George A. Brinkmann

Not so many years ago, on Christmas Eve, there was a young boy whose curiosity was more than he could bear. He hid behind the armchair in the corner of the living room, waiting for a glimpse of Santa Claus. As he struggled to stay awake, he heard some commotion and whispering. Even before he peered from his hiding place, he recognized the voices. He peeked around the side of the armchair and saw his older brothers and sisters placing Santa Claus gifts under the tree. In that brief moment, his belief in Santa Claus was shattered. Christmas for him would never be the same. Even though it was not Santa who gave him toys and other gifts that year, he still enjoyed Christmas. But, the seeds of doubt and skepticism were planted!

I was that young boy who took his first step that night in a life-long journey of questioning religious beliefs. I grew up in a Christian family and attended a Christian elementary school. After high school, I graduated from Idaho State University. I am a life-long resident of Idaho. My wife and I have raised four children, three sons and a daughter, and currently live in northern Idaho. I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and gardening.

As I continued to mature, read, listen to others, and study I asked myself and others increasingly difficult questions about many Christian teachings and traditions. The non-religious history books of today present a different perspective on many of the events recorded in the Bible. For the past ten years I have made a concerted effort to study the history of those ancient times as presented by many notable authors with an effort to view their information objectively, both from a religious and a non-religious point of view. Within this book I share many of the answers I have discovered.