To be honest, this book doesn't deserve even one star. What a conglomeration of unsubstantiated and ridiculous nonsense. Thisis a clear case of the blind not wishing to see. If they'd open their eyes and read the scientific literature, they'd see how absurd their statements are. Do NOT waste your money on this book and do NOT risk your health by listening to a word they say.

I am a commited Christian who works with Cultists all the time, because I was one! Therefore, having been on both sides of the fence I can recognize those who spout without research and admonish without expertise. If you read this book, you'll think that the only experts related to medicine are those who toe the line of the AMA. Let's face it, there are some medical "alternatives" that can put your soul in jeopardy...the faith healers who perform psychic surgery come to mind. But saying that Chiropractic is something to beware of? That homeopathy's founder was pagan? I ask you, do you know who invented ibuprofen? Was he a Satanist? Let's not forget that allopathic, or traditional medicine's root had people ingesting mercury, called mental illness demon posession and ridiculed washing hands before tending to women in childbirth-after they had worked on corpses. It is important to remain spiritually aware, make sure that the alternatives you use are grounded in science, but don't let this book scare you into thinking that unless someone is endorsed by the AMA that they're somehow evil.

In the past, I had first hand involvement in alternative medicine. Until this book was written, a good research of the subject had not been done, at least to my knowledge. When the Lord began to open my eyes to the falseness of alternative medicine and the spiritual danger that can develop from participating in these New Age practices, research material was at a minimum. I thank God that these two men wrote this book. It has helped me so much. Thank you.

In this series of books, the author attempts to point out pitfalls of various groups and sects. Ankerberg takes aim at the Word of Faith and "parrots" all of the old verbage heretofore stated without any other insight. The book quotes various teachers but the size of the book does not allow a fair and accurate treatment of the Faith message as a whole. If people would judge the Faith message or any message by the Word instead of by their favorite preacher, they would be a lot better off.

This book has some problems. Like many others, John talks about things without knowing all of the facts. Hagin, Copeland, Price, etc... have gotten a bad rap. In fact, most true Christians would be considered herectics if you examined ALL of their doctrine. This is unfair and sad.

I have had 5 close family members mixed up in the word of faith movement. But thanks to this little book the number is now only 3. All 5 members were given other, lengthier books exposing the flaws in the faith preachers teaching. None of them seem to have done the trick. It was this book alone that convinced two of them to take a closer look at the mistakes of these teachers.

If you are trying to correct someones belief in the faith movement and bring them back to christian doctrine as espoused by the bible, I highly suggest this book. It can be read in less than 30 minutes and its prose is set for the JR High level. This makes it highly understandable by the masses.

As a former conservative Evangelical who found himself slowly, by the grace of God led to full communion with the Catholic Church, I plead with any Protestant considering this book as a source of insight into Catholicism to look elsewhere. It is a shame and disservice to the Gospel of Christ.

Even if you can't see Catholics are your brothers in Christ (though we see you in that way), it's important to understand what they truly believe. You'll find nothing here but distortions, bad scholarship or worse. Lies serve only father of lies.

Even if you desire nothing but material to oppose us, read one of the Protestant converts to Catholicism like Scott Hahn ("Rome Sweet Home"), Mark Shea ("By what Authority?"), or Karl Keating ("Catholicism and Fundamentalism"). At least then you can oppose true Catholicism and not this fiction created by Ankerberg and Weldon.

it is just silly to me when i think of all the debate against who is right. Does God really care who does what as long as you BELIEVE it doesn't matter!!! I was a devout protestant (yay United Methodists) until recently when i converted to Catholicism. this book gave me little insight on true Catholicism, but merely gave the stereotypes which have been ingrained in our protestant minds throughout our lives. It is sad to see that they dont belong, but i have yet to meet a catholic who hates protestants as much as i have met protestants who are disgusted by the stereotype of catholicism which they arent even familiar. choose another book

... in that its cover and summary are very neutral and non-confrontational, and the contents are entirely deceitful and anti-Catholic. Check out this blatant presupposition:

"[Concerning recorded Catholic appearances,] Would the truly saved dead, or the biblical Mary, or holy angels support teachings and practices that were against the Word of God?"

Or take a look at this fourth-grade argument, which irresponsibly and immaturely equivocates "flesh" and "literal":

"[Jesus] expressly stated that the words 'bread,' 'flesh,' [etc.,] in a fleshly or literal interpretation, profited nothing."

Throughout the book "Word of God" and "Bible" have an implied synonymity (is a rectangle and square always the same?). And the authors completely ignore the fact that Catholics SUPPORT faith-alone, under the context of sola Gratia and sola fides formata. They also ignore {purposely?) baptism of desire, and continuously call the Eucharist a repetition. A frusterating book to read, if you are in any way a supporter of truth and logical, rational debate.

