometimes ask this question: If you were in a dark alley and you saw several large men heading toward you, would you be a little relieved to know that they were just leaving from their weekly bible study? I know that the some moral relativism people out there are thinking hey, those bible study people could be trying to give me poison cool aid or drown my kids in a bathtub because God told them to do so. I hear this all the time from some friends of mine. They will point out the crusades, or hypocritical TV evangelists etc. So they choose to throw the baby out with the bathwater and are convinced that all bible reading or religious people are crazy gullible people. Can’t we take in consideration the imperfection of man himself and not blame it all on religion or a holy book? Most religions & religious books teach peace and look to improve the world in positive ways. Mans belief and faith in his or her religion has been the inspiration of so many wonderful and beautiful things such as music, literature, architecture and has helped to build hospitals, schools and countless other things we just take for granted. I know the anti religious the agnostics the atheists want the same things as religious people and that’s a peaceful world. Believers and non believers can both take credit for many atrocities throughout history but when I think about living in a world with no religion and no faith I just think what a drab drab world that would be.
Great comment, Blogball. I'm agnostic myself, but I was raised rather strict Southern Baptist in South Texas. I didn't learn anything bad during my church-going years, no pleas for me to join the next crusade, no witch burnings, etc. I simply learned there are some things it's not right to do, and those pretty much echo my feelings today, not because they're sinful, but because they're wrong. I'm not referring to things like homo*****uality or other so-called sins of that nature, but of things like murder, theft, loyalty, honesty, etc. If anyone believes any dogma is a Compleat Owner's Manual, they're going to be screwed up, because I don't believe dogma can teach context. Oops – I'm starting to blather, and it's getting late; time for me to log off…
Finally a common sense reply to bible slammers…I often wonder if people who slam it have read the Book of John? or actually any of the bible?
I only read the Bible if I am suffering from insomnia. Fundamentalists, Creationists, The GOP, The Republican Party, The Tea Party coalition, Southern Baptists, Conservatives, Ann Coulter (a woman who is in dire need of getting laid !!). Rush Limbaugh (or Rush Limpballs as I call him), Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Bill O’ Reilly, Pat Robertson, George “Dubya” Bush can all kiss my ***. I suppose that by reading this you might think that I am a staunch Democrat. “The Bible” ? flush it down the toilet. “On The Origin Of Species, H.M.S. Beagle” by Charles Darwin ? Two thumbs up and I mean “to the sky” way up. Have you people ever heard of Carbon 14 dating and what its purpose is ? Thumbs up to the following : Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, David Letterman, Howard Stern, Lewis Black, the late Lenny Bruce, Jon Stewart, Steve Colbert, Stephen Hawking and his book “The Big Bang Theory”. And for those of you ultra republican conservatives who think that the earth and all living creatures were just made up only 5000 years ago. Read Books !!! Learn something for a change. Instead of twiddling your thumbs thinking that the Scopes Monkey Trial was a hoax, Think again. That’s right, get your little Websters Dictionary out and look up the difference between a THEORY and a HYPOTHESIS. Oh, and by the way, Mr Obama will be getting my vote in 2012. Case Closed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And what do you do of the Bible explicitly telling people to kill homo*****uals or the Qu’ran exhorting to kill infidels? The problem with those millenia-old novels is that they badly need to be rewritten by today’s standards. Heck, most christians nowadays leave out a big chunk of the Bible to take only the good (which technically disqualifies them as christians, but if they really wish to think they still are, so be it…), but if mankind complied with every single word in it, the world would definitely be very different from the Carebears utopia you believe a christian world would be.
Slick (and others):
DEMOCRACY AND EDUCATION.
Okay, here's why it's bad.
We are still living, in large part, in an educational world influenced by and cut from the cloth of Dewey. Not as much as when I was a kid, but still… and if you take a minute and look around, you find wherever you look an education system that is nowhere near as efficient or productive as it once was. When my parents went to school, in the 30s/40s, they could graduate (from high school) and would have the equivalent of a college education today, at any decent quality college. Now granted, we have more to learn today–science has advanced, and computers have entered the scene. We also don't limit ourselves to only the thoughts and viewpoints of dead white males (though sometimes we do discard them too readily in favor of less interesting substitutes). Nevertheless, what our parents were exposed to was far more deep (if not always quite as broad) than what we were exposed to in school.
