Best of
Cults

1980

Scripture Twisting: 20 Ways the Cults Misread the Bible


James W. Sire - 1980
    How are they seemingly able to twist Scripture to mean something orthodox Christians have never believed it to mean in two thousand years? James Sire, author of The Universe Next Door and How to Read Slowly, has isolated twenty separate kinds of reading errors which are characteristically made by cultists as they interpret the Bible. He covers the full range from simple misquotation to complex argumentation which links one slightly eccentric interpretation to another, mixes in a few orthodox readings and ends with a conclusion totally foreign to the biblical world view. Sire also handles twisted translation, overspecification, virtue by association, ignoring the context and other flawed interpretations. A book to help us all become better readers of the Scriptures.

The Light on Synanon: How a country weekly exposed a corporate cult--and won the Pulitzer Prize


Dave Mitchell - 1980
    

The Psychology of the Psychic


David F. Marks - 1980
    At a time when there is growing acceptance of pseudoscience and claims of psychic phenomena, this penetrating analysis of so-called psychic abilities is a long overdue and thorough refutation of the whole psi craze. In regard to ESP, the Ganzfeld research, and the extraordinary claims of "mentalists," psychologist David Marks uncovers a long trail of deception, conjuring tricks, and scientific bungling. He also goes to great pains to examine the claims of serious parapsychologists such as Russell Targ, Harold Puthoff, Edwin C. May, the late Charles Honorton, Rupert Sheldrake, Jessica Utts, and Nobel Prize winner Brian D. Josephson. Not only does he provide an interesting account of what these leading figures think they have discovered, but he also offers lucid explanations of why they are mistaken.Included along with these fascinating investigations is a discussion of why so many people today are prone to believe in the reality of psi phenomena. In the final chapter, titled "The Art of Doubt," the author explores the positive role of skepticism in the progress of genuine science.For all those who value science's ability to separate sense from nonsense, The Psychology of the Psychic will come as welcome relief. The devastating conclusions will shock those who believe that psi is a proven reality. This book gives psi the knockout blow!