Tells the story of why snakes have no legs, have a forked tongue and why the shed their skin.

The "Snake" is a symbolic biblical reference to Satan, the devil. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8 that Satan go around pretending to be a roaring lion in order to intimidate and scare people into allowing him to bring trouble into their lives. However, the Bible also teaches that Satan is only "pretending" to be a lion. The Bible says that we have authority over Satan, and that he is, in fact, a defeated foe! This book teaches people how to fight against the devil with Scriptural methods.

For some atheists, it's enough to simply not believe in God. Some people believe, but you don't. And that's OK.Other atheists, however, find themselves constantly being asked to justify why they don't believe in God, to explain how they can possibly have morals without believing in God, to respond to various arguments that supposedly prove the existence of God, to acknowledge that America was founded as a "Christian" nation, etc. And if you don't have a background in philosophy, formal logic, comparative religions, ancient history, and various scientific fields, it can be a bit daunting to attempt to respond to questions and assertions like these.Well, fear not! "Common Sense Atheism" is a collection of original essays that address these issues and many others in clear and easy to understand language, with just a dollop of humor to make it all go down smoothly. These essays will help you understand and explain to others why a lack of belief in God really is the only rational choice.After all, you shouldn't need a PhD to defend your lack of belief.

For millennia, people have used the Bible as a touchstone on important social and political questions, and rightly so. But many use the Bible simply as a weapon to wield against opponents in a variety of debates--without knowing what the Bible actually says about the issue in question. In The Bible Now, two respected biblical scholars, Richard Elliott Friedman and Shawna Dolansky, tell us carefully what the Hebrew Bible says or does not say about a wide range of issues--including homosexuality, abortion, women's status, capital punishment, and the environment. In fascinating passages that shed new light on some of today's most passionate disputes, the authors reveal how the Bible is frequently misunderstood, misquoted, mistranslated, and misused. For instance, those who quote the Bible in condemning homosexuality often cite the story of Sodom, and those who favor homosexuality point to David's lament over the death of Jonathan. But as the authors show, neither passage is clearly about homosexuality, and these texts do not offer solid footing on which to make an argument. Readers learn that female homosexuality is not prohibited--only male homosexuality. And on the subject of abortion, the Bible is practically silent, with one extraordinary exception. The Bible has inspired people to do great good but has also been used by people to do great harm, so it is vitally important for us to pay attention to it--and to get it right. The Bible Now shows us how we can--and cannot--use this ancient source of wisdom to address our most current and pressing issues.

A classic Jewish tale about Hayyim who wakes one day only to discover that the entire town thinks he has died.

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

The author analyzes belief in the Christian God and demonstrates how its defenses crumble with careful analysis. He points out that historically thousands of beliefs in deities have appeared, flourished, and faded away. Christianity, he claims, will be no exception. Fundamentalism is flourishing in the U.S., but history reveals that over time, man's intellect wins. Cases in point. Socrates had to drink poison because he would not recognize the Gods of the day. Galileo's victory over the Catholic Church. The demise of the Spanish Inquisition.