The best advice regarding the written word is to carefully consider the source and motivation for writing it. With that in mind, one sees a steady flow of uninformed, sensational (yes, even malicious) attacks upon the Masons. They carefully ignore mentioning Christian leaders as Norman Vincent Peale, Methodist Bishop Carl Sanders, and the late president of Baylor University (Southern Baptist) Abner McCall- all 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Masons. It's ALL about portraying Masonry as a non-Christian (it's NEVER claimed to be Christian) or as some "alternative religion". My long held stance is that it's a handy way for these "evangelists of ignorance" to fill their coffers in the same way the National Enquirer does. The unwashed mob is still out there, watching TV and sending their hard-earned dollars in to "ministers" who probably know better than what they're saying, laughing all the way to the bank...

I started to read the book in hopes of finding out more about Freemasonry. I soon found out that Mr. Ankergerg simply put Masonry on a hit list. He is not an expert on Masonry and in fact makes up much of what he writes about the Fraternity..I wonder how someone who is so full of hate can consider himself a man of God? A much better and factual book on Freemasonry would be "Born In Blood" by John J. Robinson.

Sincerely & Respectfully Bro. Manny Blanco Moreno ValleyLodge # 804 Moreno Valley, CA

I myself am a friend of an entire masonic family for 13 years. I got this book after I first noticed the "anti-masonic" rhetoric online and I could not believe it at all. I was convinced that there was nothing wrong with what my friends participated in.
However, Ankerberg & Weldon do a very nice common-sense approach to give the obvious differences between Christianity and Masonry. Through my personal experiences with my friends (who also claim to be Christians) I began to sense something was very wrong, and reading this book confirmed it. My friends eat, breathe, talk and excrete masonry, so I have seen quite a bit.
I have taken many of the topics in this book, and along with other sources, and discussed them with one of my masonic friends. She has confirmed all of them through her words and actions.
A friend at my church also presented this book to a mason he works with who also confirmed that everything in it is accurate. But yet, he is so deceived that he persists to let this fraternity use him.
I cannot cover everything here, but Ankerberg and Weldon actual give an approach that just scratches the surface. You will want to learn more. What I have learned is this (confirming with my masonic friends): they swear oaths that are verbally vile and bloody, put ropes around initiate's bodies--including the neck, make the initiate alter his clothing. They promote making good men better, but provide no provision for "bad" men. They discriminate against people who they consider having "bad mental qualities" even though they have neither medical or legal licenses to make that judgment. They also promote brotherly support of one another, but when my masonic friends had a devastating fire in their home, not a single fraternity member showed up to help them.
I don't even need to be a Christian to confirm these things. Just a little discernment is all that is needed. I wish every mason, not even just Christian ones, will read this booklet. It's very short and can bring some things into perspective, even for those of other religious beliefs. These authors I think do a nice job demonstrating how this fraternity is disrespectful for all religious beliefs, not just Christianity.

Creationism is a story made up to protect kids from the truth of their REAL heritage. WE ARE ANIMALS!! No better or worse from the pets we house, the animals we eat, enslave, or hunt. That does not make us dirty, it should make us feel a kinship with our cousins from the animal kingdom (along with plants, fungi, bacteria, and protists). Why are humans so egocentric when it comes to our origens. The world in not 6,000 years old, we are not special, and our self-centered elistist Christian ideals will be the death of our civilization. Get over yourself!!

An odd little pamphlet, built on split-minded logic. Ankerberg and Weldon (A&W) try to recast "science" to their own literalist Christian ends, and seem to botch the job throughout. It's not fair to criticize without concrete examples, so:

On pages 17-19, we're told (rather convincingly) that acceptance of a scientific theory by a majority is a poor reason for it to be held as absolutely true. Yet on page 33, A&W try to bolster their own arguments in favor of Creationism as science by referencing polls claiming that a majority of Americans want Creationism taught in public schools. Well, gentlemen ... is it a popularity contest, or isn't it? Further: Throughout the tract, A&W lambaste evolutionists for not adhering to the established rules of proper science; but on page 29, we read: "... there is nothing unscientific about [our Creationist approach]. The worldview of theism is just as adequate an explanatory framework for the scientific data as is the worldview of naturalism." Boom -- instant shift in the established rules of proper science, and it's valid because they say so, darn it.

