{"product_id":"men-who-invented-religion","title":"Men Who Invented Religion","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhat is religion?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMark Twain said, “Religion consists in a set of things which the average man\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ethinks he believes and wishes he was certain of.\" St. Augustine evaded giving an\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eanswer at all. Perhaps for the true believer it is the relation of human beings to God\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eor the gods or to something they feel is sacred but which provides a context for life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the Pharaoh Akhenaten in c.1320BC, religion has been a way to control\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ethe masses by making them believe in a future reward. Napoleon realised that all\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ereligions are man-made and have the benefit of keeping the poor from murdering\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ethe rich. Hitler and Stalin both used the Church cynically for their own personal\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ebenefit, sure that science would eventually destroy all religions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis book looks at the powerful men without any religious conviction themselves\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ewho had the greatest influence. It includes such figures as Alexander the\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGreat and Cyrus of Persia, both Messiahs to the Jews, Constantine, the father of\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChristianity who remained a pagan until his deathbed and Mohammed who forgot\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ehis Jewish connexions and beliefs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Brown Dog Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Product","offer_id":54251989598552,"sku":"9781785451133","price":18.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781785451133__677370a50f4e0.jpg?v=1741160861","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/men-who-invented-religion","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}