Dewey laid the groundwork for this watering down of education. The point he had was that it IS the job of educators to teach people how to THINK, primarily… not to teach them "stuff." (which is secondary, but necessary). But it quickly became forgotten that these two aims need to mesh together, and that the teaching of "stuff" can affect one's ability to learn and think just as much as direct instruction in the processes of thinking.
And so, today, my children receive a very rudimentary and uninspiring education. It's up to me, as a parent, to supplement that, if I want them to advance. Not a bad thing, surely–but not every parent is equipped as I am to educate their children in all the broad categories which are imperatives for them. Before Dewey, it could be expected that schools and teachers would not only introduce kids to learning things they would not otherwise encounter—but to offer actual instruction in these topics. The introductions were much more than peripheral and the instruction was far more than superficial. Yet today the best they can hope for is the very peripheral and the highly superficial… at best.
The telling issue here is this: I am 43 years old, and thus was in school from 1970 – 1983. I have three siblings who are considerably older than me… from 10 years to 15 years older. I had occasion, once, to gain access to some textbooks which my brothers had used in the 50s – mid 60s. (In fact, I still have a few of them). Now, while these textbooks were, by our standards today, rather Eurocentric and narrow in viewpoint, they nevertheless read like college textbooks, and not at all like upper-elementary and high school books. I was shocked to discover what my siblings were being exposed to and actually *learning* when they were, oh… 10-18 years old.
By the time I got to school, however, Dewey had had his influence, and we instead got a watered down "Social Studies" instead of History, and the "new math" instead of traditional mathematics. The old English curriculum had almost completely been discarded and we read (and kids today read even worse stuff) very rudimentary and blah texts. Where my brothers and sister had read classics, the closest thing WE got to a "classic" was John Steinbeck (I, by the way, detest Steinbeck and feel he's a very inferior writer—but the point is, THEY were reading things that I wasn't compelled to read until college, if then).
Now, yes…. education was perhaps too regimental and rigid then. Perhaps. But what we can clearly see is that more and more kids, over the years, have gotten a short shrift compared to what their parents and grandparents got. We learn a wider variety of things, today…. but kids only get their toes in, at best.
We have Dewey to thank for the discarding of substance in favor of process. And the result? Our kids are far behind Europeans and Asians in math and science, watch Hollywood movies in class in lieu of actual instruction, and security is a greater concern in our schools than education.
You sir are as well equip as your parent's education form the 30's and 40's. All you did was spout regurgitated facts form other left wing conspiracy site. Dewey's influences in school in mostly responsible for the amazing leaps in all area's of civilization. An educator wear you are nothing but a book yourself and able to spout fact after fact made are country a bunch of cookie cutter'd people. Everyone thought, acted, and dressed the same. In fact the only real downside to Dewey is now i have to be subject to mindless dribble for Dewey educated people every time i turn on my Deep Blue here
One downside you obviously overlooked is your lacks in grammar and orthograph…
Great list. Mead’s book really is funny. When reading it, the stories about ***** from the locals seem far-fetched. Despite being refuted as bad anthropology practices, this book is still taught in many Cultural Anthropology classes.
Wow ! lots to learn here.
Interesting list. I rather enjoyed it. Some of these sound rather interesting. I kind of would like to read them.
JwJwBean: you should – they have their merit historically
This is really interesting, there’s bound to be hell in the comments, but controversial lists are always the most interesting. I’ll try to have a look at some of these if I can.
And good call leaving off the religious lists!
This is a good list! I’ve never heard of the first one, suprisingly…
Best list in a long time! I really mean that.
I like the inclusion of Sanger’s book. Feminist and radical leftists have succeed in making her out to be some kind of defender of a woman’s right to chose. Far too few people know enough about her true nature and what she was really trying to do.
#4
“Previously, experts had told parents that babies needed to learn to sleep on a regular schedule, and that picking them up and holding them whenever they cried would only teach them to cry more and not to sleep through the night. Spock taught the exact opposite.”