Most interesting is A&W's use of references and quotations ... 149 footnotes for a mere 39 pages of text. I was impressed, until I did a quick count. Well over a quarter of those citations come from the same three Creationists, one a lawyer, the second "with three earned doctorates in science" (social science? political science? A&W don't say), and the last identified as a "molecular biologist" ... no reference to an earned doctorate for him, though. There were several references to astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle, and those contained the only substantial attempt in the essay to refute an aspect of evolution: the mathematical improbability of life's spontaneous generation from inorganic matter. I had to wonder, though, whether the literalist Christian authors further agree with Hoyle's hypothesis that the organic grains of life came to Earth from outer space over 5 billion years ago, and then evolved from there. That makes him a rather strange bedfellow. Any port in a storm, I guess ...

A&W have also penned pamphlets with titles like "The Facts on Halloween," "The Facts on Homosexuality," and "The Facts on Rock Music." Alas, I'll be skipping those pieces.

This book unmasks the scientific communities death-grip on any information that may harm the false doctrine of evolution.

Too bad that Darwin has already poisoned the minds of many with a theory that even he had difficulty believing in.

Most of the other reviewers on this page have condemned this work as being little more than "biased," "hate-mongering" and "bad." Thier reason? The work looks at small religious traditions in the light of 1. how they measure up to (Traditional) Christianity and 2. what thier beliefs are in general (that makes me wonder how much, if any, of the book most of them read). Now, granted, it is a little biased to stack up a religion next Christianity, but since many of these "cults" claim to either be a supplement to, the fulfillment of, or the true and origional version of Christianity, it only makes sense to look at them as they compare to the beliefs of Traditional Christians (that is, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant). This is especially valuable in the case of Mormon or Jehovah's Witnesses since both claim to be legitimate Christiantiy and are often listed as such. As for the other religions subject to scrutinazation in this book...well it is important to remember that all of them are hostile to Tradtional Christianity (in much the same way every other reviewer is) and this is the encyclopedia of cults and NEW religions (though there is no concrete meaning of what exactally New is). In any case, this book does have a few problems. Number one, it give enormous treatment to some subjects (i.e., CofJCofLDS and JW's), but there is less than a page on many. It would valuable to expand some of these areas while tappering off the larger articles in any revision of the book. Second, despite Chrstianity being the measuring line to which all is compared, there is no definition of what exactally Christianity is anywhere that I have seen. On the whole, it is a valuable reference work for anyone looking for information on cults, just as long as you believe Christianity; otherwise, all bets are off and you too will probably hate this book. But that's OK...it wasn't written for the non-Christian anyway.

Dr. John Weldon, author of 75+ books and 150+ articles, is known for his well-researched and carefully documented material. His Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions is no exception. It is a good resources for those who need a brief introduction to the doctrines of and claims of various cults and religious movements. It also provides countless references for further study - both offline and online.

As much as possible, Weldon and co-author John Ankerberg have cited the first editions of the standard works that a group considers authorative.

The book focuses on movements popular - or emerging - in America, but is useful to Christians all over the world. However, this approach - dictated by editorial limits - has some drawbacks. For example, some controversial movements (e.g. International Churches of Christ) are not mentioned, and some entries (e.g. Transcendental Meditation) are very brief. On the other hand, there are lengthy treatments of Buddhism, the Unification Church, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesss, Unitarian Universalism, the Way International, etcera. The entry on Scientology is an edited, much shorter version of the (excellent) Scientology entry in the Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs - part 1 in this series of books. Since many entries are cross-referenced, it is helpful to have both volumes.

Weldon's introductory article discusses issues related to cults and religious freedom. An extensive appendix on Christian doctrine provides Christians and non-Christians alike with a sound understanding of major biblical themes, allowing for comparison with the teachings of other religious movements.

Missing from this volume is the Select Index that makes Part 1 more accessible.

Anton Hein, Apologetics Index

This book is not intended for the casual reader. This is a scholarly work which requires concentration on the part of the reader. It should be described as a reference work. I would definitely recommend it for pastors, seminary students, or Bible college students. The book is well documented.

Even more Protestant, Fundamentalists, Evangelical nonsence! The answers to the Faith and Works questions are all revealed in the Holy scriptures James 2:17, James 2:24 and Philippians 2:12. Not to mention John 5:29/Titus 2:7/ Titus 3:28/ 1 Peter 4:7-11/ Romans 2:6-13/ 2 Corinthians 5:10/ Revelations 20:12/ Luke 17:10/ Matthew 10:22.
When the certain ruler asks the Lord "how do I inherit eternal life?" What did the Lord tell him? read Mark 10:17-19 & Luke 18:18-20 to find out. It's all there in your Bibles folks.
Unfortunately, there are many people that try to present themselves as being pro-Bible when actually they are anti-Roman Catholic.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we are Justified by Faith alone. Take note that the doctrine of sola fide is NOT pro-Bible it is anti-Roman Catholic.

