Peter Longmore Releases New Book on An Unorthodox Look at Religious Orthodoxy

Peter Longmore experienced a profound crisis of conscience, and his conscience made him renounce his belief in Christian orthodoxy, whereby one had to accept all the teachings of the Church or face eternal damnation. As a self-styled atheist, Peter retained his moral and ethical compass; he just couldn't swallow what he came to see as myth, legend, convenient truths and just plain old malarkey. Longmore questioned what was the use of conventional religion if one can be a good person without it? And for that matter, why does Christianity have to be the only true religion while all other are enemies of Christianity? Is a Buddhist seeking Nirvana any better or worse than a Christian seeking Heaven?

This thought-provoking book by Longmore, a longtime lay pastor of the Presbyterian Church, pulls no punches as it lays out some of the illogicalities of the Bible and its interpreters, the borrowing of near-identical myths from other religions while claiming them as its own, and how people have accumulated wealth and power - from the Borges to Jim Bakker - all under the guise of a religion that must never be questioned.

One need not look far to see how the New Testament has been rewritten, revised, bowdlerized and expunged countless times over the centuries to dovetail with the political ambitions of a Vatican intent on spreading and maintaining its grip on the kings and queens of Europe, and hence keeping the populace compliant. And what does one make of the peaceful religion of Islam being used to brainwash impressionable enemies of the Western world and turning them into terrorists with promises of seventy virgins for company in the afterlife?

But, like many young people in their late teens and twenties, Longmore began to see the world through different lenses. There was injustice, racism, political assassinations, homophobia and cruelty, some of it seemingly condoned by the Christian religion, if not necessarily caused by it.

Peter Longmore came back to the Church after a series of epiphanies, but he didn't come back as the same Christian who left. He came back as a believer, but also as a believer in fact over dogma, goodness over false piety, and the need for individuals to find out for themselves what is good and true. Not all Christians will agree with some of his beliefs and conclusions, but in this provocative and clearly-argued book, Longmore proves himself a voice of Christianity that needs to be heard.

Author Bio: Peter D. Longmore has been a lay preacher for more than 25 years. He lives in London, Ontario, Canada.

This I Believe
ISBN: 978-0-9939000-0-6
$15.00

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