He was right for this one.
The common belief up until recently was that you will “spoil” your child if you pick them up and comfort them.
There is a new movement, one in which the health care field is starting to become fairly fond of called “Attachment parenting.”
There has been no evidence the children who are picked up and comforted do not attain a regular sleep pattern or become needy. Infact, they are more secure and confident.
Now I’m running out of steam, I’m gonna stop writing
you should dishonorable mention all books like the bible, koran, etc.
The Bible is the book that inspired William Wilberforce and his group to campaign against the salve trade and set in motion the vigorous and thoroughgoing reforms of the 19th century. Much of the harm that it is supposed to have done seems to me from conversations I've had with its detractors to have as much reality as the supposed flat earth society or the Inherit the Wind model of the anti-creation movement.
Actually the damage done has been by and large from the liberal end of the church. May I suggest Preaching Eugenics for one? Or a through understanding of where the social gospel came from? Perhaps it would interest you to know that it is the liberal end of the Christian church that supported early Progressives in this country, such as Woodrow Wilson. The man who re-segregated Washington DC and screened the film "Birth of a Nation" the film that glorified the birth of the KKK. And it cannot be disregarded that it has been the liberal end of the church that has been determined to make the Bible say what it does not say. By the way did I forget to mention that Woodrow Wilson, the political savior of his time, whose admin also threw hundreds of people in jail for daring to disagree with his going to war in Europe, not the mention jailing women who were agitating for the vote, and in at least one case, badly abused and force feed a woman while in jail.
Comments like yours are little more than historical ignorance imposed by a school system ran by liberal elites who blame the true conservatives for the sins of the their political forebears. Unless one would claim that WW was a conservative. Alas no, just part of the non*communist left, funny how they seem so ——fascist isn't it?
Kreachure: yep
dangorironhide: yep
jfrater: I’m not sure whether you’ve read Darwin’s Black Box, but Behe is a noted biochemist who believes in evolution and common descent. He completely disassociates himself from the creationist movement. While he is entirely wrong, and culpable for the wave of anti-science in the US, he actually argues for evolution, and his argumets have to do solely with irreducible complexity i.e the theory that some organisms are too complex to have evolved incrimentally. He’s wrong, but not a Creationist. They mainly use stuff like Duane Gish’s ‘The Fossils Say No’ or ‘Darwin on Trial’.
Michael Behe is not wrong. Evolution is philosophy, not science. Strictly speaking, such things as evolutionism and creationism are both philosophy and theory incapable of perfect proof. Science has not yet provided the world with a theory that is perfectly and completely proven. There is still more uncertainty about both creationism and evolutionism, simply because man has not been around long enough to know whether or not the universe is either young or old, we all were not there to know for sure which theory is the fact (the truth). The jury is still out. Conclusive proof doesn't exist.
You haven't a clue about what you speak.
evolution is a pseudoscience. Just like psychology; it's all theory, and can't be proven. Anyway, as far as the ridiculous theories of darwin go, even modern evolutionists have argued against many of them as impossible.
Scott and Kik – you guys are right, Macro Evolution (not micro) is a philosophy more than a science. The origins of the universe and the existence of God are not scientific questions, but rather philosophical or theological, thus science cannot talk to them.
JT – Really you think irreducible complexity is false? A mouse trap can work if it is just a bar and a piece of wood laying together? Hah!
Also Creationism doesn't necessarily mean Young earth, there are many many creationists (the belief that God created the universe) who believe in an old earth. Also the Bible doesn't teach anything really on the age, and that isn't its goal, its goal is to say God did it and not give the Scientific reason, or ways in which he did.
Also please note that Richard Dawkins even believes that we might have been created by a higher life form – aliens – but he says at some point it had to come about from natural processes. What?!? Cmon Richard you believe we were created, but no God did it. Why? Because you hate God, not because you have proof against it.