I am a Baptist doing research on the Catholic church and I decided that I would get both views: Catholics and Protestants. I've noticed that traditionally when these two groups are refuting each other's beliefs, Catholics quote scripture that leads Protestants to their beliefs, then refute that and provide their own scripture. Protestants don't do this. They quote their own scripture and that's it.

I've also noticed that Protestants often misunderstand the Catholic teachings and they distort it and the Bible itself.

This little book is no exception. It is not convincing at all. It is ironic to mention that, as much emphasis as these "Bible Christians," including Mr. Ankerberg, put on the Bible (though I believe good Catholics put much more emphasis on it) they seem rather ignorant of some scripture. For example, on page 18 he writes, "Catholic popes have historically emphasized the belief that, in the words of John Paul II, 'Man is justified by works and not by faith alone.'" Mr. Ankerberg does not seem to realize that these are NOT originally the words of John Paul II. Rather, it comes directly from the Book of James (See James 2:24).

Don't waste your money here, folks.

This is part of a three book series the authors have written to counter the major movements that run counter to Christianity. I would imagine that you are surprised to see the Mormons and the Catholics on this list. However, the authors succinctly, yet deeply expose the misinformation that populate these organizations. While Catholicism is basically Christian and has few errors, there are major points that a true Christian will not be able to support if he or she is determined to be Christian. Mormons are shown to be an outright cult, and particularly in light of recent events, the book on Islam can be a bit scary. It reveals in a sentence or two that Saddam is very close to being Hitler.

You may be shocked, but you will certainly be educated and more ready to defend your faith once you have read these short, scholarly books. The other two books in this series is The Facts On Islam (ISBN 0736911073) & The Facts On The Mormon Church (ISBN 07369111146).

Let's see, creationism or evolution? How can we decide?

Evidence for creationism: one book, written thousands of years ago. The same book also tells us that Joshua made the sun stand still. Oh, and this is the book that leading Jewish archeologists have just recently confessed is totally fictitious. Abraham and the Patriarchs: mythical. Moses and the Exodus from Egypt: a made-up story. Joshua's conquest of Canaan: didn't happen. David and Solomon: well, they existed, but David didn't conquer Canaan and Solomon built no temple. Creationism: a "theory" supported by one fringe religion (Evangelical Christianity) in one country (America).

Evidence for evolution: The DNA in your blood. The family resemblance between you and your parents and your children. The obvious fact of biological inheritance. Many, many books and magazine articles written by many people in many lands of many religions. Evolution: a theory supported by people of many faiths in many lands.

This is a really tough decision! Good luck!

Yes, evolution is a theory. Yes, there is not an infinite amount of seamless and perfect evidence which could allow us to "know" it is "true". Science is not about perfect knowledge and absolutes. It is only a system of thought, experimentation, and peer review which allows us to theorize and then act upon reasonable assumptions. Zealotry in science definitely must be scorned, but the actions of a few do not invalidate the process.

In my opinion, those claiming natural selection is a fraud are ignorant of the science behind genetic mutation and reproductive statistical perpetuance, lack the required mental abilities to understand it, or are extremely biased by erroneous preconceived notions. Ankerberg and Weldon may choose which one they think applies in this case.

This "reference guide" lists the generally discredited creationist "explanations" of flood geology, geophysics, polystratic fossils and the other typical creationist arguments.

If you are a special creation beliver don't rely on this book to refute well informed scientists, but it is sufficient for typical "lay" persons. That is to say, people who don't know what's wrong with it won't have answers to it. Problem is, the book itself is fact-free. Nothing in it is right. Informed lay people or scientists will have refutation for each and every argument in the book.

Pretty much, it's a waste of time.

Ok I will admit it, I bought this book so I could laugh my pants off. It worked. No this isnt slap-stick humor that I was laughing at but sheer ignorance. This is a "christian" book to inform the 'christians' to not give into demonism and not to believe this psychic 'stuff' because its just Satan....PLease. Tis funny that Jesus was a master psychic and he said "all thing I do, you can do and more" yet the church never listens to Jesus only when it is convienent for them. This book declares that all psychics are fruit-cakes like Latoya Jackson who want to scam you out of their money...yet I do not see them making any of these claims to their insurance companies. Hmmm? Bottom line: I think Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson wrote this book under pen names.

I am ereding and collecting all this ANTI d&d literature trying to understand how they can ALL be so wrong. There are two good explanations, These authors never learn how to play the game from the rulebooks. They simply quote each others nonsense. Playing With Fire has the "advantage" of putting all the ridiculous and erroneous comments about D&D in one place.