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Readers! A November fund-raising drive!

 

It is unfortunately time for another November fund-raising campaign to support my work here at Behind the Black. I really dislike doing these, but 2025 is so far turning out to be a very poor year for donations and subscriptions, the worst since 2020. I very much need your support for this webpage to survive.

 

And I think I provide real value. Fifteen years ago I said SLS was garbage and should be cancelled. Almost a decade ago I said Orion was a lie and a bad idea. As early as 1998, long before almost anyone else, I predicted in my first book, Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8, that private enterprise and freedom would conquer the solar system, not government. Very early in the COVID panic and continuing throughout I noted that every policy put forth by the government (masks, social distancing, lockdowns, jab mandates) was wrong, misguided, and did more harm than good. In planetary science, while everyone else in the media still thinks Mars has no water, I have been reporting the real results from the orbiters now for more than five years, that Mars is in fact a planet largely covered with ice.

 

I could continue with numerous other examples. If you want to know what others will discover a decade hence, read what I write here at Behind the Black. And if you read my most recent book, Conscious Choice, you will find out what is going to happen in space in the next century.

 

 

This last claim might sound like hubris on my part, but I base it on my overall track record.

 

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A new study finds that more than 80 percent of the mosques in the United States feature Islamic literature advocating violence.

A new study finds that more than 80 percent of the mosques in the United States feature Islamic literature advocating violence.

Further, 85 percent of the imams recommend this literature — both lay-written and authoritative Islamic texts (not including the Quran or Sunnah, writings said to be words and deeds of Mohammed). It is a slim 19 percent of the mosques that don’t feature such violent materials, and an even slimmer 15 percent of the imams who don’t recommend it. [emphasis mine]

Data like this once again illustrates how absurd it is to assume Islam has been hijacked by a small minority of violent radicals. Instead, the data horribly suggests that violence is a natural component of the religion.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
 

"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

5 comments

  • I’ve read the Quran. I’d say that it qualifies as ‘violent literature’ on the basis of its very specific injunctions with extreme prejudice against Jews and other non-Muslims.

  • jamesr

    Robert, you really should stick to space issues, you know a lot about that.

    I wouldn’t source an Andrew Briebart site for facts…not a lot of credibility (despite breaking the Rep Weiner story). [and Weiner should resign, but so should Sen Vitter]

    Blair, As for violent quotes in religious texts, the Bible has more, as several recent studies have pointed out.
    For an unscientific study, try googling “Violent quotes in the Bible” vs. “Violent quotes in the Quran”… numbers are about 21 M vs. 5 M. not very scientific (at all), but provides a little perspective.

    Try reading this for some perspective:

    http://www.juancole.com/2010/03/jenkins-bible-far-more-violent-than.html

    Not that i think i’ll convince you, just that you should try to read things that challenge your beliefs. Some things will re-inforce your beliefs, while others might give your some perspective that is lost by reading /watching sources that only agree with what you believe.

  • Larry

    Robert,

    Read jasmesr – stick to space stuff.

    Watching you over the years, what’s with you man?
    You have a serious problem in releasing your energies. I work with alot muslims and find all your stuff bigoted and disgusting.
    Hmm, Christians from a historical context don’t have a reputation of being happy engaging folks. Whoa, what a insight all religions have folks who
    are a bit off the edge. And this isn’t to down religions – get a perspective – most folks want to live.

    So if you were is space- what is your ideal community? Almost scary to hear your answer. But i have noticed you don’t respond to comments.

    Larry

  • The Bible does have quite a bit of sex and violence in the Old Testament. The Bible also has the New Testament, a collection of books focused on the teachings of Jesus Christ, and His message of love and tolerance. Because Christianity is based on these teachings, Christian doctrine implicitly and explicitly refutes the violence of the Old Testament. Islam contains no such modification.

    It’s curious to me why a religion that has so much in common with Christianity and Judaism, including acknowledgement that practitioners of those faiths worship the same God, should treat those adherents with such contempt. Arabic may be a nuanced language, but the sanctions against those who don’t practice the faith of Muhammad are plain enough. Islam is ‘the religion of peace’ if you’re a Muslim, but otherwise, not so much. Ask the Europeans and the Israelis.

  • Kelly Starks

    >== this once again illustrates how absurd it is to assume Islam has been hijacked by a small minority of violent radicals.
    > Instead, the data horribly suggests that violence is a natural component of the religion

    Reminds me of a section of the book “While Europe slept”. Folks kept calling for moderate Muslims to stand up and decry the growing violence, and got at best half hearted comments about murders and rapes being excessive, but understandable. But protests in support of such actions were getting huge crowd of Muslims.

    Finally one Muslim leader did call for a protest demonstration against the violence etc. He got several thrilled Euro leaders as speakers, about a hundred reporters, and possibly 50 anti violence protesters – many of whomed seemed to be relatives of the Muslim leader calling for the protests. Further research from the author of the book turned up that the sect that Muslim leader was from, was so disapproved of by other Muslim sects, they weren’t allowed to go to Mecca on pilgrimage.

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