I would argue that if you do not believe in God, the primary reason isn't evidence, it is because you hate the idea of God, and thus are willing to believe anything that supports your prior commitments to atheism. My dear atheist you are as religious as any Christian Creationist I know, your faith is in Science, humans, and materialism, while ours is in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
The primary reason for not believing in god isn't evidence, it is the LACK of evidence.
Atheism is as much a religion as not collecting stamps is a hobby.
Evolution is one of the most tested theories there is and so far it has passed all these tests (see genetics)
Anyone who says "it's all theory" is showing how little they understand science and the scientific process.
There is no conclusive proof for ANY theory in science, again making a statement like "it's all theory, and can't be proven" shows that you should open a book and try and understand the subject you are attacking.
Longtime reader, first-time poster.
Including Machiavelli on the list is certainly an interesting choice. I just finished taking a class on the text, and while you definitely touched on the most difficult aspect of Machiavelli’s treatise (The “Appearing to be noble being superior to true nobility” part), Machiavelli also spoke of the need to treat the common people with respect. In Chapter XX, “On the Various forms of Defensive Structures and Their Uses,” he states that “The strongest fortress is built upon the love and loyalty of one’s own people.” Machiavelli himself was not a proponent of genocide or overwhelming cruelty. Rather, he was pragmatic, saying that morality takes a backseat to security. Italy int he 1500s was hiring Swiss mercenaries and constantly falling victim to incoming invasions, primarily because the influence of the Papacy was promoting “moral” leadership, which at the time included a lack of military build-up, the notion that the ruling classes were entirely superior to the peasant classes, and promoted an opulent lifestyle for the Nobles.
But you’re point definitely still stands. I personally like Machiavelli extensively, almost as much as listverse.
By the way, came across Machiavelli when he read about Otto von Bismark, who kept a copy on his nightstand as well.
What’s wrong with Democracy and Education?
sounds fine to me
Well, you are obviously a liberal who champions the crap that is the NEA.
I’ve never heard of #1. I guess I’m confused why a book about Darwinism that’s been mostly rejected would screw up the world more than Mein Kampf or The Communist Manifesto, which seemed to play large roles in some pretty major events in history (ie WW2, the Soviet Union).
"I guess I'm confused why a book about Darwinism that's been mostly rejected would screw up the world more than Mein Kampf or The Communist Manifesto"
It's because the person who created this list is a religious zealot – bound by his/her irrational devotion to materialist dogma. You see? It's number one on the list for EXACTLY the same reason that "On the Origin of Species" would very likely hold a high spot on the list if the list had been created by a fundamentalist, creationist Christian.
Didn't you read the introduction to the list? "This list is in no particular order."
My question is what do you burn apart from witches?
More witches!
wood!
A duck! They're the same thing!
Great List! I haven’t read many of these and I never even heard of a few of them. But, it’s always interesting to me how people are just as inspired by words of hate as they are by the words of love.
I would definitely mention the Turner Diaries as a very recent example, but I don’t think it could replace any of these on the list.
With “The Prince” and “The Communist Manifesto” it’s all about how you interpret them. I had to read both of them for a political science class, and I can see how they can be used for evil, but also, perhaps for good. Maybe I’m just a ridiculous optimist, but I think that Marx honestly felt that his book could not be taken in the way that Stalin took it.
"The Communist Manifesto" is an attack on the exploitive nature of capitalism, of imperialism, racism and the subjugation of working peoples by owners. It is a call for workers, for the majority of the world's citizens, to reject warfare against their fellows and take control of power from those who use it for oppression in non-violent means (read "Marxism and Terrorism" to understand that power cannot be taken by force). The Manifesto is a call to empower the majority. To see it on a list of "evil" books is laughable. Included most likely out of bias over understanding of what's written in it.
The Bible has led to far more wars, murders, deaths, genocides and conflict than any other book could ever hope to achieve. There are passages calling for open warfare against non-believers. Passages to kill witches, murder adulterers, etc. It was written with the intent of forcing its view upon others.
but this is not a list of “evil” books as you put it. rather its a list of misinterpreted books that screwed up the world, just like you misinterpreted the title of the list.
While the disbelief in Evolution is scientifically weak I wouldn’t say it’s the worst propaganda on the list, in fact, I’d say it’s the least harmful out of the ten.
