The Joy of Disillusionment / David P. Crews

THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO READ

This is more than a book list. This reference section is really the heart of this site in many ways. These books mark a good portion of the trail that led me out of traditional Christian belief systems and into a rational, human world view. As will become apparent, I am still exploring ideas concerning the true history of humanity, that of religion, the specific history of Christianity, and the existence and nature of spiritual realities (however that is to be defined). In the meantime, I shall lift up the human being as the focus of our energies, wisdom, and endeavors.

It is true that we are what we eat. We should, naturally, eat a healthy variety of things and then wisely choose from the foods we find to be available to us. Those that are nurishing, we should pursue, and reject those that are empty or harmful. In the search for truth, a fundamental process is one of unbiased research - opening up one’s mind to all possibilities, considering each new idea on its own merit and comparing it to all the other ideas, then coming to some conclusion concerning the idea (even if that conclusion is to delay judgment until more information is available). This is an essential approach if we are to uncover “fearful truths.”

I place these references here for you to examine and I give you my “take” on the place of each book in a broader context of ideas. This commentary is my own, and you may find yourself differing in opinion after reading any of these volumes. That is expected and healthy, as each person should make up their own mind about things.

Ideally, this collection will serve as a useful guide to those who would wish to pursue Truth at any cost. I can only say that for me, reading these books has literally changed my life. In fact, they have broken me out of a rather small box that was my understanding of the world and have taken me soaring to a breathtaking new view of the vast universe and shown me marvellous things that I did not even know existed. I wish for you the same alarming joy!



	THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO READ This is more than a book list. This reference section is really the heart of this site in many ways. These books mark a good portion of the trail that led me out of traditional Christian belief systems and into a rational, human world view. As will become apparent, I am still exploring ideas concerning the true history of humanity, that of religion, the specific history of Christianity, and the existence and nature of spiritual realities (however that is to be defined). In the meantime, I shall lift up the human being as the focus of our energies, wisdom, and endeavors. It is true that we are what we eat. We should, naturally, eat a healthy variety of things and then wisely choose from the foods we find to be available to us. Those that are nurishing, we should pursue, and reject those that are empty or harmful. In the search for truth, a fundamental process is one of unbiased research - opening up one’s mind to all possibilities, considering each new idea on its own merit and comparing it to all the other ideas, then coming to some conclusion concerning the idea (even if that conclusion is to delay judgment until more information is available). This is an essential approach if we are to uncover “fearful truths.” I place these references here for you to examine and I give you my “take” on the place of each book in a broader context of ideas. This commentary is my own, and you may find yourself differing in opinion after reading any of these volumes. That is expected and healthy, as each person should make up their own mind about things. Ideally, this collection will serve as a useful guide to those who would wish to pursue Truth at any cost. I can only say that for me, reading these books has literally changed my life. In fact, they have broken me out of a rather small box that was my understanding of the world and have taken me soaring to a breathtaking new view of the vast universe and shown me marvellous things that I did not even know existed. I wish for you the same alarming joy!

	The books can be categorized as follows. Please note that most of these books exhibit many cross-discipline tendancies, which is one of their greatest assets. This means that many of the books belong in more than one of the categories I’ve devised. I will list them in the category that best sums up that book’s message, and make notes to the other topics in the descriptions. Note that not all volumes are of equal “importance” as some are supportive to others. In order to be comprehensive, they are all listed here according to subject matter. I will place a star next to ones of particular value. You might wish to start with one of those. Insights into the true history of religion and Christian religion. Entheogenic religious origins in African and Indus civilization Vedic and Zoroastrian origins and influences Bible origins in politics and power Pagan and Gnostic origins of Christianity The Gnostic scriptures and the Dead Sea Scrolls The Templars and secret knowledge Rationalist and Humanist reactions Insights into the true history of human civilization Animism/Tribalism Dispersion Theory Atlantis - lost prehistoric civilizations Historic but mysterious megalithic civilizations Egypt and archeoastronomy Archeoastronomy around the world Insights into the true nature of spirituality Challenges to evolution theory and reductionism Entheogens and the physical/spiritual link Shamanism and Warrior Craft Examining Humanity's oldest religion and finding new ways of applying it's insights The beginnings of a new Western Philosophy called the Way of the Warrior NOTE: I am still preparing the commentary on these volumes. I decided to go ahead and list the book titles and authors for now and I will add the commentary as soon as possible. THE LIST Insights into the true history of religion and Christian religion. The Jesus Mysteries - Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy In Search of the Birth of Jesus/The real journey of the Magi - Paul William Roberts Zoroaster/Life and work of the forerunner in Persia - Grail Foundation Press (Dr. Micah Rubenstein) Textual Sources for the Study of Zoroastrianism - Mary Boyce Power, Politics, and the Making of the Bible - Robert B. Coote & Mary P. Coote Food of the Gods/The search for the original Tree of Knowledge - Terence McKenna The Babylonian Genesis - Alexander Heidel The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels - Alexander Heidel The Sign and the Seal - Graham Hancock Bloodline of the Holy Grail - Laurence Gardner The Hiram Key - The Second Messiah - Uriel’s Machine - Christopher Knight & Robert Lomas The Hermetica - Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy Thus Spoke Zarathustra - Friederich Neitzche (Walter Kaufmann translation) The Forgery of the Old Testament & other essays - The Myth of the Resurrection & other essays - Joseph McCabe Why I am Not a Christian - Bertrand Russell Why I am an Agnostic & other essays - Clarence Darrow Abusing Science/The case against Creationism - Philip Kitcher Insights into the true history of human civilization Ishmael - The Story of B - Daniel Quinn Hamlet’s Mill - Giorgio de Santillana & Hertha von Dechend Sailing to Paradise - Jim Bailey The Alban Quest - Farley Mowat The Secret of the Incas - William Sullivan The Zuni Enigma - Nancy Yaw Davis Fingerprints of the Gods - Heaven’s Mirror - Graham Hancock Forbidden Archeology - Michael A. Cremo & Richard L. Thompson Food of the Gods/The search for the original Tree of Knowledge - Terence McKenna From The Ashes of Angels -The Forbidden Legacy of a Forgotten Race - Andrew Collins Gods of Eden -Egypt's Lost Legacy and the Genesis of Civilization - Andrew Collins The Orion Mystery - Robert Bauval & Adrian Gilbert The Message of the Sphinx - Graham Hancock & Robert Bauval The Sirius Mystery - Robert K. G. Temple The Gateway to Atlantis - Andrew Collins Mars Mystery - Graham Hancock Insights into the true nature of spirituality Darwin’s Black Box - Micheal J. Behe The Cosmic Serpent - Jeremy Narby DMT-The Spirit Molecule - Rick Strassman, M.D. Entheogens and the Future of Religion - Robert Forte (ed.) The Antipodes of The Mind - Benny Shanon The Doors of Perception - Aldous Huxley Shamanism and Warrior Craft * The Craft of the Warrior - Robert L. Spencer Way of the Peaceful Warrior - Dan Millman The Teachings of Don Juan (and following books) - Carlos Casteneda Ayahuasca -Human Consciousness and the Spirits of Nature - Ralph Metzner (ed. )** The Way of the Shaman - Michael Harner

As large as this list is, I fully realize that there are many, many other fine books out there that will open new avenues of thought. These are simply the ones I have read and that have impacted my thinking the most. I welcome your comments and suggestions for additions to my list. Happy Reading!!




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