According to 2010 statistics, there were 2.2 billion Christians (31%), 1.6 billion followers of Islam (23%), 14.6 million Jews or 17.8 million who have some background connection to the Jewish faith in an estimated world population of 7.3 billion people. According to the same statistics, Islam is the fastest growing religion. How could so many trusting people get it so wrong? What does the future hold if so much of humankind is being deceived and manipulated by so many religious superstitions?

I have read a number of books by other atheists like The God Delusion by Christopher Dawkins, god is not great, by Christopher Hitchens and the Four Horsemen featuring Dawkins, Hitchens, Sam Harris and Dan Dennett with a Foreword by Stephen Fry. All these impressive intellectuals argue that God does not exist and examine the futility of religious belief. They make passing references to Bible stories but stop short of a detailed look at the evidence in the texts. Dawkins, in his book, for example, claims that “angels were shamelessly invented.” My book supplements the work these fine authors began and adds weight to their impressive arguments that God and religion are man-made. According to my findings, Christianity, Islam and Judaism shouldn’t even exist in a well-informed and educated world.

This book is a personal journey of discovery, an attempt to come to terms with all the lies that the clergy have taught for centuries. They are still pedalling the same old lies and exaggerations today. They stand to lose too much by acknowledging the truth. The powerful religious lobby worldwide keeps its influence and wealth by perpetuating these lies. It’s time for clarification, it’s time to challenge the existing orthodoxy and time for some facts about what exactly the Bible contains. The only credible way to do that is to examine every text carefully, all 66 of them and reveal the findings. I have done this for my own enlightenment and for my family and friends. I want to share with them what I found so they can make more informed choices about what they believe in.

I contend that very few people in religious callings have read the Bible carefully if at all. Anyone who does so will see the unsustainability of what is in it. All the evidence is there for everyone to see. I am now a happy, informed and well-adjusted atheist as a result of examining the Bible carefully. I hope to share my findings, which I’ve carefully documented in this book, with my extended family and friends and also with anyone who is interested in pursuing truth.

If we are to understand what motivates radical, Islamic terrorists and hope to stamp out evil in the world, then we must put our own house in order first. The belief that the Angel Gabriel dictated the Koran to Mohammed dissolves when you accept that angels are non-existent mythical creatures. Neither did an angel impregnate the Virgin Mary nor do any of the deeds they are given credit for in Biblical texts. This book can be the first step towards a better reality. “The pen is mightier than the sword” in this endeavour.

This book was not written to offend but rather to encourage intelligent thought and discussion. It may contribute to the debate about religion generally and the origin of things, whether there is some creative force in the universe or not. But it does challenge the authenticity of the God being presented in the Bible.