Bye Bye Satan

About the Book

At last, a book that explains with great clarity both the scientific and Christian views of life - with none of the typical sales pitches. Find out what is new in biology and true in religion. Newly discovered fossils supply the "missing links" in the transition from water to land and back again. The Theory of Evolution is absolutely pivotal in explaining the history of life on Earth and your place in it. See how DNA encodes the development of earth's splendid plants and animals, including ourselves. Important genes distinguish humans from our closest living relatives - the Chimpanzees. Biological research is even altering our view about morals and the soul. In addition to science, you will find honest, even-handed explanations of religious history and practice, especially of Christianity. Early on, church officials chose their preferred narratives and bound them into a New Testament, after omitting passages they judged less persuasive. Nearly 30 other Gospels were suppressed as outright heresies. Provocatively, some elevated Mary Magdalene above Peter, and even supported Judas. Intent on self-perpetuation, today’s institutional religions continue their practice of using our afterlife as grounds for trumping our present life. Although the courts ruled Intelligent Design is a religious proposition, its proponents are still attempting to trot the Trojan horse of Creationism into science classrooms. Bye Bye Satan's central conclusion is that living by evidence is the only honest path—all else is risky self-deception. Find out why facts matter, as you discover meaning and purpose in your own life.

About the Author

Bruce Oakley, M.Sc., Ph.D., teaches in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He has carried out research at Northwestern University, the University of California in Los Angeles and Berkeley, and in Norway and Sweden. His research on the development of the mammalian nervous system has been supported by Senator Jacob Javits and Senator Claude Pepper Merit Awards from the United States National Institutes of Health. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was raised in the Quaker tradition that relies primarily on each person’s Inner Light for guidance rather than upon creeds and scripture and a hierarchical church. This freedom from a commitment to doctrinaire beliefs has allowed an even-handed appraisals of religion, letting the facts lead the way. With a career focused for 40 years on biology, he is comfortable with issues of nature and nurture and the evolution of life on Earth. As you might expect from a specialization in neuroscience, Dr. Oakley believes that no issues of human feeling and spirituality make sense except in light of brain function.