Eugenics, racism and tyranny cause more problems than someone believing the world is only 6000 years old
bucslim: easy question! The answer is, of course, books!
Thewalkindude: you are probably right – but the manifesto principles are anti-freedom and I think that regardless of Marx’s intentions, he had to have a flawed perspective to think that it is better for people to have their freedom taken from them – who benefits from that? Despots.
ChrisM: let us not forget that the rejection of evolution as a possibility based solely on a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible has lead many people to try to have discussion of it removed from school curricula – it is pretty bad when any group tries to suppress open debate.
Nowhere in the Manifesto does Marx espouse the taking of freedom from anyone. Socialism calls for democracy in all aspects of life – in government, in production and in work. The Manifesto calls for people to organize in democratic unions in order to use their power, their organization, to improve their standards of living. To state Marx was anti-freedom shows a flawed understanding of his writings.
I like the list. It might be helpful to you to do a quick revision of a few sections. There are some mixed phrases and mispellings.
The Dewey book seems a little out of place here especially since many of the theories and practices he advocates are still being debated. You pointed to New Zealand as a place that applies his theories. I suppose it goes to refute the fact that the book has negative effects when you highlight a place in which it is doing some amazing things (i.e. highest literacy rate). I think the list in general was well done.
Cre: There are a few books on this list that were not written with the “sole intent to promote evil” as you say. The criteria states that these books were misleading and/or untrue. Knowing that, I think the Bible along with other religious texts, could certainly fit the bill.
Hey what about Mao’s Little Red book? Thats DEFINITELY a book that screwed up the lives of 1 out of 6 people on earth in the 20th century.
And what about the Bible, Koran, the Hadith, Torah, and other religious texts? Its not so much the texts themselves, but people’s interpretations, but yeah. They definitely could be understood as screwing up the world.
Nicowarrior: the problem is rejecting fact based education – some things are objectively true and to deny that is seriously wrong. The results in New Zealand from 10 years of this type of education system (where there are no tests because everyone passes) has given rise to a generation of uneducated people. Even reading abilities are dropping massively.
CRE – well said
bucslim – wood, which floats, but what else floats?
Notable ommission – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. There were things in that book that definately screwed up my little boy world. You cannot unread.
Nice list, but the Bible has to top the list. No book has completely FU humanity like it has. Science has showed that when a believer thinks about his faith, the reason part of his brain gets inhibited. The more “practice” a believer gets in thinking about faith, the more likely the reason center becomes inhibited in all matters, not just religion. In fact, there’s a great series of experiments at Standford that shows that you can literally take a believer, inject this part of the brain with the appropriate neurotransmitter, and he stops believing. Belief is a form of mental illness. It is the single greatest threat to the human species.
Ya noticed that there were no religious texts listed here. Understandably because what that would’ve touched off.
But seriously, more deaths/murders/etc were conducted in the name of religion/pickyourgod than anything else.
Common misconception. Millions were killed under (secular) communist regimes, and almost every war last century was free from religion. If anything , the holocaust was fueled with SCIENCE as an excuse. I'm not at all religious, and also believe we are better off without it, but lets try not to give it an unfair rap.
I don’t think the books were evil. Some of the writers might have been. I also think that what happens because of the book depends on who reads it and the way they interpret it and what they do with it. The same goes for all the religious books being refrenced in the comments. I wonder if anyone has been evilly influenced by Green Eggs and Ham yet. Hmm it is telling me to relentlessly bother someone until they try what I like because it will make them like it (regardless is they actually do or not). Yeah, Yeah. I will have to follow that book now.
I thought the answer was more witches.
I have to read most of these. I hope they aren’t too hard to find.
You are incorrect in your synopsis of “Darwin’s Black Box” and its author, Michael Behe. He does not believe in a literal 7-day creation story. I have read it. I take it you haven’t. But to say that it claims “a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis is the only possible manner in which the earth was created” is a misrepresentation. Behe seems to be an old-earth, pseudo-creationist.
Read the last line of his paragraph: "It should be noted that Behe himself is not a fundamentalist and does not believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible."
