Title: The Final Superstition: A Critical Evaluation of the Judeo-Christian Legacy
Hardcover: 490 pages
Publisher: Prometheus Books, 1994
ISBN: 0879758961

Reviewed by G.B. Singh

You might be wondering why I am writing a review of a book that was published in 1994. The reason is simple. I came across this book a few years ago and I couldn’t fathom the depth of information arranged and presented in a wide spectrum of topics spread out in 19 chapters. While the book is certainly dated, I must confess this is one of the best books that I have read on the Bible. The entire book is presented in a question-answer format between God [Biblical God] and the author. I might not agree with the author on the Bible being a “final superstition” as the title suggests; To my religious scholarship Hinduism deserves that title.

Daleiden has investigated so many areas of the Judeo-Christian legacy in such a compelling manner that once you begin reading the book you will not stop until the end. A fairly good sampling of issues discussed in the book comprises the following:

·  The past 25 years of unrelenting efforts of Christian fundamentalists and evangelists to aspire control of the political agenda in the United States via “controlling” the political agenda of the Republican Party.

·  Learning the origins of relatively newer religious phenomenon such as Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Christian Scientists, and Mormons in the overall scope of wider Christianity.

·  Learning the existence of Jesus is no less controversial. This book covers complexity encompassing this issue very well. In addition, chapter 7 titled, “Christianity: The Cure That Cripples” is a phenomenal.

Often we are bombarded by Bible believers attempting to convince us about the high ethical values enshrined in the Bible. Regrettably the facts are quite the opposite. In chapter 9 titled as “The Bible as a Guide to Ethical Values: A Case of Arrested Development,” the author has presented the reality of these ethical values, which I must encourage everyone to read. I agree with Daleiden’s conclusive remarks, “The Bible’s values are those of a primitive and savage culture.”

On examining the arguments for the existence of God, we often fail to realize that within the Bible there is no evidence or any argument given. In chapters 12 to 14, Daleiden methodically demolishes each and every Christian non-biblical argument put forth. These arguments range from Ontological, Cosmological, Design, and others, which are explored thoroughly and then simply laid to rest because there is hardly any substance underneath these clever wordings and arguments.

While covering the Judeo-Christian legacy, Daleiden has also encroached upon other areas such as Pantheism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Greek Naturalism etc. The sections dealing with Buddhism and Hinduism etc. are quite weak, and I wish these subject matters were not incorporated in this fine book since they are strictly outside the scope of Judeo-Christian tradition. On a positive note I couldn’t help but notice that the Sikh religion is entirely missing from this book; however, one small sentence caught my attention: On page 45, it stated, “…Sikh fundamentalists have launched an all-out terrorist war against the Hindu ‘infidel.’” This statement is couched within the broader paragraph dealing with Islamic fundamentalism.

Frankly I am not sure what “Sikh fundamentalist” is? Also I have witnessed in certain quarters of American Atheists, a tendency to depict political problems shaping faraway into a religious one. A case in point is the Sikh political problems in India in 1980s. Never was this problem bordered on a “Hindu-Sikh” relationship, and yet among many of my atheist friends and acquaintances, I encountered instances where they employed the Islamic or Semitic terminologies to depict the issues affecting the Sikhs—all detrimental to the Sikh image abroad. The Sikhs have never utilized the word such as “infidel” on anyone let alone on the Hindus. The Sikhs are not known for exhibiting prejudices against other sets of believers or non-believers. Often I find myself cautioning my Atheist friends to exercise caution before jumping to conclusions on matters that they know so little of.

In conclusion, the Final Superstition is a result of great scholarship. There is no denying that Mr. Joseph Daleiden has exhausted so much of his time and efforts in shaping this book. I will encourage everyone to read this book.

Title: When Love Prevails: A Sikh Woman Finds Christ
Paperback: 135 pages
Publisher: Paternoster Press, UK, 1998 ISBN: 0-85078—288-1

Reviewed by G.B. Singh

This is a small book and its title captured my attention. In addition to a total of 19 chapters, this book has a special appendix on Sikhism at the end.

Rarely is the case when a Sikh-woman-turned- Christian is willing to share her testimony. Here Mrs. Narindar Mehat (with Margaret Wardell) opens herself and narrates her story in a beautiful way. Mehat now lives in UK.

Born and raised in Punjab, Narindar hailed from Sultanpur village located in between Jullundur and Ludhiana. Brought up in a Sikh family, one cannot escape the fact that she acquired a whole canopy of Hindu beliefs including worshipping Baba Balak Nath. Her education included BA degree from Khalsa College for Women in the district of Ludhiana and MA degree (?) from “Chandigarh university.”

Amazingly it was at Khalsa College that she was introduced to the Bible and from which collaterally she was fascinated with stories of Moses. Another amazing fact is to know that the principal of this women college happened to be a Christian woman.

Upon her family’s migration to UK, Narindar got married to Sewa Mehat, a 21 year old man who had been in UK since 1952. It seems the couple lived a happy life together.

From the narrative, it is clear that Narindar had an intense yearning to know and love god and it seems she was not satisfied with the past understanding of god, even to the point she entertained thoughts turning away from god. By 1969, she landed a job of a teacher in Birmingham Education Authority before moving two years later to Wolverhampton primary school.

A personal tragedy involving her mother’s brain tumor and the associated upheavals paved the way for Mehat to seek help from other sources. It is also clear Narindar was hung-up on the idea of reincarnation, which made her to fear that attaining salvation is a lengthy and tedious process. Unwilling to wait for such a long journey she writes, “I’m looking for something more, I was really wanting something that would give me salvation without my having to do anything about it” (pg. 42).

It is at this juncture that she came in touch with a Christian group which led to prayers upon prayers and Bible classes—ultimately rendering Narindar to accept Jesus as savior, thereby rejecting her past religious life. Via her, Sewa also converted.

After reading this book I found two issues stand out as I evaluated Narindar herself. First, her emotional turmoil, coupled with serious compromises in her psychological and psychiatric health. On page 42, she says this before her conversion:

… Then I began to experience tremendous pressure from the spirits. All the creatures I feared most came alive in my sleep. Hundreds of snakes, lizards and all sorts of creepy-crawlies would crowd around me. Lizards would be about to bite me or a snake would look down menacingly from a tree. Sometimes I felt I was running from one place to another all night to try and escape from them…. Often my face was covered with tears I had shed in my desperation….