Bøger udgivet af Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

The Christian religion presents itself as the way to contentment, spiritual health, and salvation. But is this really true? Dr. Wendell Watters offers a powerful argument, based on his many years of clinical experience with individuals, couples, and families, that Christianity's influence actually militates against human development in such vital areas as self-esteem, sexuality, and social interactions. The tragic end result of Christian conditioning is too often antisocial behavior, sexual dysfunction, poor psychological development, anxiety, and even major psychiatric illness. Christian indoctrination is not simply a problem affecting individuals or single families; the noxious effects of its teachings over nearly two millennia pervade society at large, even those who are not Christians, and in ways that seriously undermine human welfare and the quality of life. Christianity's aggressive pronatalist policies have encouraged large families, despite parents' inability to cope either emotionally or financially. With this the Christian church has formulated rigid sexual roles, forbidding all practices not leading directly to conception. By actually promoting sexual ignorance and irresponsibility, Christianity has allowed the proliferation of such social ills as rape, child molestation, and pornography. In the face of so much human suffering resulting from Christian doctrine, it is imperative that health care professionals, recognizing the Christian belief system as an addictive disease, develop a religious status examination to help evaluate how notions about life derived from Christian god-talk compromise individuals' healthy functioning. In failing to determine the role of oppressive religious beliefs in mental illness, physicians and other health care workers actually promote Christianity's continued stranglehold on human happiness and self-fulfillment.

The staggering growth in the numbers of people who believe in New Age spiritualities and paranormal phenomena - combined with America's pervasive mania for diets, food fads, and exotic cure-alls - draws millions each year to answer the siren song of unorthodox nutrition practices. Usually based on supernatural underpinnings or the pronouncements of charismatic gurus, these diet regimes often fly in the face of well-grounded, scientific dietetics. In writing Mystical Diets, author Jack Raso, trained in scientific reasoning and a registered dietitian, offers an accessible yet authoritative tool to assist laypersons and health professionals in making sound decisions regarding the appropriateness (or inappropriateness) of a number of fringe nutritional programs. With Mr. Raso's help, these decisions can now be based not only on standards of scientific validity but the likelihood of subjective benefits as well. Mystical Diets details the history, philosophy, and manifestations of macrobiotics, Natural Hygiene, the Edgar Cayce tradition, Ayurvedic medicine, Anthroposophical medicine, the Gerson Therapy, the Matol movement, and much more. Through the generous use of quotations, proponents of the various alternative-nutrition systems, past and present, are allowed to speak for themselves. And the author's thorough discussion of the most up-to-date research into health and diet helps readers make up their own minds about foods, herbs, vitamins, minerals, and the claims made by proponents of alternative dietetics.

Written originally as the 15th and 16th chapters of his great work, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-1788), On Christianity joined the growing number of revisionist histories whose authors rejected the view that popular support of Christianity was miraculously preordained. Gibbon interprets the ascendancy of Christianity in terms of natural social causes, laying bare the paucity of evidence for the supernatural guidance of church actions.

Contemporary debate in the area of church/state relations centers around the religion clauses of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion [the Establishment Clause] or prohibiting the free exercise thereof [the Free Exercise Clause]." Original Intent is a readable and objective summary of the views of Chief Justice Rehnquist and an enlightening treatise on the future of church/state relations in America. Derek Davis begins with a brief biographical profile of Rehnquist and an overview of his broad judicial philosophy. The book also includes a summary of the importance of original intent in constitutional jurisprudence; an examination of the events, people, and documents which at the time of the nation's founding were instrumental in adoption of the First Amendment religion clauses; an account of the Supreme Court's efforts in the last two centuries to interpret and apply those clauses; an evaluation of Rehnquist's interpretations of the clauses, with emphasis on his understanding of the framer's original intent; a description of the present tensions the Supreme Court is experiencing in its efforts to formulate a workable framework for applying the religion clauses in church/state controversies; and an evaluation of Rehnquist's church/state philosophy. Davis warns that Rehnquist is leading the Supreme Court away from its separationist readings of the religion clauses and substituting accomodationist readings which, he contends, are neither in keeping with the original intentions of the Founding Fathers nor good for future American church/state relations. The current composition of the court and Rehnquist's pivotal role, Davis maintains, portend serious departures from the Court's traditional separationist stance and the possibility of sweeping changes in its approaches to the religion clauses.