"I have read it. I take it you haven't." The same could be said to you for not reading the entire synopsis…
It clearly says, "…this book has given fuel to the fundamentalists who argue that a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis is the only possible manner in which the earth was created." It does not say that is what THE AUTHOR believes nor what the book actually claims. He is saying that this book leads some people to believe certain things — much different than saying the book actually says this.
How could this possibly take the number one spot? religious people will always believe what their text tells them. Name one person who was killed as a result of the creation/evolution debate.
Protocals of the elders of zion and the communist manifesto should be 1 and 2 respectively.
He states in the beginning that the books are listed in no particular order.
ive never read any of these. =/
This is the kind of list that keeps coming back to the list universe. Very educational and is very different from a book with the same title. Although some of the obvious books are the same.
I know someone suggested this in a previous comment but when the list is in no particular order maybe they should be numbered 1-10. This would be a sign for everyone that it is a random list.
Just a suggestion. Thanks for another interesting list.
I have to defend the prince here. If anything, you’re shooting the messenger.
It’s more a treatise on political cynicism and yes, tyranny (It was written in the middle ages, remember), and I think it’s a really healthy read for any person interested in politics. If anything, this book, in the hand of the people, should teach them to see the tyrants where they are and not to trust the political “showbusiness”.
In the end, the Prince just provides a very clean and cold-blooded *****ysis of how to rule efficiently. Well, it’s Machiavelli’s interpretation based on his own, medieval knowledge. It’s political science – observation – and not a moral standpoint. Machiavelli didn’t create tyrants, tyrants just used his book for their own ends. If you look deep enough, you’ll probably find that many “good” politicians also read the book, and that a lot of them think it’s a great book too.
In the end, if you wanna blame the actions of some people on books, you always can, but on that level, I think many holy books would need to be placed on the list too.
JF-site isn’t letting me go to this list when i log in????\
ALL- Darwin’s Black Box, eh, I will have to read it. Sounds interesting. Is it categorized as fiction or Nonfiction?
Mark – Where can i find access to this Stanford Experiment results? I am curious if thats complete bull***** like any religious person who *actually believes* would say or if there is some bit of truth to it somewhere. I think the whole idea that you can change a persons beliefs is crap and if they weere a true believer and follower it would not be possible.
I regularly show the Stanford Experiment video in class, along with the Milgram Experiment. The results are that people who were not evil before will do evil things when placed in role of power, and and told to do so by authority figures.
Everything You’ve Always Wanted To Know About ***** But Were Afraid To Ask by Dr. David Rueben. Its mega-phobic and hateful chapter on homo*****uality where gay people are described sick doomed perverts kept me in the closet an extra 5 years.
But the movie was hysterical in its making fun of the book.
TBone: I didn’t say he believed in it – I said his book fuels the belief in it due to refuting aspects of Darwin’s theories.
longball: what do you mean?
to all the guys out there blasting religious books:
i think that blaming all the evils on the world on religious texts is lazy and inaccurate. Whilst you might focus on the topics or passages which you perceive as hate speech or war mongering, you ignore all the good humanly advice in these texts.
Poverty is challenged by encouraging charity, Demoralization is challenged by chastity, greed is challenged by helping less fortunate and the list of solutions to evils is endless.
I challenge you to read any of the three major holy books (Bible, Torah and Quraan)pondering over its meaning and implementing the good advises in it and then tell me if those books really screwed up the world or made a positive effect on the removal of evil.
Mr Charles Darwin’s influence and Karl Marx and on tyrants such as Hitler, Staling and Mussolini cannot even come close to any fundamentalist who killed in the name of his religion.
"As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice."
can you guess who????, no? here it goes:ADOLF HITTLER when talking about his views on judaism
can you repeat your last statement?
want more? how about the inquisition???
150 000 persons killed because they didn't love your god in the same way your church does
coming close yet?
Yeah Sangers book was definately, definately evil. I think that and “Mein Kamph” should of definately surpassed “Darwin’s Black Box”.
There is no way to justify eugenics and racial hatred, not at all. DBB is just a belief in the ever-changing world of paradigms. What was the “truth” in 1800 is no longer the truth today, just as what was considered to be the truth in 1600 was all but dismissed by 1800.
