User:Geschwindic/Beyond The Crusades (book)

Beyond the Crusades is a 2016 book by American author and journalist Michael Paulkovich, in which he describes the origins and evolution of Christianity and the Bible, exposes the corruption and oppression within Christendom, along with the similarities to other religions.

It was originally published in the United States by Spillix Publishing (Annapolis) in 2013 as No Meek Messiah, then picked up by American Atheist Press, re-edited and given the title Beyond the Crusades: Christianity's Lies, Laws and Legacy'' with a foreword by Robert M. Price and commentaries by Richard Dawkins, Frank Zindler and S. T. Joshi

Authorship
Paulkovich is columnist for American Atheist Magazine, a frequent contributor to Free Inquiry and contributing editor for The American Rationalist. Paulkovich is an inventor, editor, and space systems engineer for NASA. The book Beyond the Crusades contains a foreword by Bible scholar Robert M. Price, was published by American Atheist Press, and received praise from well-known authors.

Summary
The book begins with frontmatter including a Foreword, Prologue and Introduction followed by the main body, divided into four main parts, and having a total of 55 chapters.

Foreword
Robert M. Price summarizes his feelings on the book.

Prologue. Answer to Stalin
This chapter underscores the apparent bigotry in the Occident against people who follow no religion and those who claim that atheism, humanism and secularism are malevolent and cause harm including the claims that Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mao Zedong "were atheists and therefore atheism is evil."

Introduction
This chapter sets up the theme of the book, claiming religion has had a "free ride and self-proclaimed reign, enjoying unwarranted respect for far too long..."

Part I. Christian Timeline
This description of the beginnings of Judeo-Christian beliefs starts in the 30th Century BCE when the Egyptians "would invent—and believe in—almost 1,500 gods over many centuries...", citing ancient Egyptian texts that seem to be precursors to Hebrew and Christian belief. Part I continues, century after century up to the year 2016, chronicling forgeries, frauds and genocides committed by religious authorities as they gained power and wealth, and providing examples of atrocities committed by the religious in the name of their god.

Part II. A Case Against Religion
This part consists of the following chapters:
 * 31 - Extermination of the Human Beings, on Manifest Destiny
 * 32 - Separation of Armageddon and State
 * 33 - Witch Hunts
 * 34 - Bible Bunk and Holy Horrors
 * 35 - Beaten with Many Stripes
 * 36 - The Jurisprudence of Gay Marriage
 * 37 - Pretzel Logic, on 'salvation' and Jesus' execution

Part III. Christian Roots
This part consists of the following chapters positing the origins for Christian belief:
 * 38 - Mythology Abuse: Inherit the Hot Air
 * 39 - Saviors, Sun-gods and Messiahs
 * 40 - Egyptian Origins of Judeo-Christian Beliefs
 * 41 - Mithra/Mithras: From Persia to Rome
 * 42 - Apollonius Tyaneus
 * 43 - Mother Maya and Baby Siddhartha
 * 44 - Mother Semele and Baby Dionysus
 * 45 - Mother Devaki and Baby Krishna
 * 46 - Mother Gaia and Baby Prometheus
 * 47 - Mother Nana and Baby Attis

Part IV. The Bible

 * 48 - Josephus’ Coat of Many Colors
 * 49 - Mystery of the Silent Historians
 * 50 - Bible Origins and Wild Variations
 * 51 - The Gospel Truth
 * 52 - The Cheapest of Tuxedos
 * 53 - The Old Testament
 * 54 - The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth
 * 55 - Polytheism in the Bible

Conclusion
Paulkovich writes, "It should be clear to even the most devout and inculcated reader that it is all up for Christianity, and in fact has been for centuries..." and ends this chapter claiming "Christianity seems to have been little more than a hoax, fiction, oral legend," and a quote from Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Epilogue
The author invokes Randolph Churchill, Bill Maher, Isaac Asimov to shore up his case, then tells the story of 16-year-old Jessica Ahlquist of Rhode Island who met with intense bigotry and oppression for being a political activist, first with regards to an illegal banner in her school promoting school prayer, and ending the book with a quote by Madalyn Murray O'Hair.