Abraham Edel addresses the questions of what is meant by "education," how educational institutions and processes are evaluated, and how they can be improved, and what curriculums are best and why. At a time when our ability to provide effective education can spell success or failure for individuals and society alike, Edel clears away old confusions and indicates the conditions that must be satisfied in order for education to be successful for this and future generations.

The way mankind has responded to the dark sky throughout history has determined humanity's scientific - and cultural - progress. In this way, astronomy is in some way connected to everything. This fascinating theme is explored in Dark Sky Legacy. George Reed examines the powerful influence of the cosmos on cultural and societal development, reviewing mankind's historical propensity for projecting human experience into a cosmic framework and the centuries-old relationship between astronomy and astrology, the result of which is the emergence of the age of science. Since then, he writes, the purpose of astronomy has been to observe celestial objects for the advancement of scientific knowledge, while astrology deals only in the possibility that celestial bodies influence events on Earth. Reed asserts that the movement away from an inward-looking, "meaningful" cosmos toward an outward-gazing, impersonal one is a shift that has had enormous repercussions in every aspect of human life. He points out that astrology provides a scheme in which the believer is an integral component of an animistic, cyclical universe. Conversely, the pursuit of science and astronomy is a mechanistic, linear activity, which seeks extrinsic answers in terms of precise relationships between sense perceptions. Dark Sky Legacy probes the divergent approaches to the universe that compel individuals and cultures to pursue astrology or astronomy, the intuitive or the analytical. Blending modern science, ancient science, mythology, history, literature, and naked-eye astronomy, and spiced with fascinating detail about astronomy, astrology, celestial mythology, and calendar development, the book is an engrossing study of the profound impact of mankind's relationship with the universe.

Is it possible to build a world community for the next century that avoids economic upheaval, war, ecological devastation, and racial and religious enmity? Can mankind develop a new global ethic? These and other questions were addressed by international leaders during the Tenth Humanist World Congress. Building a World Community is an engrossing compilation of the papers delivered at the Congress. More than fifty notable speakers are represented. Each provides a unique vision of the future as we stand poised at the brink of the twenty-first century. The compelling message of these statements is one of hope: That the changes now transforming society can provide unparallelled means to improve human life and the opportunity to usher in an era of vast and impressive achievement.

Has Marxism finally shown itself to be a bankrupt social philosophy? Why should we strive for economic democracy? Are individual human rights to be protected only so long as no one is inconvenienced? Are radical measures needed in the defense of our freedoms? Can competitive, profit-oriented free market capitalism coincide with heart-felt public concern for the social welfare of others? Why do so many people harbor anti-business attitudes? Have we become a nation of moral eunuchs who won't, or can't stand up for their own rights? Is there is right to health care? Has society really been corrupted by public education, pornography, show business, and the like? This extraordinary array of piercing social questions is just a tasty sampling of the intellectual hors d'oeuvres offered to whet the appetites of those who seek a more satisfying and practical approach to contemporary social problems. In Liberty & Culture, Tibor Machan, one of America's leading libertarian authors, compiles more than 130 of his articles and editorials from leading newspaper columns and nationally recognized magazines. The selections cover Marxism, Democracy, Individual Human Rights, Foreign Affairs, Politics, Economics, Business, Law, Morality, Medicine, and Culture. Each chapter rings with the clarion call of unabashed individualism, a position that Machan believes offers the most sound ethical stance for human life. The cause of liberty and individual rights has never had a more dedicated champion!