Sanger and Hitler, on the other hand, championed eliminating or stifling entire races or types of people.
Hey, you missed a very important one:
THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS!
Thanks to those, we got our kids running around with brooms pretending to be witches and wizards, and calling people muggles and calling out spells, and believing in magic, and wanting to go to that wizard school, and the dragons and the unicorns and the Quidditch and the Dark Arts and the plot twists and the boom-boom and the hoobie-dobbie-blagahblah– WORK OF THE DEVIL, I TELLS YA!
The Bible has as much right or more the the Manifesto to be on the list.
I’ll admit I have not read “Democracy and Education” but honestly, it doesn’t appear to be all that bad. I agree with the spirit of the book: critical thinking skills are more useful and more conducive to providing a proper working education than hard facts. I think the problem comes when the emphasis on fact is removed *completely*, which sounds like what happened. Of course facts have a place in education, and a big one at that. But if you think that memorizing a bunch of facts about something makes you somehow smarter or more educated, you are sorely mistaken. The thought processes of education and learning are infinitely more valuable than the information itself. That’s why one goes to college or university: it’s not to learn the information so much as its to gain the knowledge and skills on how to find the information if and when you need it, and how to interpret it in a way that is useful. That being said, I certainly don’t think including “Democracy and Education” in this list and excluding “The Turner Diaries” was a good move.
Secondly, while I wholeheartedly agree with Behe’s book being an annoying source of fuel for creationists, I doubt it deserves the #1 spot on a list of books that have screwed up the world. The problem with the “Black Box” is that it a book that finally gives what creationists feel is some sort of scientific rebuttal against evolution in the face of detractors that criticize creationism for it’s non-scientific approach. They feel it offers them some degree of legitimancy. The biggest problem is, to this day, you have creationists citing Behe’s book in their arguments, even though whole TOMES have been written systematically breaking down each and every one of Behe’s arguments and proven them false or misleading. Yes, it’s bothersome and silly, but has it screwed up the world? That’s up for debate.
Also…while some might find the idea of eugenics abhorrant, I find it logical, if it is applied with the proper intent (that is, strengthening the gene pool by filtering out inheritable genetic discrepancies). I certainly don’t take the idea seriously, and I don’t believe anyone should have to die because of it. However, I don’t think “The Pivot of Civilization” was such an evil book just because it states in blunt terms what many have speculated and whispered about for generations. It’s interesting in conjecture and theory, rather like the Communist Manifesto, and also like the Manifesto, would be likely to fail in practice for no other reason than our own corruptibilty. This might be an unpopular opinion around here.
The Bible has as much right, or perhaps more than the Manifesto to be on the list.
Of course, wars are often fought with the motto being raised by all sides that ” we will win, we must win, as we have secularism on our side”. Also, the thing about commentary is it should be kept impersonal and respectful, as it is being done after all electronically and facelessly, eh Bob? Otherwise you come off as being a bit of an internet tough guy, you know what I mean?
Bob: I’d be interested to see your sources on that statement.
Note to Joel – these are not in any particular order, as outlined in bold at the top.
Excellent list, I’ve never heard of some of these so I will have to look into it.
One question on “Coming of Age in Samoa.” The description says that the stories are from girls who exaggerated their wild tales but it also says that they are Mead’s own *****ual confusions and aspirations. I haven’t read the book yet so I’m not sure which it is. Did Mead make up the stories or did she report the Samoans’ exaggerated stories and add her own thoughts in there? I’m confused.
No Bible or Quran???
padraig: i agree with being respectful, but ehh’s comment was pretty idiotic.
bob: you beat me to it!! i was reading all the comments and couldn’t believe that nobody was finishing that line correctly. “ohhhh. who are you that are so wise in the ways of sciencec”
jayfray: i would agree with whoever said that you should have “in no particular order” in really big letters. i was all set to get going about black box being number 1 when i was reminded of the intro.
ehh: never met ONE person positively effected by the Bible. either you are living under a rock or you are seriously blinded by your bias.