God'S Lunatics

From the prophets of doom, to the eccentric characters from the Bible, to solitary visionaries, such as hermits and ascetics, or believers in overindulgence, who thought food, sex, and drugs were the keys to the portal to divine understanding, this title chronicles history's large and colourful cast of prophets. An eyebrow-raising expose of the strange and shocking side of history's religions, cults, and spiritual movements What is the meaning of life? Since the dawn of civilization, humankind has sought to answer the mysteries of existence. Unfortunately this restless search for the divine has, all too often, driven seekers in regrettable directions—toward the comically ridiculous and irrational but also the frighteningly horrific and maniacal. Arm yourself with God's Lunatics before your next encounter with those who have been blinded by the light. Award-winning author Michael Largo, "the Capote of kaput" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), chronicles history's vast and colorful cast of true believers—from the hidden side of the Bible's eccentric characters to today's street-corner doomsayers, and from extraterrestrial communicators, levitating hermits, and flagellating ascetics to self-serving preachers of overindulgence who believed money, sex, and drugs were the keys to the portal to divine understanding. In addition to the firewalkers, serpent handlers, cultists, terrorists, and alleged time travelers, God's Lunatics also reveals the dubious foundations of the world's major faiths and the many religious customs and laws that continue to influence governments and society, whether you are a believer or not. From the dawn of civilisation humankind has looked for answers to the meaning of existence. The big questions like, 'where did we come from?', 'how should we live?', and 'where do we go when we die?' have perplexed and puzzled. Each generation has been eager to follow the prophets who might manifest and offer their guidance. The roads taken to find certain truths were varied, ranging from the ridiculous, or horrific and strange, to the sublime. From the prophets of doom, to the eccentric characters from the Bible, to solitary visionaries, such as hermits and ascetics, or believers in overindulgence, who thought food, sex, and drugs were the keys to the portal to divine understanding, "God's Lunatics" chronicles history's large and colourful cast of prophets. From the intimate doings of those who rose to an 'immortal' level, walked on fire, or handled poisonous snakes, to prophets claiming time travel as their source of knowledge, "God's Lunatics" also takes a look at the foundations of major religions, and the adoption of customs and laws which influenced governments and culture to this day.