""I strongly urge everyone to read this volume of essays. . ." The Educational Forum "Convictions may indeed be interpreted as Sidney Hook's final outlook on the possibilities of a self-determined, dignified, and rational human life, or liberal education, and of a free and intelligently organized society. . . .[it] will be appreciated by anybody with an interest in contemporary social and political philosophy." Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy newsletter "Highly recommended." Library Journal ". . . the collection stands as an accessible and highly readable record of the personal convictions of one of America's most notable social philosophers." American Journal of Theology and Philosophy "His latest collection shows him to have been to the very end a nonpareil marshaler of arguments, as well as an exemplary figure in American intellectual life." Washington Post

My Return is sure to provoke intense public discussion and controversy. The author, Jack Henry Abbott, is now serving a fifteen-years-to-life sentence for the 1981 stabbing of Richard Adan, a young night manager of the Binibon Cafe on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Only six weeks before killing Adan, Abbott had been paroled from Marion Federal Prison in Illinois at the age of thirty-seven. While in prison, he had become well known as a promising writer, encouraged in his work by Norman Mailer and other New York literati. Abbott's In the Belly of the Beast was released at the time of his parole and was widely heralded as a major literary achievement. Except for a short-lived escape from prison in 1971, Abbott had been incarcerated in one institution or another since he was thirteen years old. His parole placed him in another potentially violent environment, but one that had a completely different set of rules. He has consistently maintained that he thought Richard Adan was carrying a knife and that his attack on Adan was the result of that perception. Naomi Zack, who has a Ph.D. in philosophy from Columbia University, became interested in the Abbott case while doing research for a film on the victims of crime and of the criminal justice system. She is convinced that Abbott was unfairly convicted by an outraged public opinion inflamed by sensational treatment in the media. My Return is Jack Abbott's and Naomi Zack's story of the death of Richard Adan, the ensuing trial, and Abbott's return to prison. It is comprised of "The Death of Tragedy," a play based on the actual court records; an illustrated appendix giving stage directions and the background of the issues and people involved; and "Men of Letters," a collection of Abbott's essays on a variety of topics - religious, philosophical, historical, and literary - including an autobiographical account of his tragic life. It is an absorbing and undeniably fascinating work. Although it is his story, Jack Henry Abbott receives no royalties or any other remuneration from the publication of this book.

The policy of affirmative action, today, more so than in the Civil Rights era, is under severe scrutiny. Nicholas Capaldi's Out of Order typifies the present-day criticism of affirmative action and shows how we have shifted from equality of opportunity and individual merit to the concept of group entitlement and statistical quality of result. Capaldi contends that affirmative action has not solved the problem of equal opportunity for which it was presumably designed, it has instead created a new moral dilemma in the form of reverse discrimination. Out of Order highlights key affirmative action issues from the time of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through the Bakke decision, the Weber case of 1979, and beyond. Capaldi illuminates not only the historical/judicial complexion of affirmative action policies but also their philosophical and social implications. Capaldi questions the necessity of affirmative action, whether its creation was based upon a valid definition of the nature and extent of discrimination, and whether it is a suitable policy for dealing with discrimination. Capaldi maintains that the creation of affirmative action evolved more out of social theory than social reality. By carefully documenting the legislative and judicial history of the Civil Rights Act, the author argues that affirmative action is a bureaucratic fabrication, that it is not a solution to a problem but a policy in search of problems. The crux of Capaldi's thesis boldly claims that affirmative action is perpetuated by the self-interest of "modern liberals" who "guide and control the system from their superior vantage point." Moreover, affirmative action is centered on education and has its roots in doctrinaire liberalism. Since that social philosophy attaches a crucial role to education, and since the conflicting demands made upon the modern American university have exposed its inability to generate coherent policies, doctrinaire liberalism has undergone a crisis of confidence.

A statement by 192 scientists, including 19 Nobel Prize winners, who call the "science" of astrology a deception based on "magic and superstition."

Presents a compelling portrait of the global drug market and the consequences of this international plague. Paul Stares explains that there are good reasons to fear that the global market for drugs will continue to expand in the coming years: profits to the traffickers are huge; the revolutionary advances in technology facilitate smuggling, as do the trends toward privatization and deregulation.